The occupation of the disc jockey, now known as the abbreviated DJ, hardly resembles the vocation that birthed the term. Turntables, needles, large vinyl discs are all still prized by many contemporary DJs, but you are more likely to see today’s DJ clad with a laptop, PA system, and digital turntable. They’re able to manipulate the rhythm, pitch, and tone of a hard drive’s worth of songs in real time with a brimming toolkit of techno wizardry.
Rancho Bowl in Santa Maria has a long history as one of the city’s iconic leisure spots, and the location can be enjoyed well into the night. DJs spin in the bar area—which is separate from the bowling alley—beginning at 9 p.m. every night of the week, where DJs like Mr. Butter keep the dance party going, even on a Monday night.
“That’s the thing, some people’s Mondays are like their weekends, or maybe it’s the middle of the week,” said Vincent Ramirez, who goes by Mr. Butter when he’s spinning live. “They may work on the weekends, so you never know who is going to make it out.”
Since he began spinning at the Rancho Bowl, DJ Butter and a team of his friends have watched the scene expand and grow, each exploring their own style while mashing up crowd favorites for all kinds of dancing. DJ Butter, DJ Greenleaf, DJ Vega, DJ Icon, DJ Sol, and DJ Ewrek are all regular performers at Rancho who have spun for local radio stations and on the Internet.
Tuesday nights at the Rancho Bowl are reserved for This Bangs, which features several DJs tag teaming through the evening. This Bangs is also the name of an Internet radio show available on Soundcloud, Ramirez explained, with host DJ Flashback and a number of guest DJs. This Bangs Radio includes examples of what DJ Butter loves to do, and that’s use his computer to create original beats, hooks, and transitions between pieces of songs and other samples.
“I play stuff that nobody has, because I make it,” he said. “Some DJs are just playing music, they see it as a way to make money, but I see it as an art. I’m interested in making something new.”
Whether he is mashing two songs together, providing an original transition between two songs, or improvising a breakdown, Ramirez still stays tuned to his audience. A certain beat or a choice of style could be the difference between a crowded or empty dance floor, and being able to read the crowd is valuable skill.
“Every Thursday at Rancho there is a bowling league that finishes right before the music starts, and they come in the bar because they want to have a drink before they go home,” he said. “And they want to hear something, like maybe some Johnny Cash, or maybe Rapper’s Delight, just some of the older stuff they like to listen to, but you can mash that up with something new that the young people might like. It’s hard to please everybody, but I get it done most of the time.”
Each DJ is known for a distinct style, genre, or flavor in his spinning, each attracting a crowd of regular listeners. These fans are the people who make it possible for DJs like Mr. Butter to produce dance parties as a full-time job. And their presence has helped expand Rancho Bowl into more than just a daytime place for fun and games, but a buzzing nighttime spot where generations of DJ fans can enjoy some old school and circuitry-aided spinning.
“This music, it doesn’t have a bad vibe to it. When you go to a show, everyone is there to have a good time and enjoy it,” he said. “It’s kind of like a family, too; you can just go up to anybody and conversate with them, and you all have the same purpose: You all like the music and the sounds.”
Check out This Bangs Radio featuring Roy Orion and Mr. Butter.
Contact Arts Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Feb 26 – Mar 5, 2015.
