DJ VanCronkhite, who left behind the real estate business to become one of Atlanta’s hottest DJs, is bringing his sexy percussive sounds to the West Coast.

By John Hobbs
Photo by Harriet Leibowitz

Just seven years ago, DJ VanCronkhite was living a very conventional lifestyle as a successful real estate agent in Atlanta. But destiny had something different in store for the then 20-something realtor, whose two-lettered moniker is not just a flashy stage name—DJ actually stands for David Junior. VanCronkhite, who had been drawn to the underground dance scene since the age of 15, dreamed of fulfilling his namesake—becoming one of Atlanta’s hottest DJs.

“I did the [big] career. I did the [big] money. I just learned it’s not all about that; it’s about being happy and going after your dreams in life,” says VanCronkhite, who left behind the real estate business to pursue a career in music. “I started buying some really good equipment because I knew that was something that I loved when I was younger and thought that I would do it as a hobby. I started building a studio in my house and before I knew it, it took over like a can of worms.”

Now, at the age of 35, VanCronkhite is the resident DJ at Amsterdam in Atlanta, regularly headlines at clubs across the country, and has worked with such DJ legends as Junior Vasquez, DJ Paulo, and Victor Calderone. On Aug. 12, VanCronkhite, who has been described as one of Atlanta’s most exciting up-and-coming artists, is set to make his West Coast debut, playing San Diego’s Bacchus House, where he hopes to take partygoers on a musical journey with his unique blend of percussive tribal beats, melodic vocals, and hard-hitting samples.

“My tagline is ‘Enjoy the ride.’ I’m not into just playing songs. I really pay attention to taking people from one place to another, from the beginning of the night to the end. I look at it as a ride, a journey,” explains VanCronkhite, who likens his work as a DJ to that of a painter. “The night is like a blank canvas. Sometimes when I [begin] painting a picture, I go into it with an idea and by the time it’s done, it’s something totally different. [At the beginning of the night], I have an idea of the way the set will be and sometimes it dramatically shifts or is more enhanced, depending on where I am keying into with the audience,” he says.

It is this interplay between VanCronkhite and his audience that inspires his creativity the most. “I think as a DJ and an artist, you have to maintain the integrity of your sound and who you are, but at the same time, you’ve got to connect with the people,” he says.

Citing Danny Tenaglia, Victor Calderone, and DJ Paulo as major influences on his sound, VanCronkhite says he prays to reach the same level of artistry, a feat he might well accomplish considering his meteoric rise to success. “What I love about a DJ Paulo set is that you when hear him live, you couldn’t buy the stuff he’s doing. He’s gone and created an original set, an original piece of art. There’s just this brilliance of being able to create a live set where you’re only going to hear it if you hear him live.”

Scheduled to play from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., VanCronkhite plans to start the night off with high-energy vocal house with a lot of mainstream mixes until around 2 a.m., at which point he’ll segue into an after-hours sound with sexier percussive house music. “After hours [music] is my playground. That’s what I’m known for, so I want to key into that and see what the response is.”

DJ VanCronkhite will perform at Bacchus House, 3054 University Ave., San Diego, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Aug. 12. For more information on Bacchus House see www.bacchushouse.com. To check out DJ VanCronkhite, see www.myspace.com/vancronkhite.