Nick Avel Garcia

Nick brings fun and over 20 years of experience to any event! His attention to detail will ensure your vision comes to life for the memorable celebration your guests will be raving about for a lifetime. 🪩

How would you describe your “DJ Personality”?

I make sure the evening is musical and interactive. I’m thoughtful about creating an atmosphere that feels like you and will make sure all your guests feel included too. I make memories through mixing, spanning various genres and decades to breathe new life into the music you love.

What are your favorite DJ memories?

Performing at Upstairs Lounge. Running into couples years after I DJ and MC at their wedding and catching up on life. Hosting a weekly eclectic music show for a local community radio station and another show for public radio station in town. Above all though, it’s the beautiful recurring memory of having the best spot in the place to see old friends and out-of-town relatives come together with new romances blooming alongside couples that’ve been in love for decades. Providing the soundtrack for these moments is priceless. As cliché as it may be, the journey is the destination.

What is your favorite thing about being a DJ?

I enjoy trusting my ears and to create something live on the spot for a full dance floor that’s also trusting me to mix something fresh for them. It’s a rush taking risks to give something a go for the first time live and then seeing the place erupt. There’s special sauce in the element of surprise for both the crowd and the DJ too.

What makes you unique / stand out as a DJ?

I’ve served as every iteration one would think of when they think of a “DJ,” from radio jock to throwing down an all vinyl set at a house party to playing packed out clubs to spending an afternoon digging every corner of a record shop.

What is your favorite part of the night?

For weddings, running audio for a ceremony and making sure the sound is dialed in for the guests to be present is meaningful to me. Overall though, the energy of a dance floor is hard to beat. People from all walks of life joining to celebrate love and move to a groove. It dawns on me every time that this particular group of people being in the same place like this is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, so it’s always unique and can’t be recreated in the same way. Every celebration is its own moment locked in time.

What is your favorite party song to play at events?

I’ve been into “Dancing In The Street” by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas lately. It sounds so fresh even now. Marvin Gaye wrote it and that larger than life Detroit Motown production and the driving bass and drums really incites what the title suggests. I love mixing classics like this with modern music to bring generations together.

Why did you become a DJ?

I grew up in St. Louis bars and would always pick the songs on the jukebox. I was also lucky enough to go to a lot of concerts as a kid and got my first sense of community through music. I’ve since grown to love bringing people and cultures together which naturally led to collecting and DJ’ing. I went out and bought a mixer and two turntables and started rocking parties in high school. Instant love. I’m happy to report that the record collection has reached obnoxious proportions.

List one fun fact about you most people do not know:

I spent a memorable evening with The Wailers in their green room after photographing their after party show in Louisville for the club I was working at. Bob Marley was certainly there in spirit.