Inside the Booth with Longtime DJ at Buckhead’s Iconic Nightclub
A night at Johnny’s Hideaway just wouldn’t be the same without the irresistible music that keeps the dance floor packed, courtesy of the famed nightclub’s DJ Spencer Pearson.
Pearson has been working at Johnny’s since 2000, but his career began behind the bar and didn’t transition to the DJ booth until 2005. Although he left Johnny’s temporarily in 2002 to go to audio engineering school in New York, he always kept his connection to the club and its previous DJ Jack Pena.
“Going to Johnny’s is like going to a wedding reception except you’re in this nostalgic room that has its own personality,” Pearson says.
Johnny’s has a standard that it is known for when it comes to music, it is what Pearson describes as the “meat and potatoes”– timeless songs like “YMCA,” “Love Shack,” “September,” “Footloose” and “Sweet Home Alabama.”
While Pearson says he uses a variety format, old-school funk and disco often dominate the playlist at Johnny’s. But his overall methodology is based on reading the room and rotating the dance floor. He’s constantly looking for different indicators throughout the night: Is there a big group of girls that wants to hear ABBA? Are the people at the bar just socializing? Are there regulars that I recognize who will appreciate a specific song?
Pearson points out that he cannot maintain a dance vibe without at least half of the room filled, and the earlier evening hours are more difficult, so he makes a point to play songs that always convince the crowd to dance. The songs that are guaranteed to get guests moving include hits from ABBA, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, KC and The Sunshine Band, and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
“We find the songs that aren’t going anywhere anytime soon and formulate around that,” he says. “Recognizability is key. Weekend nights especially have a life of their own, and sometimes the guests are there for the standards and are not in the mindset for anything else. But other nights, I can feel when the whole crowd is on the same wavelength, the energy is clicking, and they’ll be more accepting of songs I don’t normally play.”
Pearson refers to these songs as testers and reserves them for times when he knows they will hit right. For example, he has fond memories of times when the crowd went wild for “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits or “Kangaroo Court” by Capital Cities, but those flashbacks remind him of why some songs just cannot be mainstays and why he must always think on his feet. His strategy is based on three to four songs at a time rather than just one, and he notes that as the night evolves, different people bring a different energy to the room.
“Feeling a groove is something you want to avoid as a DJ at Johnny’s,” Pearson explains. “It’s all about paying attention to where you’ve been and how long you’ve been there. Once I’ve played four to five funk or disco songs, I have to think about a transition. Whether that’s a ballad or a country song or 70s Southern rock, which all make for great bridge music, I try to create anticipation with the song itself. Then you can see the rotation happening.”
When asked what he loves most about working at Johnny’s, Pearson says the ownership and the indirect attachment to the community are the best parts. “Chris D’Auria is like my second family; he’s a solid guy to work for and always takes care of his people. When COVID hit, I felt like I had lost something because I couldn’t be at Johnny’s seeing guests come in for us. Watching the room from the booth offers this weird and wonderful connection to the community.”
Johnny’s Hideaway is located at 3771 Roswell Road NE in Atlanta. For updates on the restaurant and upcoming events, follow Johnny’s Hideaway on Instagram and Facebook. For additional information, call 404-233-8026 or visit johnnyshideaway.com.
