Interview: NYC's Top DJs On Their Favorite Gigs, Best After-Hours Spots, And More!

Kelle Calco

If you've ever been to Southside on a Wednesday, you know it's one of the best parties of the week. One of the people behind it is Kelle Calco, a favorite among his peers and one of the busiest guys in the DJ game. He initially started throwing a party in North Adams, Massachussettes while staying at an artist retreat, simply because there was nothing else going on at the time. The party then became so successful local newspapers were writing features about it. After moving to New York to pursue graphic design, he began a rock n' roll party called The New York Rolling Stones party at Belmont Lounge. Fast forward to today, and the versatile DJ spins everything from hip-hop to deep house at every type of venue from a restaurant like Macao Trading Co. to a warehouse in Brooklyn at 6AM. Stay up to date with Kelle Calco at @clubcalco Where can we see you DJ? I DJ at WIP on Sundays. Southside on Wednesdays, EVR is Thursdays. Friday I hop around, I pop in at Lil' Charlies sometimes, I've done 415 and Jazz Room too. Saturdays I'm at Macao Trading Co., Sunday at WIP, and Monday I do the party at PH-D, but now im just hosting. Favorite album of 2013 so far: This is one you're probably hearing a lot, but it was one of the few albums which I was so interested in the singles that I had to get the full album: the Disclosure album. I just went to see them, and they blew me away. Favorite song of 2013 so far: Tony Quattro's "New York Anthem." It has a great beat; Tony Quattro is an amazing, up-and-coming anthem writer. [Photo via] Song we'll always hear you play: Lately I always make sure to throw in Duke Dumont "Need U 100%." Weirdest request you've ever received: I get tons of "play some spanish music;" I get that all the time. I remember once I played two James Brown songs in a row, and a girl came up to me while I was playing the second one and asked if I can play something she could dance to. I'm like, "I'm playing James Brown, what the hell is wrong with you?" What song do you trust to turn the crowd up? I really like straight house, not electro house. TJR "Funky Vodka," the one where it stops and goes "are you all having a good time in here?" Pitbull sampled it, but the original house tune is a really tasteful house tune. As soon as people here that, you know. All-time favorite gig: New Year's Eve I played Lillium at the W Hotel. It was the most perfect New Year's Eve, playing peak hour and doing the countdown, it was exhilarating. I also did this Brooklyn warehouse party, an after-hours. It was the immediate moment that trap music had just broken with Diplo and Flosstradamus, and I caught on to it a little early. I started playing it and people were just like "what is this?" And people were stage diving, it was insane. I dropped the TNGHT single "Higher Ground," and people hadn't heard it yet, and it was just all hell break loose.