the time has come...

Hello friends, the contents of this note have been swirling around in my brain for months now, and it's brewed long enough that it finally feels like time to share…so here it is: After ten years behind the boards as DJ Skooch, I’ve made the decision to retire from DJing.

And I’m so grateful for the ridiculous amount of cool things I’ve gotten to do in the last decade because of DJing. The list is long…almost 500 gigs in 10 years and a bunch of other incredible opportunities to do fun stuff and collaborate with awesome people. I wanted to share some of the ones I've been reflecting on in the past few months...

I got to open a bunch of cool shows…

• ...like Thievery Corporation at The Music Hall during their Treasures from the Temple Tour. I'm sorry...WHAT? Such a freakin' honor and such a fun set to pull together. (Huge shouts out to Timothy Fife + Thérèse LaGamme for this one!!)

• I got to team up with one of my best pals, DJ Jodi, to open for the Ladies of LCD Soundsystem DJ Tour at 3S Artspace.

• AND, we got to play together twice to warm up crowds of thousands of people at the Hubspot INBOUND Convention Center, waiting to see Amy Schumer in 2017 and Two Dope Queens in 2018.

I’ve held residencies or created series at so many amazing local establishments:

• Friday Night Remixed was my first residency, at Chameleon Club upstairs from Cara in Dover, NH, where I learned a ton about how sound works, how to properly use DJ equipment, and how to build playlists to keep a dance floor, and for the first time I learned how to play live with other DJs (it was baptism-by-fire, and I loved every minute of it!), and how to be silly with DJing because it really is just about everyone there having a good time together.

• Beats with Benefits at The Wilder was an opportunity to turn a residency into giving back - we helped a bunch of local organizations raise money each week and had the most fun doing it. I would try as often as possible to stay and hang out afterwards and I made some really good friends sitting at that bar late night.

• Fuki, Ladies’ Night, where I got to eat some of the most delicious food + drink by Chef Zac Squiers every week (I still dream about that crab fried rice) then spin some Khruangbin during dinner service followed by some sick late night club jams. 

• CLUB3S, presented by 3S Artspace - the Seacoast's first Theme Party series where I got to spin tunes of Missy Elliott, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga with guest DJs DJ MAM, Fast Girl, Timothy Fife, DJ Jodi, and DJ Drinxx, host neon glow parties and popstar-themed parties, and nights that highlighted and celebrated community and diversity like Pride and Hip-Hop and Divas to the Dance Floor. I'll never not be proud of the community that was built and friends that were made on that dance floor.

• Sagamore Club - working with The Press Room over the years to resurrect Portsmouth's LGBTQ+ scene, featuring Tea Dances, comedy, and performances by artists like Ezra Furman and Oompa. (PS - We might not be done with this series yet...stay tuned to see...);

• The Brook After Dark, where I got to headline the grand opening and then open for Les Twins and DJ Costa.

I got to explore other passions, like cannabis, beer, wine, and food!

• I’ve worked with some incredible James Beard honorees and their teams to throw epic parties: David Vargas, Tiffani Faison, and Haley Fortier. When I tell you these people have SPOILED my taste buds every time I’ve been in their establishments I am NOT exaggerating. So grateful to have become extensions of your fams over the years, Chefs. 

• I’ve gotten to not only be a DJ at - but become part of the family at - my favorite local breweries: Liars Bench, Loaded Question, WHYM, Cisco Brewers, Throwback Brewery, and Garrison City;

• I’ve gotten to be a part of many beer festivals - NH Brewfest, Bockfest, NH Beer Week

• I even got to brew my own beer!!! OLD SKOOL ESB with Loaded Question!! (Note: Old Skool is making a comeback for my "retirement party"...keep on reading...);

• I got to DJ 2 beer release parties at Liars Bench Brewing Co - Bahum Boogie + 1/2 Cab (one of my all-time favorite beers);

• I got to play my first 420 gig at Organic Goods in Elliot, ME.

I got to deepen my connection with the LGBTQ+ community by joining the incredible crews responsible for productions like:

• Bunny + The Fox (Bunny Wonderland, Jocelyn Fox, 3S Artspace);

• Free Range Revue (Onyx Reigns, Bank of NH Stage at Capital Center for the Arts);

• Portsmouth Pride (Seacoast Outright);

• Portland Pride (Cherry Lemonade, Gigi Gabor, AURA Portland);

• Capital City Pride (Journee LaFond, Bank of NH Stage at Capital Center for the Arts);

• Tea Dances (DJ Jodi Entertainment, Mainestreet Ogunquit, Bank of NH Stage at Capital Center for the Arts, The Press Room);

• Girl Splash in Provincetown MA (w/DJ Jodi)

• L Club (Nathàlie Wine Bar);

• Queer Club Portland (Gigi Gabor, Geno's Rock Club);

• And countless other parties and Drag Shows!

One of the wildest things to look back on is how my calendar was empty for almost two years because of the pandemic 2020 was gonna be my first go at doing this thing full-time. I remember DJing at Fool’s Errand on Tuesday night…then at 3S Artspace for WAKE+RAVE the next morning, then the entire rest of my year of bookings being canceled in one felt swoop. I’m glad I didn’t stop DJing altogether - instead, I just bought some livestream equipment, set myself up with a little studio in the corner of our basement, and built my own online residency and called it "The Virtual Connection Tour." It included:

• C.U. Next Tuesdays (in partnership with Fool's Errand/Big Heart Hospitality Boston);

• WAKE + RAVE - a high-intensity, mood-boosting, stress-busting, soul-filling, boogie-like-nobody’s-watching Wednesday morning dance party designed to kickstart your day so you can slay! (I have to admit, I miss this one the most.);

• Lunchtime Rewind on Throwback Thursdays;

• Friday Happy Hours (in partnership with Loaded Question brewing).

(I STILL have people I’ve never met in person who come up to me and tell me these livestreams saved them during lockdown. Me too, friends...me too.)

I also got to do things like …

• Jam out with some of my favorite people, DJ Jodi + DJ MAM, which was always just the most fun for me. Our practice sessions were some of my favorite times DJing because we could just let loose and have fun and some of the stuff we mashed up still makes me giggle.

• DJ from inside of a Red Bull truck for a Flash Foxy event in North Conway NH. This thing was seriously cool. And, Flash Foxy is a rad organization of women and genderqueer climbers. If you've not heard of them check them out!!

• DJ from on top of the PNH400 Portsmouth Holiday Parade Float. I will never forget the view from the back of the pickup truck, with my deck set up on the pickup truck's cab, spinning as we drove along Congress Street, hanging out with Monica and Amy.

• THEN, I got to MC + DJ the Portsmouth Holiday Parade with Monica in 2023 and DJ a post-parade dance party on Congress Street!!! This was a magical night.

• DJ The Press Room’s 45th Anniversary Party. 

• MC the Granite Youth Film Festival, where I got to see and hear about the inspiring work of local students to raise awareness about preventable health problems they face in their communities. It was such an honor to be a part of it!

• DJ on stage as Tom Bergeron MC'ed street.Life for PNH400. They shut down all of Congress Street for this one and had one very long table set up for a community dinner and celebration that ended with a spectacular drone show! 

• DJ + MC the Portsmouth 400 Parade the Summer before.

• Be a Production Partner for TEDx Portsmouth. This is seriously one of my favorite gigs every year and I'm actually gonna keep on doing it as long as they'll keep having me.

• Have a WSCA Radio Show with one of my favorite people, Timothy Fife. We were only on the air for a year, but it was just the most fun while it lasted. We even won New Show of the Year!

• Learn how to use vinyl and play some live vinyl gigs with one of my favorite DJs and humans, Marshall Dorian Moore, aka DJ SoHoDutch.

• Perform on stage with the absolute powerhouse Adrienne Mack-Davis several times!! (And we have a little something up our sleeves coming your way...keep on reading...)

• Deliver a talk at Pecha Kucha Night Portsmouth called "Embrace the Remix."

• Host a listening party at WSCA for my favorite album, The Beastie Boys' Paul’s Boutique.

• Play for big brands like Wendy’s, Redbull, and Hubspot.

• Headline (and sell out!) the only DJ show to ever be held at The Music Hall Loft (what is now The Music Hall Lounge).

• Be featured in publications like 5 Spot (Seacoast Online) and Queer Women in Boston.

• Teach kids how to DJ...("Step 1: Pick a great DJ name…”).

• DJ at doors for - and now host - CreativeMornings PKX! 

And I got to partner with a ton of organizations doing important work:

Amy’s Treat, Soul Models, Reproductive Freedom Fund of NH, Planned Parenthood NH Action Fund, Human Rights Campaign New England, AIDS Response Seacoast, Seacoast Outright, Alliance for Greater Good, CultivateNH, Sustainable Seacoast, Feminist Oasis, Portsmouth Public Library, The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth, Avalon North, New Hampshire Women’s Foundation, Dondero Schools, Rye Schools, UNH Alliance, Bentley University Gender + Sexuality Student Programs, Plates for Change, Ink4Pink, Triangle Club, Strawbery Banke Museum, Flash Foxy, Park Affair, Great Bay Community College…to name a few… :)

I know there's a ton of stuff I've done that isn't on this list - if there's something you remember from an event or gig or anything Skooch-related that you wanna share with me, I hope you will reach out and share it, because I would love to hear it! (Bonus points if there are pics or videos! :) )

So here’s where I’ll start to wrap this up…with THANK YOU.

If you ever hired me, thank you.

If you ever came to a gig and danced with me, thank you. 

If you ever wake + rave ‘d with me, thank you.

If you ever took a chance on me, thank you.

If you ever made space for me, spent time with me exploring and learning about this gift called DJing, in any way, thank you.

And, there are a few people without whom none of the above stuff would've happened who I need to thank extra-specially.

• The person who brought me into DJing - DJ Jodi! Gal, thanks so much for taking a chance on me. For inviting me to be a part of your team. For booking me out for gigs when I was getting started. For letting me open for you. For trusting me with your Tea Dances. For entertaining all my “She Ain't Worth It”s and for all the walks down to Electric Avenue (OY!). For all the laughs we had jamming together over the years. For introducing me to the love of my life. For all of it. Thank you. Love you, Gal! 

• The person who boosted me into the scene in Portsmouth, NH - Chef David Vargas. Thank you, Chef, for hiring me for that first pop-up at Dos Amigos, site unheard/unseen, and then for continuing to bring me in to some of the coolest events I've gotten to be a part of. You connected me to the Portsmouth community in a way I'll always be deeply grateful for. And now I get to call you my friend which is the best part of it all. I'm so glad I Shazam'ed that Ozomatli track that day at Vida. I love you.

• The person who has done everything possible and thensome to support me every step of the way - my unbelievable wife, Monica. You are everything. I never would've been able to do any of these cool things without you by my side - being my roadie, helping me lug and set up and break down equipment more times that I can count, helping me troubleshoot tech issues, bringing me my professional clothes when I forgot them and was 2 hours away, buying me last-minute microphone stands, cheering me on when I've had ups, pulling me up when I've had downs, staying home to watch our babies when they were still with us or running back and forth from gigs to make sure they were taken care of, attending events with me that maybe you didn't even want to be at, tolerating flying solo at cool events bc I was behind the boards, coming out of DJ retirement to play at CLUB3S with me, building a custom DJ booth in our basement with me, geeking out about cool equipment with me, taking pictures, making swag, printing and hanging flyers, and too many other things to list - ALL OF IT. I am grateful for every single thing you have done for me and I'm so excited to have more free time to hang out with you. You are my heart and my soul and none of this would've ever been possible without you. Thank you, my love. I love you, I love you, I LOVE YOU.

So, what will I be up to now?

Well, I will continue working at my full-time job as a Senior Facilitator for a small-but-mighty boutique Strategic Planning + Management Consulting firm out of Vancouver, Canada called SME Strategy. (Are you part of an organization that needs a strategic plan? Call me!) I will continue to serve as the host/organizer for the Portsmouth/Kittery chapter of the incredible global community called CreativeMornings - I hope you will join us there some Friday morning soon! I will continue to serve as a board member for CultivateNH, best known for events like Farm-a-Q and New England BIPOC Festival. And I will continue to serve on the City of Portsmouth’s Economic Development Commission. 

AND, I’m gonna take my wife out on dates…and come see YOUR shows/events/programs…and hang out with my friends…and visit my mom more…and go to bed at a reasonable hour…and cook more meals…and read a few books…and go for walks…and drink lots of great coffee...

And, of course, I will still be jamming in my basement because I love the art of DJing and that will never change. 

OH! And I've got one last gig lined up, where, if you join us, you'll not only be celebrating my retirement, but also Adrienne Mack-Davis' birthday, and also the re-release of LQ's Old Skool ESB, AND ALSO it's gonna be on New Year's Eve AND I heard DJ MAM might be there AND tickets will be LIMITED...so stay tuned for the big announcement about it this Friday!

There will be a few select gigs I will come out of retirement for here and there, and I hope I’ll look out and see familiar faces on the dance floor.

Lots of love, always,

DJ Skooch

The many places I’ve DJed…(I’m sure I’m missing a few…)

Portsmouth

• VFW

• 3S Artspace

• Orange Theory Fitness

• Dos Amigos

• Mr. Kim’s

• Ri Ra

• Vida Cantina

• Latch Key Speakeasy

• Gaslight

• Jessica Todd Salon

• Liars Bench Beer Co

• Connie Bean Center

• Dondero School

• The Music Hall

• The Music Hall Loft/Lounge

• Roundabout Diner

• WSCA Button Factory Stage

• St. John’s Lodge

• Statey

• Loaded Questions Brewing Co

• Fuki

• Elks Lodge

• Sheraton Hotel

• Press Room

• Cornerstone Pizza

• MoJos

• Cisco Brewers

• MoNA Portsmouth

• Portwalk Place

• The Envio

• The Sheraton

• Wentworth by the Sea

• Atlantic Grill

• Jimmy’s Jazz Club

• Strawbery Banke

• Prescott Park

• Hearth Market

• Cup of Joe

• 801 Event Center

• Great Bay Community College

• Congress Street

• Market Square

• South Mill Pond

Other

• Brickhouse, Dover

• Orange Theory Fitness, Dover

• Chameleon Club, Dover

• Garrison City Brewing, Dover

• Vida Tortilla, Dover

• Avalon North, Dover

• Dover Arena, Dover

• Hall at Great Falls, Somersworth

• Wentworth by the Sea, Rye

• Seacoast Science Center, Rye

• Rye Schools, Rye

• Abenaqui Country Club, Rye Beach

• Throwback Brewery, North Hampton

• AG Fitness, Stratham

• Stoneface Brewing Co, Newington

• Stone Church, Newington

• The Brook Casino, Seabrook

• The Browne Center, Durham

• University of New Hampshire, Durham

• Kimball Jenkins, Concord

• BNH Stage, Concord

• Grappone Center, Concord

• St. Paul’s School, Concord

• The Goat, Manchester

• St. Anselm University, Manchester

• McIntyre Ski Area, Manchester

• Doubletree Hotel, Manchester

• Radisson Hotel, Nashua

• North Conway Commons, North Conway

• Blue Mermaid, Kittery

• Kittery Dance Hall, Kittery

• Organic Goods Dispensary, Elliot

• MaineStreet, Ogunquit

• Geno’s Rock Club, Portland

• Aura, Portland

• University of New England, Biddeford

• The Crown + Anchor, Provincetown

• The Pied, Provincetown

• The Cure Studios, Salisbury

• Bar25, Newburyport

• Marriott Waterfront, Boston

• Fool’s Errand, Boston

• Tenderoni’s, Boston

• White Bull Tavern, Boston

• Nathalie Wine Bar, Boston

• Haley.Henry Wine Bar, Boston

• Old Town Hall, Salem

• Bentley University, Waltham