22 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 5-11, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com since those who went to hear its original form would be guests in someone’s home. This music was largely underground in the 1970s because it was played by marginalized groups like the Black and gay populations in New York City, where someone—a disc jockey— would bring records to share. Streaming and AI seek to replicate this in the 21st century, curating playlists based on the listener’s history and similar artists. But removing the human element has led to a rebellion of sorts. Members of Gen-Z and millennial generations choose to discover music through records, CDs and cassette tapes, and the only way to share physical media is to experience it in a physical space. “There’s always been a culture here, but it’s never had any attention,” says Ramirez, who has been DJing with vinyl since 2019. He believes the legacy of live music from the Monterey Pop and Monterey Jazz festivals lends its influence to the rising DJ scene in Monterey County. DJing isn’t limited to analog, but even in digital form stands in contrast to algorithmic playlists. Since new ownership took over the Cannery Row sports bar The Salty Seal last year, the venue has been holding regular electronic dance music nights, featuring local DJs like Joey Camacho, Tiko Sanchez and Frank Padilla, aka Edison Tesla. Camacho says the nights can draw in anywhere from 100-200 young people to dance. “You can go into a room of strangers and connect with them through EDM,” Camacho says. The music is paired with colorful neon lights that match bass intensity as the songs play. Music heard at The Salty Seal usually falls into the Top 40 category, curated to the environment. Camacho says DJing is like conducting an orchestra. Songs are the medium and attendees are the movements—but it depends on the space they’re in, which the DJ creates. A growing number of those spaces and local DJs are modernizing this way of connecting to others through music, and in some cases preserving the stories behind it. Bud’s at La Playa Hotel in Carmel is host to the Fadeaway sessions, booked by production company FolkYeah. The event brings DJs in to set the vibe of Bud’s bar with a threehour music set on Thursday nights, and gives them a complimentary stay for the night. Ramirez and Terndrup are both alumni of those vinyl sessions, joining world renowned music talent like British goth rocker David J. of Bauhaus, who spun a set a week before Terndrup’s last gig. The DJ sets up in a corner by the dimly lit bar, intermingling with attendees who often come up to the turntable to ask about the records they’re playing. Terndrup’s selection for his night included some obscure rare tracks that fit the classy vibe of the bar, but with an intent. In one instance, Terndrup brought out a rare Bob Darin record, bearing the same name as the artist known as Bobby Darin, famous for the song “Somewhere Beyond the Sea.” But this record is a different side of Darin, and Terndrup explains why he chooses it for this session. “In the ’60s, I think [Darin] was going through some troubles and he relocated to Big Sur,” Terndrup explains. Darin got into the weird party scene in Big Sur and put out a country funk record under the pseudonym Bob Darin. “It was a totally different vocal delivery than what you get from a crooner record,” he says. Ramirez adds, “We like the hits but we also like to slide things in that are In addition to curating playlists for restaurants, Gwynneth Alldis DJs a signature event called Italo-Discoteque, featuring music inspired from her time in Florence, Italy. Left: Dan Terndrup aka DJ Daniel T. “digs” for vinyl records to play during sets. Right: DJs play and mix music through digital or analog turntables. The mixers enable them to queue songs, blend beats and seamlessly transition during their sets.
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