Explaining My Drama With The Hottest DJ In The World Right Now, John Summit, And Wondering Why Dave Loves To Come After Me

Dante4/25/2025 2:45 PM

So this past Tuesday I may have said, possibly a little yipped up on a few too Stella Blue Coffee's, that I’m a better "DJ" than John Summit.

Predictably, that stirred the pot, because Summit is one of those "once-in-a-generation" music types who basically eats Ableton for breakfast and shits out Grammy-worthy hits by lunch.

But let me explain why I wasn’t actually talking shit and why my comparison wasn't as insane as it sounds.

First off, John is the man.

I have nothing but respect and admiration for him, (more on this further down), and think the world of him. Watching his journey the past few years, knowing him before he blew up to the point he's arguably the biggest name in the DJ world right now, and seeing how hard he's worked his ass off to get there, is really something incredible.

(Sidebar and humble brag here - I was early on Summit like I was early on Portnoy and this company. So early, in fact, that Barstool Backstage was one of the very first "media" interviews John ever did way back in the day, backstage before he played his first ever show at Brooklyn Mirage. He was such a great dude back then and it's great to see he hasn't changed one bit since.)

(Sidebar to the sidebar - he also had a couple more people show up for his set at The Mirage than I did for mine when I got to "open" for ~~the barbacks and security~~ Shaq there)

Back to the blog. Sorry. Without sounding like DJing is curing cancer, let me try to explain where I was coming from as easy as possible via a metaphor: being a "DJ" and being a "Producer" aren't necessarily the same thing.

Think of it like making a meal.

A DJ is essentially a chef. You take the freshest ingredients you can find, maybe some fancy expensive spices from the back of the cupboard, and you mix and match and whip it all up into something delicious.

The ingredients? That's the music.

The tracks that someone else painstakingly created. The meal you create with them? That’s your set. Your mix.

Through the technology of today, you are able to tweak songs and sounds of all sorts, doing things artists in the analog era could only dream of. "Remixing" on the fly is not only possible, but it's also easy to do thanks to programs and hardware that are as common and household a name like Serato and Pioneer.

Even if I don't create an original song, as a "dj", with some years and basic skills under my belt, I am able to "edit" a song to add my own flair or style to it, to make it stand out, and separate myself from the rest of the pack. Just as a chef adds their signature touch to a specific ingredient or dish.

A producer, though? They're like the farmer.

And not some hack globalist supporter, Bill Gates funded corporate farmer. We're talking mom and pop, grass fed, anti-Monsanto, organic as fuck, manure fertilized farmer.

They’re out there planting seeds, raising livestock, sweating bullets day and night, bringing new life into existence from nothing but their blood, sweat, and synth pads.

Farming ain't easy.

Growing tracks from scratch is art in its purest form, and guys like Summit are basically the music industry's answer to organic farmers. Everything they touch are straight-up USDA- Prime certified bangers.

Then you've got your super-producer DJs. The unicorns of the electronic music world. Who are absolute freaks of nature in both respects.

Skrillex, for example, is basically the equivalent of the Thomas Keller of electronic music. The Michelin-star mastermind behind The French Laundry. Guy can grow heirloom tomatoes and then whip up a meal that leaves everyone drooling.

Summit? He’s getting pretty damn close to that level, cooking up certified classics while also playing sets that could resurrect a dead dance floor.

But Skrillex is the best technical DJ, That I've ever seen. Somebody who actually DJs when he's up there on stage. Who doesn't play pre-recorded sets, and is fucking incredible skills wise. Who also is duly talented, and has produced some of the biggest songs of all time.

As for me?

Well, let’s call a spade a spade here. I’m more like the line cook at your local Chili’s.

Sure, I can assemble a decent dish, maybe even sprinkle on some flair, but let's not pretend I am (was) revolutionizing cuisine here. At the end of the day, I’m still just playing other people’s music- sourcing the best tracks, blending beats, riding the wave of someone else's talent. It’s fun, it’s entertaining, but it sure as hell ain’t rocket science.

So yeah, when I said I was a "better DJ" than Summit, I meant it in the "I can whip up decent scrambled eggs without setting the kitchen on fire" kind of way. But I was consistent. I always showed up to work. I busted my ass, and always over-delivered.

But, that said, Summit’s out there cultivating the farm, mastering his craft, and killing it at a level I could only dream of, especially at his ridiculously young age.

Like I said when Dan asked me, he's a genius. A legit brilliant mind when it comes to composing electronic music. And if you don’t believe me, listen to one of his sets. It's the musical equivalent of dining at The French Laundry, while I’m just hoping my appetizer combo platter doesn’t get sent back to kitchen.

(Sidebar - Not to mention, I owe Summit big time. For life. He nicknamed my club in Cleveland "The Ibiza Of The Midwest", after I booked him to play there, back in 2022, before he exploded. He had such a good time performing there, that we ended up being one of the very few non-festivals in the country that were able to book him since he became a megastar.

The guy is headlining and closing out any and every music festival around the globe now, so landing him in little old Cleveland because he personally wanted to come play for us there, was a huge honor. One we ended up winning a big award for at the EDM Awards in Las Vegas.)

So thank you for everything John. Love you amigo.

P.S. - We ran it back, winning the award again this past year for our lineup once again. This time being nominated for the one and only Timmy Trumpet.

p.p.s. - be on the lookout for Big Cat at ARC this summer. You heard it here first.

Also- John did a hell of a job at Wrigley yesterday -

Didn't air mail it, and more importantly he didn't scuff it or skip it. Great advice given to him by The Yak.

As for "Take Me Out To The Ballgame"? Let's just say Calvin Harris' job is safe.

p.p.p.s. - I miss Will Burge. Hell of a guy, and an even better writer.

p.p.p.p.s. - I don't know why Dave feels the need to come after me, but it's good to know we have men who are supportive team players, like Kirk and Whitney around here. Thank you guys.

Also, for as what a self-proclaimed smart guy Dave is, I don't know when he is going to figure out that I've gone my entire life being fueled by proving people wrong who talk shit, and say I can't do something. Sure I'm not the smartest guy in the world, or even close to it, or the most talented, but I will outwork and outlast anybody. He scoffed and talked shit when I started writing here when the pandemic closed all my bars and clubs. Then a year later gave me the only compliment he''s ever given me in the 20 years I've known him, after Coley presented me the "rookie of the year award".

Now Dave’s doing what Dave does, with The Daily Rundown thing I decided to take a stab at.

What kind of boss dissuades their workforce from taking initiative, and doing actual work? Or maybe Dave is as smart as he claims to be, and this has all been going according to his plan all along?