Some of them are musicians. Some have professional careers in an unrelated field, but they all share a common vision as mobile disc jockeys: to provide fun and entertainment for others at special events. And the demand for their services is growing right along with the population of northwest Arkansas.
Brad Peterson, the owner of Big Dog Entertainment, said he held a DJ mixer at his home in Fayetteville last month to allow DJs and their families to visit. "We see each other in passing at venues and we look at each other’s Web sites," Peterson explained. "I thought it would be fun for us to get acquainted and to discuss our lighting and our insurance and other aspects of our businesses. We all get jobs, and sometimes we need to refer clients to other DJs. It was an opportunity for us to find out exactly who does what."
Peterson is a team member of Tyson Foods and has been in northwest Arkansas since 2004. He has worked more than nine years as a musician, including two years as a concert promoter. Peterson has been a DJ for six years, and Big Dog has three disc jockeys. Along with weddings, birthdays, corporate events, school events, private parties and fundraisers, Peterson is incorporating carnival-theme birthday parties for kids. Fun-house mirrors, games, popcorn and blow-up bouncers are part of the new carnival parties. "We’ve seen a surge in ‘Sweet 16’ birthday parties lately," Peterson said. "I think that may be partly due to the new reality TV shows that showcase that theme."
Big Dog’s Web site is www. bigdogrocks. com, and the phone numbers are 444-9292 and 200-6927. The service area is northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri. Along with mobile DJ services, Big Dog offers karaoke; emcee services; standard and enhanced lighting; live sound; and online interactive client services for event planning, such as weddings or themed parties.
As far as anyone can tell, Midnite Sun Enterprises of Rogers is the only husbandand-wife mobile team in the area. Owned by Sherry and Scott Laemmle, the DJs have about eight years’ experience. "What makes us unique, I think," Scott said, "is our professionalism, reliability and experience. We offer stateof-the-art equipment incorporated with computer technology to ensure a superior performance."
Something else that makes the Laemmles’ business unique is their party bus — a 1969 GMC transit bus transformed into 29 feet of mobile fun, complete with flashing lights and a vast music library and audio options for every age. The lighting on the bus includes a strobe, laser and fog machine. A hot item, the bus was reserved months in advance for proms this season. Scott is a Wal-Mart associate, and Sherry is a real estate agent. Parents to five children, the couple stay busy and especially look forward to offering their mobile DJ services, professional karaoke, event sound; stage lighting and event planning. They specialize in weddings, corporate events and kids’ parties, and have outdoor Beaver Lake property available to host parties. Service areas of Midnite Sun include Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville, Bella Vista, Centerton and Eureka Springs. The Web site is www. partybusnwa. com, and the phone numbers are 640-4876 and 621-7841.
Trent Peetoom of Rogers is the owner/operator of Two J Mobile Disc Jockey Service. His service area is northwest Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma and southwest Missouri. Peetoom has four years’ experience as a mobile DJ. "My specialty, really, is wedding receptions; private functions, such as pool and block parties; and company picnics," Peetoom said. "I offer ‘worry-free’ service and take care of all aspects of entertainment planning for every event. I consult with clients as many times as they want so that they feel comfortable with me and the service I will provide."
Peetoom, also a Wal-Mart associate, works alone as a DJ in Two J Mobile. His Web site is http: // members. cox. net/twojdj, and his phone number is 531-1152.
Sean Hearn said he began entertaining in 1987 as a student at the University of Arkansas. "I was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and always seemed to be the guy with the music and the sound system," Hearn said. "After graduating in 1991, I accepted a job with a major poultry company in Maryland."
Continuing with his music entertainment on the side, Hearn gained plenty of experience with the crowds of tourists drawn to the Eastern shore. Their backgrounds had a tremendous range in ages and cultures. Moving back to Arkansas in 1996, Hearn explained that the diversity of his audiences built a great base for the types of shows he performs today as a DJ with Music in Motion. While his company is stationed in Fort Smith, Hearn said the majority of his business is in the Fayetteville-Rogers area. "My shows include everything from receptions and corporate events to school dances and Greek parties," Hearn said. "Probably 70 percent of what I do is wedding receptions. I also enjoy music production and reconstruction and have created several remixes over the past decade. I was recognized in Mobile Beat magazine — a nationally syndicated entertainment publication — as an Odyssey Case All-Star."
Hearn said his music library includes more than 2,200 CDs and more than 300 records from as far back as the 1930s and 1940s to the latest cuts. To view his Web site, visit www. MusicinMotion-DJ. com, or contact him by phone at 461-3539.
Mobile DJs, the modern members of the brotherhood of sound, are dedicated to enhancing events through music, lights and an abundance of fun.
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