Part Two of Nightspots'
exclusive interview with
DJ Tony Moran
Before I get into part two of the interview from last week, I wanted to remind each and every one of you that your duty as a reader of Nightspots is to make contact. I want to know what each and every one of you did for Halloween, where you went, who you heard, how the music was, etc. Drop me a note at petermavrik@hotmail.com . And now, part two with DJ/Producer Tony Moran.
After a few DJ gigs back in the clubs, with the most humble of admissions, Tony confessed "Either I was playing the right music at the right time, or I had the right skills for the right venue. The stars kind of aligned themselves. Next thing I knew, I was going from city to city and then country to country, playing bigger and bigger venues. People were actually coming out to hear me."
"That kind of energy was creating all this extra inspiration in me. It's what brought me to making 'It's So Beautiful' for Donna Summer and 'Easier Life' for Deborah Cox and even 'Give It Up' for Kevin Aviance. Creating something new from that inspiration brought me back to being a DJ. I've always found a way, or maybe a way has found me out, to go and pursue something fresh. That's what being a DJ again did for me."
With the span of nearly 14 years between Tony's first times behind the decks and this recent return, I asked him if much has changed in either the crowd or in the way he puts his sets together. "I don't notice much of a difference actually. I feel like the crowds react in much of the same ways that they did when I was out there before. It might have something to do with the way I DJ or my style. My sets are very energetic. They're sexy. They're vocal. They're all of the above. When I play, I see people dancing. They aren't just standing there. That's my mission."
So what's the biggest misconception about Tony Moran? In his words, "The biggest misconception is that I am the same person I was 5 or 10 years ago. I live in the present. When I first started to play, there were a lot of people who expected me to play things like Janet Jackson 'Together Again' or Celine Dion 'My Heart Will Go On'. They were looking forward to enjoying only the things that I did in the past. And even though I do play some records that I have done before, I have changed. But the energy is still the same as before. It's upbeat and unavoidable. It's not like I'm going to give anyone a cavity by playing happy music all night, but dark and depressing music isn't in me. It's a trend, but that's not me."
And that my friends, is the best thing about Tony Moran. Don't think he'll be throwing darkness at you. Quite the contrary. You can look forward to an evening of energetic, uplifting, and sexy music at Crobar on Halloween when he gets behind the decks.
P.S. Tony told me he's single. I know where I'll be doing my trick or treating on Halloween...
DJ Tony Moran will be spinning on Halloween, Sunday, October 31 at Crobar with special appearance by RuPaul. For more info, please visit www.djtonymoran.com
