Very few weekly parties have dominated Denton nightlife the way the Thursday night '80s party at Hailey's has. At times during the past five years, it seemed as though it was impossible to throw a conflicting event with any degree of success on a Thursday in Little D. Nobody would show up.
DJ G had the city locked. And why not? The music selection was on point, touching on the classics but never dumbing it down, while keeping the dance floor steaming hot.
Now, as he approaches his final days at Hailey's (the end of his Denton tenure will be New Year's Eve), we thought it would be a good time to talk to him about this legendary night and his plans for the future.
Q: Your '80s night at Hailey's has been THE night in Denton for years. How did it come to be?
DJ G: Not long after the club opened I approached Glen Farris, who was hosting a sort of indie-dance night at the time. I told him I have records that influenced the artists he was playing and that they simply must be heard in this kind of setting. Next thing I know, I had a job and ended up turning the night into my idea of an '80s night. I knew that the music from this era means something different for everyone, so from the start I strove to appeal to a wide audience and challenge the idea of what an '80s night could be.
Q: Did you know you had a great thing going from the first night?
DJ G: As with most nights, it takes a little while to get things going. But with a clear vision of what I had in mind and a strong direction in terms of marketing and delivery, it took off.
Q: What are some of the staple records from that night?
DJ G: Oh man, there are so many, but I will be brief aside from some obvious ones: "Warm Leatherette" by the Normal, "Bostich" by Yello, "Mesopotamia" by B-52's, "Don't Go" by Yaz, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" by the Smiths, "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen, "Apache" by Sugar Hill Gang.
Q: You're also holding down Sundays at Hailey's. Tell us about that night. I heard something about ping-pong tables?
DJ G: For Your Pleasure is a whole different thing. I'm playing in a different mode as patrons are playing ping-pong and pool. Philly soul, roots reggae, jazz-funk, Afro-Brazil with a wild twist of glam. This coincidentally all ends up being my favorite artists and styles from the '60s and '70s. No '80s. No electronic. We've got plenty of dance nights. I love that stuff immensely, but not on that night. I invite people to hire me to play house music at a party and see what fun that can be.
Q: This New Year's will be your last night at Hailey's. How do you feel about
quitting the weekly gigs, and what are you looking forward to in this next phase in your DJing life?
DJ G: I have worked hard, had fun and enjoyed it immensely. I am very grateful that I have had the creative freedom and privilege to have the residencies that I have had thanks to Hailey's. 2010 will see me putting the finishing touches toward my new profession as a high school teacher. I will always be playing music for people, so I look forward to gigs on weekends in Dallas with friends and like-minded folks.
Real name: Jonathan Graham
Age: 31
Where to hear him: Thursdays and Sundays at Hailey's in Denton.
haileysclub.com Styles: Underground disco, proto-house, classic industrial/darkwave and '80s retro.