1998 DJ Times International DJ EXPO Part 2 By Mike Ferino Back to part 1 The Entertainer Showcase As always, Kevin Howard, from Washington state, put on a great showcase, with the industry elite, performing on Monday night. The crowd was electric, and the sound and lightshow, better than ever before. The Trump Taj Mahal was transformed into a night club/concert hall, and all who attended got a real treat! 6 of the new QSC amplifiers powered the massive B-52 speaker set-up, which blew the roof off, and Mobolazer, provided a 3 watt laser that was nothing short of incredible! The showcase featured the "Dj/Entertainer of the year 1998, competition on Wednesday night. Congratulations go out to KC from "Spinning Discs," of Chicago! His energy, along with the enthusiasm of his dancers was infectious. All of the participants were top-of-the-line entertainers, and they all showed very well for themselves! This showcase proves that Our industry is now in the limelight, where bands, used to control the market. Qs are becoming interactive entertainers, and not just sitting back playing music anymore. The Dj Times Expo, in great part, has helped bring our industry out in the lead, and helped develop many great djs into great entertainers!!! The Exhibits Well, as always, the Trump Taj Mahal grand ballroom was filled with the latest gizmos and gadgets, on the cutting edge of technology! This year the big thing for me was the new Denon dual-mini disc player. In fact, there was even a workshop, produced by Denon, to demonstrate the capability of the unit! Pioneer, also had a brand new toy for the market. From lights, to props, to speakers, to whatever, it was there at the 1998 dj expo! One of the most creative things I saw this year was the flying projectile, produced by John Rozz products. This, what looks like a missile, flying thing, was all over the place, and makes a great toy for a party, corporate event, or Bar/Bat mitzvah! Leave it up to John to come up with such innovation! The Club "Deja Vu" Well, what can I say! As always, club Deja Vu, which is the after hours retreat for the full expo pass holders, just rocked into the night, or should I say morning. There were feature acts, top club jocks, and the normal Deja Vu vibe, which has to be experienced to be believed! I always get a kick out of the morning seminars, when the "late to bed" people slowly crawl in. You know the djs that attended Deja Vu. East Coast/West Coast To conclude, I have a growing concern that the east coast djs stay in Atlantic City, and the west coast djs go to the Vegas show. When I first came to the DjTimes Expo 5 years ago, there were djs from all over the country! It was invaluable to speak with professionals from different regions, cultures, tastes, and general backgrounds! Today, I see less and less djs from the western states, and it should be of concern to all! There are several dj shows now, where at one time, there was only one game in town. If we can not all get together, and share ideas, we all miss out! I hope to attend this coming years Vegas show, and I hope the djs out there come to the Atlantic City show, next year! As for the Mid-America show, Hell. let's all go!!!