DJX Pop-Up DAYZ: Road to DJX Leads Us to Richmond, Virginia

By: James Day/DJ Dayz

From new DJs and seasoned veterans to radio personalities, production teams, and families, our Richmond stop brought out the diversity of today’s DJ community—and reminded us why connection, unity, and support matter more than ever.

We had several takeaways from Richmond! Our first Pop-Up Road Trip a year ago primarily brought out professional mobile and wedding DJs. This year’s pop-ups, including Richmond, have been much more diverse. We’ve met new DJs, seasoned professionals, radio DJs, duo DJ groups, production DJs, vocalists who work with DJs, young and old, spouses and families coming along to meet everyone, and DJs returning to the industry after years away.

It’s been great to see so many different corners of the industry coming together, sharing experiences, and making new connections. At our Richmond stop, DJs showed up to support Dayz, DJX, DJ LIFE, and the local DJ community as a whole. That’s what these pop-ups are all about: getting out from behind our screens, meeting face-to-face, supporting the people putting in the work, and celebrating the culture we’re all part of. It also makes us wonder: Is the landscape of the DJ industry changing and becoming more welcoming to all kinds of DJs? Or is the need to connect with more professionals from different backgrounds more important than ever?

Speaking of welcoming—or unwelcoming—let’s talk about my own personal experience in Richmond. Apparently, I’m not immune to the negativity that can exist in the DJ world. It isn’t always glitz, glamour, and positivity like you might see on social media. Sometimes, we have to deal with unpleasant experiences and people who seem to stand against what the DJ community should represent: connectivity, unity, peace, and togetherness.

In every city, we hear about unwelcoming DJs, people who stick to their own groups, or those who don’t seem interested in supporting the community as a whole. I can’t say with 100% certainty exactly what happened in Richmond, but at another stop on Saturday, we were told that private DJ groups were discouraging people from attending or supporting the pop-ups. When we arrived at the venue, none of the resident DJs we had invited showed up to meet us during our visit. The resident DJs arrived to play after my set, but never spoke to me—not even a fist bump or handshake. Then, just a few minutes after they arrived, the police were called to shut us down for noise at 7:30 p.m.

Personally, it was really sad. DJX and DJ LIFE have created a platform to travel to these cities and feature the Main Street DJs who are putting in the work, performing, and playing at some cool venues. I arrived excited to check out this spot and meet and listen to these DJs and their different styles of house music. I had hoped to share videos and pictures of everyone who played that night, but it was clear that the opportunity to connect wasn’t being welcomed by everyone. It hurts a little to feel unwelcome by fellow DJs when the whole point is to support one another.

But don’t get me wrong!

I walked away from Richmond with more TRUE DJ CONNECTIONS and FRIENDS than from any other city we’ve visited. The people who came out, welcomed us, shared their stories, and supported what we’re doing reminded me why we started this journey in the first place. One negative experience doesn’t define an entire city or its DJ community. The genuine connections we made in Richmond are what I’ll remember most—and they’re proof that there are plenty of people who believe in bringing this community together.