DJ Jay-C will be in charge of the dance music on New Year’s Eve at Aura in Portland. Photo courtesy of Jason Conti

Jason Conti has been a Portland-based DJ at clubs and other venues for more than 20 years. Performing under the name Jay-C, he has opened for nationally known musical acts like DMX and Shaboozey. He’ll DJ for the New Year’s Eve dance party at Portland nightclub Aura, which has a capacity of about 1,000 people.

What’s the secret to keeping people on the dance floor? 

I think paying close attention to the reactions of people on the dance floor, and seeing what kind of energy is elicited from the music I play, allows me to kind of dictate what the pace for the night is going to be. When you’re looking at a night like New Year’s Eve, you really want to stay high energy in the music. You know, people are really looking to bring in a new year in a positive way.

You have to be able to pivot and play different kinds of songs and go in a different direction sometimes. Having a real knowledge of all genres and appreciating all genres of music is really what is crucial to someone who’s going to have a successful New Year’s Eve dance party at a venue as large as Aura.

How do you prepare for a big gig like New Year’s Eve? 

I really try to leverage my Saturday gig at Henry’s Public House (in Portland) and deejaying at Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. I try to remember what songs really worked well in those environments and bring that template to Aura. I do some research, as well, trying to stay current on not only what’s going on in America but what’s going in Europe. I want to make sure I hit all the songs people expect at a New Year’s Eve party, while maybe introducing a few new songs.

What are some of the songs and artists you’ll likely play at Aura? 

Female artists have really dominated club music. There’s Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Gracie Abrams. Kendrick Lamar is really carrying hip hop as far as creating music that is very dance centric. For songs, “Hot To Go” by Chappell Roan, that’s the most requested song in Maine, hands down. And then it’s probably Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” The other song people are probably expecting to hear is “Tipsy” by Shaboozey. I will definitely be playing his song after midnight alongside those others.

Is it fun to play Sabrina Carpenter songs and know that a Mainer, Amy Allen, helped write them?

Yeah. I know she’s also worked with Charli XCX,  another hot artist this year. That’s one of the cool things for me, playing these songs and I know that someone from my home state has written them. It’s nice that Maine has that kind of influence.

What are some of the coolest or most surprising things to happen while you were deejaying? 

This past summer I was doing an event at Bernie’s Beach Bar (in Hampton Beach) with the R&B singer Mya. We were hit with a thunderstorm, so the challenge was keeping the people dancing and in good spirits in the pouring rain while they awaited her performance. I knew by taking the crowd on a musical R&B journey from the early 2000s it would create enough feeling and energy to help them forget about the pouring rain. The crowd ignored getting soaked, and it was a really cool moment watching them sing and dance to their favorite artists and songs from that era. Little did I know Ty Law from the New England Patriots was there and shared pictures of the great time he had on social media.