Wow!!! I had such a great time chatting with my good friend Annika Johnson of Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant & Butik , for her latest episode of Door County Girl. We talked about how I started my vintage music mobile DJ service, how I got into magic and how my family and I ended up moving to Door County, Wisconsin. And, I revealed what I have learned about the magic connection to Ephraim, Wisconsin. Please check it out!

I was excited to see my talk on the history of 78 rpm records at the Sturgeon Bay Library get a shout out from The Peninsula Pulse! The talk was well attended and everyone was so engaged and asked so many great questions that we went almost hour over the scheduled time! If you’d like to see one of my talks or listening parties, check out the full list of upcoming events here or below.

I’m delighted to announce a series of gigs at one of my favorite new Door County traditions, the magical Chistkindlmarkt at Sister Bay’s Corner of the Past Museum. I’ll be spinning crowd-pleasing favorites from my collection of rare holiday music on vinyl and shellac. Come join us from 3-5pm Friday November 25 & Saturday November 26, Saturday December 3rd, and Friday December 9 & Saturday December 10.

Learn more about the Christmas market at www.doorcountychristmasmarket.com

Wassail!

On September 28th, I was honored and delighted to be part of the centennial celebration of the newly restored Bayside Tavern in Fish Creek, Wisconsin. The MacDonald family, who have owned the beloved bar since 1975, recently removed the ‘70s-era mansard roof to reveal and restore the original facade of the historic building, which was originally a school house, then an ice cream and soda parlor, a pool hall, Bill’s Tavern in 1934, eventually becoming the Bayside Tavern.

I played 1920s jazz on 78rpm records and the Cherryland A’s brought out their awesome collection of Model A cars. There were historic photos and artifacts and great stories that illustrated how the building and the tavern have been the heart of the community as a gathering place for many generations.

Thanks so much to the Bayside Tavern, Bobby MacDonald, Town of Gibraltar Historical Society, and everyone who came out to celebrate 100 years of the Bayside Tavern building. It was a truly fun and heartwarming event!

David Watkins DJ playing 1920s jazz at the Bayside Tavern Centennial with a 1920s Model A from the Cherryland A’s

What a blast to open the season with an outdoor gig in front of a beautifully restored vintage trailer! I got to spin an all 45s set on May 6th for the open house and flea market at Heather Weasler’s gorgeous Drömhus office and event space in Sturgeon Bay, WI. Drömhus is a lovingly remodeled church in the heart of Sturgeon Bay. You can see pictures of the interior here. Thank you Heather and everyone who stopped by!

Since moving to beautiful Door County, Wisconsin last September I’ve enjoyed getting to know the people of this wonderful community. I especially love learning about Door County history. I also got to spin some vintage pop, soul, and R&B sets on 45rpm and 78rpm records for several fun private events and the grand opening celebration for the newly revamped Fish Creek Beach. See photos below, with more to come!