Page 6 of Last Call Lindy Hop
Chapter 4 - Eli
Amber propped herself on my chair’s armrest and peered over my shoulder. She said something I couldn’t make out.
I paused the music and pulled my headphones down. “What?”
“I asked: whatcha working on?”
“Oh,” I chuckled. “Um… I’m trying to put together a playlist.”
“For what?”
I set my laptop on the coffee table. “Remember when I was talking to Jackson after the dance a couple weeks ago?”
She hummed, then nodded. “I think so.”
“He mentioned that Elsie is moving, so they’re going to have an opening in the DJ lineup.”
“Ok?” she asked.
“Well, he knows I’ve been wanting to dip my toes in. So he asked me to come up with a playlist.”
“That’s fantastic! So you’re going to DJ an upcoming dance?”
“Sorta.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “You know how we’ve got a wide age-range?”
“Yeah?”
“Apparently I have to limit—quote-unquote—newer music.” I made air quotes as I spoke. “Newer being anything after the late-nineties.
“What do you mean by ‘limit’?”
“No more than a third, and spaced out so that the older participants don’t get to complaining too much about it.”
She made a face. “I thought he said that wanted to get away from one demographic controlling everything.”
I nodded. “I asked the same thing, and he said that’s exactly what he’s doing. They might be the older crowd, but they didn’t feel welcome at those other places either. The last thing he wants to do is drive them away with music they don’t like. So any DJ has to have a decent selection of songs they’ll enjoy as well.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
I turned to her and grinned. “Besides, we can all use a bit more big band in our lives.”
Amber laughed. “Just make sure there’s a big brass section.”
“And a good baseline,” I added with a wink. “Don’t worry.”
“So when are you going to be a DJ?” she asked.
“Well that’s where the ‘sorta’ part comes in. Jackson is going to review the playlist, and if he’s happy with it he’ll run it one night when he can make changes on the fly if needed. If all goes well then I’ll get a second test where I’ll be in charge.”
She leaned in and gave me an awkward side-hug. “I’m happy for you!”
I smiled. “I’m just hoping to add my own touch to swing nights.”
“I’m all for it. You’ve got great taste in music, so I’m sure it’ll be killer.”
“I hope so.” I stood and headed towards the fridge. “Something to drink?”
“Whatcha got?”
