Building a reputation as a DJ star on the rise, it was only a matter of time before this true blue beatmaster conquered a party all his own: Blue Rose Royalty has entered the castle! [Cover photo: @smltd]
Thotyssey: Hello Blue! Wait, first off… is that what your friends in the biz call you?
Blue Rose Royalty: Hello! Haha, I get this question all the time. I definitely think lots of people know me as Blue and call me that. Sometimes I get called by my real name, Chris. I’ll take it either way!
What’s the origin of that name? It makes me think of Twin Peaks, but I’m probably wrong.
I’ve actually never seen Twin Peaks, but I swear that’s gonna change soon. I’ve been using Blueroseroyalty as my online handles since high school. The “Royalty” comes from my last name, King. As for the blue roses, I just really liked them as an idea because they’re not actually natural… and ever since I picked them, they’ve been popping up everywhere for me. I’m a theater kid at heart, so they always remind me of The Glass Menagerie too!
As we speak, you’re getting ready to spin for “On Top” at Le Bain! You’ve done that one before.
Absolutely one of my favorite parties to play, or even just to go to.
What’s your DJ preparation process like? Do you go through “piles” of tracks before the gig, or do you just live in the moment when you get to the booth?
I’d say my process is pretty much a mix of the two. I’m always listening to new music, and adding what I’m hearing to playlists based on what events are coming up. Once I get there, I have all the stuff I set aside for that party… but I love to jump around to other playlists when the vibe is right!
How long have you been DJing?
A little more than two years now.
Where are you from originally, and was music always a part of your life?
I’m from California originally, and 100% yes. I grew up doing musical theatre, so I was always singing and dancing. Plus in elementary school, pop radio was one of my only friends. I don’t think I’ve had my earphones out for more than an hour of my life since I got my first iPod.
Did you come to NYC to pursue the stage?
I did–I came here for drama school.
How did you fall into DJing… and how might you describe your sound today, when you’re given full freedom in the booth?
I really became obsessed with it right when I moved to the city. I started going out more and finding new DJs I liked, listened to a lot of new dance artists, and eventually started messing with DJ software on my laptop and the music I had.
I’d say my sound kinda starts with the hypnotic housey / techy beats that make you wanna dance all night, crossed with the big classic power house vocal moments from disco and pop. Basically, the space between 40 years in the past and 1000 years in the future is where my music lives!
You seem to be DJing all over town these days! You’ve played Frankie’s Pub a few times.
I have! Such a great new HK spot.
Another cute spot in that neighborhood is VERS. You’ll be there spinning a tea dance on Saturday!
Yes! I’m on a team with John Martins and Clinton Foster, who are some fantastic DJ friends of mine. We’re part of a fundraising group for Ali Forney Center. So Saturday we’re getting together at VERS for a tea party to raise money and have a good time! The theme is “Time Warp,” so we’re doing all music and looks from the 80’s 90’s and 00’s. It’s gonna be super fun, and it’s all for a really great cause!
And this is cool: Sunday will see you premiere your very own self-produced event premiere, “Rose Garden,” at 3 Dollar Bill! This will be in the same time slot as this past summer’s weekly “Ty Tea,” which you also frequently DJed.
Yes! I learned a ton from “Ty Tea.” I actually was Ty Sunderland’s production assistant for the last two seasons, so I was behind the scenes every week making sure things ran smoothly. And getting to DJ that party was definitely a big turning point for me. Now that summer’s over though, there’s usually not many tea dances and day parties that happen until the spring. The owners came to me one day and were like, “hey we want something for the fall, would you want to create an event?” It kind of felt like a lot of pressure at first, since tea dances are historically so important to our community. But the opportunity to get to do one the way I want is so, so exciting. It’ll be a great chance to work with new talent, and meet lots of new people… and of course, just to keep Sundays alive and gay!
What else is coming up for you?
Well without saying too much, I have my fingers in a couple new ideas coming in the next few months… so keep your eyes out for those!
Okay Werk! Lastly: who is the sexiest horror movie monste?
Oh wow, so many hotties to choose from! I have to go with Pinhead from Hellraiser though… how can you not say Daddy?
True, Blue!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for DJ Blue Rose Royalty, and follow him on Instagram and Twitter.
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