If you were to meet me for the first time in real life, here's what I think you'd learn within 5 minutes:
— I prefer red wine to white, but I'll drink whatever you got. Oh and here, I brought a bottle of Pinot Noir.
— I get really into something, binge it, try to evangelize anyone within earshot about its greatness. (See: My Dad Wrote a Porno, Queer Eye on Netflix, Chatbooks, etc...)
— I L.O.V.E. dancing. Namely, at Dance Dance Party Party but also, really at any occasion that has a nice patch of danceable floor and good beats. I leave weddings drenched in sweat. (So get the photos in early.)
The last one has already been gushed about so this post is about what kind of music gets me grooving. I'm a playlist junkie—creating ambiance, igniting energy, creating a soundtrack that seamlessly supports and enhances whatever the event or mood or scenario calls for. I like to create a theme (seasons, current events, holidays, writing music, etc) and if it'll be played publicly, I try to include Easter eggs or little jokes. And because I'm not a superhero, I rely on Spotify to fill in the blanks. The geniuses behind the Spotify-created playlists are top-notch in my book. They basically DJ my life.
A good playlist is an audio time capsule. All I need is the opening notes of "No Diggity" and I'm 17 again, cruising the sleepy suburbs in my mom's Honda Odyssey with my friends. The score of Les Mis is a family road trip to Yellowstone Park. The oldies are my dad driving us home from Michigan, Garth Brooks' Ropin' the Wind album is my mom, also driving us home from Michigan, but at 93 mph. Any punk is my brother, locking his three sisters out of his room. Dave Matthews Band and Backstreet Boys conjure specific flavors of high school the same way John Mayer and British pop are distinctly college. There's a playlist for the summer I fell hard in love, and another full of piano lullabies for the winter I fell even harder. It's like Cliffs Notes for chapters in my life—whether mundane or milestone.
This month, I was DJ at DDPP and drafted a playlist to conjure that burst of freshness that comes with Spring, because even if weather is not cooperating, it's coming! You can smell it on the air. You can find me (and my lists) on Spotify by searching jbubhoff. Show me what you're listening to and I'll show you mine. One day I'll clean up my folders and organize my playlists for public consumption but until then, well... why don't you relax with some Indie Acoustic or burn some energy with Run, Nora, Run (Hi Nora!).
I'll see you on the dance floor.
Related Links
— Here's my guest blog post for DDPP, where I wax poetic about Spring. It's basically writing in GIFs.
— A friend puts out a month-long project where she emails an upbeat jam every morning for 30 days. It's fun, gets the blood pumping and toes a-tapping. It's non-committal dancey fun and makes getting up in the morning a smidge less crappy.
— Treat yo'self to this treasure trove of Rosie Perez dancing GIFs. Instant mood-booster.