Max’s Origin Story
“Who’s this guy, and why should I care what he thinks?”
Fair question. Honestly, I can’t say you should care what I have to say, nor will I pretend to have a secret recipe for the perfect wedding reception. But I can tell you a bit about myself and my qualifications.
I’m Max James, a professional wedding DJ since the age of 18. As of writing this first blog entry, I’m 29, staring down the big 3-0 and wondering, “Now what?” I decided to start this blog after seeing a TikTok about a photographer who creates detailed guides to help wedding clients prepare for their Big Day. I figured, why not do something similar from a DJ's perspective?
If you’ve read this far, you might have noticed something unusual; that I started DJing weddings at 18. That’s true! I’ve been a musician since grade school and started experimenting with DJ equipment at 15, shortly after moving to the KC Metro from a small town in Ohio. So if this music thing doesn’t work out, I’m not too sure I’m qualified to do anything else.
My very first DJ gig was a house party in my friend Dan’s basement. I was a senior in high school with no production budget to speak of, so I made do with what I had: a Novation Launchpad powered by Ableton Live and an old Dell laptop. At the time, I’d been inspired by a YouTube video from someone now globally known as Madeon. (Link to the video!) That video sparked my fascination with something Glee fans had already beaten me to: the mashup.
I played an hour-long set, blending obscure tracks with Top 40 hits, while my friends did their best to act like it sounded good. (Thanks, guys!) Dan’s dad must have been impressed—or at least entertained—because he invited me to DJ Dan’s upcoming high school graduation party. I accepted, and Dan’s dad handed me twenty bucks after the gig wrapped. Vindication. I was hooked.
Fast-forward through summer vacation, I’m off to Pittsburg State University to pursue my dream of becoming a high school band director. A bit of quick self-praise: I’m a damn good trumpet player, and I even got a pretty damn good scholarship to do it at Pitt. I joined the school’s music fraternity chapter (read: band geek club), and my brothers even afforded me the opportunity to play my obscure mashups at a few parties every now and again. (Though they did not act as impressed as my high school buds. Thanks, guys…) As the year progressed, eventually a friend who’d attended a few of the parties asked if I’d be willing to DJ his upcoming wedding. I, of course, happily said yes. I foolishly said yes.
Dan’s Basement, My First Gig! (2013)
“He tried to DJ a wedding at 18 years old?”
I’ll forever be thankful to Kylie and Sean (names changed for privacy) for trusting me to DJ their wedding. I’m even more thankful that, if any photos of me exist from that day, they were kind enough not to post them online.
Oh, you shouldn’t have seen it... Cables draped like jungle vines because I didn’t think to bring extension cords, dance floor lights straight out of Spencer’s Gifts, a cheap DJ mixer that looked and felt like a Fisher-Price toy, and not even a tablecloth on my four-foot fold-out table. But hey, at least my brothers at ΦΜ𝚨 taught me the importance of wearing a suit and tie when presenting myself professionally. So I’ll give myself this: I looked pretty sharp.
To really drive home how unprepared I was, my music library mostly consisted of dubstep, Gorillaz hits, and Daft Punk’s entire discography. (Side note: as I type this, I realize I did have their entire discography because Random Access Memories came out in 2013, and this wedding was in 2014. Kinda neat. Mostly sad. And now I feel old.) Have I mentioned this was a country wedding? In a barn? In southeastern Kansas? And that I couldn’t name a country song to save my life?
I did try to prepare, though. I made sure I knew their first dance song, the tracks for the ceremony, the cake cutting, and other key moments. But, honestly, I wasn’t ready to justify the $500 I’d quoted them at the time.
Still, there was a silver lining. During their ceremony, right after they said “I do,” I slowly faded in their chosen song. That moment, that I wish you could’ve seen. It felt like I was controlling the soundtrack to a movie. By the time they were halfway down the aisle, I was hooked. I knew right then that I didn’t want to be a music teacher anymore—I wanted to be a wedding DJ.
Me, Doing a SICK Mashup (2024)
“And then…?”
Well, not a whole lot of DJ opportunities in a small town in SEKS, are there? At first, I was in pretty rough shape. I switched majors and even colleges multiple times, trying to balance my education with my growing passion for DJing. Eventually, during my junior year, I dropped out of school, picked up a part-time job at Guitar Center, and started DJing nightlife gigs around the KC metro area.
My mom wasn’t thrilled and gave me an ultimatum: “Go back to school, or move out.” (For the record, my mom’s not the bad guy here—I needed that kick in the pants at 21 years old.)
So, I did. I moved out, got a little rent-controlled apartment in Midtown KC, and put everything I had into making this work.
Fast-forward again, bringing us to today. After more than a decade of DJing hundreds of events, I’ve learned a lot about what works—and what doesn’t—at weddings. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the best DJs, planners, coordinators, and venues in Kansas City. That experience has given me a solid understanding of what it takes to run an event smoothly. From managing timelines to ensuring proper cable management, over 10 years of weddings has made me one very detail-oriented disc jockey.
And now, here we are. If I do this blog thing right, hopefully you’ll learn a few things, have a few laughs, or even decide to let me play a part in your Big Day!
Welcome to I Do’s and Don’ts. I’m glad you’re here!