DJ Keenan

5/10/13- Micky’s (West Hollywood, CA) Repping DC :)

Sun, 12 May 2013 05:11:14 -0400

5/10/13- Micky’s (West Hollywood, CA)
Repping DC :)

Keen on Keenan: Keenan Orr is one of D.C.'s most versatile DJs, playing every week at hip straight bars as well as Cobalt: Clublife section: Metro Weekly magazine, Washington, DC newspaper

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:57:38 -0400

Keen on Keenan: Keenan Orr is one of D.C.'s most versatile DJs, playing every week at hip straight bars as well as Cobalt: Clublife section: Metro Weekly magazine, Washington, DC newspaper:

Keen on Keenan

Keenan Orr is one of D.C.’s most versatile DJs, playing every week at hip straight bars as well as Cobalt

By Doug Rule
Photography by Julian Vankim
Published on April 11, 2013, 7:43am | Comments

”I would get bored, I think, with circuit parties [and] eight-minute-long songs,” says Keenan Orr. ”I think the closest to a circuit party I’m going to do is Town.”

Orr, who has spun a few Sunday night WTF parties at Town, will make his debut as a Saturday night ”circuit” DJ upstairs next month, tag-teaming with Town’s resident DJ Wess. But even if he never DJs a circuit party, or even Town again after May 18, chances are he’ll still hold the record as one of D.C.’s most versatile DJs. How many other DJs can you name who spin every week at a hip straight bar, a popular chillout lounge and a boisterous gay club?

Keenan Orr

(Photo by Julian Vankim)

”You have to be versatile to be a DJ,” Orr says, ”because certain sounds just do not work in certain spaces.” Asked for specifics, Orr responds, ”You can’t play Rihanna at Eighteenth Street Lounge,” the swanky chill-out venue where he spins every Tuesday night. ”It’s more of a low-key-type atmosphere,” he says, where hip-hop and down-tempo, ”chiller music” reigns, such as that from the lounge’s affiliated musical act Thievery Corporation. When he spins with DJ Smudge at Marvin on the rooftop every Sunday afternoon in season, Orr focuses on soul and funk hits and classic tracks for the ”mostly straight but huge mixed crowd. I mix it up a little bit, but I try not to go too poppy.” The poppy stuff, such as Rihanna, he saves for Cobalt, where Orr spins downstairs every Friday night, as well as occasionally upstairs for other parties. ”At Cobalt the goal is just to keep people dancing, keep people moving,” he explains.

The 36-year-old, who grew up in Vienna, Va., got hooked on nightlife and dance music early, sneaking into Tracks with a fake I.D. before he was even of driving age. And despite his lack of interest in the circuit, Orr cites former Tracks resident DJ Michele Miruski as his chief influence. ”She was the main reason why I wanted to become a DJ,” he says. ”I saw her controlling the crowd. It was amazing.” Still, he gave himself years of home practice before he took a professional DJ gig a decade or so ago. ”I wanted to make sure I was ready,” he says. That first gig was for a Saturday night mixed crowd at the former Southeast nightclub The Edge.

It wasn’t until he added Cobalt to his list in 2009 that Orr started playing truly gay events. At gay events in particular, Orr describes his sound as ”very influenced by R&B and pop.” But it’s not always the tried and true tunes, or mixes you expect. ”I like to play stuff that you wouldn’t typically hear at a club,” he explains.

This year, Orr, who lives in Columbia Heights, is serving on the entertainment committee for Capital Pride, working with Kurt Graves, aka DJ Twin, to head up a local DJ area at the festival. It’s volunteer work that comes in addition to his full-time DJ schedule of work five nights a week, with Monday and Wednesday nights off. That can be a challenge for a social life.

”I can’t find anybody to hang out with. Everybody’s at work,” Orr teases, though he adds, ”You’d be surprised. Wednesdays can be a lot of fun.”

Among his various regular gigs, Orr spins every Friday night at Cobalt, 1639 R St. NW. Call 202-232-4416 or visit cobaltdc.com or facebook.com/keenanorr.

4/06/13- Smile (and Dance) for SMYAL Please join us for a a...

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:43:04 -0400

4/06/13- Smile (and Dance) for SMYAL

Please join us for a a very special Saturday afternoon to benefit DC’s very own SMYAL, a local area service organization solely dedicated to supporting LGBTQ youth.

www.SMYAL.org

Announcing RYE RYE!!!!

She will be providing us with a Spectacular Performance!

Your DJ’s for the afternoon will include:

DJ Chord
DJ Tommy Cornelis
DJ Keenan Orr
DJ Twin
DJ Matt Bailer

Pre-Sale Tickets are $15 and they will be $20 at the Door
$10 from every ticket sold will go to SMYAL.

You can purchase Pre-sale tickets here!

http://www.ustreetmusichall.com/event/245099-smile-dance-for-smyal-rye-washington/

This Event is 21 and Up

Beer and Liquor Specials to come!

Here is the Current list of Auction and Raffle Items! More to come soon!

-NYC Weekend Package: two Amtrak tickets and a two night stay
-Hardball with Chris Matthews: two tickets and behind the scenes tour
-The Ellen Show: VIP ticket for two
-Nationals Tickets: 10th row, 3rd base line behind dugout
-Redskins Tickets
-Gold Cup Tickets: two general admission
-John Jack Photography: two separate 2 hour portrait shoots valued at $500 each
-John Jack Photography: $250 gift certificate to purchase framed photos from his website
-Universal Gear Gift Card
-JRs Gift Basket
-Personal Yoga class with Marshall Sanders

Year 5 @ Marvin.

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 20:54:48 -0400

Year 5 @ Marvin.

Photo

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:56:39 -0400

3/24/13 We’re back! 5 years of rooftop beats at...

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 02:52:00 -0400

3/24/13

We’re back! 5 years of rooftop beats at Marvin!!

2007 14th Street, Washington, DC 20007

http://samvasfi.com

Sundays on the Marvin rooftop coming soon! #weouthere #woh

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:53:36 -0500

Sundays on the Marvin rooftop coming soon! #weouthere #woh

3/1/13 Cobalt 1639 R Street, NW (Corner of 17th and...

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 01:13:21 -0500

3/1/13
Cobalt
1639 R Street, NW (Corner of 17th and R)
Washington - DC’s Historic Dupont Circle

Two DJs, two dance floors, one club. This Friday, Cobalt is featuring DJ Keenan Orr and DJ Madscience to battle till the end! The question of the night is who will be left standing! So come out and cheer for your Cobalt resident DJ. Free Vodka 11pm until 12am. 21 and over.

Every Thursday!! @ Marvin 2007 14th Street NWWashington,...

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:39:00 -0500

Every Thursday!!

@ Marvin

2007 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

Keenan Orr by Fitsum Belay/iLLIMETER on Flickr.Ahhh!

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 05:43:54 -0500

Keenan Orr by Fitsum Belay/iLLIMETER on Flickr.

Ahhh!

2/14/13 Bring your love to Marvin tonight! I’m going to...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:05:58 -0500

2/14/13

Bring your love to Marvin tonight! I’m going to start off with a nasty little slow jam set!!

Marvin

2007 14th Street NW, WDC

Photo

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 01:25:03 -0500

Photo

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:33:32 -0500

#birch #barley #djkeenan

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:26:52 -0500

#birch #barley #djkeenan

1/20/13 Sunday afternoon Obama Inauguration @...

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:56:16 -0500

1/20/13
Sunday afternoon Obama Inauguration @ Marvin!

2007 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

Photo

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:22:05 -0500

Rock & Roll Hotel presents New Year’s Eve!Full club party (3...

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 04:17:09 -0500

Rock & Roll Hotel presents New Year’s Eve!
Full club party (3 floors)
Open bar all night long w/ 5 full service bars
21+ only
Doors open at 8pm

Featuring DJs:
Bad Domes
Keenan
James Nasty
LJ MTX
Lxsx Frxnk
The Metaphysical
Sanitize
Dj Fleg

This will sell out! Get your tickets now: http://www.ticketalternative.com/Events/20937.aspx

Me and my boys are going to be throwing down some House and...

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 04:05:09 -0500

Me and my boys are going to be throwing down some House and other oddities on Christmas night. I better see all of my favorite Jewish friends on that night!!

Christmas Jam @ Tropicalia

DJ Soul (Soul Theory DC, Blend DC)

Luminescent Soul (DEM OMG BOYS)

Keenan Orr (Rock Candy, Marvin DC)

12/25/12

Tropicalia

2001 14th St NW
(between N V St & N U St)
Washington, DC 20009

12/12/12 SHIRTS OFF! with Matt Bailer, Keenan, Tommy...

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 02:24:17 -0500

12/12/12

SHIRTS OFF! with Matt Bailer, Keenan, Tommy Cornelis,
Baronhawk

21+ // FREE ENTRY

*shirts optional*

Matt Bailer
http://soundcloud.com/djmattbailer

Keenan Orr
http://djkeenan.tumblr.com/

Tommy Cornelis
http://soundcloud.com/tommycornelis
twitter.com/tommycornelis

BaronHawk
https://soundcloud.com/djbaronhawk

#ESL #keenanorr #djkeenan #Tuesdays #PhatTuesdays (at Eighteenth...

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 22:10:04 -0400

#ESL #keenanorr #djkeenan #Tuesdays #PhatTuesdays (at Eighteenth Street Lounge)