19.08.2020
This week’s guest mix is by DJ Dav, widely known recently for his never-ending Twitch live streams that he started during quarantine (Sundays starting at 2pm EST & Thursdays starting at 7pm EST — Twitch), and his endless Vans collection. Ever since meeting Dav, I have loved his personality and how I always run into him out in the city!
He has been DJing for 20+ years, and is also a part of the City Air Detroit crew. Dav recently had his Charivari Detroit music festival debut via their 24/7 live stream event this year, and holds a residency at Rosie O’ Grady’s in Ferndale.
Listening to a set from Dav, you can expect seamless mixing, music flowing together from every genre, personality, and if he’s using them – talent on vinyl.
This set was recorded at Tangent Gallery on July 11th, 2020 during Tangent’s debut of their new outdoor patio (which was also Dav’s birthday).
In his interview, we talk about things that include his Twitch streams, snowboarding, his favorite color, he gives advice for new people starting their DJ career, and more.
I hope you enjoy his mix, now on SoundCloud. Read on to find out more about DJ Dav!
detroit.dance: You’ve been DJing for 20+ years, so do you have any cool connections out of state or any cool stories from your experience so far?
Dav: Well I got into this because I love doing it, it was never to be super popular, to make music, or anything. I just like making people dance. Cool story though, I got to DJ in Acapulco for a month straight. I was able to meet DJ AM and DJ Skribble down there, so that was pretty cool. I don’t have a ton of stories… a lot of people don’t want to DJ “too much” because they feel like it burns out their name, but I’m the opposite. I want to DJ all the damn time! It gives new people a chance to hear you… my connections grow that way, from the people who have seen me play.
detroit.dance: Why do you think people are drawn to you DJing?
Dav: I’m just goofy when I DJ, so I guess my personality. Some people think I’m a good DJ, I don’t know about that one [laughs]. Another thing is, I don’t know what I’m going to play a lot of the time, so people come out to see what I will do and where I will take the night… or what shirt I’m wearing.
detroit.dance: You started your *amazing* streams on Twitch when this quarantine started; what made you decide to do that, and did you think it would continue for as long as it has?
Dav: The reason I started, was because if I am not DJing a couple times a month, I feel like I am missing out. So I wanted to do that, and it also gave me a chance to play different genres and songs that I don’t usually get to play. If I’m doing a Top 40 gig, it’s pretty strict with what I have to play, and playing a House or Techno gig, you usually stick to one genre throughout the night. With live streaming, I can do whatever the hell I want to do, and there’s people out there that respond to that. That was the main reason. And the reason I kept going, first of all – no I did not think it would have lasted this long – the reason I kept going is that I had a really good response to what I was doing, and it’s kind of fun if you do it regularly and you have a time slot that you stick to… I’ve noticed if you do that online that it’s better for your following. You get more followers and more regular viewers if you are doing something on a set schedule.
detroit.dance: I have noticed that you are really good with your schedule! Like with me, when I am trying to find live streams to post about, when they pop up randomly it can be hard to catch them all. Schedules and posting about things ahead of time is what helps me out a lot.
Dav: The thing about that though too, is that I have my viewers that are used to watching me every Thursday and Sunday, and Mondays when I was doing Mondays but I needed to dial it back a little bit, it’s good because sometimes when you have a set schedule, when you do a pop up like I did this past Saturday with something totally different than I usually play in my streams, there wasn’t a TON of viewers, but there was enough people that were totally loving that I was playing 90’s alternative rock, that you can’t really hear a DJ play at that many places. It was a lot of fun, I ended up playing that day for four hours.
detroit.dance: How do you play super long? Especially on Sundays (2pm-??)
Dav: The funny thing is, for Top 40 DJs — I started as a Top 40 DJ for half of my career before I got into House music — Top 40 DJs play for four hours all the time, that’s totally normal, like a set from 10pm-2am. So, playing long doesn’t bother me at all. Some streams where I have gone super extended is because of the feedback I’m getting in the chat, which I think is really important in streams. In a club, you can see people and the people that might be there that don’t want to be there. Everyone that is listening to a stream obviously wants to be there, because it is so easy to click away and listen to something else. So getting good feedback in the chat, for me, makes it so easy for me to keep playing. That’s what I’m here for. Now the 14-hour set that I did on Memorial Day weekend [laughs] that was a lot of partying, by me and everyone in the chat. Every time I went to stop playing, my viewers number would go up, so that’s motivation for me too.
detroit.dance: Do you have a favorite genre to play? I know you like the open format style.
Dav: Not really, I think that’s the reason I was doing 3 shows for a while. I was able to play House music one day, open format another day with anything from 70’s/80’s RnB to Funk to old 90’s Electronica to Grooves in the Heart, and Hip-Hop on Mondays. I like all of it. It really depends on my mood, too. Even when I was playing gigs live, I would go in thinking I was playing one thing and then change my mind two songs into the set. I’m kind of a spaz when it comes to genres that I really like, I’m all over the place.
detroit.dance: Do you have a particular dream lineup for a show (with or without you on it)? Something that you would like to see that you haven’t yet?
Dav: Honestly, not really. It’s probably more bands than DJs or producers. When I go out, I’m the guy that is known for getting to the bar WAY before anyone else, because I want to watch my friends play. A lot of the time, I just like seeing people I have never heard before. I’m not really drawn to big name headliners, because there is a chance I have seen them already. I’d rather go check out my friends and then someone I’ve never heard of.
detroit.dance: What is your favorite thing about the Detroit music scene?
Dav: For me, it’s a big family thing. 95% of the time I go out, I go out by myself, because I know I am going to see people that I know. Whether I am DJing or just hanging out, I can go to the bar knowing that I will know people outside of the staff that will be cool hanging out. On top of that, no matter where you go, the music is freaking amazing! And the DJs are freaking amazing. It’s really inspirational, and it’s cool to be inspired while hanging out with your friends.
detroit.dance: You promote your streams and shows on Facebook a lot, what is your opinion on how social media plays into DJ life now?
Dav: I loathe social media. Facebook, anyway. I don’t know, it’s a love-hate relationship. There are too many people that put 100% into the social media, but it’s a necessary thing because that’s where people spend their time. It’s the only way to have people know about where you are going to play, where you are going to be. That’s why I like Instagram — it is just pictures. You don’t have to put words with anything. But overall, a love-hate relationship.
detroit.dance: What’s your favorite color?
Dav: It changes! I’m just going to list a bunch [laughs]. Black is up there. Green, purple, pink, and orange.
detroit.dance: Like neon colors? I see those as neon colors.
Dav: Not super neon, I guess it depends on my mood. Neon is super 80’s.
detroit.dance: What are your hobbies outside of DJing? I know you like snowboarding.
Dav: Yeah, the main thing I do outside of snowboarding that’s probably more important to me than DJing is… snowboarding. I think this is going to be my 32nd season. I actually dropped out of college to snowboard, used to be sponsored, got on ESPN2 once… so all of my vacations are usually to ski resorts and to mountains, things along those lines. Besides for that, I don’t know, I just got back into mountain biking and I really like watching cartoons.
detroit.dance: What cartoons do you like?
Dav: I just bought the Adventure Time box set! Any of the Adult Swim stuff. Something that’s totally not an adult show but it IS, is Teen Titans GO, and when I get sucked into that show I can’t stop watching it. 90% of the humor in that is adult, and they reference so much 80’s it’s insane. I absolutely love it.
detroit.dance: Going back to snowboarding, why snowboarding?
Dav: I got into snowboarding because I was a skateboarder. I started in Missouri of all places. Back then it was really hard to learn, I’m actually sitting in front of my very first snowboard… just because the technology was so different back then. I put in the effort, and once I started to get good at it, it just clicked. Going fast, making your own line, and being able to read what nature is giving you… Big ski resorts make trails for you, but snow is going to be snow, and it is different every single time you go. It is a fresh way to look at life every time you are out there, it gives you something different to play on.
detroit.dance: Do you have a favorite place to go to snowboard?
Dav: My two favorite places in general are Utah and Lake Tahoe. Snowbird Resort in Utah is my overall favorite so far resort-wise, but Lake Tahoe is the most beautiful place I have ever been to. You have the mountains, the lake, and you have the best of both worlds.
detroit.dance: Quick one — think of two tracks that you would mix together right now!
Dav: I played something yesterday… what was it… I don’t remember, but they went together so good!! I don’t know, I have certain songs that I always automatically play, especially with Top 40. As for Top 40, I play like Biggie “Mo Money Mo Problems”, Nelly “Ride With Me”, and then ODB “I Got Your Money”… I do a wordplay thing if songs have the same words, it’s fun for me to do that kind of thing.
detroit.dance: How many tracks / records do you think you have right now?
Dav: Actual records… I don’t say I have that many, because I know people like DJ Psycho, but I probably have around 2,000 records. As for digitally, I have NO idea, it’s a lot.
detroit.dance: Do you have a word of advice for anyone that may just be getting started with their DJ career or hobby?
Dav: Sure! The biggest thing for me, is just to have FUN with it. So many people, especially in the digital age, it is so ingrained in them that everything has to be perfect, and they aim to be rich and famous. If that’s why you’re getting into it, you’re going to fail before you even start. If you mess up a mix, there’s nothing you can do about it, you just have to let it go, it’s in the past now, and crush the rest of your set. I’ve actually told people that in person before. I’ve seen people mess up a mix and then be super pissed the rest of their set and I have to be like, “Yo, you just killed the vibe, not because of the mix, but because of your attitude after the mix.” It should just be about having fun, and that’s why I think everyone gets into music in the first place… it reminds them of something or makes them feel something. If you don’t remember that, then you’re kind of missing the point.
detroit.dance: If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Dav: The first thing I think of is “Let Go” by Frou Frou. It’s super chill. It’s one of those songs, that if it comes on shuffle, I will always replay it. And the first time I heard it was in a snowboard video, I also think it is in the movie Garden State. [I checked — it is in that movie!]
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Make sure you check out Dav’s Destination Detroit and his Recipe by Request that will be posted Friday. His mix is now on SoundCloud.
Be sure to follow DJ Dav on his socials and tune into his streams on Twitch – Sunday starting at 2pm EST (open format) and Thursday 7pm-9pm EST (house and techno).