Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/753327
You heard it here first: DJ Brek.One is going places—mostly in the night, and always with a playlist. The UMass Amherst graduate never imagined making a living out of deejaying, nor did he predict utilizing a social media platform on which his fans and competitors—he currently has more than 2,000 followers—could study his every move. But now, the unimaginable is coming to life. The recipe: I mix it up. When I started, no one would play a Red Hot Chili Peppers song, then Stevie Wonder, then Kanye, then Prince, and just throw everything out there in one party. I play musical icons. Good music is ageless music. THE CROWDSOURCER BREK.ONE | MUSIC @brekone Owning the night: I'm probably like the top-booked guy in the city at this point. I play all the major venues: Royal, Bijou, Cure, Good Life, and Middlesex will forever have a place in my heart. I was the music curator for the W hotel. I also played for Pharrell in Vegas, and for Kanye and Jay Z for the Watch the Throne tour. Virtual socializing: I look to make my social media my brand [for] when you can't speak to me [directly]. It's colorful, very particular, and specific. I want people to understand that I'm delivering the highest quality of product. It's chosen, mindful; it may be in-the-moment, but it's still representative of me 10 years from now. My end goal is creating bespoke and very real experiences. Musical outlets: I'm actually a huge jazz fan. I'll hit Wally's Café (wallyscafe.com) and Scullers in Cambridge (scullersjazz.com). I love to hear other DJs at Middlesex, because they're like a neighborhood nightclub that's not the neighborhood nightclub. Style raves: I am definitely a sneaker freak! I love Concepts (cncpts.com) and Bodega (bdgastore.com). My favorite new store now is All Too Human (alltoohumanboston.com). For more on Brek.One's best of Boston, go to bostoncommon-magazine.com. . opposite page, clockwise from top left: Holly Nichols shows off a paper cut-out of one of her fashion illustrations during an open-door helicopter ride with Hover Boston; a typical day in the studio includes sketching with Copic markers; another cut-out, this time at the MFA; using the Procreate app on her iPad Pro, Nichols digitally sketched a dress inspired by Zac Posen's illuminated Met Gala gown for Claire Danes. this page, clockwise from above: Brek.One (left) poses with Max Moss in Chatham, Cape Cod, where he deejayed the Keel Vodka Summer Kick-Off Party; spinning at Boston's Icon nightclub in a Dries Van Noten suit; at Tunnel nightclub after a Hannibal Buress show with Manny Sarkis and Omar Elsherif of Boston Brothers Promotions.