DJ Tanner's Chicago Set

Brig's mom emailed me the other day (we're tight like that) and asked if I would DJ a stake dance in southwest Chicago. My first reaction was HOLLA! I've always dreamed of being a DJ - I almost bought turntables and DJ lessons in New York a few times (I'm not kidding about that). But as soon as I realized what I was getting in to, I got nervous. We are talking about 50 12-18 year olds, all awkward and extremely diverse. To give you an example - here are the first three requests I got:

1. Chicken Noodle Soup by DJ Webstar
2. Any Bachata music (preferably the band Aventura)? The girl was EXTREMELY disappointed when I told her A) I don't know what Bachata is and B) I don't have any to play that night.
3. Wheel in the Sky by Journey

So, that should give you an idea as to what I was up against. I am proud to say that through hardcore research and some serious illegal downloading, I had about 90% of the songs requested (including Chicken Noodle Soup - which Caitlin actually had on her computer and I borrowed it...she is so gangsta, right?)

The night ended up going amazingly well in terms of church dances. The kids were out on the floor nearly the entire night, they danced a lot of the time, and they even clapped and cheered at specific songs. I felt like I had been the best DJ I could be to these kids in what could have been a very painful evening. For those interested, I have included my 3-hour set list below:

1. Kanye West - Heartless
2. Celia Cruz - Carnaval
3. Christina Aguilar - Candyman
4. Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer
5. Kelly Clarkson - A Moment Like This
6. Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow (Club Version Clean)
7. Suavamente - Elvis Crespo
8. B52's - Love Shack
9. Soulja Boy - Turn My Swag On
10. David Archuleta - Crush
11. MIA - Paper Planes (this one I had to get permission on because it says the word "high" and has gunshot sounds. In the end, I got permission, and the kids thoroughly enjoyed)
12. La Bomba - Ricky Martin
13. Nick Lachey - This I Swear
14. Kid Cudi - Day 'n Nite (Crookers Remix)
15. Outkast - Hey Ya!
16. Estelle featuring Kanye West - American Boy
17. Tito "El Bambino" - El Amor
18. Soulja Boy - Kiss Me Through The Phone
19. Jonas Brothers - When You Look Me In The Eyes
20. Michael Jackson - Beat It
21. Lady Gaga - Just Dance
22. 3 Doors Down - Here Without You
23. Salome - Chayanne
24. Keri Hilson - Knock You Down
25. Kenny Loggins - Footloose (this actually got requested)
26. Green Day - She
27. Fergie - Big Girls Don't Cry (probably the most danced slow song)
28. DJ Webstar - Chicken Noodle Soup (this song was ignored by the white boys at first, but it soon became a top three song of the night with a huge circle formed for solo dancing and cheers)
29. Wake Me Up - Wham!
30. Tulile - Yo No Cojo Esa
31. Guns 'n Roses - Welcome to the Jungle (this song was the biggest loser of the night - I stopped it half way through because the dance literally died)
32. Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive
33. Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling
34. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
35. Rihanna - SOS
36. Lifehouse - You & Me (this was a request from one of the leaders - it was her and her husbands song and they danced appropriately)
37. Beyonce - Single Ladies (one of the girls was kind of upset with me because I only played about 5 solid gangsta rap songs...she kept saying "that's not rap, that's R&B! DUH!...but she was happy when I played this song for some reason)
38. Shakira - Objection
39. Jumpin' - Destiny's Child (I was disappointed with how quickly I played this song after Beyonce...but I was distracted looking for the next song on one of my young men's iphone)
40. A Bachata Song - Will, a young man in my ward, came down for the last hour to help me. I had him look up "Bachata" on Rhapsody on his iPhone and this was the first song that came up...so we played it to satisfy the previously mentioned Bachata girl. She was very happy and immediately came to request another one...which I turned her down)
41. Madonna - Super Pop
42. The Fray - Over My Head
43. Nelly Furtado - Maneater
44. Michael Jackson - Thriller
45. Alphaville - Forever Young (I appropriately announced that this would be the last slow song of the night)
46. Lady Gaga - Just Dance (this was by far the MOST popular song of the night. After 2 minutes of cheering "one more song!" I got permission from the powers that be to play a song. The youth appropriately moshed and the beginnings of crowd surfing began before it was shut down by the suits)

In the end, I would just like to remind you that if you are ever at a dance and someone is DJ'ing, remember, it is okay to make requests. In fact, make one. But don't assume that the DJ session is all about you. Some people want to hear Chicken Noodle Soup, other want Journey, and yet others want Britney Spears (sadly), so you have to be okay when the DJ plays that song you want but not 10 songs you want. If you remember that, I will respect you and I certainly won't give you attitude at my party.

First Day of Work

Well, work has started for the summer. I'm a big fan of "first day of school" pictures. Don't I look like I'm all business?

Poppy's Papa D

One of the best parts about getting a woman pregnant is making your mom cry. It is preferable that they are crying because you have made them a grandma and not because you knocked some girl up that you picked up at a high school party. Pammy Poo is crying in this picture for the good reason, not the bad reason. I think she has wanted to be a grandma for quite a while, what do you think? Also, she wants someone she can shower her love on that won't be sarcastic and smartallicky back to her. It helped that I told her on Mother's Day in person while I was in Kentucky.For Big D's birthday we gave him a personalized t-shirt that says "Mi Nombre Es Papa D." Considering we call dad Big D, we thought it was fitting that his grandchildren call him Papa D. His t-shirt came wrapped in a sandwich style paper with a bag of chips and a receipt! He didn't give me a tip though...And this is about the lamest face I think I can make. Also, I love my t-shirt (side note). Also, what is with Pamsky's hand around my waist? It looks like it is my hand, but it is hers. This picture is just all around weird to me.

Anyway, I'm glad I got to tell them in person. I wish Caitlin could have been there to share the love so they could express their concerns and give her all that good advice that grandparents like to give...but they can do it in Mexico next week. Holla!

Apartment Hunting Blows

My cousin Adro and his wife Bear are in town because Adro will be attending the same program this fall that I attend currently. That means they gots to move from Farmington to Evanston in a few months. In order to get prepared and excite Bear about leaving TWO mothers (hers and mother-in-law) who will babysit for free, they came out for a visit. And what we have found is that apartment hunting is not fun. The ones you want you can't afford. This is Bear checking out a dream apartment that is $250 to expensive per month.

Upon much thought and attempted justification, they decided this apartment was a no go. They are still working on it as we speak.

After a long day of apartment hunting and fun having, Adro, Bear, Caitlin, Don, Liz and I went for a well-deserved break at the Joy Yee Noodles where I was able to get an avocado ice cream tapioca freeze. It brings joy and peace. We are pretty excited for these two to join us in the fall. Their son Noah will provide us much needed baby practice before Poppy comes.

I Like Making Things

Hey My Peeps.

Well, it is finally my week off from school before I start working this summer. When I have time off, I like to make things. Yesterday, I made the following video that I think you will really, really, really enjoy to the very fullest.


Was I right? Did you like the video?

The Kentucks Grad

As you know, I went to Kentucky to celebrate several things - Michelle graduating, Michelle birthday, Pam graduating, Pam mother's day, Big D's birthday. It was a huge frenzy of party action left and right. What else would you expect in the Lex???

Beefsquee was not excited about me taking this picture upon my arrival. Did I tell you that Sandrina and Skinny Good Lookin' Reid were there? (Devin's parents). I hadn't seen them in ages. We always get along smashingly...except when I break their china while doing the dishes. Our first activity was to hit the Kentucky Horse Park.Why are we engaged in such a gentlemanly handshake? Look closer at the seal behind us...Divided we fall people - so lets not get divided.We first went to the Hall of Champions where we got to see some old Kentucky Derby winners. This is proof that the Kentucky Horse Park has horses.Beefsquee petted some horsies that took us around the park in a carriage ride. They were tender to her and loved her kind petting.Apparently Beefsquee and I are not nearly as strong as those horses. We are actually quite weak sauce.Big D really wanted to mount this horse (we didn't have the heart to tell him it was just a statue).The History of the Horse Museum gave us an extensive knowledge about horses and their roll in the world from the beginning of man. Seriously people - this was a Guggenheim-sized museum about horses.Later we got really excited about these huge chairs. What else do you do when a pair of gigantic chairs are presented to you on a beautiful day?Our next item of business was Michelle's graduation. Here is the standard graduation shot. And here are the standard graduation videos - but this one involves me with a squeaky toy that got the audience to laugh.

Apparently when you are graduating from dental hygiene you have to be creative and put teeth on your caps.Hooray! Yah!Michelle and her hygiene peeps and Michelle and Devoin. Beefsquee and I value edumacation and learning stuffs.We celebrated as Skinny Good Lookin' Reid took us to Johnny Carinos. I thoroughly enjoyed my lasagna.Big D enjoyed his multiple cheese deliciousness. Pam and D are lookin' really cute these days together in my opinion. It was a great celebration.The next day after church we took some stellar Pam and Beefsquee in gowns graduation photos. Such sass - bolstered by mental prowess.They did it people...they finally did it.In the end, I had to leave them. This brought them tears of sadness to their hearts. Fortunately we will be together again (this time with Caitlin - hooray!!!) on vacation next week. Congrats you two smart goobers.

Dearest Berda, We Bid Thee Farewell

I was down in Kentucky chillin' with Beefsquee (more on that this week) a few weeks ago. While the purpose of the visit was for other things, we did hold a funeral for Michelle's dead bird, "Berda." Berda had been in the freezer for almost a year, awaiting a visit so we could film the funeral. That day finally came - here are the proceedings.



This is not the first burial we have had. Michelle has had many birds die. For example, click here. We will miss you Berda!!!

Internal Dilemma

I have a serious problem. Briggie's mom asked me to DJ their stake dance and I realized - who am I to pretend to know what the kids want to hear? Who am I to find these songs and then really know whether they are appropriate or not? WHO AM I? That is the question of life.

So I need your help. What songs do you think the young'ns would like to hear these days. DO NOT say anything by They Might Be Giants. I have already learned that lesson. It has to be appropriate for a church dance, but still awesome.

Additionally, I need salsa songs or Hispanic songs for our spanish friends at the dance. You salsa dancing people, I need your wisdom as well.

Bring the suggestions, and bring them good.

DJ Tanner (that is my DJ name)

Answer to Seriously So Blessed?

Have you been to this website? I have. I see it as a male version of the Seriously So Blessed - which is more enjoyable.

Drag Me To Heaven

There are probably very few of you out there that doubted I would be seeing Drag Me To Hell the second I had a chance. You were very right. Even though it is finals week and even though I have a billion things going on in all aspects of my life - I will ALWAYS have time for Sam Raimi horror movies. Try me. Call me up and see if I'm willing to watch Evil Dead 2 with you at 3:15 am in a port-o-potty. I would be there, but possibly with really strong cologne on to counteract the stink.

Anyway, so obviously I was at Drag Me To Hell this weekend. As you can imagine, I loved it. While the Evil Dead series will always be the utopia of what a horror movie should be in my mind, I was just pleased as punch to have Raimi back and making horror films. Not only that, but now he is on with the remake of The Evil Dead and an Evil Dead 4 is rumored to be in the very pre-production works. I imagine for him that making Drag Me To Hell was like coming home to some extent - and I'm sure it felt amazing.

Drag Me To Hell was hilarious, exciting, thrilling, ridiculous, maniacal, and fantastic in so many ways. It had its flaws (acting), but it also had its many, many, many perfections. It is fully worthy of your time and money. If you disagree, then I think you might be sicker than the old lady in the film. And that chick is messed up.