Patrick Elliott: A good DJ “tosses the musical salad”

Patrick Elliott has been spinning in the gentlemen’s club industry since he was made an offer he couldn’t refuse. Here, Elliott dishes on what it takes to be successful in the underrated role of DJ.

It was as if the 10,000-plus lakes of Minnesota conspired and delegated five of their most beautiful nymphs to ask Patrick Elliott one request.

“We want you to be our DJ.”

Patrick was a DJ spinning in Minneapolis when the aforementioned women—entertainers—came forward with this declaration.

“The next day, I went down to Solid Gold (now Downtown Cabaret), auditioned,” Patrick recalls, “got the gig and the rest is blurry…”

Patrick hasn’t looked back since that day of divine intervention. We had the chance to ask Patrick about his three-decade career in the gentlemen’s club community, as well as his favorite music to play in and out of the club. Don’t miss Patrick’s personalized Spotify playlist, courtesy of StripJointsMusic.com!

ED: What role do you feel you’ve played in the success of the clubs where you’ve worked; or, in general, what role do you believe a DJ plays in the overall success of a gentlemen’s club?

PATRICK: I’ve been fortunate to work side by side with industry legends who respect our position and know how important we are to the bottom line.

ED: How hard is it, as a DJ, to play music to such a diverse crowd including locals and tourists (as well as the entertainers) and keep everyone happy? What’s your strategy when it comes to this juggling act?

PATRICK: Reading the room/crowd and knowing what’s gonna work and when to play it is how you successfully “toss the musical salad.”

ED: If you could change one thing about the strip club industry, what would it be?

PATRICK: Make sure all staff and entertainers are treated fairly and are properly compensated.

ED: What is your favorite music to play on a busy Saturday night at the club? Conversely, when you’re not in the club, what music do you prefer to listen to?

PATRICK: At work, my format is familiar recognizable upbeat (120bpm+) with new and classic tunes sprinkled throughout. Off duty and in the car, I’m a big fan of Chill and The Spectrum on Sirius XM. At home, it’s BPM and the Dance/EDM channel on Music Choice for new stuff.

“Reading the room/crowd and knowing what’s gonna work and when to play it is how you successfully ‘toss the musical salad.'”
— Patrick