The official home of Chicago's premier DJ
About
Bio
In a digital era when just about anyone can attempt to be a DJ, Dante, also known as Dante The Don, does more than try; he excels at providing the soundtracks to the nights you won’t remember, but moreover defines the nights you never forget.
Raised outside of Boston, Dante contracted the DJ bug as a freshman in high school. He began playing on cd players in his bedroom and quickly caught on well enough to land his own high school dances along with area proms and semi formals. Before he knew it, he was playing all over the state and even in a local nigh club in Worcester, MA—at the ripe young age of 16!
Upon entering college at Loyola University Chicago, Dante made the move to the Midwest and immediately picked up a regular gig at a local college watering hole, “The Pumping Company.” Along with three friends, Dante was able to pack this venue twice a week on the nights he spun, quickly earning a name for himself on campus for his incredible parties. Balancing both a Law firm position, full time classes, and a heavy LSAT prep course, DJing took a back seat in Dante’s last year of school.
Soon after, a random run in with an old friend from a freshman year Italian course at Loyola brought about an introduction to a childhood friend. This sparked an idea to throw a downtown party at the brand new venue Enclave. Dante spun in the basement, brought out almost 200 people, and the rest is history.
The three eventually formed Outfit Events, began throwing monthly, then weekly, and quickly thereafter multiple weekly events. In no time Dante and Outfit Events had taken over the downtown Chicago nightlife scene. As a result, Dante put Law School on hold and began to hone his craft by learning from living legends, literally the best of the best in the business on a weekly basis.
The nationally famous Reserve nightclub contracted Outfit Events to start a new Thursday night party along with the newly created Deckstar DJ roster, the icon of whose formation was the legendary DJ AM. Dante took full advantage of the opportunity and soaked up everything he possibly could. Opening for and sharing the booth with names such as AM, Homicide, Kevin Scott, Scene, Spider, Aoki, and Fashen, to name a few, helped Dante get a major jump on others in the industry, which he still appreciates and acknowledges greatly to this day.
Adding more and more residencies to his schedule, Dante quickly became one of the Midwest’s most requested and talked about talents behind the turntables. His vast knowledge of music—present, past, and future—grew his reputation and set him apart from others, fully harnessing the talent of music selection to consistently play the perfect tune at any given time. Anytime a major celebrity, musical artist, or performer came to Chicago, they either threw an event hosted by Outfit Events or partied with them, fortifying Dante with the opportunity to play for some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. From spinning for Mrs. Michael Jordan’s birthday party where R Kelly and Carl Thomas sang happy birthday, to a random appearance where Suge Knight showed up in the DJ booth smoking a cigar, to spinning a party featured on MTV’s Making the Band, things have never been “ordinary” or “run of the mill.”
Outfit Events dominated Chicago Night Life for five strong years. In 2010, however, Dante joined former Outfit manager Anthony DiClementi in pioneering their own venture, Premier Event Marketing. The pair took off from where they left and currently hold the City’s strongest weekly lineup of events and residencies. The firm has consistently developed and hosted events at Chicago’s top venues, attracting some of the best crowds in the City. One never knows whose path they might cross at a party with Dante and Premier Chicago.
In 2010, Dante was asked by several Chicago Bulls players to start recording personal mixes. What started as a once-a-month (or so) “thing,” quickly turned into a once-a-week task. One thing lead to another and now Dante has the privilege of recording bi-weekly mixes that the team plays during pre-game warm-ups, shoot-a-rounds, and home game halftimes.
In early 2011, Dante was asked by recording artist Sam Adams to be his official tour DJ. The two had met in 2010 while performing together at a Barstool Sports, series of concerts held at New England area colleges called “Back to Stool.” Dante also spun several other Barstool events, featured with artists such as Mike Posner and Wale.
Dante has performed with some of the most well-known names in the game, ranging from the late great DJ AM, Mixmaster Mike, DJ Riz, Rev Run, Lil Jon, Ludacris, R. Kelly, LMFAO, Jamie Foxx, Kid Cudi. Jeremih, Pitbull, T-Pain, Paradiso Girls, Ne Yo, Akon, Janet Jackson, Jermaine Dupri, Asher Roth, Travie McCoy, Good Charlotte’s Benji and Joel Madden, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Akon, to name some.
The long list of celebrities he has spun for includes Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Kings of Leon, Brody Jenner, Holly Madison, Ronny (Jersey Shore), PMOY Sara Jean Underwood’s Birthday Party 2008, Ozzie Guillen’s Charity Salsa with the Stars 2010, Jay Cutler’s Charity Cruise 2010, a Research in Motion’s Blackberry launch event, a La Perla Fashion Show, the 2008 Playboy Golf finals, and more.
Dante also maintains partnership in “The Windy City Syndicate” with his friend, remix/production partner, and protégé DJ Bobby Lite. In 2011, they recruited VJ Bobo to the team as well. Their work is featured on both Crooklyn Clan remix sites for video and music. They also have an independent site at www.windycitysyndicate.com. The group is a top selling artist on the world-renowned DJ music empire that is the Crooklyn Clan Vault.
Dante also holds the responsibility of programming the music formats for several Chicago bars and restaurants, most notably the prestigious Tavern on Rush (Chicago) and Push Lounge at The Horseshoe Casino (Hammond, IN). He sets playlists for the various times and crowds throughout the week, as well as books fellow respected DJs of his selection to spin.
It is clear to see that Dante brings much more to the table than simply rocking parties. He is truly a multi-talented performer, entrepreneur, and businessman. Whether Dante is performing in venues in Chicago, Boston, Providence, New York, on tour with Sam Adams, or if an ear hears his programming at a Bulls game, his skills and immaculate taste in music will be sure keep the energy high and the crowd asking for more.
Residencies
Cuvee
Bull & Bear
Proof
Sub 51
Manor
Stay
Horseshoe Casino
Links
PEMChicago.com
WindyCitySyndicate.com
Facebook.com/DanteTheDon
Crooklynclan.net/DanteTheDon
SoundCloud.com/DanteTheDon
Twitter.com/DanteTheDon
Blog
Calendar
Music
Video
Affiliates
Premier Event Marketing
Premier Event Marketing is Chicago’s most exciting and fast-paced event and nightlife marketing and promotions firm. The five year tenure of Premier’s principal team, boasts hundreds of successfully executed events featuring some of the biggest celebrity names in the entertainment industry world-wide. The parties that we produce cater to the art, charity, music, fashion, corporate, and hospitality industries and are held at top-flight Chicago venues. They’re innovative, classy, and emulate the reputable brand behind them.
Our company strives to bring event marketing to unparalled heights by making each event its own work of art, creating memorable experiences for new and returning patrons. Through hard work and results-based marketing, we’ve established invaluable relationships at Chicago’s most exclusive venues including Cuvee, Manor, Stay, Bull & Bear, Proof, RiNo, HUB 51 and SUB51.
Our principal team has also been fortunate to have been able to produce star-studded events with musical performances by some of the world’s greatest talents including Ne-Yo, the late DJ AM, Lil’ Jon, Akon, Pitbull, Asher Roth, Montell Jordan, Good Charlotte, LMFAO, Kid Cudi, and many more.
We influence influencers and build brands through strategic relationship-based event marketing. For more information on how we can help your company reach new customers and take revenues to new heights… Call us at 312-253-7454 or email me at info@PEMChicago.com.
Our areas of specialty include, but are not limited, to:
• Product Launches
• Strategic Branding Events
• Event Marketing & Consulting
• Nightlife & Bottle Service
• Corporate, Private, & Charity Events
• Social Media Marketing
• Video & Media Production
• Graphic & Web Design
• Brand Ambassadors
• Email Marketing
• Birthday & Bachelorette Parties
• Local Marketing & Advertising
• Deal of the Day Marketing (think Groupon, but customized to your company objectives)
For more information, visit us at www.EventMarketingChicago.com or call 312-253-7454 to speak with one of our event marketing specialists.
The Music Trust
The Music Trust is a booking agency specializing in the placement of artists and DJs at nightclubs and events around the world. As a boutique agency, its preeminent advantage is its ability to ensure that every deal it strikes on behalf of a client is one that is equitable for all parties involved. It is their promise to out perform other agencies in both effectiveness and value. They look forward to building, maintaining, and growing their relationships with venues and brands.
