Dave Lawson is a vinyl DJ in the Detroit area. His always-growing collection includes both classic favorites and rare gems.
This Friday at ! is on tour and left shoes so big that it’s taking two of us to fill them. Adam Stanfel () and I will be playing 45s along with regular co-host and good-time-guarantee .
This monthly party of rhythm & blues, soul, rock & roll and garage 45s is always a blast - looking forward to being part of it!
This Saturday I’ll be at the Ann Arbor downtown library () to celebrate Record Store Day. I did this event last year too, and it’s a great pop up record and collectibles show - swing by if you’re in the area!
I’m starting off the day with a solo set (11-1), then trading song-for-song in a blind first DJ date with (1-3), and the Batzman finishes it off with his own solo set. Expect soul/r&b/garage for my solo set and the leaning more disco/boogie/CityPop/Yacht for the trade-off set. Looking forward to this!
Congrats Casey and Rick! ❤️
Brand new “(not so) Modern Music Holiday Special” - Saturday at 4pm on WDET!
Sick of the same old holiday music??? It's here! A brand-new (not so) Modern Music Holiday Special! This week, I'll be joined by Detroit-based all-vinyl deejay and record collector Dave Lawson for a collection of rare and sometimes unusual holiday gems of all sorts!
Another great weekend of Detroit Urban Craft Fair is a wrap! Thanks to everyone who said nice things and stopped to say hi - it’s always a blur of high fives and friendly faces. Thanks to for the opportunity for the last… 12 years I think?!
Last public holiday gig of the year is this Saturday, 12/9, at from 12-4!
DJing at City Bird today, 12-4!
10th annual holiday mix is up!
Listen on mixcloud or download the mp3s on djdavelawson.com.
When I quickly put a mix together 10 years ago as a giveaway for , I never would have imagined it would become such a long tradition, or the lengths I would go to find new records each year. If this is your kind of thing, hope you enjoy, whenever you’re ready for it!
(And if you want a deeper dive into my Christmas collection, check out )
www.thejinglejams.com
Just posted on mixcloud: over 11 hours of spinning rare soul 45s at for Oktoberfest.
DJs include , and me (hope I’m not forgetting anyone). Listen at https://www.mixcloud.com/djdavelawson/playlists/mcsc-at-batch-brewery-oct-2023/
This Saturday! I’m pulling all the 70s disco and funk records for a dance party at , filling in for
Come on down and get down. No cover, full bar - 9pm to 1am!
Recently posted this set of Detroit soul to mixcloud, recorded at Huntington Place (formerly Cobo Hall) earlier this summer at a cocktail hour for event planners who were considering bringing their meetings to Detroit. Lots of Motown and Detroit musicians, both familiar and rarer tunes, plus a few novelty songs about the city itself. Enjoy!
Mixcloud.com/djdavelawson
My five hour set from the Record Store Day pop up record fair at the Ann Arbor library is now on mixcloud in three parts. Mostly soul/garage/R&B 45s, with a few detours along the way. Thanks to for having me!
Listen at mixcloud.com/djdavelawson
This Saturday! I’ll be playing records in the lanes at , plus performing in the lounge is Detroit rock’n’roll legend Jim McCarty (Detroit Wheels, Cactus, Buddy Miles Express, etc etc). I’ll be joined in the DJ booth by good pals and great DJs and . 8pm to close, come hang!
This was pretty surprising, considering I only have a basic profile on the site and rarely ask couples to leave a review. THANK YOU to everyone who has gone out of their way to ask how they can review me online and recommend me. It means a lot!
If you’re looking for a soundtrack to the week leading up to Christmas, I’ve posted two live holiday sets recorded on the street outside - in total 7 hours of tunes! Listen on mixcloud or my site https://djdavelawson.com/sets.html
But that’s not all! This year I’ll once again have the esteemed privilege of being the special guest and co-host on the “(Not So) Modern Music Holiday Special” with Jon Moshier. The show will air on WDET (101.9fm) Christmas Eve 4pm and Christmas Day 3pm. The show is always a fun chance to give some attention to the weirder and more curious Christmas records - and there are a lot of them!
Happy Holidays everyone!
Thanks to Toronto Soul Club for sharing my recent live set of holiday tunes, recorded outside City Bird!
With the holidays nigh, seasonal music can be grating or a predicable bore... here's a fantastic mix from Detroit-based DJ and collector of all things Christmas put on wax, Dave Lawson.
Jingle Jams live is filled with soul, funk, reggae, rnb, girl groups, rnr, calypso – fantastic versions of the classics you never thought you'd want to listen to ever again let alone groove to.
mixcloud.com/djdavelawson/jingle-jams-live-set-at-city-bird-detroit-2022-vol-1
HAPPY HOLIDAZE from TSC! This is our soundtrack and now yours to finish out 2022!
https://djdavelawson.com 🎄
instagram.com/djdavelawson ⛄️
mixcloud.com/djdavelawson ❄️
Took this shot out the window tonight while setting up for Detroit Urban Craft Fair at the Masonic Temple.
I’ll be playing records all weekend and 100+ vendors will be selling their amazing goods! It’s always a great chance to stretch out and play my favorite new finds from the year, plus of course air out the holiday records. Details at
The tradition continues: My 9th annual holiday mix! A mix of new and old, near and far - songs from this year's mix come from the Caribbean, South Africa, Iceland, Japan, England, Twin Peaks and of course here in the USA. Hope you all have a funky holiday doing the monkey with Santa's reindeers and eating panpepato with your Christmas friends until you jingle belch! If you enjoy it, please let me know!
Stream it directly on mixcloud here:
https://www.mixcloud.com/djdavelawson/jingle-jam-9-dave-lawsons-2022-holiday-mix/
or download the mp3s on my website:
https://djdavelawson.com/mixes-xmas2022.html
Also, as always I've been updating my massive Spotify playlist of 2000+ Xmas favorites to shuffle during the season:
https://open.spotify.com/user/ismismism/playlist/74OyluqlefjppQU5YK3Th3
And if you'd like a peek into the Christmas section of my record collection, I started an Instagram feed this year that I'll be posting on for the next month or so. https://www.instagram.com/jinglejamvinyl
Finally - catch me at this season's Holiday DJ gigs:
Fri, 11/25 at City Bird (12-3pm)
Fri, 12/2 at Handmade Detroit's DUCF (6-9pm)
Sat, 12/3 at DUCF (10am-7pm)
Sun, 12/4 at DUCF (11am-6pm)
Sat, 12/10 at City Bird (12-4pm)
Dave's 9th annual holiday mix of underappreciated Christmas records. A mix of new and old, near and far - songs from the Caribbean, South Africa, Iceland, Japan, England, Twin Peaks and of course all around the USA. Hope you all have a funky holiday doing the monkey with Santa's reindeers and eating...
Next weekend (Dec 2-4) is Detroit Urban Craft Fair, an event I’ve been doing for… 11 years I think! Maybe 12. It’s been a long time! It’s the best place to shop directly from 100+ amazing makers, and it’s just a fun vibe (I do what I can to help in that department). They asked me some questions and I answered them - read the post to find out more!
Also! This Friday I am DJing outside (!) at City Bird in the Cass Corridor, across the street from Third Man Records. City Bird is another guaranteed home run shopping experience if you’re looking for gifts for the loved ones in your life (don’t forget self-love!). I’ll also be DJing City Bird on Saturday Dec 10th, 12-4pm, for their 10 year anniversary party. Mark your calendars!
Stay tuned for my 2022 holiday mix, coming later today.
DJ Dave Lawson provides the music at !
Let's get to know this mix master a little better:
What draws you back to DUCF each year?
DUCF is a special community of unique personalities united by their mutual creative drive.
There is a definite kinship between the vendors and strong notes of midwestern friendliness in the air.
Short answer: Because it's just the best!
What else is happening this holiday season?
I'll be DJing my trademark mix of wonderful and strange holiday records at City Bird twice this season:
This Friday (11/25), 12-3 pm, and then again Saturday, 12/10, from 12-4 pm for their 10th-anniversary party.
I'm also playing the final show with my band the Scrappers this Saturday, 11/26, at 9 pm at the Gaelic League.
For the ninth year in a row, I've created and posted a free holiday mix on my website for download or streaming, posted Thanksgiving Eve.
What started as a fun quick mix of fun Christmas songs to share with DUCF shoppers back in 2014 has turned into an annual mission to discover new holiday gems long forgotten under the trees of Christmas past.
The response has been inspiring - DUCF shoppers have told me they make sure to come to DUCF just to get my mix each year, and some have even said they've made a tradition of decorating their tree to it each year.
That's a bit of pressure, but it's fueled my drive to keep digging deeper for new finds each year.
After 9 years, it isn't getting easier to discover hidden gems, but somehow I can keep finding more and more (it's a Christmas miracle).
Holiday music is a deep well full of forgotten treasures.
How can you get more DJ Dave?
Follow
I've also created a new account dedicated to sharing records from my Christmas collection
If you want to peek into my collection, check out the account!
I'll only be posting until the new year and then will put it on hold until next November.
The rest of the year I am not a holiday music DJ!
Website, featuring many DJ mixes you can download as mp3s: www.djdavelawson.com
Mixcloud account to stream the latest mixes: https://www.mixcloud.com/djdavelawson/
Thank you for the recent feature! (And thanks for the referral!) https://voyagemichigan.com/interview/meet-dave-lawson-of-detroit/
Happy 10 year anniversary to Amber and Dustin! Ten years ago they took a leap of faith asking me to DJ their wedding when I had never done one before, and now - with countless weddings behind me - it was great to celebrate with them in their amazing basement full of vintage and homemade treasures. Looking forward to DJing the 20th anniversary party!
Congrats to Kristi and Colin! It was a perfect day for an outdoor reception surrounded by nature and loved ones. Shout out to the guy on the dance floor who screamed out, “This guy doesn’t miss!” A crowd like this makes it feel easy.
New mix of 45 45s is up on mixcloud! (Since a couple people have asked - these mixes are more obscure finds, not what you’d hear at a wedding dance party. The well of forgotten gems from the 45 era goes deep!) www.mixcloud.com/djdavelawson
Congrats to Natalie and Rob! After postponing their wedding last spring, it finally happened and went off without a hitch (other than them getting hitched of course). It was awesome working with plus the team at the
Congrats to Jed and Kaitlin! The heat couldn’t stop this dance party, and the toasts were theatrical, including wigs and planned hecklers. And if I heard that David Greene left NPR to be a professional wedding officiant, I would believe it. Always great to be back at and to work with !
New mix of 45 45s is up on mixcloud and my site! Rare soul, garage, popcorn, jump blues etc. Shout out to where I found most of these over the winter. Check out their new Lincoln Park storefront if you haven’t yet. https://www.mixcloud.com/djdavelawson/45-45s-vol-6/
Grateful that I get to meet so many sweet couples like this one. Thank YOU Brian and Alyssia!
On Christmas Day at 4pm, tune into WDET 101.9FM for a brand new holiday special of (not so) Modern Music with Jon Moshier, featuring special guest… me.
Coming up: A Christmas Day Special- 4p.m. EST!!
Jon Moshier teams up once again with Detroit musician, record collector and vinyl deejay Dave Lawson for a brand new “Not So Modern Music Holiday Special” with a fun mix of rare and sometimes unusual holiday tunes from 1940’s Western swing to soul and r&b, reggae, vintage rock and roll, experiments in early electronic music and the ubiquitous songs about Santa in outer space! It’s the best holiday music you’ve never heard!
This Saturday from 12-4: come to , where I’ll be out front playing my last holiday gig of the season! is performing around the corner, the is appearing after me and rumor has it that the man in red himself will be walking the streets. Is getting your holiday shopping done allowed to be so fun?
This weekend: I’ll be playing records at Handmade Detroit’s Detroit Urban Craft Fair Friday, Saturday and Sunday! Pictured is the room at the Masonic Temple before it’s filled with over 100 makers selling their hand crafted goods. Also pictured: what preparing for 19 hours of records looks like. (Note: Proof of vaccine or a recent negative test required for entry!)
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A new volume of 45 45s is up on mixcloud - 45 songs off 45rpm singles - mostly soul, rhythm and blues, and funk lesser knowns, a mix of old faves and fresh finds. Track list on the site. Enjoy! www.Mixcloud.com/djdavelawson #45rpm #vinylmix #mixcloud #soul45pm #rhythmandblues #45rpmmix #4545s #45mix
Thanks to @sadiehipindetroit for the shout out on @wdetdetroit this weekend with @anndelisi! Detroit’s best local shopping event, the Detroit Urban Craft Fair, is less than two weeks away - Dec 2nd and 3rd at the @masonicdet. DUCF VENDORS: If you have a request or song dedication to another vendor, send it my way! Looking forward to seeing all the DUCF crew again - this will be the 18th annual DUCF and I’ve somehow been DJing the event since 2011, back when I barely owned any holiday records. @handmade_detroit #ducf2023 #ducf @detroiturbancraftfair #detroiturbancraftfair #nosleeptillducf
Congrats to Kristi and Colin! It was a perfect day for an outdoor reception surrounded by nature and loved ones. Shout out to the guy on the dance floor who screamed out, “This guy doesn’t miss!” A crowd like this makes it feel easy. #vinylwedding #vinyldanceparty #vinylweddingdj #michiganwildlifeconservancy
New mix of 45 45s is up on mixcloud! (Since a couple people have asked - these mixes are more obscure finds, not what you’d hear at a wedding dance party. The well of forgotten gems from the 45 era goes deep!) #4545s #45rpm #detroitsoul #45rpmrecords #45records www.mixcloud.com/djdavelawson
Congrats to Natalie and Rob! After postponing their wedding last spring, it finally happened and went off without a hitch (other than them getting hitched of course). It was awesome working with @shorelineeventdesign plus the team at the @shinolahotel #detroitwedding #detroitweddingdj #vinylwedding #vinylweddingdj #shinolahotel #shinolahotelwedding
Congrats to Jed and Kaitlin! The heat couldn’t stop this dance party, and the toasts were theatrical, including wigs and planned hecklers. And if I heard that David Greene left NPR to be a professional wedding officiant, I would believe it. Always great to be back at @thejamhandy and to work with @adriennenutter! #jamhandywedding #detroitwedding #detroitvinyldj #detroitweddingdj #45rpmwedding #jamhandy #detroitvinylwedding
New mix of 45 45s is up on mixcloud and my site! Rare soul, garage, popcorn, jump blues etc. Shout out to @hellorecordsdetroit where I found most of these over the winter. Check out their new Lincoln Park storefront if you haven’t yet. #4545s #45rpm #45rpmrecords #45mix #45rpmmix #vinylmix https://www.mixcloud.com/djdavelawson/45-45s-vol-6/
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