Proof that music knows no boundary comes this week when straight DJ/remixer Dave Audé headlines the very gay night Boi Thursday at Winston’s Supperclub. But then again, without the gays, DJs probably wouldn’t have a job.
So how will the Grammy-nominated, in-demand A-list DJ prepare for his soon-to-be Dallas gay fans? Rich Lopez chatted with Audé from his home in Los Angeles:
“I don’t think about what I’m gonna bring too much — the night before I’ll think about some of it,” says Audé. “I could play Dave Audé stuff all night even but I’m not gonna do one type of thing. I’ll just play everything.”
But if he does play his own work, that would hardly be a disappointment. His catalog includes remixes of Rihanna, Madonna and Adam Lambert to name a few — all gay faves. And his current projects are just as impressive and will likely be dotting gay dance floors for months to come.
“I’m working on new stuff by Selena Gomez and Leann Rimes,” he says. “These major label artists are still embracing that abundance of remixes and it’s more exciting when some of them who aren’t originally dance get involved in the sound.”
But it’s also part of the current wave of dance music that is dominating the scene, from underground house to to electronic dance music (EDM) festivals like Electro Daisy Carnival that hold as much weight as Coachella or SXSW. Major labels and artists have embraced the movement, and Audé is happily in the middle of it. But it’s something he didn’t think would happen, either.
“I don’t think anybody did, and it could get even bigger,” he says. “There’s no reason that dance music shouldn’t be as big as rock. Everybody likes to dance, and I’ve been doing this for 20 years, so I’m excited to be doing something I love to do and it’s getting all this attention.”
Audé knows, though, that history is to credit for dance music now — and he gives props to the heyday of disco where both music and the gays came together to create a phenomenon. While dance now segregates itself in subgenres like techno, trance, dubstep and now trap, back in the ’70s, it was all one. But as a music movement, it doesn’t compare for Audé.
“It wouldn’t be fair to compare to the disco era because while dance music has hit, it hasn’t taken over radio the way disco had,” he points out. “If there is a problem with dance music, I’d say we need more songs. [Lyrics and beats] haven’t come together to the extent I’d like to see.”
But he plans to bring a hearty diversity to Thursday night. While he may not do much prep work, Audé is always prepared. He plans to mix club sounds familiar to most gay crowds with some varied elements peppered in.
“You have to be ready for any crowd, but that’s the great thing about dance music being so big today — the same music going over with all crowds. So I’m excited because I can play some ‘straight’ tracks at gay clubs. It’s good to play everything because when you go to a club, it’s not about one sound or the DJ or even the DJ’s new single. It’s about dancing.”
Um, I think this is enough for honorary gay status.
