Have Tunes and a Laptop, Will Travel

Authored by:

Whether he's working as a tech support associate at George Washington University or as DJ Jerry at Capital Pride and other area venues, Jerry Jones likes to keep the vibes chill.

In his Rome Hall office, where he spends the bulk of his time on campus, Jones and his colleagues help walk-ins use their electronic devices. As a freelance DJ, he helps people dance away their blues.

"There's no separating when it comes to DJing or me being here," Jones said. "To me, they're connected. I'm using everything I've learned about customer service. I take my time talking to people to understand what's happening and find out how I can help them."

His path to working in IT at GW began with a job at the Apple Store in Georgetown, where he first sold iPhones and then began repairing them, eventually learning to repair computers as well.

For the past several years, he has been moonlighting as a freelance DJ at various venues, including the Monument Stage at D.C.'s Capital Pride festival and Maryland's Live! Casino, among others.

"I'm a person who creates a vibe by selecting certain tracks, eclectic gems that you don't hear every day," Jones said. "People get tired of the songs they always hear on the radio."

His go-to tracks to get people dancing include tunes by Earth, Wind & Fire, Luther Vandross and-if asked to name a personal favorite-"Before I Let Go" by Frankie Beverly and Maze.

"I like playing a song that people love to dance and have a good time to," Jones said. "I can play for children, I can play for older people or for people in between. I'm going to try to find some way I can grab your soul and make you want to dance."

Jones got his start as a DJ when he was working as a member of the door staff at D.C.'s 9:30 Club. His big break came between live shows by the Roots, with Jones supplying recorded musical entertainment from the back of the house. He has worked more or less regularly since then, doing roughly one job every month. Working at Capital Pride, Jones said, is his favorite DJ gig.

"People at Pride treated me so well," Jones said. "I fell in love with the organization and the people. The great thing about Pride is that it's a family event, regardless of how some people might view it. It's older people, younger people and families, everyone just enjoying themselves, celebrating who they are and being real. I love it, and every year they invite me back. I always come back excited and happy."

Surefire tracks at Pride include "Electric Boogie (The Electric Slide)" and "Wobble," Jones said. As country music artists have grown more diverse in recent years, with artists such as Beyoncé and Shaboozey, cowboy line dancing has surged in popularity.

"With line dancing, everybody wants to learn it. I guarantee that people are going to take that opportunity to get off their feet and enjoy themselves."

Lil Nas X spearheaded the contemporary diversification of country music with his smash hit "Old Town Road." Jones especially likes the version of the song with Korean boy band BTS, pronouncing himself a "big fan" of K-pop.

"I'm open-format. I can go from rock to R&B to reggae, techno, dance, house music," Jones said. "I blend different songs together to make it unique. So I can go from playing Amy Winehouse to Run-D.M.C. to Michael Jackson, then go to some classic Maze and from there to something else. I just go with the vibe."

These days, Jones plays digital music loaded onto a laptop, though he started out playing CDs. Vinyl was not really an option for him. "I'm disabled-I can't use my right arm-so trying to use records is not going to work for me," he added.

While he hasn't yet DJed an event at GW, Jones said he would welcome the opportunity.

"I'm hoping one day I might have the honor."