We’re going to take a quick break from our regular posting of beautiful weddings to introduce our entire team at Uptown Entertainment. If it weren’t for this talented crew, weddings and private events in the Upstate wouldn’t be nearly as awesome. Without further adieu…

 

 

The Uptown Entertainment Team

 

JUSTIN REID

MARQUEE DJ, EVENT HOST, OPERATIONS

 

Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Justin Reid has been DJ’ing and entertaining weddings and private events since 2003. He has always had a great love and passion for music, so when the opportunity to become a DJ he jumped at the chance.

At first, Justin DJ’d part time on weekends, but over time, he decided to go full-time and dove head first, DJ’ing 4-5 nights a week for various clubs and events. Justin has been a full-time DJ since 2007.

Justin’s passion lies in creating fun and unique events, especially weddings. He says “No two events are the same. Each couple is unique and deserves an event that fully reflects who they are.” He has a B.A. in Graphic Arts from The University of South Carolina – Upstate, so his eye for design ties in quite well to creating a particular aesthetic and experience when it comes to weddings and events.

When it comes to throwing once-in-a-lifetime celebrations, some of Justin’s go-to songs include (in no particular order) “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”, “Party In the USA”, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Bye Bye Bye, “It’s Tricky” and “Yeah”, to name a few. Justin’s strengths are in music programming (creating the perfect order and soundtrack of songs to fit the vibe and atmosphere) by reading the crowd and his organization in helping plan the perfect flow of events for any event.

When he’s not rocking events, Justin writes for Mobile Beat magazine, the mobile DJ industry’s longest running publication. He also consults other wedding and event-related small businesses on marketing and organization. For fun, Justin loves watching sports, enjoying a great meal, listening to music and podcasts, playing golf, binge-watching a good Netflix series, checking out a new brewery, attending a concert, and spending time with his wife.

 

ADAM SCONYERS

MARQUEE DJ, EVENT HOST

Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Adam Sconyers moved to the Upstate almost two decades ago. His introduction into the world of DJ’ing started while he worked for a local radio station. It was at that job Adam started DJ’ing events part-time. It wasn’t long until Adam took his talents and skills as a DJ full-time. He has been rocking parties and private events full-time for over 10 years!

When it comes to weddings, Adam takes great pride in being a part in making a couple’s wedding day a day to truly remember. He has an incredible knack and strength in reading the crowd and picking the perfect song for each and every moment. Adam also has quite an extensive knowledge across many genres of music. He loves dropping Earth, Wind, & Fire, Usher, or almost any Bruno Mars songs on a jumping dance floor. He says, “The best part of my job is seeing a couple leave their wedding ecstatic because it went so well.”

When Adam isn’t rocking a wedding or event, he enjoys traveling, listening to music (of course), and playing a few rounds of golf.

 

JOE TETZEL

EVENT HOST, DJ

Originally from Ohio, Joe Tetzel started DJ’ing at 20 years old. It all started when a  friend asked him to tag-along to a couple weddings and Joe was hooked from the very first event. He loved being a part of an atmosphere where “everyone was there to be happy, have fun, and to celebrate”. Joe came to Uptown Entertainment 3 years ago and has been an awesome addition to the team!

When it comes to the wedding day, Joe is talented in many areas. From his expert planning, guidance, selecting great songs, and his love of seeing happy people on the dance floor, Joe is a natural fit to be a wedding entertainer. Joe’s dance floor home runs are anything Bruno Mars and his go-to, “Jump On It”. As a father himself, Joe quickly admits “I still tear up every time I see the bride walking down the aisle with her dad. Having a bride and groom come up after a wedding and excitedly tell him “everything was perfect” is what Joe lives for!

When Joe isn’t packing dance floors, he loves to scout out hole-in-the-wall eating spots, spending time with his family, hooking and slicing golf balls into the woods, riding bikes, and learning and playing tunes on his guitar.

 

CHRIS CUNNINGHAM

EVENT HOST, DJ

From the Garden State of New Jersey, DJ Chris Cunningham has been honoring his passion for DJ’ing for over 20 years! Chris got his start DJ’ing in a skating rink in the mid 90’s in New Jersey, spinning vinyl and cassettes. Chris’s roots in the craft were honed as a long-standing resident bar and club DJ. He now primarily focuses on weddings and private events because as Chris states, “This isn’t a job to me, it’s my passion”.

One of Chris’ greatest strengths is his ability to read the crowd and create an amazing soundtrack that fills the dance floor. Some of his favorite soundtrack picks and floor fillers are Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Earth, Wind, & Fire, and Run DMC. One of his most fulfilling moments on a wedding day is when a couple or a guest approaches him and exclaims that “this is the best wedding I’ve ever been to”. His goal is to have everyone leaving the celebration with an unforgettable musical journey.

When he’s not filling dance floors, Chris enjoys playing drums, bass guitar, oil painting, blowing glass, long boarding, chess, hiking, and watching and collecting horror movies and memorabilia.

 

ALEX DUNCAN

MASTER DJ, PRODUCTION SUPPORT

Alex Duncan has been DJ’ing since the early 2000. Well versed in many genres of music, he began his DJ career in 2001, performing small gigs and a weekly residency at a local club in Alabama, where he resided at the time. In 2003, he joined Uptown Entertainment, beginning his career as a professional DJ. He spent several years with Uptown and eventually left South Carolina to travel and explore different realms of DJ’ing, including: large-scale clubs, art exhibits, and various festivals, furthering his knowledge and abilities. He returned to Uptown Entertainment in 2016, and after 17 years in the business, he always knows how to read the crowd and choose the perfect song at just the right time.

In his spare time, Alex enjoys the world of gemstones & minerals with his partner. Not only do they enjoy collecting, but they love hunting and finding, as well. In his spare time Alex is still very active in the world of music. He produces, mixes, and collaborates with other artists to create various styles of house, dubstep, and drum & bass music. However, this love of EDM doesn’t detract from his love of the classics.

Throughout the years, Alex has stayed in tune with the music he loves and plays for people at numerous events. Whether it’s a dance floor full of festival-goers or a granddaughter standing on grandpa’s feet while dancing, the people are what brings a smile to Alex’s face and what fuels him to be a better, brighter DJ.

 

RACQUEL COLLIER

PARTY ROCKER DJ

All the way from Mayesville, South Carolina, Racquel E. Collier better known as “Chef Rocky” has been a Professional DJ for five years. The name was given as a joke while having a conversation about her DJ style. A client once said “you always have the right ingredients to get the party started.” Since then she has used it as her professional stage name.

As a freshman at Clemson University, Racquel began looking for ways to make cash to get through the semester. After playing music at house parties, a friend challenged her to try DJ’ing professionally. She accepted and five years later she continues to share her talent with as many people as she can!

If she isn’t turning the party up, in her spare time Racquel enjoys reading books, researching history, and developing business ideas. She jokes “without a doubt, I am secretly the biggest nerd on Earth!”.

“A Whitney Houston track is the perfect dance floor ingredient”, she says. My dance floor home runs are always songs that are a mix between dance and sing-alongs.

Racquel notes “Seeing smiling faces and knowing that I contributed to producing a night people will never forget is my favorite part of my job! The view from the DJ booth is an honest representation of how great of a job I am doing. I always aim to do better than the last!”

Her greatest strength is having the confidence to talk to anyone! This quality helps her make the crowd comfortable and warms everyone up to a night of fun! When asked what’s something people should know about her, Racquel immediately said she is committed to doing whatever it takes to deliver the best experience!

 

ERIC SPEARS

DJ, PRODUCTION SUPPORT

Eric has  been in the industry for 4 years, but started by running sound in the theater. After he went to school for theatrical directing, Eric found a home for his knowledge in wedding production. He loves being able to use his skills and expertise to make a couple’s day smooth and hassle free.

In his spare time he participates in local theater productions, dances east coast swing, and never passes up a chance to work with his hands. For Eric, “Nothing beats the feeling of seeing a happy couple at the end of the night and knowing I helped get them there.”

Eric’s greatest strength as a DJ is his ability to blend with the guests and act as a host for the evening by staying off the microphone and engaging guests personally to make each individual feel welcome. As he loves to dance, some of his personal favorite songs range from Big Band hits by Benny Goodman and the Stray Cats to modern Caro Emerald and even DNCE.