Bright lights, a mix of different-paced songs, a crowded room and a talented DJ, one who can control the energy of the audience, are just a few factors that contribute to nightlife in Milwaukee. Stavros Sardella, junior in the College of Communication aims to leave his guests feeling entertained and connected through the his passion of performing.
Sardella started DJing just this past February for fun.
“I always used to aux when driving with friends. My two best friends told me that I would make a good DJ and had the right personality to motivate a crowd. That night, I looked into it and bought all of the equipment,” Sardella said.
Sardella is fully self–taught, only watching YouTube videos to help clear confusion about questions.
“I bought the deck first and then the software that went with it. From there, I made sure that I learned more and practiced to the best of my ability,” Sardella said.
While on stage, Sardella goes by “Staux,” which stands for Stavros on aux.
Now, Sardella is performing at a multitude of bars in downtown Milwaukee, with Sardella’s favorite event being his performance at Lucky Clover.
“It is so fun to have local bars reach out to me. I didn’t ever have the intention of playing those kinds of gigs, but I have grown to love going downtown and making new connections and relationships. Other than that, I love playing at house parties on campus,” Sardella said.
Sardella enjoys performing the most for supportive friends and classmates. When performing at these larger events, Sardella makes sure to read the crowd at all times.
“You have to keep people dancing and notice how they react to certain mixes you create. It also depends on the atmosphere of the venue. The crowd tends to notice DJs who get into it and create a name for themselves. My energy determines how people remember the night,” Sardella said.
Close friend and supporter of Sardella, Joseph McGrane, junior in the College of Communication, is proud to see his friend discover and perfect a new passion.
“I have been alongside Stavros in his DJing journey at Marquette. I performed alongside him at one point. I always noticed how engaged he got the crowd to become,” McGrane said.
McGrane bonds with Sardella over sending each other different SoundCloud remixes, mashup ideas, or videos of their favorite DJs playing an interesting set.
“Seeing Stavros grow has been something that makes me so happy. We used to have our controllers in the basement, and spend time trying to piece together different effects and transitions, as well as note what songs work well together. Now he is playing at some of Milwaukee’s best bars,” McGrane said.
Sardella notices that throwbacks and oldies get the crowd the most excited, with ABBA being the most popular band for crowd engagement at the moment.
Sardella gets his inspiration from both DJs and the environments of different music festivals he attends.
“I look up to Fred Again, Eric Prydz, Fisher, Micheal Bibi and RUFUS DU SOL,” Sardella said.
Sardella encourages anyone who is interested in music to start DJing.
“You have to go for it. Be willing to get creative. I always have an ear open for new songs,” Sardella said.
Coming up Nov. 11, Sardella will be performing at Alpha Phi’s formal, a Sig Chi date party at Red Rock, and an Alphi Chi Omega date party at Oak and Barrel.
“I am most excited to perform at a few different tailgates when Madison and Marquette have their basketball game,” Sardella said.
Sardella is currently open for booking. He can be reached at [email protected].
This story was written by Angelina Galullo. She can be reached at [email protected].
