DJ Smalls · Open Format · New York City
ANYONE CAN PLAY SONGS. DJ SMALLS PLAYS MOMENTS.
DJ Smalls is the corporate event DJ New York City companies trust — an open-format DJ and event host with 20+ years of live performance across NFL stadiums, network television, and luxury brand activations.
DJ Smalls is an open-format event DJ and host who controls the full energy arc of an event — from the warmup to the after-party — using a calibrated musical instinct built across 20+ years of live performance. Most DJs bring a setlist. Aaron brings a calibrated instinct. The result isn’t just great sound. It’s a room that moves together.
DJ Smalls · In Action
ANY GENRE. ANY CROWD. ANY ROOM.
These days everyone’s a DJ. DJ Smalls is the one they call when the experience has to be (say it with me)… legendary.
The DJ Who Broke the Fourth Wall
Most DJs stand behind the booth. That booth is a wall.
When you watch a movie, there’s a fourth wall between you and the screen. You observe. You don’t participate. A DJ booth can create that same sense of distance. Not because the music isn’t working, but because there’s a physical barrier between the person creating the energy and the people receiving it. The connection is real. It just stays on one side of the room.
Aaron removes that barrier entirely. Using remote technology to control his setup from anywhere in the room, he steps out from behind the decks and goes where the energy needs him. Center stage. Down into the crowd. Face to face with the people who came to feel something.
The difference is immediate. You can see it in the room. Some people open up — shoulders drop, they lean in, they start to move. Some close off a little, because they sense they might get called out. Both reactions mean the same thing: they’re present. They’re in it. Not watching a show. Being part of one. IRL. Kinetic. Real.
That’s the shift. From spectator to participant. From audience to community.
On the Decks
Not a Setlist. A Vocabulary.
THE ROOM ALWAYS TELLS YOU WHAT IT NEEDS. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER YOU CAN HEAR IT.
Most DJs have a format. A collection of songs that works. A safe path through the night. Aaron has a vocabulary.
Open format. Vast range. Top 40 to classic rock, Motown to EDM, deep house to funk, disco to hip-hop — and everything in between. Twenty years of rooms that demanded something different every time. NFL stadiums. Network television stages. A multi-city tour that required a different sound in every city — Atlanta called for hip-hop and R&B, Mission Texas called for Tejano, Tennessee called for country. Same tour. Completely different musical language each time. Aaron delivered all of it.
The real skill isn’t knowing what people love. It’s knowing what they don’t know they love yet — and building the bridge between the unfamiliar and the familiar. That moment when a track they’ve never heard lands perfectly because it’s sitting right next to a classic they grew up with. That’s not a setlist. That’s musical intelligence. That’s what two decades of reps actually builds.
The goal was never to be the DJ who knows every song. It was to be the DJ who knows which moment belongs right now.
Twenty Tues
RECENT MIXES
One Person. Two Skills. Zero Seams.
WHEN THE DJ AND THE HOST SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE, THE ROOM FEELS IT.
When one person holds both the mic and the music, the entire energy arc of your event runs on a single thread. The warmup, the speaker walks, the award moments, the transitions, the after-party. One continuous flow. No restarts. The energy just builds.
The music sets the tone before the first speaker walks on. The host carries it through every moment in between. The DJ closes the night in the same key it opened. Your audience experiences all of it as one seamless thing — because it is.
Producers and event planners consistently say the same thing: show Aaron where he needs to be, and let him work. No micromanagement. No coordination between vendors. No energy gap between the music and the moment. He takes the brief. He honors the vision. He makes it real for the room.
“Aaron creates authentic, personal connections that amplify an audience’s relationship with the brand. He takes them from simply watching and learning to participating and experiencing.” — Sam Port, Creative Director, Proscenium Events
The Honest Conversation
You can buy a belt at Target or you can buy one at Gucci. They both hold up your pants. But they don’t present the same way. And they don’t carry the same value.
A live band brings something real and meaningful. Their own interpretations, their own presence, their own chemistry. If a band is right for your event, that’s a valid and powerful choice.
What Aaron brings is different. Infinite range that moves with the room. A musical instinct that ebbs and flows with the night rather than running on a fixed set. Songs that serve the moment they’re in, not just the moment they were planned for. One person, one contract, one point of contact, and a read-the-room intelligence that no setlist can replicate.
The music doesn’t run parallel to your event. It lives inside it.
The question isn’t band or DJ. The question is what level of intention do you want behind every musical decision of the night.
Where DJ Smalls Has Set the Tone
Corporate conferences and galas
NFL and major stadium events
Brand activations and product launches
Network TV productions
Private luxury events and VIP dinners
Multi-city tours and experiential campaigns
Award ceremonies and after-parties
Concerts and live performance openers
Open format. Any genre. Any room. Any crowd.
Trusted by the Brands That Know the Difference
clients
NFL · Visa · T-Mobile · Coca-Cola · Mercedes-Benz · American Express · Marriott Bonvoy · SAP · Equinox · Disney · Nickelodeon · Food Network · FIFA · UPS Store
Television
Kelly Clarkson Show · America’s Got Talent · So You Think You Can Dance · I Can See Your Voice · The Bachelor · All New Double Dare
Word on the Street
“Aaron is one of those individuals who just has that star quality. Infectious high energy, good humor, and great taste in music on the decks. My team was particularly impressed with Aaron’s ability to emcee AND DJ at the same time. Great agency to collab with. 12/10 recommend.”
Britt Simone — Executive Support, Chief of Staff in Training
“I finally saw Aaron’s magic in person. He’s exceptional. Not just a DJ or emcee, he’s a collaborator, a storyteller, and the kind of talent you want back again and again.”
Jeremy Dobrish — Senior Creative Director, Proscenium Events
“Aaron Smalls is a powerhouse emcee. He empowered our audience to be ALL IN and engaged for the entire event. He is a complete professional and a joy to work with.”
Allison Maslan — CEO, Pinnacle Global Network
let’s set the tone
YOUR EVENT DESERVES A DJ WHO CREATES MOMENTS, NOT JUST MUSIC.
Whether it’s a stadium, a private dinner, or a multi-day corporate conference — the right music, delivered by the right person, changes what your audience feels and carries home. Let’s talk about your event.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “open format” actually mean?
Open format means Aaron isn’t locked into one genre. Top 40, hip-hop, classic rock, Motown, Latin, EDM, he reads the crowd and moves between them to keep the floor alive. It’s a musical vocabulary built over 20 years of rooms that each wanted something different.
Can I request specific songs or share a playlist?
Absolutely. Send your must-plays and your do-not-plays ahead of time and Aaron builds around them. The difference is he won’t just press play on a list. He reads the room live and adjusts in real time, so your requests land at the right moment instead of killing the energy.
Does Aaron bring his own sound and equipment?
It depends on the venue and event size, and it’s part of the conversation when you book. Some rooms already have production, others need everything brought in. Tell Aaron the venue and headcount and he’ll tell you exactly what’s needed so there are no surprises on the day.
Can Aaron DJ and host the same event?
Yes, that’s one of his signatures. Instead of hiring a DJ and a host separately, you get one person controlling both the mic and the music, so transitions are seamless and the energy never drops in the handoff between moments.
What kinds of events does DJ Smalls play?
Corporate parties, brand activations, galas, conferences, product launches, and private celebrations. He’s spun for NFL, Visa, and FIFA crowds and for tight private rooms. Wherever the goal is a floor that fills and stays full, that’s the lane.
How do I get a quote?
Every booking is quoted individually, because the right number depends on the details: how long you need Aaron, the location and travel involved, the number of days, and whether you want him to host as well as DJ. Reach out with your date and the scope and you’ll get a straight answer fast.
Ready to talk? contact@aaronsmalls.com