Nightlife & Music

Best DJs In DC

August 16, 2012 6:00 AM

The DJ scene in DC is becoming more dynamic. When you are out on the town and you want to feel a specific vibe, you look to the DJ to make or break a night. If the DJ stinks then, well, your night will stink too. This list of DJs not only guarantees you’ll have a great time while you’re out, it’ll also make it easier to figure out who to call for your next big time celebration.

(photo credit: clubglow.com)

DJ Roberto Gonzalez
Club Glow
33 Patterson St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 271-1171
www.clubglow.com

Born and raised in the DC Metro region, DJ Roberto Gonzalez specializes in electronic dance music. When he’s not spinning tunes at local hotspots, like Chroma, Ultrabar or Club Glow, he’s the opening act for many mainstream local and international artists including Kaskade, Tiesto and Cosmic Gate, a German trance duo. DJ Gonzalez has also participated as a guest DJ at the Identify Festival, a touring electronic musical event held at Jiffy Lube Live. Check out his original mixes at Sound Cloud or check out Glow to see what night he spins next.

(photo credit: eighteenthstreetlounge.com)

DJ Provoke
18th Street Lounge
1212 18th St. NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 466-3922
www.eighteenthstreetlounge.com

Don’t let his stage name fool you. DJ Provoke isn’t a fighter, he’s a lover of all different kinds of music. On just about any night of the week you will find him spinning hip-hop, funk, old school rap, 60s rock and roll and Brazilian tunes at many DC area hot spots, including the 18th Street Lounge, the Black Cat, Velvet Lounge and Breadsoda. Over the past couple of years Provoke has opened for many well-known artists including M.I.A., the Roots and DC’s own Chuck Brown. When he’s not spinning tunes, he works at Som Records, the place to go for vintage vinyl records.

Rock & Roll hotel (photo credit: rockandrollhoteldc.com)

DJ Lightwaves
Rock and Roll Hotel
1353 H St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 388-7625
www.rockandrollhoteldc.com

Head on over to the Rock and Roll Hotel bar and get your dance on to the latest pop tunes thanks to spinning master DJ Lightwaves. In addition to spinning records, the up and coming DJ is set to release his debut album “Spirit Gun” at the end of summer, which features dance tunes and house music. The DJ is known for his catchy synthesizer hooks, robotic vocals and happening beats and performs both in DC and New York City. DJ Lightwaves can also be found getting everyone on the dance floor at the U Street Music Hall, Napoleon and the Velvet Lounge.

(credit: DJ Chris Styles/Facebook)

DJ Chris Styles
District
2473 18th St. NW
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 588-0385
www.districtadamsmorgan.com

Recognized as one of the “hardest working DJs in DMV,” DJ Chris Styles is on the air weekdays on the Heat on Sirius XM, DC’s Hot 99.5 and Spin Cycle on iHeartRadio.com. Friday and Saturday nights you can find him spinning the best in Top 40 music at two of DC’s hottest nightclubs, including District Restaurant and Lounge in Adams Morgan. DJ Chris Styles also runs his own DJ company, where he and his team of DJs entertain the crowds no matter what the function. To book Chris Styles for your next shindig, call (240) 264-6083. Pricing and availability available upon request.

Related: Best Jukebox Bars In DC

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(photo credit: habanavillage.com)

DJ Azucar
Habana Village
1834 Columbia Rd. NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 462-6310
www.habanavillage.com

Habana Village features the rich foods, art and music of Cuba. Fridays and Saturdays feature a 5-piece band on the main floor while the second and third floors feature Latin fusion nights. Dance to the best mix of salsa and merengue courtesy of DJ Acuzar. On Thursday nights, DJ Azucar spins bachata, which combines African elements with traditional Latin/Caribbean rhythms.

Susan Diranian is a freelance writer living in Ashburn, VA. She is covering Travel & Outdoors. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.