Running in the snow can be a challenge. Just ask the participants in last weekends’ “Valentine’s Dash – Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em 5k” at Julia Davis Park in Boise.
DJing in the snow can be a challenge. Just ask me. But it can also be a lot of fun.
I had the privilege of working the Saturday morning event put on by Maria and Jonathan Gonzales of Arbor CrossFit. It was chilly and wet, but refreshing to be outside mixing for people who were willing to brave the cold for the sake of running.
Being an avid runner and fitness enthusiast myself, I got excited at the chance to DJ an event like this. Choosing the music was a cinch. I’m always making mixes to run to, so it was easy to put myself in the runner’s shoes, so to speak. I just thought “what would hype me up if I were about to run this thing.” I’m pretty sure it worked. I saw a lot of people bouncing up and down to the music while trying to stay warm. I also received a few compliments on my track selection.
The few challenges faced certainly didn’t outweigh the rewards. I did have to carry my gear about 50 yards from the car to the gazebo on a very slick sidewalk in the rain, nearly falling down several times. I was pretty nervous for a minute since water and electronics don’t get along too well. The cool air bit at the joints in my hands too, making it tough to cue the records and turn the knobs on my mixer, but that wasn’t a big deal. I could still do my job.
As a bonus, I got hooked up with some shwag and free treats, including a race t-shirt, a giant sugar cookie from Big City Coffee and lots of Red Bull. The perks of the biz are always nice!
– DJ Eric Rhodes
Partial Song Selection (in no particular order):
- TJR vs AC/DC “Ode to TNT” (Vocal Mix)
- Pharrell Williams “Happy”
- Macklemore “Can’t Hold Us”
- Michael Jackson “Wanna Be Startin’ Something”
- Jay Sean “So High” (Hoxton Whores Remix)
- Flo Rida “How I Feel”
- Avicii “Wake Me Up”
- Fatboy Slim “The Rockafeller Skank”
- Pitbull “Don’t Stop The Party”
- House Of Pain “Jump Around”