Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Valles.
Hi Anthony, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my live music career hosting shows in 2016 and began DJing and producing in 2017. I had always loved going to concerts and festivals growing up. I loved the atmosphere and the feeling that nothing else mattered at that time except for the artist playing and the energy in that room. In 2016 I took out a business loan to purchase speakers and lights to start throwing my shows! I had little to no experience when I started, but I knew what I wanted to create and worked with like-minded people. My parents and my sister were my biggest supporters! They helped with everything from marketing to planning to booking and everything in between. Everything changed in 2017 when my parents bought me my first DJ controller for Christmas. When Djing, I go by Switchbladedave. After getting it, I stayed up every night practicing till about 2 or 3 am and learning off youtube. I had my first DJ gig at a Wedding that February, and since then, my career has taken off! I have had the honor to DJ for the Spurs, Rampage, and Rodeo at the AT&T Center, have done many city events, performed for EDC’s (Electric Daisy Carnival) Live Stream, performed at SXSW (South by South West) and played in cities all over from Austin to Dallas, to El Paso, to Denver, to Los Angeles, to Mc Allen, to San Marcos, and of course, San Antonio! I joined a team and created Vivid Productions, where we hosted and kicked off the EDM scene here in San Antonio! We worked hard together and brought the touring artist to our city! Since learning to DJ, I have helped create an EDM scene in San Antonio! Now, you can find me DJing all over Texas and usually a mix of genres at these shows. I love Texas and the scene and am happy to be a part of it!
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Just like any other business, growth is not a linear path. The Covid Pandemic was the biggest roadblock I ran into. I went from throwing and DJing shows at packed clubs to being limited to live streams in my kitchen. It was a tough time for everyone in the nightlife industry. Club owners, bouncers, DJs, bartenders, promoters, and everyone else in the scene was hit hard. I worked with DJ Tone to raise money by doing live streams and donating it to nightlife workers who Covid impacted. As a team, Vivid Productions worked to create live streams in a garage to keep our activity up and to create a space for people to enjoy the music in the safety of their own homes. The Insomniac team announced they were holding a competition for DJs to be featured on their EDC live stream. This company and festival are the biggest in Electronic Dance Music. I remember signing up and recording it in my friend’s garage. A few days later, the Insomniac team emailed me and booked me to perform for their live stream. It was a dream come true!
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Djing, like any other art form, is very fluid. There is always new music coming out and countless genres to pick from. In my DJ sets, I like to mix everything from early 2000’s hip hop, cumbias, house, jersey club, and everything in between. I pride myself on being able to mix seamlessly between genres. I learned by taking gigs outside my comfort zone and pushing through. I DJ for a country music festival where I had to mix 5 hours of country music! It was a challenge, but I mixed country in my sets. When performing, I bring all my energy to the stage. You can see me jumping around, dancing, singing songs, and engaging with the crowd. I strive to have party-driven energy with me whenever I DJ. It creates a space for everyone to sing, dance, and have fun!
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I love to give flowers to everybody! First off, a Huge thank you to my family. My mom, dad, and sister have been the biggest supporters of my journey. They are at every show and help me promote! I have no idea where I would be if it weren’t for them. They push me to be my best and are always honest with feedback. They helped me curate a brand and make merch to sell. The looks on their faces when I get big bookings and seeing them dance in the crowd helps me keep pushing through this industry. Second, I would like to give credit to the Vivid team and the Quick Strike team. Matt for helping organize everything and plan everything. He was the head of operations for both teams. David, thank you for being the best light tech in Texas and always supporting me. Koop for being a fantastic big bro and role model for me. All the techs from Quickstrike and Vivid have helped with this project: Chris, Justin, Gavin, M4rtini, Eddie, Marcus, Jorge, and everyone else! I watched DJ TLM on youtube to learn how to DJ, so a huge shoutout to him for teaching me what I know! I would love to shout out a countless list of venues and DJs, but it takes up too much space! If we have ever worked together, you’re always in my heart!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/switchbladedave/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012572884046
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/switchbladedave?lang=en
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/submarinedave
