EDGE Dallas

"DJs have more music than ever to listen to" Sherwood explains. Tools like BeatPort and online music libraries have given him choices that virtually endless, unlike the days when a DJ was limited to what he heard and could buy in the record store.

Incorporating tools like the DDJ-S1 gives Sherwood the opportunity to move a recently acquired track up on his playlist and use it much faster without having to listen to it over and over again to find that perfect mix-in and mix-out point. Gone are the days of spending endless hours in a record store listening to music trying to find the perfect mix.

Now, he can "get exactly what you want on line when you want it." Even so, this invasion of technology has a down side as well: "Because you can get what you want, you miss the B-side tracks and other mixes that often came with purchasing a long play album." That means sometimes the best mixes are often overlooked.

Selling Sex (Or Not)

In case you thought being a DJ was all grooves and glamor, he cautions that it ain’t necessarily so: "You work weird hours, you are surrounded by all kinds of people and temptations, and sometimes you just want to be at home in bed with the person you love."

In his case, that would be his partner Paul of four years. "DJ’ing is a passion and I love the art form," Sherwood explains. "But more and more it is about the image of what you are selling and not as much about the music and journey."

With porn stars becoming DJs and technology making DJ’ing ever easier, Sherwood is aware that he is taking a hit for not selling sex as part of his presentation. But, he adds, he doesn’t bother worrying about that aspect of the business.

That’s not to say he’s not easy on the eyes. And he has been known to strip down to a jock during his set, sharing a smile and some skin for viewing. "I play for my fans," he explains. "I do not just book a gig because people are going to show up. It has to be something that makes sense for me as well or it is not worth the effort and expense that is required to create the musical journey."

Like many who begin spinning, Sherwood hopes to add producer to his accomplishments. He has been studying with Paul Goodyear to learn the art of producing tracks with the aim of eventually creating entire tracks of his own. "This is an investment in my future," Sherwood says.

Steve Sherwood’s next big gig on the decks is a seven-hour tea dance President’s Day Weekend at Play. The gig will happen Sunday, Feb. 19, at Mezzanine in San Francisco from 5 p.m. to midnight. Additionally, he will be spinning an after-hours set on Saturday, February 25 at Rebel for the Stallion party.

For more information and to link to Steve’s podcasts, check out his website.