High Energy
The theme was Chinese New year for this Bryn Mawr Sweet 16 party. The setting was the upstairs of Yang Ming restaurant, with a full seated banquet in one area, and a dance floor in the other. During the weeks that led up to the party, I worked with the family to create a song list that was fun and energetic. Using a google spreadsheet, the family and birthday girl had a chance to approve or disapprove of my suggestions, and add some requests of their own. The final result was an upbeat Top-40 party set with a couple of classic rock songs and show tunes thrown in for the parents and younger kids.
I was blown away by the level of energy at the party itself. Some DJs require you to hire professional motivators to get the kids dancing. Philly Custom DJ does not work with motivators. Our philosophy is that, when the music is right, there is no need for motivators. The dance floor was packed for the entire night.
Bryn Mawr Sweet 16 Song Selections
The best reactions of the night were to songs by female vocalists like Rihanna, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Pink, Nicki Minaj and Lorde. I was surprised by all the requests for Shakira, but was happy to comply with Hips Don’t Lie and Loca. As part of some kind of inside joke, the boys kept requesting Shots by LMFAO, which I suppose would be the only shots they would have that night. Respect goes out the kid that asked for Electric Feel by MGMT.
You can see the whole playlist for the night here.
Roll Out The Barrel
The day before the party, the mom sent me a text message requesting The Beer Barrel Polka on behalf of the grandfather. You know the song: the chorus goes, “roll out the barrel, we’ll have a barrel of fun.” I wasn’t sure what the definitive version of it would be, so I checked the song out on YouTube. I found the Bobby Vinton version, but his voice seemed to smooth for the mood of the song. My assistant (or Jethro) for the day is from Wisconsin and knows a thing or two about polkas. He directed me to the Frankie Yankovic version. The reaction I got from the grandpa and uncle was priceless. They had never polka’d before, but they did their best, and all the relatives joined them on the dance floor.
Yang Ming
I highly recommend this venue. Alan the manager was very professional as was his staff. The food looked and smelled great. I wish I could have partaken in what looked like a great meal. There’s plenty of parking near the restaurant, and the banquet hall upstairs provides an intimate atmosphere separate from the rest of the restaurant.
