STADIUM/ARENA DJ –  Keith Jackson

Are you known as DJ KDOGG to everyone? Your friends, parents, Gramma?

No, family calls me by my real name… Keith.  My name is Keith Jackson.

Are you from the Ville?  How old are you?

Yes I am, 38 years old. I’m an ‘old dog(g)’.

How long have you been employed by the university?

5 years. I’ve been DJ-ing for 22 years.

What equipment do you use?

This is turntables, it’s the controller made by Pioneer.  They tried to make it compact so I don’t have to put everything together.   Once in a while I’ll show up with my real turntables.  If we’re playing Duke or someone big, I’ll bring out the real deal.

What are Game-days like for you?

We’ve got to be here real early.   But it can be boring when were sitting here waiting for the teams to come out.  It can be hectic only because we’re waiting around for scripts, management, then I wait for sound booth to do sound check. When its time to play, its fun!

Is doing basketball games that much different than football games?

Well I’ve got to keep up with the players want.  They’ll send messages to my inbox on what to play, what not to play.  The women’s team want something different than the men’s team.   Mostly the players.  Fans are most energetic at the women’s games.

Do you have music related work outside of here? 

Actually yeah, I’m a producer and I have my own studio on 400 Oak called 400 Studios.  We’re opening this year.

How do you keep up with trendy game-day music?

A lot of DJ friends.  We have charts and when I download from sanctioned sites it tells you whats hot and whats not.  It tells you whats going on around the country, what they’re playing.  You know, it doesn’t always work here in Louisville…  Whats hot in Vegas isn’t always hot in Louisville.  For example, right now, Louisville is a hip-hop and country city.  In Vegas they like electronic/EDM music any time I try to translate, it doesn’t go over well.

How do you know when people dont like it? What do they do?

Well when I’m in a club I watch the floor.  Let me tell you something, “girls usually dictate what goes on. If the girls shake they butt everybody shakes they butt.”

People dont boo and throw things at you?

Ha ha, not here. Its all fun, I hope everyone takes it that way.  It should be that way.

Is there a huge amount of pressure?

Yeah because we gotta make sure were playing the music that gets the fans and players get hyped.   Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t.  The game plays a huge role in that… If you’re losing or winning too big certain songs don’t fit that situation.

Do you have playlist for such circumstances?

Yeah we try to keep it as organized as we can.  But you’ve got to kind of make it up as you go only because the mood of the crowd will change and you have to go with that.  Like right now i have the director talking to me in my headphone…  You don’t hear it, the crowd never hears it but they’re yelling ‘we need to get them hyped’ or ‘play this’.

 

Find Keith on twitter @djkdogg 

@darylfoust4

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Daryl Foust

Lifelong fan of the Louisville Cardinals, been covering the teams since 2012, graduated from c/o 2015, Writer/Contributor for TCZ for Men's Soccer, Women's Basketball & Softball since 2016.

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