Ezra Mechaber ’11, from Sherborn, MA is a double major in Political Science and Religion who, aside from being extremely involved on campus, has a very unique talent and passion for DJing.
How and when did you get involved in DJing?
When I was in high school my best friend had these huge speakers, and I always had a really good music collection, so we would just set up at school functions and blast music. When I got to college I pushed it further and actually learned some of the techniques. I started to perform at a number of frat parties, and slowly I started working the club scene. At the end of sophomore year I finally got myself a pair of turntables and the rest kind of took care of itself.
What kind of music do you play?
Definitely depends on the night – when I DJ for senior nights, I lean more towards the radio-friendly stuff, but I usually start off by playing old school hip-hop. My favorite genre is house, though – whether that’s “Feelings For You” by Avicii, or something more like “Lights On” by Katy B, it’s all so good.
Where have you performed?
I’ve played all over the place at this point. I’m from Boston originally, so I’ve played a few venues out there, but I’ve really come up in Rochester. On the UR campus, I’ve opened for LMFAO, Eve6, and Neon Trees. As far as Rochester venues, I’ve played Pearl, One Ryan Alley, and Dub Land. Two years ago I started working with Rest In Peace Rochester, an event planning group, and I’ve grown with their parties – our Thursday party at Dub Land gets between 300 to 500 people through the door at every show. We’re actually starting a new Wednesday party at Montage for the 18+ crowd, so be sure to check that out.
My junior year I studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, and scored a couple of gigs while I was over there. Long story short, I got to know a couple of the city’s really connected DJs, and they wound up booking me for some big parties spinning indie and electro music. So crazy, I’m actually still in touch with a lot of those guys which has been awesome.
What advice would you give to others interested in getting involved in DJing?
Michael Jackson is welcome any time of the night. Adding to that, don’t underestimate the importance of warming up a room. If you’re DJing from 10pm to 2am, take your time before midnight. You don’t want to “waste” all the really big songs early on, you have to pace it and make sure your audience is ready to go.
Do you have any upcoming gigs in the area?
I’ll actually be DJing our next senior night at One Ryan Alley on March 24th. As the social chair for the 2011 Class Council, I do all the planning and negotiating for UR senior nights. I’ve built up a good rapport with a lot of the club managers/owners, so they have me back to DJ fairly often.
If you’re looking for house and dubstep, we’ve moved some of our Thursday Dub Land parties over to Montage Music Hall on Wednesdays. I’ll be DJing on March 30th with Codes, an NYC DJ/producer who just got signed to Slow Roast Records.
Links:
Mixes: www.ezramechaber.com
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/