Tran/Sutter @ The Cite at Lake Point Towers

Here's three words for you: Hot Asian women!

That three-word, hit-or-miss statement comprised a small part of my recent gig. Thao Tran and Alex Sutter were our happily wedded clients who tied the knot on May 27th of this year. Their marital merrymaking ensued in the Cite, a French-American restaurant within the Lake Point Towers residences in downtown Chicago. This restaurant-in-the-round was home to elegant dining and one of the most breathtaking views of the city and Lake Michigan. Despite its small size, it proved to be a formidable space for the couple's reception. James and I were the deejays of their said reception, and we were prepared to deliver a a night of toasting, roasting, and hosting.

The couple du jour was rather diverse: Thao, the bride, was of Chinese descent, while Alex was of Korean and Polish parentage. I actually had a "Where's Waldo?" moment trying to figure out who the groom was in the mix of people we saw during the evening—I kept looking for a Caucasian person, but to my surprise, Alex carried a handsome face with Asian features. Yes, you would also have "Everybody Plays the Fool" playing in your mind if you experienced such a discovery. Stepping away from outward stuff, the two were very gracious, pleasant, and quite easy to work with.

This night produced two main challenges: setting up, and enduring the excessive heat and near-claustrophobic space that we were in. For one thing, we had to channel sound throughout the whole round region and get it as even as possible. It was a good thing that we had three speakers and enough cable to daisy-chain each of them to the mixer. James came up with the idea of keeping one speaker in out corner, and placing the other two in the backs of the dining areas, which worked out very well. Central air conditioning was not operating at the restaurant, but keeping cool rested in the numerous fans and the few external air conditioners that were positioned around the circular area. There were times that it was difficult to walk around and get to things due to the cramped space, but we all made the best of it and respected each other's whereabouts. My hat goes off to the guests and the Cite crew for making the space hospitable.

Teamwork was a big part of the night, as James and I had to stay in constant communication throughout. During the initial couples' dances, we had it set up that the bride would signal to me when to move to the next song, and then I would announce that to everyone, which was James' cue to strike up the next tune. Thank goodness that there was a cordless microphone that allowed us to talk to each other, as if we were on walkie-talkies or the like. Technology and creativity were certainly in our corner—especially at that time.

As with most of my gigs, I could not wait to get to the musical portion of the night. Thao and Alex's song list contained everything—classic slow ballads, hip-hop standards, and ne'er forgotten eighties and nineties hits. James deejayed the first portion while I closed the night off with a blend of must-plays and current radio favorites. I was surprised that the space was not shunned for being so tight, as we had a good selection of people dancing. In addition to a traditional garter and bouquet toss, there were a few blindfold-oriented games being played, including ones I lovingly call, "Who's Lips Are These Anyway?" and "Is This My Husband's Ass?" James and I split deejay duties for the night, with yours truly spinning the tail-end. Noticing that the group in the main room was tuckered out after dancing and literally being up all day, I was pleased that my three-song soul set met with appreciable results (including a few couples having the dance area all to themselves). People are not always going to want to dance and overexert themselves, and as a deejay and human, I totally respect that.

This gig taught me a lot about environments and attitudes: Even when your surroundings are not favorable or comfortable, you still have to grin and bear it, and do your best to serve your clients with excellence. In other words, work with; not against. Thao and Alex are a very attractive couple, and along with their friends and relatives, they complimented the evening well and created some very memorable moments. I feel satisifed that James and I covered many of the must-play songs, worked together nicely, and responded well to the crowd. This night was definitely more than the aforementioned hot Asian women—it was one of enjoyment and success.

- Brent Rolland, Apprentice Deejay