Former Falls resident Brian Glad to DJ summer party
Brian Glad got his start in the disc jockey business at the Roadhouse Nightclub near Ranier in 1997.
The 33-year-old Falls High graduate has for the past 11 years become a player in the Twin Cities entertainment scene.
Glad has recently been booking his calendar full of weddings, private parties and corporate events. He tries to get back to the Falls often to visit family and friends in the area — and perform. “People still pay me to come up,” he joked.
For example, Glad will DJ the Sha~Sha Resort Summer Splash on Saturday.
“I’m trying to make it really fun,” he said. “If things really go well, it’ll be an annual event.”
He described the theme as a summer beach party with all types of music from island vibes to top hits and hip hop. On a recent Facebook post, he recommends: “Ladies bring your bikinis and guys bring your ladies; it’s gonna be a wet and wild party!!!”
Part of being a good DJ, Glad said, is reacting to the customers and playing a good mix of music that will keep them entertained. He called the formula a “roller coaster of music” that reacts to the mood of the crowd. And for some events where a large number of songs are already expected, he explained that his job is to mix them as best he can and fill in the gaps.
What will the show be like? Glad said that question is never really answered until about a half-hour into the event, once he has been able to fine tune his playlist and judge the crowd.
“It’s not just about pressing play,” he said.
Glad, whose first job was a newspaper carrier for The Daily Journal, has expanded his shows to also include street magic and card tricks.
“I try to be more than an ‘out-of-the-box’ DJ,” he said.
Glad and business partner Erik Easton have nine people working for their parent company, Silver Sound Entertainment in the Twin Cities area. The entertainers, including Glad, are booked through the parent company.
Glad himself has 80 weddings, parties and other events booked this year. He already has another 22 gigs scheduled through 2011. His calendar fills up quickly, he said, noting that for prime dates he is filling spots 18 to 24 months in advance.
“You gotta have a great attitude. Gotta be good at working with people,” he advised aspiring entertainers. “You gotta be a good people person.
“If you work hard at something, you’re going to be successful at it.”
Glad got his moniker “DJ BGLAD” from the back of his childhood basketball jersey, he said. Because he and his twin brother were on the same team, first initials had to be added to the typical last names on the back of the boy’s shirts. “B. Glad” stuck and has served him well in the entertainment business.
“It’s pretty popular,” he said. “I keep sending my cheer across the world.”
For more information on Glad, visit his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/djbglad.
