Joe Gauthreaux does not consider himself to be a regular DJ. A New York City resident by way of New Orleans, he believes that anyone who listens to music can be taken on a journey – a principle he tries to instill every time he spins records.
Gauthreaux is one of the most highly sought DJ's in the business. He has headlined some of the largest circuit events in the country, including Blue Ball Philadelphia, July 4th Week in Provincetown, the White Party in Miami, and Chicago's own Market Days Weekend. Gauthreaux's popularity has been cemented by the fact that Billboard Magazine has enlisted his help ( as part of a panel of 140 spinners ) in compiling the publication's weekly dance chart.
Speaking of the Windy City, Gauthreaux will be here Feb. 18 to spin a set at Hydrate. However, before coming here, he answered a few questions for Nightspots.
Favorite childhood memory: [ Laughs. ] Turning 18, so I could put my childhood behind me.
Best thing about being a DJ: The best thing is getting to play for crowds.
Favorite guilty pleasure: That'd have to be Avril Lavigne. I tell people that I like her and they say, 'What? I thought you only liked club music?' Then I tell them that I like listening to her when I'm blow-drying my hair.
Regarding food, my favorite guilty pleasures are black-and-white cookies. They're a New York thing; they're these plate-sized sweet cookies [ in which ] half is covered with vanilla icing and the other half with chocolate frosting. A friend will bring one home from Starbucks and I'll just sit and eat it.
Favorite vacation spot: I just went to Hawaii last year and it was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen. [ Interviewer: Which island? ] I went to all of them; I was on a cruise.
Last bad movie you saw: I was in a hotel room and I was watching The Village. That has to be the worst movie I've seen in my life. It was truly awful; I've never seen such a bad payoff in a film. I knew the twist from the first second.
Choice - BMW or Corvette?: BMW. Corvettes are a bit cheesy to me.
Choice - Prince's 80's hits or Michael Jackson's 80's hits?: Michael Jackson, no question. I like a lot of his songs. I was never into Prince; he was a bit too [ sleazy ] to me. [ Interviewer: But Prince sang 'Little Red Corvette.' ] Yeah, but I didn't pick the Corvette, either.
Choice - A nice body or a nice brain?: A nice brain. Anybody can go to the gym and get a nice body. You can't go and get a brain transplant – yet. As soon as you can, I'll change my answer to 'a nice body.'
Choice - Being nice or being honest?: Being honest - that's very New York.
Choice - Fame or fortune?: Fame. In this case, it's six of one and half a dozen of the other. [ Interviewer: I don't know about that. I'd choose fortune because I don't want to be famous but I could certainly use the money. ] I'm a Leo - I want to be famous. [ Laughs. ]
For pictures, songs, and more information about DJ Joe Gauthreaux, visit www.djjoeg.com .
