Freddy B pays attention to atmosphere, crowd when DJing
Las Vegas never sleeps, and neither does Freddy B. Or at least it seems that way, seeing as how busy the DJ is on a weekly basis. Read on and catch up.
What does Freddy B sound like?
“I sound like me. My thought process is based on my individual musical upbringing and knowledge. It’s important to personally grow, and stay away from norms or conformity, even if you’re criticized for it.”
You have residencies in a variety of contexts. Do you approach a set at say, Blush, differently from Encore Beach Club?
“Absolutely, at EBC I try to build a sexy, upscale midday atmosphere, whereas at Blush it’s late at night, drinks are flowing and the energy is high. Ultimately, it’s about reading the people. Jerry Humes, a mentor of mine, always told me to be the puppet master to the crowd. Own them, and move them. I can send people to the bar for a drink to make management happy, then bring them right back to the floor to make the crowd happy without saying a word.”
How is a Vegas crowd distinct from the crowds in other cities that you perform in?
“The Vegas tourist crowd likes it very commercial. They’re pleased with what they hear on the radio. The Vegas local crowd is much more open. This city is a revolving door of amazing DJs and producers, so they’re far more exposed to music genres from all over. When I travel to other cities, I like to pay attention to their hometown musical heroes, which always sets the foundation. I truly enjoy playing back East because I get to introduce them to sounds that start in the West. It’s great to come back to Vegas and have emails and messages asking about remixes or songs that I played.”
You have a CD in the works. What can we expect?
“The CD that I am working on right now is a 2011 promo mix that will feature artists and songs that I really enjoy. It will be high energy. Mid-June is when I would like to release it. I am looking for great songs that fall through the cracks, because many promo CDs feature the same popular songs at the time they’re released. I have been spending mass amounts of time and energy working on my studio. It will be functional in May. I’m looking forward to finally putting lots of ideas into the air with original material and productions.”
You’re a native of Ohio and have a residency in Akron, where LeBron James hails from. Give us a short mix of tunes that you’d dedicate to James in wake of him bolting for Miami.
“To be honest with you, I am not one for sports or LeBron. It’s old news for Ohio. I am very proud that Kid Cudi is from Cleveland, and has finally blown up. He represents Northeast Ohio in an amazing way. If you pay attention to my daily rants you will learn how much I love and miss Northeast Ohio. LeBron, enjoy your Amaretto Sours in Miami, my friend. So with that said, ‘Cleveland is The Reason’ by Kid Cudi.”
Check out Freddy B at TheOriginalFreddyB.com.
Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.
