“Jamie and Rocky did a fantastic job. We had several meetings/calls/email exchanges before the wedding and got on the same page (in great detail) about the genres/artists/vibe that we were looking for. Jamie was all about developing a "vision" - not just playing requested songs, but actually creating a program for the dance party that we wanted. Jamie and Rocky were also great at navigating the inevitable logistical/technical challenges that came up. We had no qualms about being in their hands and would recommend them to anyone who wants a cool and non-stodgy wedding.” - Benjamin Tievsky
”Thank god we found Ceremony DJs for our wedding in Mendocino in August. Jamie was a pleasure to talk to about music and life and weddings from the first minute. He has no end of enthusiasm and excitement for his craft in stark contrast to many other DJs I spoke to who had their canned set and feared deviation. Rocky sent us a long list of songs and we went to town marking our favorites and our despised and Jamie dug in and really heard us. The music was on point and our friends and family stayed on the dance floor until 2am. We got many incredible compliments from our guests on how good the music was. Jamie and Rocky worked through a bunch of technical and transitional nightmares behind the scenes because of our venue and they were professional and flexible the entire time. My husband and I and all of our guests had the time of our lives thanks to the most excellent playlist that Jamie performed - just like bringing the coolest SF club to our tent!” - Gabriella Horn
Neetu Balram and Sean Rush Wedding
“Jamie of Ceremony DJs was incredible both before and during our wedding! We knew we may have a good match when we visited Ceremony DJs' website and it declared, "Finally, a DJ as cool as you are." Jamie and my now husband immediately hit it off. I loved that Jamie prioritized getting to know us and our tastes, but also took the time to hear about our guests. He has a great sound system, which was important for our outdoor venue. Jamie was super friendly, easy to work with and incredibly professional, keeping us on track and focused, without overburdening us. Jamie even made it out to our venue a few months before the wedding to check everything out and talk through the plan. Day of, Jamie was a lot of fun and killed it! He had music going from the moment guests arrived at the ceremony to the final moments of the reception. It all tied together and set the mood for every aspect of the day and evening, transitioning seamlessly. Our guests had great things to say and we couldn't agree more. Thank you Jamie!” -Neetu Balram
“Ceremony DJs and Jamie in particular were awesome to work on. From the moment we met, I felt like we totally understood our vibe and was able to really build on the things I already liked. His skills really gave the wedding the perfect feel, and all of my friends and family loved it. Additionally, Jamie is a calming force pre-wedding. He exudes that "I got you" vibe that's super helpful when you're stressing out about a million little details. Great guy, great DJ!” - Sean Rush
Karen Choy and Jan-Ole Simon Wedding
“Jamie is a fantastic DJ. Besides playing exactly what we wanted and knowing how to mix and match music to make the flow perfect, Jamie is also extremely professional and reliable. He is in constant communication from the planning stages to the day of the wedding. He is a very pleasant person to work with, and his enthusiasm and knowledge made me really happy because I knew he cared a lot about what he was doing and wanted to do a fantastic job. All my friends loved the music, and my husband and I are extremely satisfied. Music was one of our top priorities in our budget and Jamie fit the bill perfectly. Highly recommended!” - Karen Choy
“James had a great feeling for what we wanted, a wedding with great music finally. We had people from all over the US and other countries coming and still he made everybody dance!” - Jan-Ole Simon
Xander Piper and Andy Scudder Wedding
“Jamie was playing the night that me and my husband-to-be met, and I knew I had to have him DJ for my engagement party. Jamie and Rocky got the whole party dancing while still incorporting our eclectic and esoteric tastes. We can’t wait for them to DJ our wedding!” - Xander Piper
“My husband and I knew we wanted to get Ceremony DJs for our wedding because they were behind the decks when my husband and I first met. But, that alone wasn’t why we loved having them play at our wedding. For our initial consultation, Jamie and Rocky has us sit down with them and discuss the music that is special to us, our friends, and family. Jamie was impressed with how broad our family’s taste was, and was up to the task of making it all fit together! We wanted something special and that represented our tastes, and not just a generic playlist or top 40 pop songs. They went above and beyond when it came to a special request we had. When discussing the plan for the reception and the first dance, we mentioned that we needed a singer for the Magnetic Fields song my husband’s best man was going to perform. As luck would have it, Rocky used to sing in a Magnetic Fields cover band and so was happy to also step into the role of singer again for our first dance! When it was time to plan the setup during the site visit, their experience and familiarity with the venue really showed as they had a plan in mind that allowed us to move seamlessly from an amplified ceremony to music through the reception and dancing that followed. On the day of, they got us through one scheduling hiccup flawlessly. The rest of the night was full of joy thanks to their selections that filled the dance floor, and we had guests asking for a set list right afterwards because they loved the music so much! We really could not have been happier with choosing Ceremony DJs for our wedding.” - Andy Scudder
Danielle Perez and Drew Daniel Wedding
“When I started looking for a DJ, I knew I didn't want your typical cheesy DJ that barks at the crowd and plays the chicken dance. I knew Jamie's DJ work and thought he would be a great fit. And he was! He worked with us months in advance to make sure he knew our music likes and dislikes. My FH had a great time talking music with Jamie, who is a music knowledge god. He then came up with a playlist that kept us dancing all night! He was flexible and accommodating when I changed the set-up of the dance area on him day of. He also provided the music for our ceremony. Overall, exceeded our expectations!” - Danielle Perez
“Jamie by far is one of the nicest djs I have ever met. He djed for me and my wife's wedding in May. When I heard he actually uses turntables and records I was blown away with excitement. Months before the amazing day he sent us an extensive list of stuff he has. Me being really into an eclectic range of genres had a blast picking and choosing bands/artists my wife and I would love to hear at our wedding. We was stoked on some of the stuff we chose and he also was very intrigued by our love of 90's hip/hop and country. Weeks before the wedding he came and toured our venue with us to see where he was going to set up. Jamie did such an amazing job queing and looping the jams all throughout the day and night! We had a blast dancing and everyone enjoyed all the music! He goes above and beyond and you can see and tell he enjoys what he does. Thanks again, Brother!” - Drew Daniel
Catherine Hollis and Michael Littleton Wedding
“Jamie is the best DJ you could possibly hire, especially if good music and fun dancing is part of your wedding plan. We were looking to have an 80’s dance party at our wedding and Jamie cooked up a magical set for us. He handled two locations (an outdoor meadow for the ceremony and an indoor space for the reception) without a break in the music. We had fun talking and planning with him ahead of time. It was a really seamless and easy experience. And though we wanted 80s music, Jamie is such a cool music nerd that he can handle or create whatever kind of mood you are looking for. Now stop reading reviews and call DJ Jamie!!”
Patrick Malloy and Diego Ruiz Wedding
“My husband and I had an absolutely amazing experience with Jamie DJing our wedding a couple of weekends ago! We had a good feeling from the beginning - he hosts indie dance nights at a bar near our apartment and his sample playlists perfectly matched our tastes - and he totally exceeded our expectations.
The most important part first: Everyone had an amazing time at the event! Jamie covered the time before our ceremony, flawlessly handled music and audio during the ceremony, and kept the party going from the cocktail hour all the way through last call. He chose the perfect music for all the different parts of the evening, and managed to appeal to all the generations that were there. I knew he would nail it with the indie music, but he also did an amazing job getting up to speed some on some of our lower-brow pop favorites, which our friends loved.
Bigger picture: Jamie went above and beyond to help with our music. We did not have a wedding planner, so were stretched pretty thin at times. A less involved DJ might have all the music you want, but it will end up on you to spend a lot of time choosing exactly which songs you want to hear and when. All we had to do with Jamie was tell him our general concept, pick a few of the important songs, and mark the artists we liked in his catalog, and then he handled it all from there. I'm sure it was a lot of work for him, but we were immensely grateful that he was able to take vague direction from us and create an unforgettable musical experience.
I will be recommending Jamie to anyone I know in the Bay Area who is looking for a DJ! He does a fabulous job and is also a very nice person who is a lot of fun to be around!” - Patrick Malloy
”Jamie did such an amazing job with everything for my wedding a few months ago in San Francisco! He was super easy to communicate with leading up to the event, and did a great job working collaboratively with my husband and I to figure out music that would both feel distinctively like us but also appeal to all our friends and family – he’s so knowledgeable about so many genres, I got the impression he could work with pretty much anyone’s musical taste. He covered everything with day-of set up, did our sound during the ceremony, edited specific verses out of our recessional song – he was willing to step up and do basically anything we asked to help the event run smoothly (a really big deal, as we had no planner and were not familiar with event planning ourselves!). And above all, he did an incredible job getting our reception party started, keeping everyone dancing until it was time to shut down the venue. I’d enthusiastically recommend him and Ceremony DJs to anyone who needed a DJ for any event, and especially a wedding -- his music and all-around service was a huge part of what made the day so special for me, my husband and all our friends and family! (A sample text from a friend the day after about our wedding music: “THAT WAS LITERAL BLISS FOR ME”.)” - Diego Ruiz
Amanda Lawrence and Tommy Good Wedding
"To start, we want to say that Jamie was an absolutely amazing DJ. We found Jamie through our wedding photographer (who we also had a wonderful experience with), and were immediately impressed. After very promising email correspondence, we had an hour-long video chat with Jamie where he asked us all about what we wanted in terms of music for the wedding ceremony, reception, and everything in between. He then went on to ask about each of our favorite songs, bands, and genres, as well as what our family and friends liked. This may seem like a simple step, but it's far removed from what we experienced with the other DJs we interviewed - his interest in our musical taste and how to cultivate a great experience for our guests was incredibly genuine. He clearly took time to listen, take notes, and think about how to create a wonderful experience. It's obvious that Jamie didn't simply take the music that we and our friends liked and make it into a simple playlist. He very clearly dove into the genre and came up with a killer soundtrack informed by our input and interests. We had at least three people stop us the night of the wedding, and more since then, to compliment him on his playlist. If you're looking for a non-cheesy, fun DJ who will listen to what you, your friends and your family like to hear, and take the time to build a playlist you will love, we highly recommend Jamie. If you're looking for a cheesy wedding DJ, we suggest you go elsewhere. If we were to do it all again, we couldn't imagine a scenario where Jamie wasn't our DJ." - Tommy Good
"Jamie was the best DJ! We were planning our wedding from afar, so we had a call with Jamie just to chat with him and understand his vibe and his services and he was hands down the best DJ we spoke with. We had several other calls with other DJs and the all sounded like yourtypical, cheesy wedding DJ. Jamie is completely the opposite. It was so clear to us how much Jamie loves music and cares about what he does, so it was a pretty easy decision to decide to book with him. Once we booked, we had another call with Jamie to go over our musical tastes, what our friends and families like, and the overall feel we wanted for our wedding. Then we went through his insane list of music that he has, marking off what we liked. He took so much time to really understand what we liked and craft the most perfect soundtrack for our wedding. The wedding day was perfect. Jamie’s music was exactly what we hoped it would be and more. Our friends and family still talk to us about how great the music was. I’ll also note it was about 107 degrees the day of our outdoor wedding and Jamie was a champ setting up all of his equipment in the horrible heat. You really could not find a better DJ so just save yourself some trouble and go with Jamie!" - Amanda Lawrence
SF Weekly Mix
Giving Reality Bites the Soundtrack It Deserves
For Debaser's 9th anniversary party this Saturday, DJ Jamie Jams has put together a booming alt-rock mix.
Jessie Schiewe Fri. May 26, 2017 12:17pm, All Shook Down
This year, Debaser — a monthly party at the Knockout dedicated to early ’90s alt-rock and led by DJ Jamie Jams — turns 9. For the party’s third anniversary in 2011, Jams concocted a mixtape of “odes to love and love lost” themed around Cameron Crowe’s film Singles, replete with vocal cuts from the movie. For its fifth anniversary, Debaser created a mix themed around Boyz n the Hood, with tracks by Cyprus Hill, EPMD, Grand Puba, Public Enemy, and more, and jokes from Ice Cube littered throughout.
In keeping with that tradition, Jams has just released Debaser’s third official mixtape, this time based on the iconic ’90s film Reality Bites, with songs by Yo La Tengo, Fugazi, R.E.M., The Lemonheads, My Bloody Valentine, and more.
“I wanted to take another stab at the ’90s rock era,” Jams says. “How can we distill it into its most distilled form? How can we get a concentrated dose of whatever je ne sais quoi there was about the ’90s?”
He’ll be playing the mix — along with an assortment of records, from the 12 crates of vinyl he’ll be bringing to the party — at the Knockout on Saturday, May 27.
“The idea is to create the feeling of being at the craziest rock show, but made out of all records,” he says.
We chatted with Jams about the mix, the particular songs he simply had to include on it, and why he chose Reality Bites in the first place.
Catch Debaser’s 9th Anniversary Party from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., on Saturday, May 27, at The Knockout.
SF Weekly Interview
Hey, DJ: Jamie Jams
The San Francisco DJ talks about Last Nite, his Y2K indie dance party.
Christina Li / Thu. Oct. 13th, 2016 12:14pm / All Shook Down
There’s no question that the ‘90s are back and have been for the past few years, whether it’s clothing trends, TV remakes, or musical styles. When All Shook Down first interviewed DJ Jamie Jams over eight years ago, the indie music connoisseur was already foreshadowing the future by wondering, “When is everyone going to realize this ’90s business is the shit?”
To date, Jams is still running his ‘90s night Debaser, but he has also added a party celebrating the last decade of indie called Last Nite. We got a chance to catch up with Jamie Jams about the changing SF scene, his favorite ‘90s outfit, and what a good time means to him.
Last Nite SF Weekly Feature
Top Five Parties This Week Plus Notable Local Records
Chris Zaldua / Wed .Aug. 17, 2016 5:30pm / Some Thoughts of a Certain Sound
One interesting side effect of the unprecedented speed of life in our information age is that society’s nostalgia cycles have been compressed substantially. It used to be that what came 20-25 years before was fun, hip, and cool (in an ironic way) again; now, it’s more like 10 years and change.
Enter Last Nite, a party unabashed in its barely there nostalgia, which harks back to that early-mid aughts period when legions of punks discovered the wonders of disco, house, and dance music — nevermind that many of them scorned it in decades prior — and began trading guitars for synthesizers.
Friday marks Last Nite’s third anniversary, and they’re hosting L.A.’s Moving Units to celebrate. Moving Units have the look and the sound of 2005 down pat — their songs are short, bright, dancy, and catchy. A slew of DJs — Last Nite’s Jamie Jams and Rocky, Popscene’s Omar, 120 Minutes’ Marco, and The Queen Is Dead’s Mario — will be spinning tunes, retro and otherwise, to make you wistful for the days of George Dubya’s presidency.
Last Nite’s Third Anniversary featuring Moving Units at Mezzanine, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19. $10-$15; mezzaninesf.com
48 Hills Interview
The 2000’s are back! (And that’s OK)
BY MARKE B.
Sep 24th
The great Last Nite party celebrates two glorious years of resurrecting a decade some people would rather forget.
Pop music critics salivate over how Taylor Swift and Carly Rae Jepsen are bringing the ’80s back to radio (despite “’80s retro nights” being a joke older than ’90s bachelorette pit Polly Esther’s, RIP). Dance music critics roll their eyes at yet one more sample from ’90s R&B on a “deep house” record. Someone recently wore an Abercrombie and Fitch tee ironically to a gay party and I almost passed out. “Please, please don’t let the 2000’s be coming back,” I silently pleaded, paralyzed among a forest of perilous drag queen stilettos on the club floor. “Or at least if they are coming back, let them come back like the Last Nite party.”
Charmmie Park and Ryan Hendon Wedding
Tiffany Ishihara and Josh Compton Wedding
"Jamie was the DJ at my wedding and I cannot recommend him enough. I should mention that the music at my wedding was the the most important element to my husband and I; Jamie did not disappoint. He has a very extensive knowledge of all types of music and was able to curate a playlist for our very specific request - 1970’s Power Pop. Not only was he able to create a playlist we really loved, but he was super excited about it and made the process very easy. There was never a moment that we had to worry about what was playing. If you want a DJ that will put a lot of thought and energy into your big day, Jamie is the way to go!" - Tiffany Ishihara
Kate Garklavs and Micah Saul Wedding
"If you’re looking for a top-notch wedding DJ, look no further: Jamie is capital-A awesome. For years, Jamie hosted Debaser (excellent 90s dance party), and it was through Debaser that I got to know Jamie and his work. When my now-husband and I started planning our wedding, we aligned on what we were looking for in a DJ — someone with impeccable (and broad) musical taste; someone with the emotional IQ to cater to not just the bride/groom’s preferences, but also to honor both extended families’ wishes; and someone who can bring a rockin’ dance party. Jamie exemplifies all of these qualities. He spent several hours with us discussing the sort of mood we wanted to create and how we wanted our reception to evolve; he then translated this vision into a playlist that kept our guests on the dance floor all night (and into the morning). What’s more, he was extremely professional, handling all the tiny details that no bride or groom wants to deal with. You’d be hard pressed to find a better, more intuitive DJ than Jamie. " - Kate Garklavs
"Jamie kicked ass at our wedding ceremony and reception. We'd both known him for years through Debaser and other parties he'd DJ in the Mission, so when we decided we wanted someone for our wedding that'd get our guests to dance their faces off, we knew who to go to. Jamie was amazing to work with. We talked through the general them we were hoping for, he worked with us to come up with our lists of must haves, as well as some secret requests, and was just generally super attentive and responsive. The party, of course, was amazing! Jamie is incredibly good at reading the energy of a room and adapting his set to both feed on and feed that energy. We didn't have an emcee or a day-of planner or anything like that, and Jamie was able to direct the flow of the night using the music he was playing. And yes, we all danced our damn faces off!" - Micah Saul
Jessica Taich and Josh Levitz Wedding
"When planning our wedding we knew that we wanted to have a reception with music we actually loved. But finding a wedding DJ that got our taste was a challenge. We had attended a few of Jamie's Debaser nights at the Knockout and always had so much fun. On a whim we contacted Jamie to see if he would DJ our wedding - and luckily he was interested! We met for drinks and talked about the kind of music and vibe we hoped to have at our wedding reception. Jamie was extremely responsive and very excited to give us our dream party. On the day of the event Jamie was timely and professional and the dance party was incredible. Our friends 3 years later still talk about how Jamie was the best wedding DJ and love to reminisce about the playlist. Jamie and team are hands-on, passionate, and genuinely want you to have the best time at your wedding. We would highly recommend hiring Ceremony DJ's!" - Jess & Josh Levitz
Last Nite in the SF Chronicle
Do 415, Featured Tastemaker
Last Nite SF Weekly Review
Lost in the Night
Debaser's New Last Nite Party Takes Nostalgia Back to the 2000s
Posted By Derek Opperman on Mon., Apr. 15, 2013 at 9:06 AM
Growing up in the veritable golden age of cultural nostalgia that was the '00s, it never really occured to me that my own decade might eventually be revisited. Even now, it's surprising that anyone would care to go back and try to relive much of those days. If you'll recall, it was a pretty dark time under George H.W. Bush's presidency. The bleakness of the American situation created a kind of nihilism that seemed to seep into the club culture and music. In San Francisco, this found its expression via the emerging scenester clubs that first began popping up in weird places like the basement at LiPo Lounge and the loft at Edinburgh Castle, then later at bigger parties like Frisco Disco, Club i-D, and Popscene.
Last Nite SF Weekly Intro
Weekend Party Preview
The Top Five Parties in San Francisco This Weekend
Posted By Derek Opperman on Thu., Apr. 11, 2013 at 9:56 AM
Last Nite at Elbo Room
Friday, April 12. 10 p.m. $5-$10
Well, folks, the snake has officially reached its tail. The crew behind the '90s-themed Debaser party has gotten together to create "Last Nite," a brand new event that, much like its parent, is dedicated to reviving a specific moment in time. In this case, it's all about that brief period in the early-'00s when garage rock, dance punk, and electroclash all emerged and combined to form the soundtrack to the-then nascent hipster lifestyle. Resident DJs Jamie Jams and Em Dee will be on hand to take you back to the days when "deck" was almost an adjective.