Owen was ready to have a good time at his Portland Bar Mitzvah held on Saturday, April 21, 2018 at Norse Hall in Northeast Portland, Oregon. In fact, he was doing dance routines during the background music while his friends were still eating 🙂
 
Guests arrived around 5pm and the food was out before 6. A short time later, Owen introduced family and friends to come up for his candle lighting. Open flame was not allowed at this venue, so each battery-powered candle was just switched on.
 
Owen’s Portland Bar Mitzvah Candle Lighting Ceremony Music:

• Sentimental Journey – Doris Day
• Have I Told You Lately – Rod Stewart
• Happy Together – The Turtles
• Thunder – Imagine Dragons
• Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode
• Boom Boom Pow – The Black Eyed Peas
• Footloose – Kenny Loggins
• Pump It Up – Elvis Costello
• Twist and Shout – The Beatles
• On Top of the World – Imagine Dragons
• Count on Me – Bruno Mars
• Sunday Girl (French version) – Blondie
• New York Groove – KISS (Ace Frehley)

Following the candle lighting, we went right to the games for the kids that included two crazy rounds of the scavenger hunt. Owen almost won that second round, finishing as runner-up.
 
After a short video in the lounge, everyone returned to the main room for dancing that began with “The Hora” and chair raising.
 


 
From there, adults and kids danced for almost three hours to fun hit songs like “Billie Jean” and “Can’t Stop The Feeling,” along with family favorites “Saturday Night” by the Bay City Rollers, plus Owen’s favorites from local band Portugal. The Man and more.
 

 
Mazel Tov Owen and thank you mom Paige for again choosing PRO DJs. I was the DJ at sister Flora’s Bat Mitzvah in 2016.
 

 
Jack was fired up for his Urban Studio Portland Bar Mitzvah held on Saturday, December 16, 2017.
 
As the adults gathered in the bar area above the main room, I played about 45 minutes of background music before entertaining the kids with games, including ‘Name That Tune’ and two wild rounds of the scavenger hunt. Jack did a great job judging each item and keeping his friends in line.
 
Dinner followed in the main room and after the kids finished eating, they followed me to the bar area for more games. I didn’t have my music or a microphone, but the small space allowed for a fun balloon stuffing contest and the limbo.
 
After the adults finished eating, we all returned to the main room for dancing that began with “The Hora” and chair raising.
 

 
The cool accent lighting and graffiti backdrop was conducive to a great party and most guests (adults and kids) danced the night away to the smash hits, such as “Uptown Funk,” “Cha Cha Slide,” “Can’t Stop The Feeling” and more.
 


 
Mazel Tov Jack and thank you mom Deborah for choosing PRO DJs.
 
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:

• Event Date: Saturday, December 16, 2017
• Event Type: Bar Mitzvah
• Event Location: Urban Studio
• Event Staff: Rich Ellis
• Quality of Customer Service via Telephone: Excellent
• Quality of Customer Service via Internet: Excellent
• Quality of Customer Service at Event: Excellent
• Friendliness of your Entertainer: Excellent
• Promptness of your Entertainer: Excellent
• Professionalism of your Entertainer: Excellent
• Entertainer’s Performance: Excellent
• Entertainer’s Appearance: Excellent
• System Appearance: Excellent
• Sound Quality: Excellent
• Overall Volume Levels: Excellent
• Music Selection: Excellent
• Incorporation of Your Requests: Excellent
• Lighting Effects: Excellent
• Equipment Appearance: Excellent
• Overall Customer Service: Excellent
• Planning Assistance: Excellent
• Entertainer’s Cooperation with Other Vendors: Excellent
• Overall Performance Rating: Excellent
• Would you recommend this service to others? Yes

 
It was officially Heshy’s MJCC Bar Mitzvah party on Saturday, October 21, 2017 at Mittleman Jewish Community Center in Southwest Portland, but he wanted his good friend David, who was also having a birthday the same week, to be a part of his celebration.
 
As guests arrived, I played a variety of background music hits from artists such as OneRepublic, Adele and Imagine Dragons. There was much to do for the kids in the lobby area, including a mechanical bull and balloon clown.
 


 
The photo booth was conveniently located next to the dance floor in the main ballroom. After dinner, I got the dance floor going for generation next with many of the latest hits, including Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Humble,’ ‘Passion Fruit’ from Heshy’s favorite artist Drake and the hot new track ‘Mi Gente’ from J Balvin and Willy William. A short time later the adults joined in as we launched into ‘The Hora’ and dual chair raising.
 

 
Mazel Tov Heshy and David and thank you Heshy’s parents Sandy and Adam for choosing PRO DJs.
 
Post Event Satisfaction Survey:
 
“We were so happy with how things turned out!! Thank you for working with us on the special Hora dances and separating the dances/songs. It was very nice.” -Sandy Nemer (Heshy’s Bar Mitzvah)

• Event Date: Saturday, October 21, 2017
• Event Type: Bar Mitzvah
• Event Location: MJCC
• Event Staff: Rich Ellis
• Quality of Customer Service via Telephone: Excellent
• Quality of Customer Service via Internet: Excellent
• Quality of Customer Service at Event: Excellent
• Friendliness of your Entertainer: Excellent
• Promptness of your Entertainer: Excellent
• Professionalism of your Entertainer: Excellent
• Entertainer’s Performance: Excellent
• Entertainer’s Appearance: Excellent
• System Appearance: Excellent
• Sound Quality: Excellent
• Overall Volume Levels: Excellent
• Music Selection: Excellent
• Incorporation of Your Requests: Excellent
• Lighting Effects: Excellent
• Equipment Appearance: Excellent
• Overall Customer Service: Excellent
• Planning Assistance: Excellent
• Entertainer’s Cooperation with Other Vendors: Excellent
• Overall Performance Rating: Excellent
• Would you recommend this service to others? Yes

 
Salem Bar Mitzvah DJ Rich Ellis performed at Nathan’s Bar Mitzvah party on Saturday, July 8, 2017 in the Croisan Creek Room at the Salem Convention Center in Salem, Oregon. This event began at 7pm with dinner background music.
 

 
The room handled the 100+ guests comfortably for dinner and dancing, but there wasn’t enough room for some of the games. I noticed another (empty) room adjacent to this one and checked to see if we could use it temporarily. And so all the kids joined me there for rousing versions of Coke & Pepsi and Running Tic Tac Toe.
 
We then returned to the main ballroom for one more game that the parents could watch and be involved with, a scavenger hunt, before opening the dance floor with ‘The Hora’ and chair raising.
 


 
Nathan’s family really wanted their guests to dance and posted signs around the room encourging everyone to participate.
 


 
There was no need to worry though as most everyone joined in the fun and danced to a variety of fun hit music… everything from ‘Happy’ and ‘Uptown Funk’ to ‘Play That Funky Music’ and the ‘Cha Cha Slide’. Nathan loves to rock though and his requests for Green Day and Fall Out Boy were well received, plus his metal-loving grandmother was super excited to dance to Judas Priest’s ‘Livin’ After Midnight’ 🙂
 

 
Mazel Tov Nathan and thank you parents Deb and Mike for choosing PRO DJs.