Giant City is one of Austin's favorite bands. They have a hot jazz / new orleans jazz sound with a phenomenal ability to play a wide
range of tempos and feels. They've made many an Austin dance event rock, including the Austin Lindy Exchange and Lone Star
Championships last year.
"Giant City is comprised of consummate professional musicians that live, speak, and breathe the music they play and impart the genuine
care and love they feel for the genre into every performance. The sound of Giant City Jazz is always fresh, exciting, and alive. Each
Giant City performance is a fun filled and family oriented event that inspires dancers to dance, lovers to cuddle, and true lovers of
jazz to rejoice."
- Edward Hayes, Legend
Giant City at ALX:
DJs
Thain Maurer
Thain has been dancing and DJing for the past 8+ years. His music energizes dancers and he is always a crowd favorite. He is known for his great music finds and always keeps the crowd happy with an unexpected song.
Steven "Dr. Feelgood" Watkins
Steven, a.k.a. Dr. Feelgood, originally hails from New York City, but Steven now calls San Francisco/Oakland home! He started dancing in 1998, and he began his Blues DJing career at his other adopted home - you guessed it - St. Louis' Cheap Thrills 2004. Since then, Dr. Feelgood has been thrilled to be spreading his love for the Blues, with some smooth, gritty, sultry music, coupled with a great sense of musical timing.
Chance Bushman
Chance Bushman has taught, competed, and performed nationally and internationally but considers himself a social dancer first and foremost. Currently, he and his dance parter Amy Johnson perform with two bands: The Loose Marbles in New Orleans and The Red Hot Feetwarmers in New York.
Tina "Sweet T" Davis
Tina started doing the DJ thang in 2003 in the great state of Florida and now calls Texas her home, living in Dallas and making occasional jaunts to Austin.
Tina spins a mix of styles for her Lindy, Blues and occasional West Coast sets, but it's all gotta have a little "ass" to it. In addition to spinning at exchanges and events across the U.S. and Canada, she's also been known to help organize events like the Austin Blues Party and teach at Blues Boot Camp (Dallas) in her copious free time.
You can check out www.SweetTProductions.com for more info on her exploits.
Leah Ekstrom
Leah has been DJing in Houston and Texas for many years. She has contributed to numerous events such as Lindyfest, ILHC, and of course Lone Star Championships!
Jerry Warwick
Jerry "The Original" Warwick proudly claims the title of the Original Dallas DJ, though he now shares his city with several other national Blues DJs. His love and passion for the music and the dance are evident in his sets. He manages to keep the music solid and entertaining, plus has been also known to throw a few curve balls into his sets.
George "DJ Whitey" White
George has been djing in the Austin and Houston areas for 6 years and during that time he has djed at the Austin and Houston Exchanges, Great Southwest Lindyfest and the Seattle Exchange. He specializes in Classic swing era music but he has been known to spin a few modern tracks. He is afraid of ninjas.
Matt "MooCow" Jones
Matt Jones is a founding partner of Four on the Floor, the Austin, Texas dance studio which specializes in Lindy Hop and Jazz Era dances. Over the last eight years, Matt has DJ'ed extensively in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. He also DJ'ed at LindyGroove in L.A., Lindy U. in Chicago, the Austin Lindy Exchange, the Great Southwest Lindy Fest, the Albany Lindy Exchange, the Eastern Canada Swing Championships, BeanTown, Swing Out Northwest, Swing Out New Hampshire, the 2002 Cleveland Lindy Exchange, the New Orleans Lindy Exchange, the 2nd Anniversary of 411 in Tampa, and the Toronto Lindy Exchange.
Keith "Big Papa" Shapiro
Big Papa has been a staple in the Austin dance scene since he moved to town in late 2006. Big Papa was the Vice-President of the Austin Swing Syndicate in 2008, one of the founding members of the Blues Assoc. of Austin, one of the event managers of Austin Blues Party, and general support for ALX.
Big Papa can be regularly seen DJing for the Austin Swing Syndicate and Soul Jam! and is a house DJ for Kick Butt Blues. Additionally, Big Papa is a repeat DJ at Mezzjelly Soul (Dallas) and ALX, and has DJed at BluesShout, Lone Star Championships, ATLX, and other events that he wasn't sober enough to remember.
Mike "Captain Stu" Roberts
Mike's been a local favorite in Austin since somewhere around 2002. His tastes vary from the super scratchy plinky plinky old school jazz to modern big band, small combos, blues, and soul. If it doesn't get him bouncing around with the head phones on at the DJ booth, he won't play it.
Bill Borgida
Although best known for his instruction, he also enjoys inspiring dancers with his DJing. Bill has been invited to spin at dance camps, national events, and exchanges on several continents including Herrang Dance Camp, Swing Out New Hampshire, and ALHC. His extensive collection reflects his love for so many styles of swing music, as well as his passion for dancing. He is best known for DJ sets that are fun and playful.
