Meet the DJs

Tiki Town has so many really great DJs who provide music throughout the week and for the various weekend parties and other special events. Many of the Tiki Town DJs only work the weekend parties or grab the stream at the club to host impromptu parties and their efforts help make Tiki Town a fun place.

Throughout the week Tiki Town has eight DJs that currently play music on a regular schedule. You can find the DJ Board showing the weekly schedule at the little tiki hut located near the main Tiki Town dance floor.

I thought it would be nice to learn a little more about these DJs. I asked each one (including myself) a few questions about the music they like and what they liked and disliked about DJing. Below are the questions and each DJs answers.

Note: I’ve added DJ Gramps’s answers to the article. He was one among several DJs that were added to the weekly line-up right after this article was posted.

DJ Bunny plays music Sunday mornings from 6am to 8am SLT. I think most everyone knows and likes this adorable, cute and sassy DJ.

1)     What are your favorite genres of music?

I blame my music taste on Chris (Mars). Tiki Babygirl Handbook Rule 43.  No, actually I get my music taste from my grandfather. I like classic rock, 80’s, country, bunny  metal – which is metal but fuzzy – and disco. I am a big fan of the modern pop scene as well. 

2)  What are five music artists/bands that you would recommend?

Oh, gosh… current music I would say Selina Gomez, Dua Lipa, the Jonas Brothers, but if you want to dig deeper… Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac.

3)     What do you enjoy most about DJing?

The biggest thrill I get is when people have had a good time and are talking in the audience. It gives me ideas for my song choices. Helping people forget their worries and real life makes me smile.

4)      What is your least favorite thing about DJing?

That one person that requests the death metal song in the middle of a country set.

5)     Tell me one fun/interesting fact about yourself?

I am functionally deaf in real life so DJing is a challenge. Technology is my friend.

DJ Gramps (aka Matthew Huntsman) is a fairly recent addition to the DJ line-up at Tiki Town and currently streams tunes every Sunday from 2pm to 4pm SLT. I’m not sure why he goes by DJ Gramps. I suppose DJ Distinguished Gentleman is a bit too wordy.

1) What are your favorite genres of music?

Classic rick, blues, and funk.

2) What are five music artists/bands that you would recommend?

Ray Charles, ZZ Top, Black Stone Cherry, Ivy Levan, and Stevie Ray Vaughn

3) What do you enjoy most about DJing?

Bringing music that someone may not know about to people’s attention.

4) What is your least favorite thing about DJing?

Seeing a dance floor full of people and then my tracker only shows two or three people listening.

5) Tell me one fun/interesting fact about yourself?

I once scaled the face of Diamond Head on Oahu (Hawaii) with friends while carrying (and drinking) from a cooler of beer.

DJ Trevor recently moved his long time weekly set from Tuesday to Wednesday but he remained at the same time of 10am to noon. He’s been DJing at Tiki Town for several years but typically has his sets in the mornings. I hope to check out his tunes sometime.

1)     What are your favorite genres of music?

Rock of about any kind, deep house, and Latin pop.

2)    What are five music artists/bands that you would recommend?

 Royal Blood, Cheap Trick, Pit Bull, Motorhead, and Led Zeppelin.

3)  What do you enjoy most about DJing?

Meeting people, playing a tune and hearing them say “Ohh ya! Love this song!” or that it evokes a memory or feeling because that’s what music is about.

4)     What is your least favorite thing about DJing?

Playing to an empty room.

5)     Tell me one fun/interesting fact about yourself?

I only shower naked.

DJ Stars is one of the newest DJs at Tiki Town and plays tunes every Wednesday from 4pm to 6pm SLT. She describes herself as eclectic and likes a variety of music genres.

DJ Friar Don has been DJing at Tiki Town for quite some time and his Wednesday sets at 6pm SLT have become a staple. Don always plays really
great, fresh tunes and is one of the nicest DJs around.

1) What are your favorite genres of music?

I have a fondness for classic rock, especially 70’s and 80’s. I bet you can’t figure out when I was a teen young adult. I love NEW rock because, to be honest, it hasn’t strayed far from its early roots. But I also have grown to like all kinds of EDM. I have always loved the dance beat, from the time of disco and new wave and to current times with anything that can be found in a club. I am by no means a professional DJ but I admire many of the club DJs.

2) What are five music artists/bands that you would recommend?

Oh… too many to limit to five, but I’m going to limit my picks to women because female rockers continue to have an uphill battle to make a an impact in the rock genre. Women in rock need our support! 

Check out Lilith Czar (Juliet Simms) – you’ve heard me play her music. She’s a rock goddess for sure. Avril Levigne has had a great resurgence and knows how to kick rock ass. I have a fondness for The Linda Lindas (and not in a creepy way). They are a pre-teen, culturally diverse, punk rock, American all girl band that is half Latinx and half Asian. And they rock! 

The Pretty Reckless with lead singer Taylor Momsen has been around for awhile. They perform a mix of heavy, alternative, and grunge rock. They would be “bigger” and more prolific if they hadn’t suffered some losses (most recently their producer). 

I just found a hot rocking band named Dead Sara that I can’t wait to play for you. Another almost all woman band (other than their male drummer) with sounds that they can scorch my DJ board. Really hot! Listen to Gimmie Gimme. 

I’m going to cheat and add a male performer: Tim Bergling aka Avicii. The man was a genius in mixing multi-genre music into popular EDM hits. I miss not hearing new hits coming from his direction as he died tragically too young.

3) What do you enjoy most about DJing?

I just love pulling guest’s dance strings — getting folks moving, smiling and other extra-curricular activities by the music I play. It also gets me laid… so there’s that.

4) What is your least favorite thing about DJing? 

I feel like I still have so much to learn and am not skilled enough. I see many of my DJ friends matching BPMs and song keys and I am just kind of drooling on myself — which makes for a messy DJ board by the way — not recommended.

5) Tell me one fun/interesting fact about yourself?

I’m a priest in both real life and in SL. Yes, THAT kind of priest. And while folks may have trouble reconciling that fact, because you know me in SL as… well, rather slutty — you may be thinking I’m hypocritical because you may be thinking of a more traditional role of priests. I’m different. I believe that the church is sex obsessed and uses sex and purity culture to subjugate women. I have a more progressive view, but that’s a topic for another interview.

DJ Tarica is the newest DJ to join the Tiki Town weekly line-up. She kicks off the Friday party at 2pm SLT. Also, she’s super cute and a great addition to the Tiki Town DJ group.

1) What are your favorite genres of music?

90’s, 2000’s, alternative, hard rock, and industrial.

2) What are five music artists/bands that you would recommend?

Tool, KMFDM, Sound Garden, Stone Temple Pilots, and a tie between Gravity Kills and Stabbing Westward. 

3) What do you enjoy most about DJing?

Sharing my music with others (a.k.a. forcing my music onto others).

4) What is your least favorite thing about DJing?

Having a set time slot. Same thing with anything that has set hours. Clocks should be destroyed.

5) Tell me one fun/interesting fact about yourself?

I’m the least fun person anyone has met, just talk to me for 3 minutes and you will see. This one is best answered by those that suffer though knowing me.

DJ Cowboy “CB” Yallock has the middle time slot in the Friday line-up. His set starts at 4pm SLT and typically he plays a mix of old and new rock. He stumbled into Tiki Town back in December and liked it so much that he wanted to DJ here. We’re glad he stayed.

1)    What are your favorite genres of music? 

“Sleaze rock” bands are my number one, but I like all genres of music really unless it’s just screaming like you’re possessed or auto-tuned talking. 

2)  What are five music artists/bands that you would recommend?

That’s like asking me what child is your favorite. Everyone has their own taste but I would encourage people to listen to Steve Vai if you like guitar – the man is a musical virtuoso. Some critics don’t like his swagger but when you’re a musical god why not swagger?

Everyone should check out Steve Stevens’s three solo albums: Atomic Playboys, Flamenco a Go-Go, and Memory Crash. He’s amazing and has been a key to so many bands best music.

Halestorm as Lizzy Hale has the best female voice in rock today in my opinion.

Fiftywatt Freight Train is a rock band out of North Carolina that was starting to get national recognition when the pandemic hit and brought all tours to a halt. I hope they come out with new stuff soon and pick up where they left off. Everyone should give them a listen. Great stuff.

Anything with Clémentine Delauney singing. She is currently with the melodic metal band Visions of Atlantis. Previously she formed the band Exit Eden with three other female singers. I keep my fingers crossed that she goes solo one day as her voice is like an angel.

3)  What do you enjoy most about DJing?

I love when I can turn someone on to something they have never heard and they like it. 

4)  What is your least favorite thing about DJing?

When the crowd won’t interact. For example, when I play four songs and then get on mic and interact with the crowd. During the songs I type in local to them, but when nobody is interacting back it makes for a long night. You are just watching avatars auto dance and you have no idea if anyone is really enjoying the music or if they are AFK and your playing to yourself.

5)  Tell me one fun/interesting fact about yourself? 

I sang in the chorus of the Steelheart song “Trust In Love” released earlier this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLqoPp532b4

Lastly is DJ Chloe, who is of course me. I DJ at Tiki Town every Friday at 6pm. I love music and enjoy discussing music though I don’t know as much
about some genres as I’d like to know.

1)   What are your favorite genres of music?

I really love modern rock and that’s what I gravitate toward though I enjoy a variety of genres depending on my particular mood – punk, alternative, indie rock, disco, funk, hard rock, hip-hop, industrial, 80’s pop, hair metal and other stuff.

2)  What are five music artists/bands that you would recommend?

I love discovering new bands and singers and if you asked me this question a year from now or a year ago it would probably be different but I’d recommend Mother Mother, Irontom, Weezer, The Struts, Billy Talent and maybe five or ten or twenty other great bands.

3)   What do you enjoy most about DJing?

Sharing my love of music and sharing newly discovered music with other people. Music makes people happy and through sharing music I help make other people happy… and that makes me happy.

4)  What is your least favorite thing about DJing?

I hate to say this but I really don’t like it when people request lousy songs or songs that really don’t fit with what I’m playing. I don’t take it personal, of course, but it’s still annoying as heck. 

5)  Tell me one fun/interesting fact about yourself?

The song “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie makes me cry. It’s a sweet and beautiful song about love but also about death and I can’t get through it without bursting into tears.