Nick Avel Garcia

A fun MC who will remind everyone why we’re there! I make sure the evening is musical and interactive. I make memories through mixing, spanning various genres and decades to breathe new life into the music you love. I’m thoughtful about creating an atmosphere that feels like you and will make sure all your guests feel included too.

Performing at Upstairs Lounge, art galleries, and Record Store Days. Also, running into couples years after I DJ/MC their wedding and catching up on life. Hosting a weekly eclectic music show for a local community radio station and 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.

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!

I also love seeing your guests leave happier and more inspired than when they arrived.

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.

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. It’s always unique and can’t be recreated in the same way. Every celebration is its own moment locked in time.

I would always pick the songs on the jukebox growing up and learned early on what an atmosphere is calling for. 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 when I was barely a teenager and started rocking parties in high school. Instant love.

I play the gui-tar!

Bonus fun fact: I host the weekly radio show Get Around Sound, originally on KDHX and now on Community Radio St. Louis.

Extra super bonus fun fact: I love taking portraiture and concert photography.