Love is Served ... and Brewed: Christina and Marco’s San Diego Wedding - Stone Brewery Liberty Station

Christina and Marco said “cheers” and “I do” with a fabulous wedding and dance party at Stone Brewery. 

While I was certainly excited for Christina and Marco’s June 10, 2017 dance party and wedding, I have to admit that I was probably equally as excited for where it was all taking place … Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens and Restaurant in Liberty Station.

A Stone beer in a San Diego refrigerator is about as common as a surfboad rack inside a garage (practically everyone has one). And their food is equally as delicious. All of this, plus the gathering of great friends and family made for one fun night of celebrating them and their cute little boy. Such a great family!

The wedding ceremony took place at Stone as well, in the Movie Courtyard, adjacent to the large banquet room where the reception was held. This room looked amazing with the added lighting and is perfect for medium sized parties.

Here’s a look at the setlist:

Cocktail/Dinner Music

• Soul ll Soul - Back To Reality (KLATCH Remix)
• Daughter - Get Lucky (Daft Punk Cover) (Holtoug Deep House House Edit)
• Ludacris - Roll Out
• Michael Jackson - Don't Stop Till Get You Get Enough (Hot Classics Remix)
• A Tribe Called Quest - Check the Rhime
• Big Pun - Still Not A Playa (Hidden Beach)
• Mystikal - Bouncin' Back
• Ludacris - Roll Out
• ZHU - Generationwhy (Original Mix)
• Cure - Close To Me
• Groove Theory - Tell Me
• Maxi Priest - Close To You
• Prince - Kiss
• Stevie Wonder - Superstition
• Justin Timberlake ft Jay-Z vs Biggie & Next - Suit & Tie (Too Juicy Blend)
• Mariah Carey - Dreamlover
• Chainsmokers, Ashanti - Only U vs Roses (J. Espinosa Jumpoff Edit)
• Bruno Mars - That's What I Like
• Beyonce - Love On Top
• Felix Jaehn f./Jasmine Thompson - Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)
• Carl Carlton - She's a Bad Mamma Jamma
• Kool & The Gang - Get Down On It
• Yvonne Elliman - If I Can't Have You (Hot Classics Remix)
• Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Edge Remix)
• The Jacksons - Blame It On The Boogie
• The Whispers - And The Beat Goes On (Hot Classics Remix)
• Lakeside - Fantastic Voyage (Hot Classics Remix)
• Pitbull f./Chris Brown - Fun
• DNCE - Cake By The Ocean
• Olly Murs - Dance With Me Tonight

First Dance
Tennessee Whiskey, Chris Stapleton

Mother/Son Dance
Te Amo Mama, by Marco Antonio Solis

Father/Daughter Dance
Elton John - Tiny Dancer

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Open Dancing

• Al Green - Let's Stay Together
• Frank Sinatra - The Way You Look Tonight
• Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
• Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop The Feeling!
• Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk (Select Mix Remix)
• Bell Biv Devoe - Poison
• Boyz II Men - Motownphilly
• Cupid - Cupid Shuffle
• Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
• Earth, Wind & Fire - September
• Elvis Crespo - Suavemente
• Nicky Jam - With You Tonight (Hasta El Amanecer) (Spanglish Version)
• Sia f./Sean Paul - Cheap Thrills
• Destiny's Child - Jumpin' Jumpin' (Jean Tonique Remix)
• Beyonce - Crazy In Love
• Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It
• House of Pain - Old School Jump Off
• Griffith, Marcia - Electric Boogie
• Journey - Don't Stop Believin' (Live)
• Flo Rida - Low
• Quad City D.J.'s - C'mon 'N' Ride It
• Otis Day & the Knights - Shout
• Violent Femmes - Blister In The Sun
• Duran Duran - Reflex
• Kungs & Cookin' On 3 Burners - This Girl
• Flo Rida f./Robin Thicke & Verdine White - I Don't Like It, I Love It
• Cure - Just Like Heaven

Last Dance
Ray Lamontagne - You Are The Best Thing

Vendor Team
DJ/Master of Ceremonies/Lighting: Justin Kanoya, DJ Kanoya Productions
Venue: Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens
Coordinator: Willmus Weddings
Photographer: True Photography

Fitbit Local Fitness and Yoga Event Takes Over Belmont Terrace

San Diego DJ, Justin Kanoya, works the Fitbit Local event at Belmont Terrace with Mike Sherbakov and Sheri Matthews. 

I got together with my Fitbit Local ambassador friends, Mike Sherbakov and Sheri Matthews, for a second round of working out on a rooftop overlooking the beach. We did this mid-year Fitbit party last year, and this years was just as fun. Bonus: it took place on my birthday, which means I got serenaded by 100-plus strangers. Good times.

Fitbit Local workouts are always fun and free. Big thanks to the Belmont Terrace for having us out, as well as Suja and Perfect Bar for continued support!

Here’s a look at the setlist:

Cardio Workout with Sheri Matthews

• Justin Timberlake ft Jay-Z vs Biggie & Next - Suit & Tie (Too Juicy Blend)
• 99 Souls ft Destiny's Child & Brandy - The Girl Is Mine (DiscoTech Midnight Remix) 
• Fugees - Ready Or Not (Cheyenne Giles Remix)
• Whitney Houston vs Chance The Rapper vs LOCZI - Dance With Somebody All Night (LOCZI Show Edit)
• Phantoms - Pulling Me In 
• Kungs ft Ephermerals - I Feel So Bad (DJ Dexterous 100-123 Transition) 
• Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison (Phil N Good Remix) 
• Robin Thicke f. Kendrick Lamar - Give It 2 U (Promo Only Quick Edit)
• Will.I.Am f./Justin Bieber - #THATPOWER (Promo Only Quick Edit)
• Meghan Trainor - Lips Are Movin (Dj XCENTRiC Edit) 
• Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You (Disco Killerz Remix)

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Yoga with Mike Sherbakov

• Balla Tounkara - Yarabi
• Adam Byrd - Light Makes Me Calmer (Original Mix)
• Kehlani - Distraction (Instrumental)
• Marian Hill - Down
• Flume f./Kai - Never Be Like You
• Emmanuel Jal & Nelly Furtado - Scars
• Kygo & Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me
• Adam Byrd - Light Makes Me Calmer (Original Mix)
• Michelle Qureshi - Shivasana (Original Mix)

One Great Piece of Content Is All It Takes

When it comes to putting stuff out in the world, I am constantly investigating what it is that will strike people. Even more so, I’m often wondering if I’m striking people at all.

Two years ago when I started DJing full time, in addition to regularly DJing weddings and events, I wanted to create helpful content to share with others. Online content was one of the main reasons I took the latest path into entrepreneurship. It was the video tutorials, the inspiring Instagram posts and the Ted Talks. It was that content that made me think, “hey I too can follow my passion,” and later “I want to be able to talk about how I did it.”

While the actual DJing part of what I was doing has been going well, I struggled on the content sharing and social media growth. I was not finding my niche and was frustrated with the minimal growth. Of course, I always preach about patience and putting in the work and that by doing those things, the rewards will come.
 
But still, it was frustrating. There were also the excuses to really diving into content creation.

“I don’t have the …. right camera; right lighting; proper sound set-up; proper editing tools; a large enough audience to deliver content to ...” and so on.

But it really was that that I didn’t have the guts. Who am I to try and become an authority in a crowded space? I became pre-occupied with thinking about what others would think. 

“Is he really trying to be Gary Vaynerchuk?”

“Why am I going to follow and listen to someone who’s only been doing this full time for two years?”

And then I said “whatevs, I’m doing this.” I also stopped thinking I needed to be declared an authority figure within my niche to start doing anything, because that's not what I am trying to become. I just want to pass along my knowledge and help others and the way to do that is to just start putting it out there.

I reminded myself that all it takes is one good piece of content being found by someone else.

It’s like the letter I wrote to Lululemon with zero intention or agenda. Yet that resulted in me DJing for the company for an entire week at their home base in Vancouver.

It’s like the aforementioned Vaynerchuk who says this speech is what put him on the map.

It’s Linda Raynier, a fellow colleague in the YouTube for Bosses seminar, who went from practically zero subscribers to 40k plus and counting, likely because of this valuable video about how to answer the “tell me about yourself interview question.”

And for better worse, it was “one good piece of content” that brought us the Biebs.

Great strides are being made on the business side of DJing and it made me a bit emotional.

In between DJing, adulting, parental, spousal and other life duties I’ve slowly picked away at creating content on multiple social media platforms  to assist and inspire. And it’s been genuinely hard work, mostly all on my own. There is always a certain fervor I have when creating content. But nothing compares to the feeling of seeing it make an impact.

And now it I’m seeing that.

Recently I created a Facebook group, Business Coaching For DJs, and have been slowly growing its membership (like real slow; a rate of one new member per day). But it was one of those new members that reminded me why I’m putting in all that work.

He found the group because he watched a video I had produced just a few days earlier, where in the description I had a link to the group. He said “since that video I have been studying your social media tactics.”

He was one person that found me because he was searching for an online review of a storage case that I created a video for. One person that actually answered the call to action to “like, subscribe and also check me out on Facebook and Instagram.”

Once I realized that it was this crazy shot of emotion. All of my work … actually worked. And I ugly cried and started rolling my camera. 

It was honest emotion, right at the exact moment. This can be verified if you look closely at the video because I didn’t even bother to clean up behind me or properly frame the shot (sorry my head takes up 90% of your screen).

It was one person that has reinvigorated me.

There’s an inspiring script that was made famous in the decades old “Think Different" Apple campaign.

It says, in part, “Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently … You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things … Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

This is my rewritten version.

Here’s to the difference makers. The Instagram users with 10 likes on a photo. The YouTube users with 12 subscribers. The Facebook Group creators with 22 members. You can be discouraged by your minuscule numbers, quit before even getting started or make up another excuse.
 
Or, you can listen to the yearning inside you. Because you are a difference maker, “crazy enough to think (you) can change the world.”

Taste of Asia Event Provides Delicious Eats Along With Fine Beats - Four Points Sheraton

Tajima Ramen was just one of many restaurants at the Taste of Asia event on May 23, 2017. 

The San Diego Asian Business Association’s inaugural Taste of Asia took place on May 23, 2017. The event was attended by more than 250 community and business leaders and foodies looking for new eateries. Attendees enjoyed delicious sips and bites from breweries and spirit purveyors to established and up-and-coming restaurants. Samples included everything from poke, ramen, wontons, sushi, Peking duck, lumpia, rib-tips, banh mi, flavored sake, cold brewed coffee, rolled ice cream and the list goes on and on.

There was also a friendly competition among the participating restaurants, and congratulations goes to Emerald Chinese Cuisine for being awarded the People's Choice for Best Restaurant and ICMonster as runner-up.

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DJ Kanoya was on hand to set the tone with a set of mostly deep house and Nu Disco tunes, with a little pop mixed in from various decades.

Here’s a look at the setlist:

• Disclosure ft Al Green - Feel Like I Do  
• ZHU - Generationwhy  
• Daryl Hall & John Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) (Mennska Remix)
• Kygo & Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me (Not So Typical Remix)  
• Drake - Passionfruit (BPM Supreme Remix)  
• Discotron - Disco Ballin'  
• Blackstreet - No Diggity (Figgy Remix)
• Soul ll Soul - Back To Reality (KLATCH Remix)
• Pockets - Come Go With Me (Joey Negro Found A Place Mix)
• Sage The Gemini - Now & Later (Merk & Kremont Remix)  
• Alessia Cara - Wild Things (MK Remix)  
• Christopher Cross - Ride Like The Wind (Joey Negro Disco Mix)  
• Joey Negro & Doug Willis - Crystal Lover
• Giacca & Flores - Last Night A DJ Saved My Life  
• Nelly Furtado - Say It Right (Foldcash Remix)  
• Halsey - Colors (Blonde Remix)
• Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop The Feeling (Loud Luxury Remix)  
• Sam Feldt & Kimberly Anne - Show Me Love (EDX Remix)  
• Ellie Goulding - Burn (Gryffin Remix)
• Fetty Wap ft Monty - Way You Are (Instrumental)
• Palm Trees - Casanova
• Destiny's Child - Jumpin' Jumpin' (Jean Tonique Remix)
• Kygo f./Maty Noyes - Stay (Promo Only Quick Edit 2)
• TLC - Diggin' On You (Kaytranada Edit)  
• Wale ft Sam Sneak - My PYT (Mr. Collipark Remix)  
• Stevie Wonder - I Wish (8b Intro Clean) (DJ Joey C Edit)
• Robbie Nevil - C'est La Vie (Select Mix Remix)
• Joe Public - Live and Learn
• Keith Sweat - I Want Her (Select Mix Remix)
• Michael Jackson - Remember The Time (Select Mix Remix)
• Bell Biv Devoe - Poison
• Tori Kelly - Should've Been Us (Lost Kings Remix)  
• Wham! - Everything She Wants
• Chainsmokers ft ROZES - Roses (Adam Foster Remix)  
• Wanda Walden - Dont You Want My Lovin (Joey Negro Back To 81 Mix)
• The Whispers - And The Beat Goes On (Hot Classics Remix)
• Ellie Goulding vs Bruno Mars - I Need Your Love (Mario Santiago Treasure Blend)
• Bruno Mars - Treasure
• The Whispers - Rock Steady
• Chromeo - Jealous (I Ain't With It)
• K C & The Sunshine Band - Give It Up  
• Run D.M.C. vs The Scene Kings vs Aylen - It's Tricky Wild Style (LOCZI Show Edit)
• Klymaxx - Meeting In The Ladies Room (Select Mix Remix)
• The Chainsmokers ft Halsey - Closer (Kahikko & Jespr Remix)  
• Justin Bieber - What Do You Mean (Audio Addicts Remix)  
• Kungs vs Cookin On 3 Burners - This Girl  
• Latroit - Need You Tonight  
• Clean Bandit ft Sean Paul - Rockabye (Majestic Audio Remix)  
• Jonas Blue f./Dakota - Fast Car (Promo Only Club Edit)
• Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You (Disco Killerz Remix)  
• The Chainsmokers & Coldplay - Something Like This
• Drake - Passionfruit
• Lost Frequencies f./Janieck Devy - Reality
• Snakehips & MO - Don't Leave (Kue Remix)  
• Michael Jackson - Love Never Felt So Good (MJ Only)
• Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People (Select Mix Remix)
• Aretha Franklin - Respect (Select Mix Remix)
• Sia ft Sean Paul - Cheap Thrills (Xemi Canovas & David Pateo Mambo Remix)  
• Felix Jaehn ft Jasmine Thompson - Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)  
• Kygo & Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me
• Bebe Rexha - I Got You
• Drake - Fake Love

Rustic Mountain Retreat Wedding and Dance Party in Julian, California

Kat and Scott married at the Sacred Mountain Retreat in Julian, California.

Nearly one year to the date of their engagement at Half Dome in Yosemite, Kat and Scott were married in another mountainous region of California (albeit a much smaller one), Sacred Mountain Resort in Julian, CA.

The rustic charm of this venue was the perfect fit for this couple, show probably spend more time outdoor then in. The ceremony took place in an area with an amazing view and then friends and family dined and danced in an area adjacent to the event space.

Here’s a look at the setlist:

Cocktail Hour

• Jack Johnson - Never Know
• Jonas Blue f./Dakota - Fast Car (Promo Only Club Edit)
• Nora En Pure - On The Beach  
• Latroit - Need You Tonight  
• Earth, Wind & Fire - Sing A Song (Hot Classics Remix)
• The Clash - Train In Vain (Edge Remix)
• Eagle Eye Cherry - Save Tonight
• Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
• Jason Derulo - Kiss The Sky
• Timeflies f./Natalie La Rose - Worse Things Than Love  
• Naughty By Nature - Jamboree
• Sia - The Greatest (G Duppy Remix)  
• Gym Class Heroes - Stereo Hearts
• Nico & Vinz - Am I Wrong
• Stevie Wonder - Knocks Me off My Feet (8b Intro Clean) (DJ Joey C Edit)
• Mayer Hawthorne - The Walk
• Tori Kelly - Should've Been Us (Lost Kings Remix)  
• Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride (Select Mix Remix)
• Jason Derulo - Trumpets (Promo Only Clean Edit)
• Kanye West - Good Life
• Olly Murs - Dance With Me Tonight (U.S. Radio Edit)
• Luther Vandross - Never Too Much
• Andy Grammer - Fresh Eyes
• Milky Chance - Stolen Dance

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First Dance
Josef Salvat - Every night
 
Parents Dance
James Taylor - Shower the People

Open Dancing
Beyonce - Crazy In Love
Al Green - Let's Stay Together
Bruno Mars - 24K Magic
Usher - Yeah
Nicki Minaj ft Drake - Truffle Butter (Jester Remix)  
Juvenile ft Lil Wayne & Manny Fresh - Back That Azz Up
House of Pain - Old School Jump Off
Sam Hunt - House Party (BPM Supreme ReDrum)  
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape
Andy Grammer - Honey, I'm Good
Tupac - California Love (Original Version)
Dr Dre ft Snoop Dogg & Kurup & Nate Dogg - The Next Episode (DJCiRCLE K & DJ Jay2 Bpm Supreme West Coast Blend)
Dr. Dre ft Snoop Dogg - Nuthin’ But A G Thang
Iggy Azalea, Charli XCX - Fancy
Naughty By Nature - Hip Hop Hooray
Mariah Carey - Dreamlover
K-Ci & JoJo - All My Life
Kungs & Cookin' On 3 Burners - This Girl
Flo Rida - Low
Bell Biv Devoe - Poison
Maroon 5 - Sunday Morning

Vendor Team
DJ and Emcee: DJ Kanoya Productions
Photographer: Studio 7 Photography**
Venue: Sacred Mountain Julian
Donuts: Nomad Donuts
Catering: Jeremy’s on the Hill

**Photo credit on all photos used in this blog post