The Beat of My Drum

Rockin Reece - A Woman of Many Talents

• Jonathan Mendez • Season 1 • Episode 2

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DJ Rockin Reece talks about careers as a DJ, Singer, Musician, Author, Masseuse, Thrift Store owner and all around Bad Ass! 

SPEAKER_01

Hey, hey, this is Jay Mendez, and you're listening to the Beat of My Drum. This is episode number two in this line of uh podcast episodes. Uh the Beat of My Drum revamped and uh rejuvenated Jonathan to start up and and have some more stories for you guys, have some more exciting news for for anyone in the local area, Medina County, Adascosa, Bear County, anyone interested in uh cool people like my next guest. Uh I'd like to invite my next guest on the mic. I brought her out. It's uh DJ Rockin' Reese.

SPEAKER_04

Hello.

SPEAKER_01

Hello, Rockin' Reese. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_04

I'm good. I'm good. Thank you for the invite.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, you're welcome. You're um a woman of of many talents, uh, many skills, and definitely many stories. You've you've done this for quite a long time, and you're one of my favorite people and DJs that I know, um particularly because your uh personality uh it it shows in your music and and your entertainment style, and you're also a musician. So uh I guess how would you rank who Rock and Reese is? Rank them one to five.

SPEAKER_04

Ah, well well, first let me say thank you for all of that. That's really awesome. Um, I didn't realize that I've been DJing for almost 20 years. I mean, that time flies, and I don't even like to admit that I'm that old already. But uh as far as the ranking system, uh music was always kind of a part of my life, you know. Uh starting with just listening to music, dancing all the time. And then I joined band um early on, you know, I I joined in fifth grade. You know, I was already in high school band um in sixth grade, they actually advanced me. Um and then when I got into college is when I actually burned out and I was like, I don't want to play an instrument anymore. And you know, I got I got married, I got divorced, I had a child, I was working two, three jobs, single mom. And it was around the heyday of baby Huey's that made me fall in love with with the DJ, and he was the reason I started learning, and I want to say that was the turning point in my life. Like everyone says, Oh, I had a child and it changed my life. Having having my daughter was a blessing, but it didn't change me too much because I was ready to be a mom and and I I loved being married, and uh the uh evolution into becoming a DJ really did change my life because I would rank that one nice one because that was the starting uh point of uh how I was going to live the next 20 years, right? You know, and ranking a two, you know, um believe it or not, it's not even the uh the music side, it's the massage therapy side. Not everybody knows that I supported myself by becoming a massage therapist. I became a massage therapist in uh early 2000s. I was working for a judge at the time and I was w I was going to school at night. And uh I I still do it to this day, you know. I don't I can't do it as often. But that I would rank number two because that point of my life allowed for me to be able to work during the day, take care of my daughter. Then the weekends my mom and my sister would take care of my girl and I would work. And I became a DJ right around 2003, 2004, like somewhere around there. And uh and so that ranks two in the transition points of of allowing me to do it, and because of two, I have three, which is my music, my uh my uh music career, to be able to sing, to be able to play my instrument, to be able to jam with these monster musicians. And uh so that's the those are the top three things. I mean, although I I write books and I have always been passionate about doing all these other things, those are the top three rankings.

SPEAKER_01

Let's talk about that your book writing. So you have a children's book?

SPEAKER_04

Nah, nah, I didn't write. I wanted to write sappy romance novels.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

And uh I released my first book, and it was it was something that I was working on. And it's funny because I started writing books in high school. And then they're like, Oh, you're gonna write a novel? Yeah. And then it became, oh, uh, how's the novel coming? And then later on it was like, hey, did so whatever happened to that novel? And then it was like, next thing you know, it's like a decade past. Yeah. And my daughter's already, you know, preteens, and I hadn't released my book. And then my sister, I I had my first bout of cancer in 20, the end of 2015. I was diagnosed like earlier on, but they really couldn't find where it was at. And uh when they did find it, it was like November. I had surgery to remove it, and I'm cancer free, thank God.

SPEAKER_03

Yes.

SPEAKER_04

But right after that, my mom had her first spout of cancer in February, like literally back to back.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

And uh and so when within that time period, I was like, I don't know if I'm gonna live, you know, I don't I don't know how things are going, but I'm I'm gonna release my book while mom is uh going through her chemo. So when mom was going through her chemotherapy, I would go and I would like make up stories and she's sitting there getting pumped just for hours and hours. You're sitting there and watching them just go through this whole thing. And I I wanted to entertain her. So I came up with the premise of my first book because of her. And um, and so I was like, Okay, I have this story, mom. I need you to tell me how it's gonna go. And she's like, I like it, but this, and and she would just give me little ideas. So I released my first book right after she was healthy. She was healthy, and uh, and then after that, I released my second book, and the second book was dedicated to her because it was because I released one one year and then one the other, and it's already been two years since I haven't released a book. So what are the two books called? Uh the first book is called A Kiss for Charity, and I went by by the name of Reese Pearson, it's not even under my real name. And everybody's like, Why Reese Pearson? And I'm like, Reese PC? Well yeah, Reese Pearson sounds so fancy.

SPEAKER_03

It does. So that'll sell.

SPEAKER_04

So I I released it, and it the first book did well. Yeah. It was it was it was welcomed and people enjoyed it. My second book, um, it was not even like a spin-off, it was just my mom and I were obsessed with ninjas and warriors, and we wanted this strong woman. And the character was based off of a woman who well, like my mom, you know, she just was not a quitter, and she was just gonna fight to the death, you know, and and so that was the kind of character I created for my second book, which is her favorite. Uh that one ended up being something that we all, you know, kind of put together. My sister helped me with my first one before she passed, and then my mom helped me with my second one.

SPEAKER_01

Um and are these books your do you you're writing, you're writing the book start to finish?

SPEAKER_04

Yes, yeah. I mean, this was before everybody was like, Do you use AI? And I'm like, no. I mean, gosh, there's it it people are writing songs and writing books with terrible, yeah, and and it takes a lot of things.

SPEAKER_01

And actually, you could tell uh what's AI language and what's not. Absolutely, yeah, it's terrible. And like you said, you could tell based on the m the the raw emotion of the way someone writes or yeah, and you can tell the amateur and and the amateur-ness of it too, because you know, uh when I looked into AI and they were like, and it was like for somebody was writing uh something for like a a eulogy or something.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, and they're like, I used AI, and I was like, this is so technical.

SPEAKER_01

It's so bad.

SPEAKER_04

And I was like, why why are we going here? And I said, Where's the emotion? Where where are you in this? So I ended up helping her rewrite the whole thing, and uh, and that's when I I decided I was gonna be completely anti-AI when I came to writing my next book, which by the way, I have three books that I'm working on. Let's go and I refuse to like I haven't picked which one I'm going with, but because I've had so much happen since honestly, uh I went into a depression after I lost my sister, and this was in 2019, and of course we had COVID at that time. So thank God that I didn't have to pretend to be happy because you know how the DJ life, yeah, you are the party, and you are the person they look to to have a good time. Yeah, and when you're dying inside and you're forcing a smile, oh man, it's bad.

SPEAKER_00

It's the worst hard.

SPEAKER_04

It's hard, you can't fake it, and you try and they know, but you try because you're professional, damn it, and they have expectations.

SPEAKER_01

You have to talk and say hi. It's it's all part of the the gig and the act in a way. But my happiest times is when I'm genuinely just enjoying the mood and and DJing up there, it's like euphoria. But you're right. Whenever you're down about something, like I have been, it's so hard to to DJ with and I was fortunate, and and not even not many people say they were fortunate during COVID, but I was fortunate to grieve away from people, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Because as a massage therapist, I couldn't work on anybody, right? As a DJ, I couldn't DJ anywhere, yeah. And I was burning up through all my savings, all through COVID. But I was able to cope and heal with loss. I mean, you never get over it, but you learn how to live with it. You survive. Yeah, you live a survivor, you know.

SPEAKER_01

Time time heals. It does. Uh time and and silence and space, it heals. So what were what were those thoughts that you mentioned you were writing your book? What were your thoughts when you did have cancer? You said you're you didn't know if you were gonna live or die. What do you what are you thinking like on a daily?

SPEAKER_04

Are you thinking about it or at the time I was because you know my daughter had just lost her dad in that same year. Yeah. She lost her dad in September. And I was diagnosed already, but I hadn't told her. And when I was going through the surgery, I think right before they they they they put me um to sleep, I was like, okay, if if God gives me the chance to wake up, yeah, I'm gonna do something with my time.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

And I I got through the surgery and everything went well. I went through the healing process, and that's when I I went into kind of like beast mode. And that's when I found out my mom had her cancer. And it was like I had to put myself aside and I dedicated myself to my mom. And my sister, at the time she was, you know, she started a new job. So I told her it's okay. I got her during the day, you got her at night, we'll meet in between on the weekends. And that's when I really understood what I always wanted, and that was to make sure that I took care of my family because family's everything.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Do you see yourself as an entertainer, as an artist?

SPEAKER_04

I do now. Yeah. At the time going through the motions, no. Yeah. You just go and you show up and you have a good time, and then you see people having a good time with you. But as the years have gone by, I see what I do, and I and and I see how people appreciate what I do. And it's not something that everybody can can offer.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_04

So now I can say I'm an entertainer.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Now I can feel proud to say it.

SPEAKER_01

Right, right. I agree.

SPEAKER_04

It's kind of awkward at first.

SPEAKER_01

It is, but I I agree. I think you are an entertainer and you're an artist, an author. You live in the creative space of life. You know, you're you're creative. So how do you, with all these ideas you have, you know, whether it's a book or whether it's you performing on stage with your band, and we'll get to that too. Um what is the creative space for for Reese? How do you get in your creative space? And how do you keep that going? Like, how do you keep that that uh motivation to stay creative? How do you keep that those urges?

SPEAKER_04

So I can tell you this, and and I bet you if you did this tomorrow, it would change your perspective on life completely. All right. And I would even encourage whoever's listening to to do this. So the very first song that you wake up to sets your tone.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_04

It's like everybody's like, well, I gotta make my bed. And I no pick a song that makes you feel refreshed. And the moment you get up, you listen to it and you feel it because it's just something that resonates with you. And I I'll tell you the song, and you can look it up. Um, I wake up every day to a song called Um San Francisco Street by an artist by the name of Sunrai.

SPEAKER_03

Never heard of it.

SPEAKER_04

And yeah, it's it's it's one of those, yeah, you you would not know until you're like, who's that? That's actually pretty good.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

But you wake up, I wake up and I hear that song. And then for one, the first thing I always do ever since I've lost my family, I appreciate it. I thank God. I got another day.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Then you, and then you're like, okay, like right now, I I deal with pain and and I've, you know, all these injuries that have been going on with me. But you know, I wake up and I feel good and I have my cup of coffee, and I sit down and I have my calendar, and I'm like, okay, what's going on today? Okay, I've got nothing. There's my laptop. Let me s let me reread a few chapters of my book.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_04

And I'll and I'll I'll write something there, or I'll have my coffee and I'll send a message to my best friend or send a message to somebody and say, hey, bitch, I love you. You know, that kind of thing.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, that's dope.

SPEAKER_04

And after after a while, it just seems like everything just flows. Like everything I need to do just comes to me. You know, before I used to be so forgetful about things, but now I kind of have this nice little groove. And it took me a while to get it.

SPEAKER_01

I love that. So you're you're in a flow state.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. It's it's a constant state. I mean, today was today was uh the exception because I'm trying to become a mechanic. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And mechanics next on her on her career list here.

SPEAKER_04

But I'm telling you, you start your day with the things that bring you peace. And when you when you go about your day, you kiss the people you love, you tell them a little hi here and hello or whatever, and then you figure out, okay, what does my day entail? Because if I start off the day and say, Oh, I don't want to go to work, uh, I feel like crap. That's the epitome of how you've begun your day and what you're already manifesting.

SPEAKER_01

You're already starting your mood. You've created a mood already that a negative energy that it's hard to get rid of.

SPEAKER_04

I totally believe in the manifestation. You you speak it into existence. You know, when people say, I don't have any money, well, you're not gonna have any money. Yeah, but you know what? I got two dollars and I can go to McDonald's and buy something. Yeah, damn, I feel good. Yeah, you know, what's the perspective? But what's the perspective? I mean, think of the perspective on that. It's like, okay, I'm poor because I have two dollars, or woohoo, I have two dollars and I'm gonna go buy an extra value. What I mean, whatever. Look at look at the way you can weigh it, you know? Half full or half empty.

SPEAKER_01

Oh half full. Right? Yeah, half full. Definitely. Yeah. Oh, you see my little board there. I got a little bored.

SPEAKER_04

I was reading that earlier. I like that.

SPEAKER_01

Let me take a quick little break here. Let me use the restroom. Yeah, go for it. Get yourself some water if you wanna, but I listen to it.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, the vibe's different.

SPEAKER_01

All right, that leads to my next question. Pandora, Spotify, or Apple Music.

SPEAKER_04

So I have Apple, I have Spotify, and I have Pandora. I have all three. Um personally, I'm a Pandora fan. I really am. Um, as far as ease, Spotify is so easy. Yeah. Apple is is, I mean, but YouTube Premium, I have that too. YouTube Premium gets you all the songs that Apple and Spotify are restricted to, yeah. So even like the old Tehano, hey can you have that song for what?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, YouTube Premium is great. Good too. Um Apple music, they're their sound quality when it comes out of, it comes out with more of a punch, more of a pull. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. If you try playing it off Spotify, yeah, yeah, you don't get that synx. Yeah. It's not crisp. Um, YouTube is is getting better. Um, it used to be, I think now because everything is just high quality.

SPEAKER_01

Higher quality, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

But Apple is always gonna be the cleaner sound. Oh man.

SPEAKER_01

Always you put that on your headphones and it's surround, full surround sound.

SPEAKER_04

But if you haven't given Pandora a chance, I I don't think I ever have, honestly. Because you can go in there and say you can create some stupid radio in a station like me. I created a Sunrai radio station.

SPEAKER_01

And then it has a whole mix of.

SPEAKER_04

And what it does is it finds artists within the same genre, and then you find so many new artists that you've never heard of. Yeah. And it's so great. I that's why I love Pandora because they really push new artists. Yeah, you know, on a stressful application that you want.

SPEAKER_01

I used to listen to just, you know, RB, I like RB a lot, like 90s RB. But I switched it up. Like I was having a few stressful days in a row at work. Uh, and I have a nine to five job, so as you can that's the corporate life, it's it's can be crazy. I started listening to that 91.3 like jazz station. It's KTSA, I believe. But for whatever reason, I can't explain it. I started like feeling good on the way home.

SPEAKER_05

A good channel.

SPEAKER_01

It was crazy. I so that's what I've been listening to. I every day after work. I don't even try to put it on what I used to on the way home because I'm kind of like you're trying to decompress from the long day. Put it on that jazz, and the guy's like, 91.3 jazz FM. We have a jazz concert this Tuesday from 7 to 9 at Jazz Texas. Please be sure to, you know. And I'm just like, I think I need to hit that. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_04

Like, that's not my thing, but honestly, um, I play with a jazz band um every once in a while, and it is a different life. Yeah, it is a different musical life because um I went to my first speakeasy, you know, and that was kind of like you had to get invited, yeah, and you had to have that certain password at the door, right? Right. And it was only like a certain amount of people who were allowed to go. And I listened to the most phenomenal musicians just play all the stuff that normally, you know, people want to hear. Oh, I love can you play my favorite song? And they're just playing stuff like, hey, I'm just gonna mix it up, and I'm gonna sit here and mix this song for the next seven minutes in a row. And you're just sitting there listening to that saxophone and that guitarist.

SPEAKER_01

And the pianist, his solo is like a whole minute, two minutes long. You're like, man, this guy's just going.

SPEAKER_04

He's like dee dee deeply and jazz on bass, yeah, bro. God, yeah. Marcus Miller, ever heard of Marcus?

SPEAKER_01

Never heard of Marcus Miller.

SPEAKER_04

The most phenomenal bass player ever, and he solos like you wouldn't believe. So I I I did a gig with a guy by the name of Sean Byrd. He's from San Antonio, and he's got Marcus Miller sound and he's local. So I always try to, you know, see where he's playing and uh God, phenomenal yeah, jazz is cool. So

SPEAKER_01

If I were to seek it, I probably would never have liked it. But I didn't seek it. It just I just went over. And then the game changer of the game changer of all game changers was I went to New Orleans in January. And yes, we were on Bourbon Street. And you know, there's great music on Bourbon Street, don't get me wrong. And everyone was saying, no, you want the real, real jazz where you go in and the floors are kind of like creaky. Go to Canal Street. So we went to Canal Street, and like you said, we we saw a performance where each song was like eight minutes long because they just were jamming. And and the those two women leads uh two ladies lead singers, and they were dressed so like um I don't know, old school, like they they dress like it's it's a vintage style. It really is.

SPEAKER_04

It's it's it's a look on its own. It's it's such a very classy classy.

SPEAKER_01

That that's what I'm looking for. Yeah. She had like a red dress, a red little hat, uh nice shoes. It was like a whole movie.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, it's it's like turning back time when you're sitting there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So I got home and I'm like, okay, I need to get better at all these instruments, you know. I'll fiddle around with the keys every once in a while. Guitar I've really locked in on, and I'm gonna keep going because that's like the big it opened up my mind. Like, I'm like floored at how good these musicians are. And the singer, I've not haven't even talked about the singer. It's just like, how are you not signed or famous? Like your vocals are insane. The range from top to bottom was immaculate. I agree. I think the first thing I told my brother, I was like, I don't she probably doesn't drink, she looks like she takes care of her her voice, her vocals, her like everything is well taken care of, pristine sound, and um yeah, so New Orleans is a was a huge inspiration for me uh for musically, and and that leads to my next topic, and that is you singing uh in a band, and I think I'm not surprised when I see DJ rocking Reese. She's at an event and she's got a big old camera. Hey, maybe she's a photographer now. I don't know, or just like you know, I'm not surprised. I won't get surprised. Like, I would if if Sabrina would be like, Sabrina's my wife, she would probably say, like, Reese's a photographer now? Reese's a hustler, that's what she is. That's facts, mama gotta pay them bills. Exactly. So I did see you with a clarinet, and you were singing at the festival in Italia. This is like five or six years ago, and you were with um uh somebody that played with my grandpa back in the day, Red. Uh, and a few other musicians.

SPEAKER_04

I call it that 70s band because they're all over the age of 70.

SPEAKER_01

So yeah, I didn't I didn't want to say that, but yeah, it's always like I I grew up like seeing Red playing the keys in the church, and he's a beast. Yeah, he's a beast, and he's he's a multi-instrumentalist guy.

SPEAKER_04

So um yeah, he's our musical director. Um, he can transpose music for any instrument. I mean, he's extremely talented. Um, but yeah, uh so it wasn't a clarinet because I can't play clarinet yet. It was a flute. It was the flute, I'm sorry. It was a flute.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_04

And I still play corrected me. No, okay. It's okay. I was listening. I was listening. But uh, but as a matter of fact, we just did a gig last um like two weeks, two weeks ago.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

And uh we still perform, still adding some new things. Yeah, um, but one of the things I love about our band is the solos. You know, have a saxophone player that comes in every once in a while, whether it's Billy Ray Shepard, he's out of San Antonio, he's a beast on sax. Nice. And he's he doesn't sight read, he just plays just off the bat, off the hook. He's he's a phenomenal. Same thing with um my old school uh saxophone player, his name is Ernie Casino. Now, you remember the from the 80s? Actually, um that's not his last name. Um but yeah, Ernie is the first name. But I only know is Ernie Casino. But um that's a badass name.

SPEAKER_01

It isn't it.

SPEAKER_04

Uh I I you know what I need to ask if that it really is his last name. But he from the 80s, do you remember that movie Eddie and the Cruisers?

SPEAKER_03

Yes.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, he plays the sacks that style, so he can solo off anything, just give him the key and he's on. But he's got that kind of power, like yeah, and then Billy Ray is more on the jazz and then just kind of really pull pull it from all angles, you know, just the melody, the everything. Beautiful. And Ernie's just raw and just really, really, really.

SPEAKER_01

Like that up tempo, like 80s sound, like uh like a Don Henley or um like uh who what's an artist? Who's an artist?

SPEAKER_04

Uh let me think of the saxophone players. Like, remember um Lost Boys?

SPEAKER_01

Oh, Huey Lewis and the news.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, that's yeah, that's very that's very saxy.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, okay. I got it. That's cool too. I love that.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, it's it's kind of like it's it's 80s has a certain sax sound, yeah um that kind of evolved and softened in the 90s a little bit.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_04

But in the 80s there was just so much raw momentum and they would just power punch it, you know?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

But um, but yeah, the guys they are so much fun to perform with. And I've learned, I've learned a lot in all the years that we've played together, you know. I've you know, I I fine-tuned my vocals, you know, I learned how to take care of being able to hit those high notes and sustain them and and being able to come in and and and through do a solo on my flute. And mind you, I played flute elementary all the way to a little bit in college, and then I stopped for like 10, 15 years.

SPEAKER_03

Wow.

SPEAKER_04

And then I picked it up only because I was like, yeah, this would have a good flute part. And then all of a sudden they were like, well, this has the flute. Now we're playing the hustle and all this stuff, and they're yeah. And it gives me an opportunity to be around such professionals. And when I say professionals, it just means that it's beyond like they they love what they do, they're happy what they do, but they work for it. Yeah. You know, and that's what makes the difference between someone who loves to, you know, does it as a hobby and someone who really perfects their art.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I I love that about old school old school musicians too. There's no like special formula, it's just they it's hard work and practice and deliberate practice, and if you're practicing in a hot room or outdoor cuartito, I mean, they're gonna get their practice in. Um my uncle, he was part of the Zapata crew when they used to do the guitars together, the brothers. And I asked them when I was younger, I was a kid, hey, I want to learn guitar. How do I learn guitar? And you get what you put into it, son, and then just walk up.

SPEAKER_05

That's facts. Oh, that's brutal.

SPEAKER_01

I was like, man, okay.

SPEAKER_04

Get out of here, kid.

SPEAKER_01

You're bothered to be scram, kid. Yeah, he told me like.

SPEAKER_04

That's a professional way of saying, hey, I ain't gonna I ain't gonna be helping you out here. I did this shit on my own, and that's that's facts. It really is, you know. I you're only as good as the last time you practiced. Yep, you know.

SPEAKER_01

Yep, yep. I love that about you know, my grandpa was the same way, he played with Red, same way. Like, they didn't really have time for kids because we get distracted, we got distracted too easily. It was more like, you know, I got work to do. Let me practice these church songs or whatever. Um my dad was big on Willie Nelson and uh classic country. Yeah, it's like the uh the walk down in in the songs. Kind of like uh Tennessee whiskey bum bum bum bum. Well, like that's kind of the songs he would play, and I I loved it. Yeah, I still do. So um I've heard you I've heard you guys play a song that I didn't even know before I heard it from your band. It was a Boss Gags.

SPEAKER_04

Ah, Lowdown. Lowdown. Yeah, yeah, that beat alone is just great. And and Boss Gags, not only that, not everybody knows, but they used one of his songs in Urban Cowboy. You know, the look what you done to me.

SPEAKER_01

Um, but he's god, he's that's as that one like it's one of those songs. Bud is like wants sissy back, I believe.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. It's during that whole I'm feeling sorry for myself.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah. And then like she's already with that cowboy dude from the bar. Damn, that damn, what's his name?

SPEAKER_04

I don't even remember his name.

SPEAKER_01

Uh couldn't stand that guy in the movie.

SPEAKER_04

Everybody hated him, but man, I I loved him in his other films and stuff too.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

God, what was his name? I don't even remember, but he he did a lot of uh westerns.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, really? Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_04

Like with Native American like uh extras and stuff.

SPEAKER_01

That's my next thing. Watching more western movies. I have there's like a channel on the it's like channel 13 or something on the the local, and there's a lot of western. I've seen some, it's like uh actually when I in 2020 when I had COVID and you couldn't do anything for like two weeks. I watched so many westerns, and I don't even know why I watched them. It was just like nothing made sense. I just got into Western.

SPEAKER_04

I got hooked onto Brain Rot, and I call it Brain Rot for a reason because so after I lost my mom, and I I was so devastated, right? That I started watching anime, and I love anime, I love watching anime. Yeah, but then they started having these cheesy Chinese dramas, and now AI does a million of them.

SPEAKER_00

Really?

SPEAKER_04

AI creates they they create it with AI, everything is episodes. Like episodes, and but they're like from Asia, so they got nothing but time these animation studios just pump them out because AI is just crazy. Crazy. And I'm obsessed with the storylines, and so I sit there and brain rot for hours, and I'm like, oh, what time is it? Yeah, I didn't do anything. Brain rotts, brain rot in 2020, and I'm just like, oh my god, I need to I need to get busy. Because honestly, if I were to add up all the hours that I dedicated to brain rot, and then I probably we'd be so proficient in something.

SPEAKER_01

In like say, you know, say you spent eight hours on brain rot a day during that time. Say four of those hours you were working on your your music, my music, your DJing, your man, you'd be a millionaire right now. Yeah, I and you probably wouldn't.

SPEAKER_04

My broke ass wouldn't be trying to fix my own damn car, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_01

I don't think you'd I don't think you would have answered my text though. What? Because you would be a millionaire. No, but I I totally agree, totally agree. You you have no idea how much I've gotten better at everything from staying off of my phone as much. Like phone usage in 21 was like seven, eight hours a day. Now it's like one to two hours a day. Like, look how many books I've read. Like, all these books I've read because I've backed off of that. I've gotten better at DJing, I've been able to do more oper do more stuff. Like I announce at sports events, which is amazing, it's so much fun, which I think I would have never even thought of trying if I was in brain rot. You know, I bought this book here, I haven't read it yet, The Anxious Generation, and it talks about that. It this guy's like really heavy on um how brain rot's like affecting mental illness.

SPEAKER_04

Like it's well, I do believe that uh cell phones when they're young really just leads to the disconnect. Yeah, you know, because back in back in the day, you know how it was, you know, your parents weren't you weren't allowed to listen to the parents' conversation. Get the hell out of here, go outside and play.

SPEAKER_01

That's my pet peeve.

SPEAKER_04

And then then later on they're like, Oh, where are the kids? I'm probably three blocks down. They don't as long as they're here on time, they didn't care where you were at. And now you're living in times that now everything is just so out there.

SPEAKER_01

My mom only really said it a few times, and I got the picture pretty early. Like, hey, this is adult talk. Yeah, get out of here, you know, and I you just catch yourself as a little kid like listening in. And uh I learned I didn't do that. So when my daughter daughters do that, I'm like, get out of here, guys. Yeah, this is adult talk.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, you ain't got any business, you know, worrying about my worries. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01

No, but alright, so um did we digress? We certainly did. I know I digress. Um alright, so singing, like do you write your own music or is it actually I just wrote a song not too long ago.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, so I wrote a song I want to say about three years ago. And this was around yeah, three years ago, because I I I had just released my my second book, and the person that I wrote uh the the song with he ended up getting sick. Oh man, and I didn't have the heart to release it, but it was it was a country song, and it was he had he had come up with the premise, and then I was like, okay, I don't like the beat. So I ended up because being a DJ, you have that advantage. Yeah, so I sped the beat up from his beat and I brought it up to like heartbeat rhythm. So I told him 115 beats per minute, and I said, We'll put it here. And so we'll change this, we'll change that. And it went from a like an awkward country tune to this upbeat, like nice country feel.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

And uh so I wrote that song with him, but we never released it, and we had we had some people that were interested in it, and then I wrote another Spanish song with him, and it was he had majority of the lyrics, but I I just changed a few things, and then of course, me and the beats. I changed the beat, and we actually had um people who were like really wanting it. I think he ended up selling it to uh some tejano band, but I haven't heard it released. I said if it's released, I don't even know. But he said that they wanted it, and he was like, I mean, if you own the publishing yeah, I well for that one I told him he he wrote it all. Take it. I told him all I did was just help you with the beat and the melodies, really.

SPEAKER_01

So um, but and then the guy that hears it is like, man, I love the beat and the melody.

SPEAKER_04

That was rockin' reese. That was rock and reese. So so I wrote some music with him, and it I found I found it to be easier than I thought.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

And then Chuck Weimer, um, our yeah, Chuck is great. Chuck and I got together, it was it's been a while, maybe six months. And he's like, Hey, you want to write a song? I'm like, sure. He's like, Come on over. So I was there with him and and his wife, Jamie. We sat at the table for two hours, we wrote a whole song. And I was like, How the hell does that happen? We were just spitting off each other, coming up with ideas, and the song is about um the music perspective from different sides. Yeah, because he's doing it as a performer, I'm doing it as a DJ. Of course, I know the performance life, but he gigs more than I do. Yeah, you know, but I know the DJ life. Well, at least the music side of the side. The musician, yeah. Yeah. And uh man, we wrote that song, and then he just told me last week, he's like, Hey, by the way, um, they're interested in our song, and I think they want me to come in and and actually do the vocals for it. So I'm like, cool, all right.

SPEAKER_01

So is he recording a demo?

SPEAKER_04

Yes, because he just had he just had a new album release, and then he's got a few more songs coming out. Yeah, and so he's like, Hey, I I think they they want you to come in and sing it. I'm like, you already know me, man. My vocals are always on point. Yeah, unless I have a drinking bender. I'm telling you, alcohol ruined.

SPEAKER_01

Or really smoke vocal calls smoke to smoking. Yeah, I'm not a smoker, so I never really got into that. Not not smoking.

SPEAKER_04

But alcohol does affect me, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, alcohol affects everybody.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, like for like for me, like I'll hang out with the guys and all they do is buy Miller Light.

SPEAKER_01

I know.

SPEAKER_04

Miller Light, Miller Light.

SPEAKER_01

That's actually what I was gonna offer you when you got here.

SPEAKER_04

And and me, I learned how to, I'm like, I'll drink Tito's. Yeah, it doesn't drive me out as much. So I'll sit there and sip on vodka and and something, and I'm okay. Yeah, but too much sugar and too much of the the carbs from the beer when we get to me.

SPEAKER_01

Oh my gosh. Like, man, I used to think I could really throw some down. And now three or four, I'm about three or four beers, maybe five beers.

SPEAKER_04

I can't drink like I used to.

SPEAKER_01

Oh man. Gosh, like, I cannot I can't do it anymore. I've tried to really push the limit.

SPEAKER_04

I'm like, but honestly, at our age, why why do we need to? You know, I mean, there really isn't a point. Unless the Spurs lose again, then I'll probably drink.

SPEAKER_01

Then you just put on some Ramona Ayala, tragos amargos. No, but I I think the the thought of getting messed up and like waking up with that freaking head splitting hangover is no longer appealing. Yeah. And I don't know why it ever was before. I think before I were young and let's go.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, we were young and dumb.

SPEAKER_01

Let's power through, you know. Puke and rally. But usually when I see you and you're DJing and I'm at the bars and I see you really, I may I may be acting like, but I've only drank like two beers. Nah. I'm just kidding. Actually, my most fun times when I used to DJ in my 20s, uh, when I would DJ in my 20s, I would drink every gig.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, I well, I still do, but uh in moderation. I haven't drank lately because of you know the fact that my injury uh I'm still on painkillers, so that don't mix. Yeah, no, but not just that, but I mean let's face it, you know, we're we're at an age now where people like, oh, you're at the bar at this time, you know. And I I certainly don't want to alert anyone to the fact that I am a DJ, it's late and I might have had some drinks, so I just don't do it anymore.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, me neither.

SPEAKER_04

I I don't people know too much about me now.

SPEAKER_01

Not that they care, but the cops might, especially with this podcast, too. It's been viral now. Um I don't try to go viral, I just try to put out good content. I think you're answering a lot of um good tough questions here. Um, so tell me about your DJ. And you mentioned that you enjoy beat matching, you taught yourself how to how to video DJ.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, so the evolution of the of the DJ, and you're gonna laugh. So this was back in the baby Huey's days, and this was early 2000s. Um, he had a CD player, and uh I think it was like a VCR or something.

SPEAKER_01

It was it was Frankenstein and uh D D player, uh Blu-ray, but they they all play CDs, and he's like, I gotta use a restroom, you want to take over?

SPEAKER_04

I'm like, Yeah, why not? Show me. And and at the time it was CDs, I didn't have MB3s, and so I was like, and I knew music because I love music, yeah. But um then it evolved from getting obsessed with that to buying equipment, and then I would use every gig to buy something and invest in it. So I invested, and then uh the next bar owner invested in me and said, I'll buy your system, just work for me for blah blah blah till till it's paid. And I did that, and I I I bought my first system that way, and then I bought my second system like about maybe three years into it. Then I bought my third system like within that same year. Nice, and then what I would do is I mean, because you know, the upgrade from then to now was that heavy box with the base that uh really didn't have anything but more wood than it did anything else.

SPEAKER_03

Yep.

SPEAKER_04

And then I started upgrading, and and now I I just I don't even buy the expensive stuff, but I buy what works for me, what doesn't break my back.

SPEAKER_01

Exactly. So the speakers for me were important.

SPEAKER_04

But then um I always started off with virtual DJ, and everybody would laugh. Virtual DJ, you're not on Serato, you're not on this, you're not on that. Tractor, you know, and it was the free edition, and then it went to the paid edition, it went to the broadcast edition until I finally bought the pro edition. And I taught myself how to do it without headphones. I just knew that beat was coming. I just knew that beat was at 105 and this one's at 103, and I could speed it up and I could beat match it, and it would just flow. And now to this day, I I can I can beat match pretty well. I I'm not a scratcher, I'm not a no, I don't do any of that.

SPEAKER_01

Man, that's pretty good. Yeah, that was pretty good, right?

SPEAKER_04

But I love being able to entertain that way. And I think the most entertaining thing is the fact that I love to talk when I DJ. No way.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

No, I'm just kidding. How could you tell? But that's what made me me. Yeah. Because I got into the business when there was no female DJs around here. Oh, you're the DJ? They're always talking to my husband at the time I was married. Oh, you're the DJ. He's like, no, she is. Oh, you're the DJ. And then I'd get up and I do I'd do there, and then I'd get on the microphone and I'd talk, and they'd be like, Oh, you're pretty good. And then it went from, yeah, you're awesome. And they're like, Man, you're the freaking best. I love Reese. I love you. I love how you talk. I love your energy. Yep. You know, always trying to keep, and and that's that was me going above and beyond because I wanted to, not because they asked me to, but because it's my show. And I wanted to create something that not everybody can offer. So when somebody says, hey, I want a rose a show like Reese, or hey, I only want you, that's the best compliment in the world. Because I worked hard to be able to create my show and and my persona, you know, on the DJ stage. You know, and and people and and not just that, but it was it was it was kind of like a it was a group thing, you know. I I didn't do it alone. Everybody saw me at my highs, everybody saw me at my lows, and come back, and everybody would say, you know what, you made me feel so good today, you know what, that extra song that you added, or man, that thing that you said was so funny. Yeah, and they're like, it's so memorable, it's so memorable, and I'm happy and I'm so proud that I put all that work into it because I really did put a lot of work into it. The DJ life really allowed for me to be myself, but the alter ego of myself that's not like all that's kind of cool though.

SPEAKER_01

I think of that as well for what I do, like there's an alter ego, yeah, but that's a fun alter ego to be ego to be in. That's you feel more like yourself, exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_04

Because I mean you're there to put on a show, yeah, but you're also there to put on your show. Yeah, you know, they're calling the rules and they'll say, Okay, don't do this, don't do this, but play this and play this. But be yourself, then I know you know they they set the tone, I set the mood and be like, okay, we're gonna work together in this, you know, and now everybody knows what to expect and they want it. And those who don't want it don't need it, and we're good because everybody's still happy.

SPEAKER_03

Exactly.

SPEAKER_04

And I I loved the challenge of learning the DJ stuff. I love the challenge of being able to be in a room and being recognized as a DJ and not just, oh some chick that just plays plays music. No, she's a DJ. You know, I earned that right, and I was so proud to have been able to showcase myself throughout these last years, you know, and now I'm I I'm fading out. You know, the new generation of DJs is coming in, and the new generation of DJs has their own style and they're doing their own thing. And I don't know if you've noticed the new generation of DJs, but a lot of them don't talk. They don't, and a lot of them let let's you know, because for them, music speaks for itself.

SPEAKER_01

Right.

SPEAKER_04

I get it.

SPEAKER_01

I get it too.

SPEAKER_04

You know, I you want you want your music to speak for itself, but you also have to be that MC. If you're gonna be a great DJ, you have to be ready to MC. Because there, how many gigs have you done? And you show up and nobody's talking, and everybody's just got on their phones, and you're sitting there questioning every song you're throwing out, and you're like, man, this is the best playlist, but nobody's dancing, nobody's engaged. Then you got on the microphone and you start cracking jokes, or you start saying this, and you start motivating people, and then all of a sudden their phone is on the table and their feet are their feet are tapping. And next thing you know, you got the party rolling. You did that.

SPEAKER_01

Yep, yeah. Um you have to set the mood, set the tone. It's work, it's work, it's exhausting, it really is. It really is, yeah. But I think when when when you get like when I'm setting up, I'm thinking, like, this is actually where I'm making my money. Because like lugging it up and down and then tearing down and and then setting up, I think those hours, that's where you actually make your money. The DJing part is more of the fun part, but yeah, you're right. Like when a when a party doesn't have that energy from the get-go, or because there are events that you go, man, this party's ready to just burst. All I gotta do is say a few things. Yeah, and then they're they're good. But there are some, it's like, all right, everyone make some noise for the bride and the groom, and it's like, uh, and then you're like, oh hey, everyone make some noise for the bride and the groom, and then you have to actually initiate that that energy in there. You have to you have to get them to engage. Um one of the things I say is like if I feel like the mood's a little down at the beginning, who's gonna take the bride out to dance, or who's gonna join the the bride and the groom on the dance floor? That kind of is like, okay, they look at each other, we better get on the dance floor to help the bride and groom out, you know, or something like that. But you have to put it out there.

SPEAKER_04

You know, what I've learned over the years is you set the tone during dinner.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

As a DJ. Because if you try and get it good set the tone with the first dance, and everybody's just kind of like nervous, or for some reason there's that nervous energy. Yeah. Like, oh, I don't want to talk, I don't want to dance, I don't want, I don't want people to look at me. But if you go during dinner and be like, hey, you know, there's there's seconds on you, you get them to be like, oh, okay, it's not stuffy. I can relax for a second here.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_04

You know, all it takes is just a little bit of push and a relaxing moment to kind of just get everybody to stop holding their breath and say, We're at a wedding, we're we're here to have a good time.

SPEAKER_01

We're having a good time.

SPEAKER_04

But of course, you've you've done your weddings where it's like it has to be perfect, and you can't do this, and you have to do that, and you have to do this. And that's when I've learned to pick and choose my battles. Yeah. And like, what kind of wedding do you want? I'm gonna refer you to the right one because I don't want to do it. Agree. Why don't we do it, Reese? Well, because, you know, I mean, you're gonna be nitpicking over every little thing, and you want to nickel and dye me, but you still want me to do all this kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, you know, I'll I'll pass.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I'll pass.

SPEAKER_04

You know, and you have to. And and I'm still one of the most, and if not in the local, the most affordable DJ. Yeah. Because for me, it's not really about I like making money. Yeah, but I like having a good time.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_04

So for me, if I'm not carton like a crap load of equipment, I don't mind charging reasonably if I know I'm gonna have a good time. Yeah, they're gonna give me my tacos, they're gonna give me my beer, I'm gonna take my equipment, I'm gonna have a good time.

SPEAKER_01

You like mimosas?

SPEAKER_04

I do.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, so from you you messed up by saying your birthday is on my daughter's graduation weekend. Because we're gonna have a whole lot of mimosas here. It's gonna be well, luckily you're the only gig I have that day. Oh, okay. It's a brunch, so yeah, we're gonna have a good time. But uh, but yeah, so DJing is is is amazing. It's it's it it fulfills my my joy in in regards to what I want to do with my life. I I I enjoy making the money, but I enjoy entertaining and and uh being a professional as well. I think you're a professional, but you have the versatility. If you want to sing, you can sing a little bit. I did I have everything for karaoke. I'm just I don't have that karaoke in me because I can't sing. Talking in front of people is nothing. Get trying to get the crowd fired up is nothing.

SPEAKER_04

If you can't sing and you want to host karaoke, all you have to do is just encourage people to sing and be like, come on, you know, but but yeah, uh karaoke people are funny because they will they will expect you to sing whether you sing horribly or not. You want me to sing karaoke? You better get up here. I know, yeah. So but you know, the funny thing is, I never imagined that becoming a DJ would allow for me to pay my bills. Right. That would allow for me to have such financial freedom. Because it really does, it really does. I dedicated myself for for I dedicated myself for years to this craft, and it allowed for me to save up enough to do things, and and I'm I don't travel much, but I took care of my mom and I took care of my sister, I took care of myself, and I wish now at school, if they don't do it already and say, Hey, do you you ever think about being a DJ? You can be a DJ. Yeah, you know, and you're fresh out of school, you go and you learn, you do you do it in your 20s, you know, by the time you hit 30, and if you save, it it really is a great career. And then you go and you say, Okay, I'm done with the DJ, but I'm good with finding talent, I'm good with recording studio, and then you just you you make all these connections. You never yeah, and you never know where it leads to because you next you could you could be a sound engineer. Yeah, I'm not carting it anymore, but I'm gonna run it for you.

SPEAKER_01

Oh my goodness. I I have talked to a lot of people that have kind of kind of flamed out as DJs that are like, I don't do it no more, I still love it. I'm like, bro, I'm telling you, sound engineer that you learn that craft, you actually go maybe go to a school or go take a certification, learn sound, you're gonna be booked from here till freaking next year. Absolutely because and you can make some good money, you know, and if I wasn't a DJ, I probably would be into that. Um, I did go into you know managing artists for yeah, I remember you were working with Sony's brothers. They're doing so good.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, I'm so proud of them.

SPEAKER_01

They're great kids. They're doing so good, so that's my fulfillment in it. You know, they're doing good. Okay, I can I can say that I did my best and I'm relieved of that now. It's just too much around.

SPEAKER_04

It's a lot of responsibility, it really is because you are the go-between between um them, the person who wants to book them, and everything in between, right? You know, and it's so hard to keep the musicians in the band.

SPEAKER_01

Hey, how much am I getting tonight? And then you got, you know, the venue. These guys have to get here before two because we got blah blah blah blah blah. I'm like, all right, let me call the guys. Hey, uh, we're so tired from last night's gig. Man, it's just like so much.

SPEAKER_04

It's a lot of responsibility, absolutely. So I but that's why these these people who who manage bands, they make money because now they're with everybody signing up with agencies.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Everybody. When I when I booked the entertainment for the City of Lytles um music fest, you know, everybody is through an agent. It's just like a third party entity that's that's sitting there and being the go-between. Okay, send me the contract, do this, do that. Okay, great. You know, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01

And I I'm more on the music side. I I think I've I've learned that I genuinely like getting in the studio, like hearing the the songs being recorded.

SPEAKER_04

That's that's a transition I would like to eventually take.

SPEAKER_01

It's fun because in a way you're kind of like a director or producer in a way. You're you're saying, oh no, that sound sucks, or that that's good, or maybe in between there is better, or like you were saying earlier, um, what'd you say about the the beat, you know, the beat or the medley. Uh you're thinking, okay, well the song's too long.

SPEAKER_04

Like we the songs the song is great, but man, what if we sped it up or what if we slowed it down?

SPEAKER_01

I mean, you know, uh, it's it's your song is like four four minutes and thirty seconds, and I'm like, no, let's shorten it to like three thirty. Yeah. Yeah. And that's a sweet spot. 315 to 330.

SPEAKER_04

315 to 335. Yeah, that is a sweet spot.

SPEAKER_01

Because longer than that, uh, next, you know. Um, but but uh but all right, so tell us about your new venture going on. You said you're doing a thrifts thrift store.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, so so the funny thing is I um I had an injury, my I I injured my back. And it's the wear and tear, because you know how it is. I would cart my own equipment, I would carry all that stuff by myself, and my back gave out, and I was told that my life would not be the same. So I said, you know what? What's next? And mom always wanted a thrift shop, I always wanted one, and it just so happened that my cousin Connie is is uh straight there with me. So she and I decided that we'd create one. So we're hoping to open up in July, like the second week in July, and it's in Divine at the VFW Post. And I Divine VFW Post was in there, so it's you know where the flagpole is at, the main entrance. And that used to be a school. Not everybody knows that.

SPEAKER_00

It's haunted, yeah. Everybody says that that's on the October episode.

SPEAKER_04

Yes, I I will have stories for that. But um, but yeah, that's my next venture. We're gonna be doing the thrift shop uh or signing up for our contract already, and we're opening up next month, and that will allow for me to slow down on the DJ life a little bit till I heal.

SPEAKER_01

What'd you do again earlier?

SPEAKER_04

Uh huh. But um slow down a little bit. Yeah. So I still do karaoke Thursdays at 702 on Main Street in Lytle. And then I take, I believe it or not, the last three years I've been doing um nursing home events, and I get booked up like crazy. And I'm their entertainer, I'm their singer. It's uh this Friday I'm actually doing a duo. I I sing um with a trumpet player and I DJ like songs, and then he he plays songs in between, and then we kind of just have our little banter and we chit-chat with each other, make everybody laugh. It's like a comedy show. Sounds amazing, yeah, and it's kind of reminiscent of the of the days with Bob Hope and you know, what is it at the USO? Yeah, yeah, it's kind of reminiscent of that, and so we started doing it in November, yeah. And uh we're doing it now, and we're having a really, really great time with it.

SPEAKER_01

All right, so the thing about Reese is she's an entertainer, so she knows how entertainment works. Someone has to use the restroom, you just keep it keep it going.

SPEAKER_04

Well, I was I was actually telling him, you know, when when I met you, it was in the DJ side of things, but you know, it was through Lost that I think we truly connected.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, that's a hundred percent. It's it's crazy because you know, not everybody understands that you're kind of saw it in me, and at the same time, I I pretty much saw it in you. Yeah, and I think that's uh the connection had the energy which connected the but the bond. So yeah, um, and then I'm like, alright, I like her better than me. No, no, so then I started referring you to everybody, and I still refer you too, you know. No, I get calls, yeah. So I'm I'm I'm I'm a little bit more pickier now because I used to just DJ everything. Um that's funny I say that because I just did a dog party in San Antonio. I DJed a dog's birthday party.

SPEAKER_04

I I think I saw that on your Facebook. I did a cinco neta once. Oh, a cinco neta once. A five-year-old, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So I showed up to this dog party and Who let the dogs in? I know somebody somebody already told me that. Uh, but I'm like, alright, so where's the party? And the guy's like, oh, it's really just me, my tia, my wife, and her husband, and then their grandson. I was like, but they paid me good money. So they were so sweet, though. They were so nice. Their dogs are so small. Two hours, I'll do it. Like, let's have fun.

SPEAKER_04

Sign me the heck up.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we had a good time, but but uh, but alright, so that leads us to our last thing here with Miss Reese. I do want you to sing uh, if you can, like I will survive, maybe like half of this song.

SPEAKER_04

I will survive?

SPEAKER_01

What was that cover? No, no, no. What was the cover you sing that I like?

SPEAKER_04

It was it was by Sean Tang. Sean Savage.

SPEAKER_01

Shantae Savage again.

SPEAKER_04

Yes, I remember that.

SPEAKER_01

I'm like, no, I gotta hear it.

SPEAKER_04

Dude, I haven't sang that in a minute.

SPEAKER_01

You're like, since last Thursday.

SPEAKER_04

Shoot, I've been wanting them to add it because we did it at a gig years ago. And it was the first time that my saxophone player had heard it.

SPEAKER_03

Uh huh.

SPEAKER_04

And he was like, what the hell was that? That was awesome. And he was just soloing like crazy. He went with it. But when he was done, he was like, that was the best rendition I've ever heard.

SPEAKER_01

It's such a good rendition, it really is. So I'm gonna give you a.

SPEAKER_04

So you're gonna put it on your big speakers?

SPEAKER_01

I'm gonna put it on this speaker right here.

SPEAKER_04

Ah see.

SPEAKER_01

This is the one I was telling you about. This speaker, I won a few of them.

SPEAKER_04

Oh, that's cute. So that's that's what eight inch. That's eight inch?

SPEAKER_01

It's much eight or ten.

SPEAKER_04

Speaking of the band, they keep sending new songs. Yes, we're gonna learn some. So we added choose in Texas because everybody wants that.

SPEAKER_01

You're already tired of this song.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, I I I it's so overplayed, but I mean people like it, so it is what it is, you know.

SPEAKER_00

It's so overplayed, man.

SPEAKER_04

But I have to admit though, Ella Langley, she's the only one who can sing it the way she sings it. Everybody can try.

SPEAKER_01

She's like, no, yeah. On that one part.

SPEAKER_04

She has that twang.

SPEAKER_01

Doesn't hurt that she's nice high candy for the guy. No joke.

SPEAKER_04

She has a nice face, pretty hair.

SPEAKER_01

Uh and her video was actually pretty cool. Just put it on mute. No, just kidding.

SPEAKER_04

Let me see. So she does her own intro. Who's that? Uh Shantae Savage.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, is this a Shantae Savage cover right here? Is that it?

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. Do you have the words?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. There you go.

SPEAKER_04

Let's see how it goes.

SPEAKER_06

Oh I will survive. As long as I'm saying 'cause I'm gonna oh my life to live.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

Weren't you the one who try to help me with goodbye? I was afraid, I was petrified, thinking I could never live without you by my side. And I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong, but I grew strong. And I learned how to get along and stuff from all the space. I just wanted to find a kid with a sad look upon your face. I should've changed all the locks. I should've made you leave your keys. But I don't know for just one second. You be back to bottom me. Welcome to the dawn. Just turn around. Welcome in the home.

SPEAKER_04

And I'll survive.

SPEAKER_01

Man, I needed that.

SPEAKER_04

Man, you didn't have to tell me twice.

SPEAKER_01

I just told you, I just asked you once, man. I really didn't think you were gonna do it because you got band practice or whatever. Singing is singing. I love to sing, man. Yeah, yeah. Now that was really good. Thank you. Well, amazing episode there. I got to learn it, learn a little bit about. I called I call you rockin'. I refer you to rockin'.

SPEAKER_04

You know how I got the name?

SPEAKER_01

How?

SPEAKER_04

So I was at Baby Huey's.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_04

And we had a DJ named Chris. And Chris would do the rock, like Thursday night rock, and I would come in and jam on. So it just so happens that I was hanging out on Thursday and we were playing rock music. And he was like, damn Reese, you're rocking. And I was like, Rocking, Reese? Okay.

SPEAKER_01

That's fine.

SPEAKER_04

And that's that's how I came to rock and Reese.

SPEAKER_01

That's really good. That's really good.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, not everybody knows that, but every once in a while. And and I don't know if you were at Baby Huey's at the time, but it was uh Kathy Delgado. Oh my god, shut up! Am I that old? So Kathy's husband, Chris. Yeah, Chris Delgado. Great guy. Great, great. He's still rocking.

SPEAKER_01

Is he still rocking?

SPEAKER_04

Um, I don't know if he still DJs or not, because I, you know, I think he was driving trucks for a good bit. And she went to school, you know, got her degree and stuff like that, too. And great people, great people. Nice. Yeah, I will always credit him for giving me my DJ.

SPEAKER_01

Love it. Shout out to Chris out there if you're driving up in the spice road truck or something. Shout out to you, man. Thanks for giving my dear friend here the name Rockin' Reese. Like I said, I refer to you as rockin'. Can be called Rockin'. And uh, and yeah, so you tell us about your upcoming events coming up so we can go see you either sing or DJ, and then and then we'll wrap it up.

SPEAKER_04

All right, so for the thrift shop, we're gonna be opening up in July on the 11th. It's the second Saturday of the month. And my next I I DJ every Thursday at 702, located on 15306 Main Street in Lytle. I do that every Thursday starting 7 p.m. And then my next band appearance is gonna be for Lytle's 200, well, the 250th of uh no, that's 4th of July, never mind. Fourth of July event is what I'm doing, the 250th at the park. Nice, yeah. So that one's gonna be the fireworks show. And if you haven't been, the one in Lytle is so awesome. It is, it gets better every time.

SPEAKER_01

Big park, kids can run around, right?

SPEAKER_04

And I think, yeah, no, yeah, it's at the park, yeah. It gets good every year. And I think this year they're not gonna make a big deal about your cooler as long as you don't have glass. But I don't I don't know if they changed it up yet or if the VFW is gonna want to, you know, sell their alcohol. Yeah, so that's the one that I'm gonna DJ at, and then the one that my band is performing is the one for the city of Lytle in September for their uh their homecoming, the night parade. Yeah, and that's gonna be good because they they already have like a stage set with like other bands that are coming in. Um Joshua Walker put together a show with the city and he's got a phenomenal lineup. We're just gonna be performing we're because it's gonna be a whole like walk-around area, so we'll be in the 702 section with me and train wreck and Chuck Weimer.

SPEAKER_01

Nice, nice. That's in September on the 22nd. Guys, that rock and Reese here. It's only one person. She just has multiple jobs, you know. See, there's not multiple rock and reel.

SPEAKER_04

And tomorrow I'll be at the pick and pull.

SPEAKER_01

Oh my goodness. There's only one Reese. There's the uh DJ rock and Reese, there's the singer rockin' Reese, there's the author, rock and Reese, Masseuse rockin' Reese, and the karaoke singing rock and Reese. She'll just pop up randomly and went when she's off. But uh give her a call if you have any questions in regards to the thrift shop. Also uh for masseuse services, DJing, all the events.

SPEAKER_04

867-5309. I got it.

SPEAKER_01

You got it. Yeah, I got it. Um, but but yeah, this is the uh beat of my drum podcast. Thank y'all so much for checking in. My name is DJ, my name is DJ J. Mendez. And remember, always march to the beat of your own drum. Thanks for having us.