Obiala/Dowling @ A New Leaf

Murray Head's "One Night in Bangkok" is a prime example of a song that snuggly fits into the "cult 1980s favorite" category. Featuring sinister, streaming synths, subtle slap bass, and a sultry beat that you can step-dance to, this tune from the musical Chess is one that its fans hold near and dear to themselves—including our clients, Julie and Jake, who requested this song at their reception to honor their upcoming honeymoon in Thailand. Jon Hood and I were the deejays for this young couple's wedding celebration at Chicago's very own A New Leaf; an evening that was, just as the aforesaid Murray Head song details, "a show with everything but Yul Brynner." Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Now, if you are a deejay (and thank you for coming by and reading!) and have performed at A New Leaf, then you must know that the building is situated within residences—most of them inhabited by families with young children. Because of that fact, it is up to us as deejays and upstanding citizens to respect that rule by situating our speakers in such a way that they do not disturb the next-door neighbors. Near the end of our setup, we were informed that we had to move our speakers. Oop. Apparently, one of our main speakers on the second floor was positioned too far forward, and our 10" speaker on one of the landings in the left balcony (connected to the main mixer) could not be used for main-floor music reinforcement. This request did not sit well with Jon, as that caused him to change his plans completely. I did my best to hold space and keep Jon calm. Eventually, he worked the situation out: We placed our two main speakers in the back, and we utilized the 10" only for speeches. With this setup, not only were the music and announcements heard clearly during the event, but the configuration was more direct and had less cordage. Jon and I even used our people skills: I went around to the guests announcing the beginning of dancing, while Jon handled all the other microphone work. We came out better than we would have before.

Music was of high importance this evening, and Jon and I covered all bases. We began the evening with Chicago-themed songs, like Sinatra's "My Kind of Town" and "Sweet Home Chicago" by the Blues Brothers. I played some great instrumental jazz during cocktails and dinner, including Jeremy Kahn, Duke Ellington, and even a bit of rare Latin treats from Vince Guaraldi. Jon served up such downtempo artists as Zero7 and Thievery Corporation. During dancing, we double-teamed to create one of the most electric floors we have ever produced. This was the first time that I ever played the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" and the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Hypnotize." Yes, really. My first time. Go figure. Regardless, those songs—and many of my other selections—hit gorgeously. My "highlight" spin was Lionel Richie's "All Night Long." This track totally matched the lively mood of the crowd. In fact, I left my post from behind the decks and joined the guests on the dance floor. I even danced with Julie, the beloved bride! Truthfully, I do not get to physically join in the celebration at every gig, so every chance I get out on the floor, I enjoy myself fully.

Jake and Julie thanked us both graciously for a great time. Julie stated that this was "the best wedding party that she had ever been to." I'm sure she knew that it was her wedding party and not someone else's. Even with the anger and struggle that occurred at the beginning of the day, we took each situation at a time and sorted through them, enabling ourselves to perform well and throw a wonderful party. Rough starts can always lead to smooth endings—that's where it matters most. Because of this memorable celebration, I was inspired to write my own lyrics to "One Night in Bangkok":

One night at New Leaf with the Fig deejays jammin'
They overcame the speaker discrepancy
All night the crowd kept the dance floor slammin'
Who could predict that this would go so sweet?
I can't believe the bride danced right in front of meeeeee!

Daa-daan!

– Brent Rolland, resident deejay