Electronic music has come a long way since its inception in the 1970s. It has been embraced by millions worldwide and has produced some of the most iconic artists of our time. From techno and house to trance and dubstep, electronic music has evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry. However, as the industry has grown, so too has the ego, pride, and self-entitlement of the DJs that make up this scene. Sadly, this has resulted in the lost art of the opening DJ, with many ignoring the importance of setting the tone for the night and respecting the flow of the party.

In the early days of electronic music, the opening DJ was a vital part of the night. Their role was to warm up the crowd and set the tone for the headlining acts. They were responsible for creating a vibe that would build anticipation for the main event. The opening DJ would also be expected to show respect for the other DJs on the lineup, making sure that their set flowed seamlessly into the next.

However, as electronic music has grown in popularity, many DJs have become more concerned with their own egos and personal brand than with the flow of the party (aka the bigger picture). They often forget that the opening DJ is just as important as the headliner in creating an unforgettable show for the party. This is where the art of the opening DJ has been lost almost completely, and one of the primary reasons for this is the rise of social media. With platforms like TikTok and Instagram, DJs can easily build their own personal brand, which they often put above the needs of the party or anyone besides themselves for that matter. Some even put their own personal brand ahead of their actual skills meaning their promotion game is stronger than their actual DJ/Production game. They fool promoters and talent buyers with their image to land gigs and oftentimes if you are a newer DJ you probably get the opening slot to start and this is where the fuckery begins with terrible opening sets.

Another reason for the significant decline of the opening DJ is the sense of entitlement that many DJs feel. They believe that they have worked hard to get where they are and there is a certain level of expectation for themselves when stepping on to the DJ booth. This often leads to them ignoring the needs of the party and the crowd while focusing solely on their own set. They play music that is not suitable for the time or try to steal the spotlight from the next DJ or headliner. Such actions can be detrimental to the flow of the night, leaving the crowd (and promoter) feeling disjointed and unsatisfied along with the DJ they are opening up for.

Furthermore, many DJs fail to read the crowd and adjust their set accordingly. They may have a preconceived idea of what they want to play (aka 140+bpm Techno), but if it does not resonate with the crowd, it can leave the night feeling flat. This lack of flexibility and adaptability is a key reason for the lost art of the opening DJ, many new DJs plan their sets and tracks based on their expectations of a packed crowd and when the crowd isn’t there they cannot adapt or adjust since they don’t have much prepared besides bangers and high BPM tracks which always makes zero sense for an opener to be playing yet that’s what keeps happening over and over again in today’s scene. STOP IT!!

It is important to note that not all DJs have lost the art of the opening set. There are still many talented DJs who understand the importance of setting the tone for the night and respecting the other DJs on the lineup. These DJs have the skills to read the crowd, adjust their set accordingly, and build anticipation for the next DJ or headliner. However, it is clear that the lost art of the opening DJ is a growing problem in the global electronic music scene. DJs need to remember that they are not the only ones who matter on the night. They need to put the needs of the party first and respect the other DJs on the lineup. This is much easier said than done because every DJ I have ever met has an inflated ego besides a few.

Many DJs do not put the parties first anymore, including headliners, because it has become an attention grabbing mechanism for them as an individual or collective; this is the real reason why the art of the opening DJ is lost. We all look up to our favorite (insert your name) DJs and hardly any of them (if any) are openers so why would anyone want to claim that spot as a DJ themselves? And who gives a fuck if the opening set sucks? No one’s there anyways. It’s so easy to argue the downside of being an opener yet it’s actually quite difficult to actually be a consistent good opener who has to dig deeper for the sounds to play for essentially nobody or not to a lot of people. But if any DJ takes their craft seriously enough, they would know what I just said is false because an opening DJ is still an artist that must be able to do their job well!

In September 2009, RA released an article titled “The esoteric art of the opening DJ” and after reading that article it got me really excited on wanting to be a great opening DJ moving forward. After all, I knew the opening slot is most likely where I’ll be playing the most as I came up in my time. I love the idea that the opener is the one who controls the tempo and marinates the night with good vibes as they hand over the slot to the next DJ or the headliner. Everything in life has a beginning that leads into a journey and a great party is no different. Right now, we are facing an epidemic of dumb-egotistic DJs who only want to play prime slots where the party is packed. These DJs (who are usually newer in the scene) give no regards that being a good opening DJ is a required skill for real professionals who take this art seriously. It’s easy to play big tracks after big tracks but it takes REAL skills to be able to curate a proper opening set that tells a story and journey. With egotistic DJs who need to play in front of a big crowd, the discipline of curating a great opening set has been tossed out the door because nobody wants to open because it’s not cool and it’s not that fun playing to a thin crowd, therefore, none of the new DJs coming into the scene have the discipline (nor desire) to work on their craft of being a good music selector. This is the reason why we are hearing so many terrible opening DJs who have no idea what they are doing and oftentimes ruin the night and their own opportunity by messing it up.

For many of you who are just starting out in the DJ world, did you know that being a good opening DJ oftentimes is what gets you re-booked by promoters? The reason is because promoters know how rare it is to have a proper opening DJ in their night! Promoters are actually struggling to find good opening DJs and if you just so happen to be one, more opportunities will surely come your way. Being a good opening DJ in today’s scene is a rare commodity, the art is lost which means we’re hearing less and less good openers. The reason why I got offered to play many gigs as well as hold residencies at certain parties in the mid-2010s was because I stood out from the rest in terms of how I treated my opening slot compared to others. I was excited for it, I promoted hard, I brought people out and I would always play a proper opening set regardless if there was one or one hundred people there.

Even though most of the time not a lot of people were in the crowd, I know that the promoter who booked me was listening and most of the time I was simply playing for that promoter! After all, they are the ones who are listening to how the openers are playing, they are the ones who see the transition of their night from an empty dance floor to a packed house! Whenever I have done my part as the opener, the promoter will often give me credit for the job well done which has led to even bigger opportunities because I have gained the trust of these promoters that they eventually gave me the closing slot or even the main support slot. I’ve gotten so many more gigs just by playing good opening sets simply because other promoters and bookers were there and liked what they heard. They know how rare a good opener is and through my intention I have been given the opportunity to play with some of the world’s biggest names in my home-city of LA and around the world which still blows my mind when I really think about it.

I understand why it’s important to play prime slots where you can bang it out to a crowd and get the most attention. After all, 99% of the DJs in the scene are trying to advance their position to being the headliner and think that they can only grow if they play better slots not realizing that playing really good opening slots consistently is the opportunity that will advance their career – you get to play early which means you get the rest of the night to network with promoters, the community, and other artists and industry peers. If you do nothing and go home after your opening set, you’re missing the opportunity to network and make new connections that could help you land more shows down the road.

I know this opinion piece won’t change the minds of many DJs who only want to play prime slots but I know some of you who are reading this can appreciate the fact that being a good DJ requires skills and one of those key skills is the ability to play a proper opening set and to be able to build the night and the crowd with careful selection that fits the atmosphere and vibe. It takes years of digging, practice, and discipline to get to that level yet the average DJ would never understand why they need to hone in that skill when their “goal” is to “make it big”. One can only wish that more DJs who enter into our scene would appreciate and respect the opening slot.

While the art of the opening DJ is lost in today’s pool of up and coming DJs, promoters must continue to do their job to discover good opening DJs who can curate a night from an empty dance floor. Promoters need to start emphasizing on the importance of good openers and I strongly encourage them to keep rewarding DJs who can curate a proper opening set not just for the sake of their night but also to educate the community that this is what a good opening DJ should sound like. Promoters actually hold the key on making sure the music flows since it’s their job to pick the right DJs to open up.

Part of the reason we hear shitty openers playing big tracks early in the night is because the promoter didn’t do their job. Sometimes, it’s not always the DJs to blame since so many really do not have the skills to open so why did they get booked in the first place? Changing the landscape of things is a two-way street – not only is it important for DJs to hone in the skills to open proper; it is vital that the promoters do their part in creating a lineup that makes sense for the flow of the party instead of just booking random DJs simply because they can “bring people” with no regards if that DJ can curate a good opening set.

Opening DJs are the crucial component of creating that musical journey for the party; after all they are the ones who kick start the show meaning they are the ones marinating the meat so that when the headliner comes on the grill will be ready for the sizzle because the flavors are all soaked in ready to go. For me, that’s how I’ve always viewed the role of the opening DJ, I am essentially just marinating the night with flavors and vibes so when the party arrives, the meat and the fire will be ready to go. Not everyone needs to know that the real credit belongs to the openers because after all, I’m just here to get the job done so that everyone can enjoy the party. If we can get every DJ in the scene to understand this mindset, the art of the opening DJ would no longer be a lost cause…one can only hope right?