Ridiculous Entertainnment: 10 Questions with Aran Keating

DJs - Aran Keating

Business: Ridiculous Entertainnment
Location: Baltimore, Maryland MD
Experience: 11 Years
Profile: Ridiculous Entertainnment
Website: www.ridiculousdj.com

1. Introduction: What's your story?

Hi! My name is Aran K. (pronounced just like Aaron) and I've been DJing since I was in high school. I've been a musician since age 5 and found that my love of hip-hop and sampling records in high school became a major passion when I started to DJ parties and clubs in college. Post college I got more into being a live audio engineer and producer of music and slowed down my work DJing club nights so that I could focus on building a business. I've now been running this business for about 11 years and still love doing it! My workplace is the happiest night of your life! What could be better than that?

I care really deeply about great sound and great music selection. I think that any part of your evening can benefit from really careful music selection (even if its just picking the perfect background music) and my specialty is keeping dancefloors packed! I will keep things moving:, there won't be any awkward transitions or corny jokes on the mic. My goal is always to make everybody feel totally at ease, keep things on schedule and then get the party started with a ton of energy.

I take pride in not being just a great DJ and lover of music but also an experienced producer of live events. I have worked in live events, corporate audio and produced musical theatre for many years as well as my live DJ work. There is nothing you can do to faze me and I promise to give my full energy towards making your event great. I will be there for you whether you want to curate every single moment of the night or if you just want to be hands off and say "I trust you".

2. What's your experience as a wedding DJ? How many weddings have you done?

I have DJed around 250 weddings over the past ten years. I think I've seen just about everything possible and I am proud to have an amazing track record with my couples.

3. How far in advance do couples need to book your services?

Anytime is ok! I recommend booking one year in advance to get my best availability. I usually only have 3-4 dates booked on my calendar more than 1 year in advance. Most clients book about 5-10 months out from their wedding.

4. What's your rate? What does that include?

My minimum rate for weddings is $1250 which includes a 4 hour reception package for up to 150 guests. You are not charged for any setup or breakdown hours. I will bring my full sound system, one wireless mic for toasts, my full DJ setup for mixing and some party lights for the dancefloor. In addition you get my full attention (any amount of time you need) for meeting ahead of the event and my assistance with planning and scheduling the night. Lastly, I will work with you closely on a playlist for all the parts of your event.

Additional hours, additional audio locations, ceremony services and larger parties all have additional fees. Get in touch and I will do my best to work within your budget.

5. Are you available to travel if needed?

Yes, I have done destination weddings as far away as Corning, NY. I often travel to Western or Southern Maryland and Delmarva for events.

6. How would you describe your style?

Personal, unpretentious, focused on playing excellent music. Equally at home playing top 40 music and weddings classics as I am doing sets of hip-hop, EDM, obscure soul music, reggaeton, bhangra, afrobeats, and anything else you can throw at me! I love music and will make sure it sounds great and the whole event is stress-free regardless of the circumstances.

7. What's your backup plan if there's an equipment malfunction? Do you bring backup equipment?

My entire setup has two layers of redundancy. There are backups for backups and I am very proud to have a great sound system that is extremely durable and gig-tested. I am an audio professional in addition to a DJ so this is standard practice in the pro-audio world.

8. What's your sick day policy?

In 11 years of DJing I have never missed a gig.

9. How do you motivate a shy crowd to dance? What do you do to motivate the crowd if nobody is dancing?

Music is my language. If your crowd wants to dance you just have to speak to them with the music they understand and allows the guests to cut loose and feel comfortable. Every crowd is different but I have thousands of tracks and tricks up my sleeve. Usually you have to spend a little bit of energy making sure the different parts of the crowd all feel included early in the night which helps them get comfortable and cut loose!

10. What is your cancellation and/or refund policy?

I require a 30% deposit from my clients in order to book me for an event. After the deposit is paid it is non-refundable, however if your event date needs to move for any reason (including covid) you will have a credit for the entire deposit amount available for any future gig with me. There is no penalty for moving dates.