Above the bridge
Above the bridge
Episode 151 CJ PARK ( Hawaii Dj )
What does it take for a young DJ to carve out a meaningful career in Hawaii's competitive nightlife scene? CJ Park, son of industry veteran Jay Park, reveals the surprising truth behind his rise from playing $20 house parties to commanding major venue residencies and opening for artists like Little Wayne and T-Pain.
The journey begins with humble origins – Park recalls being the kid who always brought speakers to high school parties, gradually honing his skills and musical intuition. But rather than riding his father's coattails, we learn how Park built his career through genuine connections, starting with a fortuitous gig DJing a yoga instructor's boat party that opened his eyes to the financial possibilities of his passion.
What's striking about Park's story is his refreshing humility. Despite now holding coveted residencies at District, Ki Club, and other premier Honolulu venues, he speaks candidly about his early struggles with professional equipment and the pressure of knowing "if the DJ clears the house, nobody gets paid." His respect for veteran DJs and willingness to learn from them mirrors the mentorship dynamic host Thaddeus Park shares about nurturing DJ Hapa's career through intentional challenges rather than easy opportunities.
Perhaps most powerful is Park's brave disclosure about recently achieving two months of sobriety after recognizing some issues were threatening both his career and well-being. In an industry saturated with temptation, his commitment to growth both personally and professionally offers an inspiring blueprint for sustainability in nightlife careers.
Whether you're an aspiring DJ, nightlife enthusiast, or simply appreciate stories of authentic career development, this conversation offers valuable insights into the delicate balance of technical skill, business awareness, and personal integrity required to thrive in the entertainment world. Tune in to discover how CJ Park continues to "take them on a journey" while still evolving his own.
welcome to another edition of the bud the bridge podcast. I'm your host, thaddeus park. If this is your first time tuning in, you can find us on all the major podcast platforms, our youtube channel and atbpodcom um. On the YouTube, leave a comment, it matters. Subscribe. I appreciate it and thank you for the support. First I want to do is shout out our sponsors. Defend Hawaii has been my sponsor from day one. They've been our first sponsor and they've been with me from the beginning. They have a store in Winter Mall called no One. They also have some new drops for summer coming out, so go check them out at their website, defendhawaiicom. If you use promo code ATBPOTUPON check out you'll receive 15% off your first order, so go check them out. They got some cool stuff. I rock it all the time. This is my favorite brand, but go check them out.
Speaker 2:Next, we have IREP Detail Supply and they're your one-stop shop superstore for everything you need to detail your car, vehicle, truck, van, whatever you have. I went there last week and their staff is amazing, very knowledgeable, helpful and very courteous and full of aloha. I love it there. I got some stuff to detail my truck. My truck looks brand new now and I couldn't be happier, but go check them out Temple Valley Shopping Center. They also have a shop in Vegas. You can also go to their website, irepdetailsupplycom promo code ATBPOD upon checkout and you'll get 15% off your purchase order.
Speaker 2:Next, we have our Medicinal Mushroom Company and they're a locally-based medicinal mushroom company, medicinal Mushrooms Hawaii and they have four extracted mushroom tinctures. They have lion's mane, red reishi, chaga and turkey tail and each one of these mushrooms have a medicinal property that helps with immune system, neurological stuff, sleepy time, anything you need. Check them out. I take this stuff religiously. I take lion's mane, chaga and turkey tail in the morning to get my day going and the red reishi at night to help me sleep like a champ. Visit their website. It'll explain what each one of these mushrooms can do for you. It's medmushroomhighcom and this time, if you use promo code ATBPODUPON check out all capital letters You'll get 45% off your first tincture of extracted mushrooms. Go check them out. I love it. Aloha. Okay, welcome to another edition of the Above the Bridge podcast. This week my guest is a local DJ that's been blowing up one of the younger generations. He does have the best last name as a dj in hawaii. Welcome to the show cj park. What's up, man what's?
Speaker 1:going on, brother. Good to see you. Good to see you. What's going on?
Speaker 2:I'm doing good, bro. I'm always happy to see your name up in lights because it's technically my name as well, so park is a good last name we are brothers. You haven't told anybody that, but we are brothers brah, this uh summer might be getting kind of crazy. So how's uh your your like lineups looking up for this summer, anything nuts coming in?
Speaker 1:um, well, shoot, I mean to be honest with you, not much right now. I mean, like I think, mostly working the club circuit, that's that's what's been going kind of crazy right now. It's just getting um, getting to work with key club and district and um and surefire kiki's. So I'm I'm pretty stacked as of right now in terms of the night time, but usually ray will give me a call and says when you're ready to go, it's somebody big's coming and I usually say hey, yeah, let's do it yeah, ray has been doing amazing things.
Speaker 2:I've got a super blessed opportunity to work with him when he was first starting out with major region and aloha laulea and and we did a lot of stuff together and, um yeah, we created a great bunch of memories and ray is very he. His business mind is second to none and if you uh knew his dad, it's, it was the same. His dad was very personable and and ray has the same charisma. So it's cool to see what he's doing.
Speaker 1:But, fuck, he put been putting you on all kind of big stages uh yeah, I mean I I did something right, I guess, and then he kept having me and and I'm super blessed I, you know, I, I and I never would have thought that. You thought that I would have gotten to do things like Little Wayne or Tyga or T-Pain or anything like that. So that's the shit that I still think about sometimes and I'm like I can't believe I did that.
Speaker 2:Well, one thing I do know about Ray is if you don't show out, he ain't gonna put you back on. So, whatever you had that opportunity, you must have showed out, because he's putting you back on and I do know he don't give a shit like he won't book you again.
Speaker 2:He won't yeah yeah, so you must be doing something right, so that's always cool, yep, um, I always ask this question when I have djs on, because for me personally, I'm a fan of djs. My whole business was built because of the djs I pick because of how they handle the night. They're the talent we can get everybody to the club, but if the djs can't hold them there and show them a good time, then our brand is trash. So I always have a lot of respect for djs. It's something I can't do. But how did you get started djing?
Speaker 1:because it's a weird kind of avenue to kind of get into yeah, um, well, so I, I've always been around djs my whole life. So my dad, he used to be a dj and um, I don't know if you, if you, you know my dad, uh, jay, but he used to be dj back in the day and then, so I've always around, was always around music and then, um, I remember being a kid and then going to the radio station with him and at this time they had records. So I remember I was put on by hip hop, really put on to Eminem. We had his LP, we had the Eminem record anyways. But I was the first like kind of leak I got into like hip hop, and then I would have all these records. So I would know a bunch of these, like a bunch of these hits, just sitting in the corner of our tiny house and I would just recognize like oh, that's Usher, and then he sings, yeah, and I would be jamming to his music in the car.
Speaker 1:But then fast forward, I was maybe in high school. Yeah, I was in high school. Towards the end of my high school career I would get invited to parties and I would always be that kid to bring the speaker and, um, even in lunchtime. It was super annoying to. You know, my other classmates probably, but I would, you know, be that kid with the speaker and, um, I would be taking requests. Hey, does anybody want to listen to this in the lunchroom? And nobody wants to listen to anything, you just want to eat their lunch. But yeah, I would go to parties and I would just bring music and then, um, my friend had a birthday party and I started djing at his birthday party and I just haven't stopped.
Speaker 2:I guess you know how'd you learn how to beat match yourself in? I'm assuming that was like straight mixing or you had serato back then so serato, serot, yeah, I got my start on serato.
Speaker 1:So I I mean anything from wax, I, I could, I couldn't figure it out. I mean we had phase, that's the closest thing to wax that I could use, but um, but it's still part of serato. Um shoot, yeah, so I got. I got my start learning serato. But then beat matching was really my my dad. He taught me how to really beat match so okay how to, how to do my four like four counts.
Speaker 1:He just that's all. He taught me pretty much. And then the rest I he said he said, learn your four counts and take them on a journey. And then the rest I had to go figure out for myself. And then a lot of trial and error. Um yeah, and then and then now I'm in the clubs and I'm learning from you know, debin and ace and a bunch of the other DJs that play at the club.
Speaker 2:That's super cool. If people don't know your dad, your dad's Jay Park. I met him. I think he was a rep for either the radio or TV. The time I met him we were promoting at the W. This was like I don't even remember. I don't even remember it. I don't even remember it was a long time ago and my uh at the time, ronnie was, was running artist group network and I was a promoter under them and I met your dad and your dad was always fun to talk story with and very personable.
Speaker 2:your dad's a cool dude you just yeah, very sweet man yeah, he's very genuine and he's definitely somebody I've looked up to in the business and always fun to be around and real, like he's one of the real people in this industry. Everything he says is real, like there's no fakeness about him.
Speaker 2:And yeah, uh, since I've been seeing him recently, all we do is talk about you and that's cool he's very proud of you and I always say that the first time I got to meet and talk story with you was at one of the district's christmas party and we got to sit down and talk story and I got to get to know you a little bit more than just behind the turntables and I was telling your dad, like you got a lot to be proud of, your son has his a good head on his shoulders and he seems to be able to navigate this industry the right way and I think, maybe because of who your dad is, you may have got your foot in the door, but I feel like you kick that fucking door open and earn everything that you're getting and you have the old school respect and mentality, which is kind of refreshing coming from the old school. Like you have that same mentality. And what made me think of that was, I think one night we had off on a friday or something, and we were, uh, me hoppa and I think hansen was just cruising on wikes and we ended up watching you uh play at tiki's or one of the
Speaker 2:bars in waikiki and you probably don't even remember but, yeah, kiki's yeah yeah, the second we got in there you made sure you showed us love, you brought us on the stage, we had a drink and I'm like brad, it's that kind of stuff is how the industry was always built and grew and grew and um. For someone so young to understand that and like, just take care of us made us feel good and made us feel important and it was cool to see that someone in the younger generation still had that same respect and and love especially for for like hop, who's a DJ also All the way.
Speaker 1:It was cool to see man. You guys have always been really nice to me. Of course, in our industry it's all about giving back. You got to be.
Speaker 1:The thing is, a lot of people have a I think the word is condensation or they have like, uh, they're very jaded on being, on being a certain way to people, just to get something out of them yeah what I've learned is that if you're just genuine to people, they're going to want to be around you, and I think that's the key to success in everything is just just be a genuine person, be real, and that's helped me a lot through my DJ career, even even when I be real, even when it's ugly, um, but but be genuine to you. Know the other people in the industry, because we all work hard, bro, like, yeah, like you guys work late nights, just like me, and so like a common ground, and so that's one thing we could already. We could already see eye to eye and, and so that's really cool, and so like a common ground, and so that's one thing we could already. We could already see eye to eye and, and so that's really cool, and so it's all it's always love every time I see you guys, yeah same here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what I, what I did like about what you just said earlier, was how you're learning from debin and learning from ace and and the djs before you, and I've seen djs come up, come and go and a lot of them think they're the shit and think they don't need to learn anything. Like for someone young and someone with, like your resume, you don't have to be like, oh, I'm trying to learn from these people. I already done all that, but you're still absorbing and learning from older djs, especially devin. That guy is probably one of the top on the island like. That guy is fucking phenomenal he's at another level, bro.
Speaker 1:I I cannot believe. There's some shit that I hear from him sometimes in the night that I like god damn, that guy's really good yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:But so you're starting off early in your life like how did you first manage to get like a bigger gig, like what was like your first gig, and how did how did that feel when everybody all eyes on you and you're in a spot where no one knows who the fuck you are?
Speaker 1:um, okay, so, okay. So it's actually a really funny story. The first time, so the first time I ever got paid like real money, like I would do these house parties for like 20 bucks a night, yeah. And then, uh, I I went on a date with a girl who was a yoga instructor and she, she was on these, she used to have these boat parties, right. And so I don't know, are you familiar with oahu boat cruises? Yes, yes, yeah, so we would. This is not the first time I'm meeting the owners of oahu boat cruises, but I play her yoga party for all her friends on this boat, and it's my first and I wasn't even expected to get paid.
Speaker 1:I was just, you know, I was hanging out with this girl, you know, and and, um, she was like, oh, you want to, you want to come and play at this boat party, and I I played. And then, um, it was a bunch of people on this boat. It's a bunch of, like young college kids like drinking, having fun, and I've done that before, similar to you know, house parties. But then, at this point, it was like a lot of industry people there and, like you know, some people that you know own local brands, and I'm not going to say who, because I don't know who wants. Who's supposed to know that they're at the party. But it was popping, it was really cool and so I guess I did well. And then the owner was there and he was like hey, you want to come, you want to keep going? And at the time I was still working at this Thai restaurant called Miley's Thai.
Speaker 2:Okay, I know, miley, you even match at Miley's. He's got the handsome young boys working there.
Speaker 1:Hand-picked by Miley guarantee, I know.
Speaker 2:Miley good the hopper boys yup guarantee Right.
Speaker 1:And so I was working at the time and that was my job for a while, because I never went to college. I didn't really know what I was. I was a pretty lost kid. I didn't know what I wanted to do yet and everybody had gone to college and figured out what they wanted to do. But back to this boat party thing. I was still. I was still working there and I landed, you know, every Friday and Wednesday gig on these boats.
Speaker 2:OK.
Speaker 1:They were like oh, you're pretty fucking good, let's throw you on. And I was like, how long have you been djing for? I'm like, well, really like professionally, not like this is my first like time like playing professionally. And they're like, okay, cool, well, you know, do you want a job? And so, um, my buddy, dj lewis, uh, he was one of their resident djs at the time. He threw me on and he just paid me, uh, every single time I did a boat, it was pretty cool.
Speaker 1:So I went from making twenty dollars to eighty dollars that time uh per boat or per, you know, per gig, and so, um, and I was like, wow, this is cool, I can make money from doing this. It's pretty fun and I'm not bad, I'm okay, I can, I can, I can make sure that you know, the girls and the guys are having a good time and that they keep drinking yeah and so and that was the important part I learned that real quick and um, and then from there towards the end.
Speaker 1:tale of me working at that Thai restaurant, this girl named Robi Kodama, Okay, I know her, she hooked me up with Alex, and I guess this was like right after COVID finished, right? Okay, so we're wrapping up and I think District is reopening. And then I landed my gig at district, thanks to Roby Kodama.
Speaker 2:Oh, shout out to Roby. So she was the link between you and Alex.
Speaker 1:She was the link between me and Alex. She really, she really really stuck her neck out for me. So I got, I got to give that girl her flowers, bro.
Speaker 2:How did she? How did you know her?
Speaker 1:She was working at the restaurant with me actually. Oh, that's right.
Speaker 2:She was working at Thai. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:That's right. I would literally go, I would do these boats and then show up to work at Miley's Thai and then I'm like all wet from the boats. I have to like put my CDJs on the side of the, the restaurant somewhere, hide them so no customers can see them. And then, um, one of these days, um, robie, she was like hey, you know district's looking for, for djs. And I was like, oh, no way. And I didn't think that I was, you know like I wasn't ready to do a venue, like club venue gigs yet, and so, um, I was a little nervous but I was like you know what, shoot, I'll give it a. You know, I'll, I'll, I'll try, I'll give it a try. And she connected with me. She connected me with Alex and it worked out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it worked out, yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, that being said, I know personally from working with alex for about nine years how strict he is with who he has as a dj representing their brand, and for you to impress him, to put put you on, must have been. That's a pretty good compliment, because I know how he is. He ain't easy to easily impressed and he's very, very strict with djs and he's very yes, selective and you kind of only have one shot and not even a full set. If you're fucking up during that one set, he'll. He'll pull you and I've seen it happen oh, oh I.
Speaker 1:But I mean, even in the beginning, what at me being at district was very brutal, like I'd like. I'm sure you've heard, like probably from other people, that I was shitty in the beginning because I was like I did with it was. So my, I'm used to the equipment that is smaller and you can buy from like a walmart and it's like the new mark shit. Oh my god, I couldn't. I, I fucking girl lost too close to the sun and I now I'm there with you know, oh, and I'm like big ass cdj's in the mixer and I'm like I'm not used to any of this equipment. So my first like my, my, my first, I would say, year over there I was. I was like really fucking up sometimes but alex had his, had his, he had, he had a bunch of faith in me and I got a respect and recall a bunch for that, and he kept.
Speaker 1:He's like, hey, I'm giving you a chance. You got to fucking pick it up. You got to learn. And thank God for Ace and Devin, because they really stuck their neck out for me as well and they kind of guided me in like don't do this, handle the mixer this way. And Chris Todd too, sound, um, sound and lighting engineer over there, he, he really uh, helped me out big time too. So, um, yeah, but it was rough in the beginning. I barely knew what I was doing I can't imagine.
Speaker 2:So did you play in the big room or you played in the lounge? The first I played in the big room.
Speaker 1:I opened the. I opened the room, yeah and um, and then I would switch over to the lounge at the at a later time of the night how was that?
Speaker 2:how was your first night at dishing? That's what I want to know. That's pretty. That's pretty intense crazy.
Speaker 1:I, I, because I went from doing like, basically like small boat parties or you know these boat parties, and to seeing a big crowd of of just delinquents, like going off the whole time is crazy yeah but it was not. I couldn't I couldn't believe it. I was, I was. I was looking at a sea of of kids my age and then, all of a sudden, they're looking at me and I'm playing to them, and I couldn't believe it. Yeah, being able to control everybody with music is crazy, yeah.
Speaker 2:Were you nervous.
Speaker 1:I was very nervous the first three months there. I was like, oh man, I can't believe I'm here. I was really nervous and some nights I would be too scared to go on because, like um, I was getting used to seeing like certain celebrities in the room. Now it's like you see celebrity any nightclub and it's kind of like, okay, they're here, but yeah you don't care, but you don't mind them as much.
Speaker 1:But at that time I think we had I don't know who it was, I don't know which celebrity it was, but it was one of these bigger names came into the club and then they were sitting right behind me while I was playing and then I was like I don't know if I'm made up for the, if I'm cut out for this. But then I got the crowd going and I was quickly figured that I was cut out for it.
Speaker 2:That's super cool and, bro, like that, that's a huge responsibility, like being a DJ at a nightclub is, honestly I don't mean to stress you out, because you're probably not stressed out now, but the whole fucking business is revolving around you, the bartenders, the barbacks, the promoters, the air, the security, because if you clear the house, nobody gets paid and nobody makes money, yep, yep, and I'm learning that now.
Speaker 1:Uh, not learning that, not learning this. Now I'm learning. I'm learning now that I fucked up in the very beginning by clearing the whole room and then, when I got really good, I got cocky. And when I started to get cocky, I brought everybody to the dance floor, not keeping them at the bar.
Speaker 2:So learning how to work, so cycle them out.
Speaker 1:Cycling them out. I got in big trouble from a lot of different clubs for that For keeping them there, their not circling them around hey, you're learning, that's kind of cool because you kind of got.
Speaker 2:You went from like starting out djing to getting thrown in the biggest nightclub in hawaii like this year's the biggest nightclub in hawaii and yeah, that's, that's kind of cool. And I always thought like your dad had a hand in getting you your first start. But now from your story is, it's all you like, you're it? Was just your dad got you to start playing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah he, he, he definitely inspired me, like the inspiration is a lot from him and he literally and literally, only two phrases take him on a journey and learn your four counts. That's it. That's literally it. And um, of course, maybe the uh, the relationship with him and ray, yeah, yeah, a little easier for ray to communicate to me through him in that regard, but I can confidently say I really did it myself.
Speaker 2:And that's awesome.
Speaker 1:I'll always be proud of myself for that.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I think with I don't know if you know Hopper's journey, but he was my video guy from the start and he was only 16. He was 17 when he started. We had to get. He turned 18. We had to get him like a press pass and he would do our videos and before the night would start he would jump on like DJ Betty would just kind of fuck with him and learn how to mix or whatever, and he said he wanted to DJ. And me personally I knew that I couldn't just put him on because everybody would give him shit.
Speaker 1:So were you running the club. Were you going to promotions at the time.
Speaker 2:Yep, so I was running artist group.
Speaker 1:What is that? I was wondering how Hoppa got his start. I never got to ask him that. I mean, I've hung out with him a bunch of times Because he's a short bar, but I never asked him how he would get his start. I'll tell you this story, yeah, so he was.
Speaker 2:he was our camera guy. And the reason why he was our camera guy? Cause BJ Penn just started his website and he wanted us to promote his website.
Speaker 2:So he sponsored us and said he wants us to put out these videos of people in our nightclub saying go to log on to BJ Pennpenncom yeah, yeah, yeah at the time I worked with, uh, his dad and we were running I don't care clothing and the dad said his son really liked I don't care clothing so he would put us on tiny tv if we would hook his son up. So taylor would come in he was a 16 year old kid at calla hill come into our store, I gave him a couple shirts and tiny would put us on tiny tv as advertisement. Oh nice, one day taylor called me and said hey, I'm doing this project for high school it's, I'm a video editor. I want to put something together, uh, for my senior project if I could use Ainokea. So I mean, yeah, come, do whatever you want.
Speaker 2:So he did that and he edited and he made this little video and I thought it was cool. So when BJ Penn asked us for our club stuff, I had no way of knowing how to edit videos, but I knew Hapa knew and he said yeah, was, he was 18, he just graduated and we were like we were like, hey, uh, I need you to edit these videos and make a video for us so we can send.
Speaker 2:Put it on at the time myspace for bj pen, right?
Speaker 1:so, oh my god yeah, so we had you know those flip cams, those weird yeah so we had yeah, and we would have
Speaker 2:a flashlight and I would have our one of my workers go around and just video people and then we take the flip cam, give it to taylor the next day and he would make the videos. And then he got kind of not annoyed but he got. He said like, oh, I, I want to take these videos because I want to get the shots that I want. So I had to make it a thing and get it approved by the club and and all that to let this underage kid in. And he made this press pass. It was this big saying uh, artist group network press and he would just shoot videos all day. Oh, he did it himself. Yeah, like this, it was laminated.
Speaker 1:It looked legit like that. Minor things like that is the reason why he's where he's at today oh yeah, he's a good initiative but anyways, keep starting to interrupt. But and then?
Speaker 2:he, well, he would come early, right, and while they would set up and it was empty DJ Betty was our resident DJ at the time she would he would just go behind the turntables and kind of mess with it a little bit and whatever. And then he started to like it. He always had a passion for music and then he went to Cutmaster Spaz's school, like it was a two week course how to beat match or whatever and he learned how he bought like this whole big technics tables and he had serato, he, he invested in it and he was like, okay, I want to dj. And and I was like, bruh, there's no way, I'm just gonna put you on.
Speaker 2:Artist group network events and have everybody on the island hating on you and and not giving you any respect they're gonna say because you're my boy, that's why he's getting all these gigs, so I made it the hardest thing for him like it DJ ever had. Like he, we had a store in in Waikele it was called ecosystems and he would go out there on Fridays in the daytime, hot sun with his turntables and just DJ out there. And we had a black Friday. I don't know if you ever been to Waikele on Black Friday, oh never. They closed the whole place down and then they opened it at midnight and it's like a block party, it's just packed. Everybody's shopping there on Black Friday.
Speaker 2:So Taylor was DJing and we had this kiosk. It was a closed kiosk where people could come in and we're selling. It was called ecosystem. We're selling street clothes, like, like defend hawaii and a bunch of stuff, right, and we sold everything out so we had to restock it. So we closed our um kiosk while we're stocking it and taylor was outside djing and I remember this is the first time I knew he he had that it factor. I opened the kiosk door and he had the hugest crowd in front of our store and he but he wasn't even 21 yet, like he's young he's on 18, 19?.
Speaker 2:Yup, and he had B-Boys dancing and I was like Chris Mejula was my business partner. I opened, I was like Brian, you got to look at this dude. He's doing this on wax and he's doing this on wax, the Serato, with the control.
Speaker 1:Yup.
Speaker 2:Okay okay, okay, okay, right on and I was like, oh shit, he got it. Okay, right on. I was like, oh shit, he he's, he got it. And um, I would put him on like a 30 minute set at the beginning of our club when nobody's there. Or if he um like, say, betty was running late, he would jump on Like I would never put him on. And one time, um, betty was sick or something, so he had a chance and he, he did what? And we spirit um periodically put him on, gave him a chance, had him clothes or they gave him the shittiest spots and he would kill it every single time, kill it. And I remember this clearly. And he called me up one day and he's like, hey, there's this Mai Tai battle, a DJ battle, I remember hearing about this one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he said there's this Mai Tai DJ battle and I want to try it out. And I was like, no, you ain't trying that out. When you call me and you tell me there's this my type dj battle and you want to go fucking win this thing, then you're gonna go, then you're gonna play. So he said okay, I said you're not gonna. If you're telling me you want to try it and then that's not the mindset, like you call and tell me you want to win this thing, then let's do it.
Speaker 2:So he waited a year and he kept doing what he's doing. And then he went and then he fucking won and he smashed. He smashed two years in a row. Then he entered the red bull and he, he won that. And now he built his name to where I could put him on and no one could say anything and then I would put him on. And then he started social media presence and then he just fucking shot to the moon. But his skill and his work ethic was the same and he had it hard, bro. I put him through the ringer because I knew everybody would say that we gave him an opportunity or a break, or he probably would.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and he probably would have said that anybody would have said that anyway even if, even if you put him through the ringer like this yeah to get to where he's at now. People are gonna say that anyway, but people are gonna say what the fuck? They're gonna say yeah, but the thing is like, bro, that guy, that guy's probably probably one of the best djs on the island.
Speaker 2:I gotta say that yeah, and I can say that too. And he earned like I know personally every single penny, cent, dime that he got is well earned and he put in the work and and any opportunity he gets is 100 earned because nothing was given to him and I made sure of that because I didn't want anybody to say otherwise. Him winning those dj contests made it easier to put him on, because now he has a clout, he beat all these djs, you know. I mean, he beat these guys. So now he has some kind of he has, he built his resume and then, once we started, oh you can open this night, or okay, now we need you to play in the middle, and then he would just fucking crush.
Speaker 2:And he would bro, like though, back in the day, like when he knew he was gonna play in the middle, the whole week he'd be practicing and just fucking like he would come in like he's about to go fight an MMA fight, just that locked in, and he would just crush.
Speaker 2:And I would just be so proud of him because he's like my little brother, he's the best man in my wedding, that's like my blood, that's my boy. So watching him accomplish everything he does is a trip, bro and um, like, when I see him playing these big fucking arenas and the shell and shit right, I get choked up, bro, watching him do his thing, knowing what he did to get there. Not because he's good like there's good djs but what he did to get there not because he's good, like there's good DJs, but what he did to get there is fucking like. He'll have that work ethic whatever he does, whatever he chooses, for his whole life and he always was like that. He's built that way and that comes from his dad and I can see that's how it is with you. And yeah, I didn't mean to go off on that tangent.
Speaker 1:I always like to brag oh, no, no, no, my little brother, I never knew. I never knew. His story is that it's always very interesting to hear other djs and how they came off them, especially in hawaii. There's not. I mean, there's a lot of djs, right, but yeah, and respectfully, there's not many djs here that are doing what we're doing. Yeah, I would, and I think I just made it to that point where I'm now one of one of the legends out here.
Speaker 2:I guess they do what they would say well that, that being said, is like you're in that younger generation, right, and like there's not many younger djs out there, especially that I know of you know I mean that can handle like those things. And of course everybody has their, their residents, their go-tos like, and a lot of the old school djs are still relevant and still damn fucking good, like jimmy taco and dj technique and like amazing, like the ogs and and taylor learn quickly, like to show respect to them and learn from them and that's why they're all close like taylor came way after jimmy taco and in fact actually so.
Speaker 1:Jimmy taco was was around when I was in diapers too.
Speaker 1:He would come over the house all the time, but then I knew I knew how good he was because my dad would bring me along to go, you know, check. I think I think there was a. I think there maybe the radio station put on like a event at like some car show or something like that. And I remember being a kid and seeing Jimmy Taco just fucking ripping it up. But me being a little kid and seeing that it was like you know, he's one of my idols out here. He does definitely deserve it.
Speaker 2:Who is the DJs that inspired you on the island Like?
Speaker 1:when you were starting on island. Um, I gotta be 100 honest. When I first started I didn't really look, I wasn't really going up in the clubs so I really didn't know. I really didn't know, um, who was great out here, but my personal greats would have had to been DJ AM.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, hello, who else we got? I would have to revert it back to DJ AM, jay Espinosa, I would listen to Jay Espinosa. He's another good one, yeah, but DJ AM a good, he's another good one, uh, yeah, and so, but dj am, I remember getting his, uh, his cd with, uh travis barker, oh yeah, you remember that did the fix your face, yeah, and I, I was like 12, 13 years old, jamming that shit in the car with my dad and hearing him scratch over travis's, uh, banging like it was. He was like, he was like, it was, like it was insane. Hearing, hearing dj, the hearing scratching and drumming at the same time. That was that was the most inspiring thing and so that was yeah, yeah I got.
Speaker 2:I talked um about this when mass was on my show and I got to watch dj am play live at the palms, because I saw that yeah hawaii dj dj uh. Toma opened for him and he got us up there in the dj booth and I got to watch him play live and, yeah, he, he's next level um you had to meet him, you got to meet him.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I got to meet him. Yeah, this was years ago and it was either Club Moon or Playboy, I can't remember which one, but it was St Patrick's Day and it was at the Palms and, oh yeah, they were just raging. It was the biggest club in Vegas at the time and yeah, Unfortunately, when he passed away, I said this on the show they only lit up the AM of Palms as a respect to him, and yeah, I saw that.
Speaker 1:I saw the episode with you and Massimo.
Speaker 2:Great episode, by the way. Oh, thank you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's cool. I saw that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's cool that you respect the old school djs, and I mean the way djing is now and I've seen it through generations. I seen it through because I'm older and was in the industry for so long and I'm sure your dad can attest to it is that back in the day DJs had to carry milk crates full of fucking wax and vinyls and it evolved to CDJs to now it was Serato. Now you just fucking bring a thumb drive and you're good to go.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean, I mean even sometimes I would be complaining like, oh, I gotta bring my controller upstairs, and then some of the OGs would be like fuck bro, we had to bring box up these fucking stairs. What do you mean Controllers? It would just be funny. But I mean I got to respect it Like the hustle, that awful technique. My dad fucking All those guys.
Speaker 1:They had, they were busting ass the whole time, and then they would bring like uh, like you know, like a second guy with them to help bring the crates, yeah, and so I would imagine my life like that. I'd be like damn, I couldn't, I would fucking give. Honestly, I, I you know what the djing is not for me.
Speaker 2:But imagine that putting the vinyl on and then finding the song and then, like you, having to mix it like it's, it's mind-blowing and and with like technology is supposed to make things easier and stuff like that. But no matter what, I don't care what people say. Like ds, yes, they have it easier than fucking vinyl, but DJs still have to pick and mix and to keep the crowd. Like anybody can play music, but not anybody can play music and mix and keep a crowd there and know what song to pick.
Speaker 1:I was just talking to Ace about this I think it was either Ace or Tech, but I was talking to people's attention spans are so short these days, oh yeah, and so like I feel like it was a little easier back then in terms of picking a song really quickly. Was, really was, was a lot easier back then. Maybe mixing not so much, but I mean, if you were really fucking good yeah, then you could probably do it, you know, in your sleep. But then picking songs now is a little harder because you got to go the songs. If you play for more than 30 seconds in the club nowadays people just are going to be, they're going to leave, they're going to walk away, away. You gotta keep quick mixing.
Speaker 1:so that's something I learned really well was quick mix, right quick.
Speaker 1:I would just burn through every single song, but make sure to not burn out the club yeah so I would throw in a lesser known song every four songs but I was talking to bar but yeah, I was talking to uh I think it was ace uh about this and she was saying you know, people's attention spans are so much more shorter these days so you can't, really you can't. It's a lot harder to keep people on the dance floor and, like just the other night, we had a group of uh, these bridesmaids that were they didn't want to get up and dance because, but the songs were hot, they were great songs and I'm pretty sure anybody else would dance to them. But it's just the attention spans are so short. And then you know what I mean it's like you lose them.
Speaker 2:You lose them after a minute of playing it so it's like a you gotta hit, throwing a banger and hit the course and then off, off to the next one. Right, it's exactly it personally, what is your uh genre of music that you like, like, love the most? Like what? What kind of music do you listen to and what?
Speaker 1:gets you going. Yeah, personally, um, I like, I like metal. Oh, I'm a metal guy there we go. That's me, that's, that's 100% me, metallica metallica bro, I was, so I just got a. I just got a bike and like it's like an e-bike, but it's, it looks like a little chopper, it's pretty cool okay, my speaker on I was, I think ride the lightning oh yeah, no, I'm playing ride the lightning.
Speaker 2:It was, it was, but maybe I don't know if anybody else really really likes metal all that much I do bro, I'm like not to change subject, but I'm going in two weeks, or I'm going to end of june, to levi stadium. Two sets, two nights, two different sets at 49er stadium in june. I'm going, I'll be there. Yeah, metallica pantera is opening up for them the first night and limp biscuits opening up for them the second night.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's crazy yeah, a good one. Yeah, oh shit, oh I I so going back to like what I like to hear. Yeah, sometimes I maybe not a district or a key club. I can't get away. I have to play, like you know, like hip-hop and yeah, or edm, like some things that people know, but then at some of these like rural places, like I used to play in germany, I don't know if you know, I I went to oh shit, yeah, so I didn't know that so quick, a little shortly after district I started doing open format.
Speaker 1:But then in Germany I was, you know, I was playing a bunch of open format songs Because out there people really love Limp Bizkit out there. So what is that one? I came into this world as a region.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, look into my eyes, yeah.
Speaker 1:And I wrote and somebody asked for that.
Speaker 2:Did it all for the nookie, yeah I played nookie in.
Speaker 1:It was. It was in regensburg, germany, regensburg, germany, and I said it was college town in germany and fucking the amount of younger kids. I wouldn't think that they would know that song in germany. Bro, they're going fucking insane. They're like jumping all over the bar for the nookie oh shit, what's going on? Yeah, but that's insane. So in germany, that's that. That's when I really started listening to more limp biscuit. Yeah, but I really like metal EDM is always fun but just whatever. Honestly, I listen to more podcasts nowadays.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, I'm the same, not wanting to listen to more music at the end of the night, you know it's your job.
Speaker 2:You don't want to come home and listen to your job.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what do you like to play?
Speaker 2:the most, though, uh like when you're, I guess you gotta play to the crowd, but what, what?
Speaker 1:gets you okay me personally. I I like playing hip-hop, but I'm really getting into playing dubstep now, like like hardcore dubstep or house music. I really like house music just because it gets people going, whatever gets people going. Honestly, I like to play.
Speaker 2:So you got to play some. Like you said earlier, you got to play some huge concerts like T-Pain Tyga. Also, thank you for hooking my girlfriend up with Tickets. She had a blast like she is so stoked bro, like she was really, really appreciative. So thank you for that it's so funny.
Speaker 1:Uh, sasha uh was telling me, um, who Mike Jones was, and I never knew who Mike was. So she, one night we were working, she was like, she was like, can you play Mike Jones? Somebody asked for a request and I was like, oh, I'm sorry, I don't know who Mike Jones is. I'm opening up for the guy in two months. I don't know who he is. And Mike Jones, if you're listening, I'm so sorry, but I never knew who he was. And so Sasha was like bro, you don't know who Mike Jones is. I was like I was like no, and she's like Mike Jones, you don't know. Yeah, yeah and so. But that was funny and it was another moment, but yeah so playing for those huge crowds.
Speaker 2:Like how was that? I know you played like a little stadium parking lot and yeah, I've seen videos. Those crowds are enormous. Like how, how hyped were you for that?
Speaker 1:or were you like, oh fuck, this is gonna be nuts to be honest, I it's easier playing for those clouds, those crowds, rather than a small room. I get more nervous for a small room. Oh, okay, playing for bigger crowds because you can. It's a lot easier as a dj to to to please most people rather than a small group of people so that's how I was looking at it.
Speaker 1:I was really excited and it was. It was a blast. I had the most fun, um, but I, I would say I wasn't as nervous, I was ready for it. I think by the time I got to start, you know, um djing, for those big, big names, I, I was. You know, it's just another day, we can do it, oh yeah yeah, and you go on the mic in every day not so much.
Speaker 1:I try not to because nobody wants to hear my voice, like you know what I mean. They want to hear the the act. So I leave that for michael banks. I leave that for whoever, you know what it says yeah, but um, they just want to hear me play, so I stay. I start to stay away from the mic. If I need to do it, then I'll do it, but you know, yeah, well one thing too, I'll give my hey, hey, cj park. What's happening everybody?
Speaker 2:all right, let's get this fucking party started bam okay, that's good, that's smart, yo, and that's good too. Like you know, they ain't going anywhere if you're opening for the opening act, they, they can't, yeah, they're, they're not gonna leave, you know I mean exactly, exactly.
Speaker 1:So I can't I, I just, I just stay away from the fucking mic and just leave yeah, that's super cool, bro, those opportunities.
Speaker 2:You never know what it could lead to and I've seen things happen because the djs get, get an opportunity like that and brad it. It's cool that your name is getting out there, like, oh, people are going to actually go to a club because you're djing there and that that's where you're starting to get around my head, around that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I still can't wrap my, but that's because you're humble like your dad well, bro, I mean I think well for me, I mean because hawaii is so small, you know everybody, but I try to look at it. Oh, my friends are coming to come see me tonight, come see me play, hang out with my friends yeah, and that's how. That's kind of how I like to see it, rather than people are coming to see me because, they add pressure and then you start thinking, oh, you're the shit.
Speaker 1:You cannot think like that, because I just think, hey, my friends are coming, everybody's going to come, we're all going to have a party together. That's how I like to think of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, that's super cool. And, bro, you seem busy. How many gigs a week do you say you average out?
Speaker 1:About five about five nights, yeah, and then sometimes the day two, uh, I'll play it like he was or I'll do the boat parties. Okay, still, pick the boat parties. So I, I, I love it. I, I love djing. Um, I'm tired, yeah, but and, and there's a lot of politics that I don't want to deal with when I'm not djing. Um, I'm tired, yeah, but, and, and there's a lot of politics that I don't want to deal with when I'm not djing I have to deal with, and all, all kinds of other bullshit, but it all makes up for it. When you know, at the end of the day, when I get to play, when I'm on stage, it's, it's all makes up for it. I wouldn't, I wouldn't be doing anything else. Honestly, no, I'm gonna live and die yeah, and I I'm.
Speaker 2:That's the same with hopper. Like I always tell him that's when, when you're free is when you're doing you behind the tables and you're that connecting with the crowd. That's that I know, that's his moment and and that's when he's doing his passion and and for me that's always cool to see. You know what I mean. And it's a crazy industry. I always ask this also Like being in the nightlife industry, there's always a lot of substance going around and alcohol and bullshit and shit that goes down. How do you navigate that while being in the nightlife industry?
Speaker 1:yeah, I recently got sober.
Speaker 1:I'm about a month and three weeks I'm about to make my two month mark and I was, you know, I was struggling with a you know bunch of substance abuse I'm pretty sure you might have known and but I got sober. I got sober because I wanted to stay alive. I think I was going a little too hard, okay, and so I think what helped me big time was was the non-alcoholic beers, but also to, um, keeping in mind that, like, I'm only going to be at the club for a short amount of time, so don't drink, I would you know be doing it all the time, until it got to the point where I would be doing it on days that I weren't working, wasn't't working, and that's what scared me. So I decided, you know, and it's hard, it's hard, it's harder for others, but, um, yeah, I just decided to to just drop it, just quit it, you know, and I I'm I'm really happy now that I am non-alcoholic beers.
Speaker 2:In fact, I'm drinking one right now oh nice oh like you're full sober, like nothing then yeah, no, nothing, nothing at all okay yeah, um, but yeah, I mean, they should sponsor me, or you know yeah, for sure
Speaker 1:I could be drinking a lot of these, but this is hero. Uh, I don't know if you know who tom holland is, but he made this company called bureau and it helped me a lot. So so I would, um, I would, um, you know, have these every once in a while when I feel like I want a little taste, cause I still love a cold beer. Yeah for sure I don't want to drink any alcohol and also to shout out Alex, because he helped me big time. Um, I reached out to him. I thought I said hey, you know, I'm I'm deciding to stop'm getting help.
Speaker 1:Um, is it okay if I bring some non-alcoholic beers to the club, just for me to put on the side? Oh, and he was like you know what, we're actually bringing in non-alcoholic drinks and you know like, feel free to have those. So I was like fuck, shoot then. So I feel like, right after I don't know if, I don't know if that just so happened by you know like subsequently, but he was gonna have it in the club like a week later, so that that was nice yeah, yeah divine intervention divine intervention man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's awesome man, and since you've been um sober, how has that kind of affected like the trajectory of what your career is is kind of playing out to be, right.
Speaker 1:I mean just because I mean it's been. It's only been, you know, two months. Basically, yeah, I it's. It might be a little early to tell, but I feel like I'm better at my job. My interactions with people in the industry are, you know they're, they're more or my, or people in general, they're more genuine. I'm not. I'm not hung over and I can't like. There's when I was drinking a lot, I'd be so hung over to the point I couldn't even have a conversation with people without needing to go get a drink with them.
Speaker 1:you know what I mean, so I would ask my friends all the time like hey, you want to go get a drink, and they they tell me oh, you know, bro, you got to relax, I got, I got to work the next more, the next morning rather than me, you know, they would say the next morning rather than me, I. I work at night, you know, and so like I can go the whole night and not need, uh, not need to not go without a drink, so okay, it started getting really bad.
Speaker 1:But I feel like now I can confidently, I can confidently be around people and I'm more comfortable and I'm ready to build relationships that don't have to do anything, that don't have anything to do with, you know, doing drugs or drinking, and, yeah, I'm really happy to change.
Speaker 2:I think with our industry it's it's huge, like that is a huge, and I've seen a lot of people tank their life and careers and families and become so affected by the substance that's in our industry that it's cool to hear when people that have so much future get away from it. So it's like you're young and bro not. When you said you started djing right after the pandemic, that was like what three, four years ago.
Speaker 2:So you're you're kind of just starting to to scratch the surface of what your potential could be in this industry and, that being said, like what are your future plans to take what you're doing and and what are you gonna do? What's it? What do you think your future holds in this uh djing lifestyle and industry?
Speaker 1:um, well, they say vegas, but I don't really know, I don't. I think I'm taking it one step at a time, but most people are telling me, hey, you need vegas, like, um, and I think that time will come eventually. Yeah, but I, I, I want to. I want to be able to travel the world and work, and so for me, right now, I think that's going to be DJing, but hopefully, maybe one day this might not be it for me. I mean, maybe I might go something else, like make furniture, like fucking make pizzas or open up a restaurant. I don't know, it might it might change, like I don't. I don't think I don't necessarily think I want to be able to have to stay up till four in the morning for the rest of my life, and so I don't know, maybe I think, withing thing, I'm going to continue doing it, and maybe it's going to be Vegas. I think that's what's going to happen, yeah, eventually.
Speaker 2:Well, that makes sense and, honestly, being in this industry, it opens a lot of doors for other avenues. I've experienced it my own self, as well as friends and stuff, and because the industry is so built around fun, things can happen any night at any given time, because everybody's having fun and there's alcohol or whatever, and an opportunity might be given to you and you wouldn't even understand the ramifications it's gonna take your life into. So every night could be an opportunity for something else, and right right now your passion is playing music and it could change, but it could also stay the same. You ever thought about producing or or making your own stuff?
Speaker 1:yeah, I actually I have something in I and I don't want to. I don't want to say too much right now, but I have something I'm working on, right. Yeah, something cooking, something, something's happening, but all right, I don't want to speak too much about it, just yet. If it doesn't happen, but I have something I'm whipping up in my pocket.
Speaker 2:Okay, Well, we'll look forward to that and I think, with your work ethic, just like your dad's, I think whatever you're doing is going to be successful. If you lock in and right now it's DJing, so that's why you're successful.
Speaker 1:Going to be successful if you lock in and right now it's djing, so that's why you're successful, I'm blown away I want to tell you the same thing, bro, because you, you, you, started this podcast when 2020, yeah, pandemic, yep, bro, and you haven't stopped since I know it's been pretty consistent. The same goes for you, and you know, and you deserve every flower that you could possibly brah. This is, this is great. I'm really appreciative that you even have me here, bro.
Speaker 2:That's, it's pretty cool I'm stoked too brah and like, like I said, meeting younger, like people in the younger generation. I always not judge, but I kind of gauge, like their mindset, and I've met a lot of dummies who very entitled, very all about themselves too much on their phones.
Speaker 2:And meeting you is very refreshing because you're kind of an older soul. Like you have that same work ethic. You're very appreciative. You have the. The way you think is you're very work-minded, so it's like everything that you're doing reminds me of a younger us or younger. I've seen it before in a younger generation and I think that has a lot to do with how your dad brought you up, but it's also the aloha you have and that is is what's valuable. That's that's what the younger generation needs more of, and not just all about me. It's all about us and all about how I treat other people.
Speaker 1:Like you said, yeah, I think I've had my moments, though I I mean I'm not perfect, we're all not perfect. But I mean, in the very beginning of when I first started doing like these bigger shows, I would be told by friends like, oh, you gotta fucking start, you gotta stop being so fucking humble. And I would. I would try to be like kind of annoyingly maybe, like like you know too nice, or like not acknowledge things, like acknowledge that I've done pretty cool stuff so.
Speaker 1:I get the wrong idea and then I'd act like an asshole. So the thing is, I don't like that about myself, so I was like you know, I try not. I try not to be like that, but I, what I will say is is um, what's helped me a lot to stay grounded would have to be not believing my own bullshit. Don't believe. Don't believe what people think of you know, like even the good things, don't like. Yeah, don't, don't. Don't take the good, don't take the bad, just fucking. Just just be yourself your old man. You know what I mean and so that's, that's, that's all it is really. You know, and we're all here doing the same thing. We're all human beings, we're all you know. Yeah and um, dj, no matter what dj, no, dj, fucking. We're all human beings. Even in the club brad and I see so many djs that are like that- yeah that are.
Speaker 1:You know that are a little um they're. You know they can be kind of assholes to people in the club, like when I hear about song requests sometimes, like djs will complain about song requests and that is annoying. I mean, don't get me wrong, that is annoying. But the thing is we need to remember to that we are so blessed, like there is especially the resident djs. We need to remember that we are so blessed because we get to work. These dream, these dream.
Speaker 1:These are dream jobs, not everybody gets to do this, yeah, and when I saw a dj like swipe a swipe this girl's phone out of her hand, you know she just wanted a song and I'm thinking about it. You gotta think of it this way like these people come from working a long ass shift, they want to be able to hear certain songs. So don't be that guy. That's super entitled. You know, don't be that entitled dj, and that's what I'm. I want to convey that you know. Yeah, you know that's super cool, don't think. Don't think I'm gonna play all your fucking song quest though bad bunny.
Speaker 2:I swear. I seen that every time I'm in the dj booth. Some fucker holding up but play bad bunny. It's like bro the um. Yeah, what you said uh resonated with me big time is you get to play for all? These people, you don't have to. It's not like, oh, I gotta play.
Speaker 2:It's like you, you're blessed and you get to play and yeah I'm sure there's many djs with like wishing for that opportunity that you you earned already. Um yep, I think with that mindset you always get ahead in life because you'll not be complacent and you'll always appreciate yeah, where you are and it's, it's not at any given day it can get taken away like the pandemic.
Speaker 2:You didn't have to experience it, that during your uh dj run, but as promoters yeah, as promoters and as, uh, djs like and club owners and anybody in the industry. Everything just got taken away when we were open. The next year we were closed.
Speaker 1:How did you maneuver that? So that's a question I wanted to ask you too, as a running member of the club and a promoter and having to feed monsters. You have a kid, too, right? You have a daughter, yeah Well.
Speaker 2:I'm a daughter. Yeah, well, I'm a med tech. I I'm. I'm a med tech for cancer research oh, okay so you're, you're a central worker to the community.
Speaker 2:Yes, so my real job was still intact. I was still testing blood. I still was working at the. I worked for the University Cancer Research Center. I didn't know that. And then I was also blessed with my friend. He's one of the RNs at Kaiser. There was a TV show in Hawaii called Doogie Kamealoha. It was a spinoff from Doogie Howser and they were shooting in Hawaii at the cancer center. But he had the contract somehow I don't even know how and one of my best friends. He had a contract to COVID test every single employee every day on the set and he needed help. And because we were so lax at the cancer center I could do both. So I was half of my days. I was COVID testing actors, grips, stage manager, everybody working in the industry. I met some celebrities and all kind of shit. I stuck things up their nose and services.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yes, all the craft services and it was with my best friend, so like we were just having a blast like so for me, kobe was fun and we would go drink.
Speaker 2:The nightlife industry, uh, was at at a hold and it, for me, it. It changed my outlook because I was getting a lot older in my career as a promoter. So I own artist groove network. That was our promotion company and we've been around for shoot almost 25 years and I've been in it for about 20 years and I became worried as I got older.
Speaker 2:If I stop, then I'm losing myself. This is who I am, this is my life and I'm not going to. This is who I am, this is my life and I'm not going to be that guy anymore. I'm not going to have that clout. I'm not going to be the person everybody needs to. Like the fun dude, like all that.
Speaker 2:And then when COVID yeah, my identity exactly. And when COVID happened, it was taken away from me. And then I realized for one. I realized who my real friends are. As a dj you probably experienced that too you're the most popular guy. Every friday night and saturday morning nobody gives a shit or nobody calls to say thank you. Everybody calls can you hook me up in the club? And and which is to be expected, or whatever. But I realized, like who my real friends are, the people that call and see hey, how are you doing? Like what's going on, can we hang out or whatever? Two, I realized me. Thaddeus, as a promoter, isn't who I am, it's what I do, and that separation helped me so much to where I am now, where I don't need to promote anymore and, um, I don't need to be in the nightclub every single weekend and that's so solid.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's so solid, bro. Awesome. Then the realization too it's like I'm, I'm me, like, yes, like I'm I'm the fucker, you know, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So that's awesome, bruh it was weird too, because I had that same crossroads, because I used to compete, I used to fight, I used to do taekwondo and martial arts and stuff and kickboxing, and when I was stopping that I was like who the fuck am I if I'm not that person? If I'm not that person, then who am I? And then I realized like no, no, no, that's what I did and it was the same thing, except for so many years later. And I just feel happy now that it was sad when, like when we stopped Eve is kind of like our last weekly uh club event that I've done and I've been doing it, like I said, for over 20 years and when we stopped eve it was I was kind of bummed out, thinking like okay, this is it.
Speaker 2:And then I realized like I don't need to be sad that it's over. I should be happy that it happened because, like you said, this lifestyle is amazing, like we've experienced stuff that 99.9 people on earth never experienced and we had the most fun and had the most crazy nights and the most amazing experiences and and stuff and met the most craziest people. But at the end of the day it happened and I got to live this life and experience all these experiences. We're not normal, you're not a normal guy, I'm not normal. To live this life is not normal, isn't?
Speaker 1:it crazy, though, that, like what you just said, there's so many things that 99 like that so many people don't experience like being in industry yeah, again, and people go to clubs all the time, but yeah, seeing the back end and especially you, seeing the back end of how things really work in a nightclub blows your fucking mind, because you I mean, like how you said earlier, about if, if the dj is not playing well, then nobody gets fucking paid yep, everything's on you, bro, and that was a lot of pressure coming into the game.
Speaker 1:You know that was a lot of pressure in this industry, and when I first you know my first year was fucking God that realized if I play like ass, none of you guys fucking get paid. And that's not healthy too. It's really not healthy. And it's not healthy for the promoters too. If they don't promote, nobody comes in, nobody gets paid, exactly so it's like we're going through the same fucking thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And it's a deer in the headlight moment, like fuck you're. Like I've promoted events where it didn't work out and it died, and like everybody's looking at me like what the fuck that?
Speaker 2:like I was, like I don't know but um I was blessed to been very successful in this industry and and and, with a lot of work. We did a lot of work and because of social media, it got easier. When we first started, we were running around putting flyers on cars, stepping in puke puddles, watching people oof in cars and like just hitting all the clubs with flyers and like actual flyers and shit.
Speaker 1:It just we did the legwork literally. Yeah, it's called. We did the legwork literally. Yeah, it's called gorilla.
Speaker 2:marketing rise Like but, I, wouldn't trade any of those experiences for anything, because it made me who I am and I've met so many cool people. I met some douchebags, but I met so many cool people like you. I would never have met you in this If it wasn't for this industry, and I'm getting married because it is industry. I've married a bartender from the club that I promoted, you know what I mean, yeah, and um, yeah, I have a daughter because I met her.
Speaker 1:What is that?
Speaker 2:oh, thank you, I appreciate that I lucked out and with sasha as um she's super awesome yeah and she's very strong-minded and because of her being in the industry, it worked, because I had girls, girlfriends that couldn't handle me promoting, and it's like I watch her get hit on in front of me all the time and it's fun for me. Like it's like, oh, these guys, hey, sasha, that guy wants your number.
Speaker 2:Like it's funny for me and she'll see me get hit on and we're both strong enough to know at the end of the day, like this is just bullshit and we're going home to each other and and yours are kind of like mr and mrs smith in that regard yeah, the same circuit, but fucking you guys know what's real and um she, her being such a strong person definitely made it easy and yeah, but that being said, like this industry is cool experiences and it is crazy, I mean I'm sure you're gonna get it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, no, no, no, go ahead yeah blowing off camera because I know, no, all good, but um, I think the direction that it's going is is different now. And um, honestly, as promotion companies at least here in hawaii it's it's kind of a dying breed. A lot of these clubs are hiring in-house promoters. I think the strategy started in Vegas with that, because you don't want the promoter to get up and leave. You know what I mean. Say, you're a nightclub owner and this promotion company comes in and they rage it out At any given moment they can leave, and then your club is back to nothing.
Speaker 1:Fortunately with the district, we were there for nine years, hey you guys were running it hard, yeah, and you guys were going. I remember my because you guys were Fridays, right, yep, yeah, fridays. Remember my because you guys were fridays, right, yep, yeah. And then, um, I, I remember seeing you guys and you and hansen, I mean fuck kudos to you guys because you guys were going and the thing and you, that place packed I was like and and, and I was super impressed by what you guys were doing and I wish I got to you know, uh, run into you guys a little.
Speaker 1:uh, you know more, but I mean, things just didn't pan out that way. And, um, I and we both had, you know, the privilege of you know my time at Eve, what you know, it served its purpose.
Speaker 1:I was the first resident and then know I, then I wasn't and, and, um, but I'm super grateful to you know, no, hey, a whole suck and bull, oh yeah, for doing what they do and giving giving us the opportunity to to even step into that place and work yeah it's all work at the end of the day and I think people forget that, and that's probably the thing sometimes to forget that, hey, this is work and that's you know it is it, yeah, it's a blessing and and with, like with any job, you anybody's replaceable, like it's just, it is what it is.
Speaker 2:But I think, um, future wise, bro, I think you have a a bright future and just keep grinding, put on your work, put your grinding hat on and just keep doing what you're doing. Um, where are your gigs at? Again, like, where can people like go watch you play now?
Speaker 1:So currently I am playing district key club, key Keys, shorefire, white Key Walls, I think that's it at the moment. Yeah, I have quite a few residencies. What nights? Oh, so Fridays would be key club and velvet. So, uh, district on saturdays, surefire every other thursdays, and I transition between key uh kiki's and then uh, waikiki walls. I'll do that during the day sometimes, like see if you want to, ever, if anybody wants to get coffee, oh yeah, yeah, the day stuff is is, you know, in hawaii needs to need, there needs to be a uh, a resurgence in that, I think. I think, yeah, having less alcohol around, well, and people can just dance and yeah make friends.
Speaker 1:That'd be really cool. I've always really wanted to. I I think eventually too, that'll be. Another thing that I want to do is transition into like the day parties more. Just because I can come home a little earlier, that might get me out of retirement because I always wanted.
Speaker 2:We almost did alohilani like we were one day away from releasing the date and everything and then it got yanked from us yeah, we can maybe we can maybe work something out.
Speaker 1:Let's talk. Yeah, I'm, I'm done. I mean, shoot if it gets you out of retirement man gotta be something cool, though.
Speaker 2:Yeah and um, the hawaii has the best weather for day parties, which and I want, like I had ideas to do beach parties. We tried a whole bunch of different. We even did a boat party. We, me and Hoppa. We did the glass bottom boat for a while Like it was it got pretty crazy yeah.
Speaker 1:That was insane. Yeah, boat parties. For some reason, it's just, it's ratchet. Yeah, maybe it's the fucking. What is that thing that everybody takes before they go on to? Oh dramamine yeah, yeah and alcohol are not a good mix. Like it gets people going. Man, yeah, oh man. Those those boat parties are always so fun. But yeah, it really takes a lot of you out, because I would do the boat parties and then I would go to the club yeah, that's nuts and I'd be fucking, I'd be tired, that's shit.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, just for being in the sun all day, yeah yeah the pool parties are cool too. We did a bunch of those. Pool parties are pretty too. We did a bunch of those.
Speaker 1:Pool parties are pretty nuts. Yeah, I'm surprised there's not that many out here at the moment. I mean, maybe, maybe, I think, a year from now. I think people are going to catch on where you, more promoters are going to catch on that Like, oh, there's a niche here, there's a need for it.
Speaker 2:It's just hard to find a venue, like for any hotel, to be down for that kind of ruckus, and especially if they're corporate based, then it's hard. And then, yeah, beaches is hard. You got to find a venue that's on a beach that's down for it, you know, I mean, and yeah, I know white sand had put on a.
Speaker 1:I mean I played a few white sand, uh, pool parties, yeah, really fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, uh, we did princess cap or queen cap, queen cap, and we did a taiku one that was simultaneously done in two other countries and it was it was stupid and we all took a taiku shot uh at simultaneously what?
Speaker 1:is that tycoon?
Speaker 2:it was a, uh, it was a, um japanese vodka I think it was okay.
Speaker 1:Vodka yeah, it was a japanese vodka I think it was tycoon yeah okay, they were putting on their own parties yep, and they.
Speaker 2:They hired us to do theirs one, and that thing was just out of control yeah, well, I mean shoot, hey. So you're retired now you're out, you're, you're well I'm I'm retired from the weekly club nights okay I'm not saying like hansen's done, like he's he's done, he found god and is doing other things. But for me I'm not saying I'm done doing events and if something catches my eye, I'll run it, but I'm definitely done doing Friday night nightclubs and shit yeah.
Speaker 1:You know what. Good for you, bro. That's awesome that you decided.
Speaker 2:And you know what good for you, brah.
Speaker 1:That's yeah, that's awesome, yeah, and you know what having a family, too, is yeah, yeah the most important thing going forward for you. Yeah, and, as I said again, congratulations and that new party. You know that big part of you know getting married and and um, being home on on weekends is probably, yeah, we going to a nightclub and definitely at least now before it was like, oh shit, like it's gonna be fun tonight and all like gonna have chicks where you have fun, you know.
Speaker 2:I mean it's that whole thing. And now it's like I'm walking around the club thinking, holy shit, shit, if my daughter wore that I would fuck her up.
Speaker 1:And how old is she now? 14. Yeah, so there's still some time. Yeah, and what's? So funny is when I was first starting to go to these nightclubs, I was underage and I'm not going to say which nightclubs it was and I'm not going to say who got me in, but then I, my dad, uh and my mom and my dad they would definitely get those text messages here.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah, my daughter's screwed. She's like 86 from every club on the island already, like she can't even go to the mall without me getting Texas.
Speaker 1:Oh, I see your daughter over here. She has a bunch of uncles on her. Oh yeah, she has some crazy uncles, but shoot.
Speaker 2:We've been going for almost freaking hour and a half. Okay, social media wise, where can people find you?
Speaker 1:So you can find me. It's CJ Park, i-tj park. It's cj park, um, and that's my instagram and, uh, at the moment I don't really have anything else.
Speaker 2:So, all right, and they can get your linkedin from your instagram and check out all your gigs and yeah, and you can see my resume and all the cool stuff that I've done.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. All right on and for us yeah it's been. It's been cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and for us, you can find us at above the bridge podcast on Instagram, our YouTube channel, our website is atvpodcom and my personal Instagram is daddy daddy. Hi, I appreciate you for coming on. I know we tried to figure this out, uh, before and it wasn't the right time. I felt like what you told me earlier, this is the right time. This is this. This would be a good one and I definitely think that you're somebody I would want to have in the future and while your career progresses because you're young and you can get to a spot where having another conversation with you, it will be like so cool to see the progress.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean, yeah, maybe, maybe the next time you'll talk to me we'll, I'll be at a, maybe DJ on Mars or something, I don't know. Yeah, it'd be super cool, or at least in Vegas, at least in Vegas.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but thanks again for coming on, shaka's for the cameras. There we go, we're out. Shout out to the Artist Group Network Aloha, thank you.
