This week’s NY Entertainer of the Week is DJ Logan’s Run. We chatted about how he got his start as a DJ, his photography, and his NYC favorites!
upfrontNY: How did you get your start as a DJ and when did you know that this was something that you wanted to do?
DJ Logan’s Run: I grew up in my 20s in South Beach Miami and I was always fascinated with music and DJing and that whole scene. When I was younger I worked for a magazine in South Florida that was specifically based like a DJ magazine. I knew in my heart I wanted to be a part of it but I didn’t know how. A couple years ago a friend of mine, Frankie Sharp encouraged me to get into it. I would talk to him about songs and music. He came over one weekend and showed me the ropes a bit and I just ran with it. It has been a blast ever since and I am really grateful.
upfrontNY: What was it like going from Miami to New York?
DJ Logan’s Run: I am a professional photographer as well and that is why I moved up here. People know me for my photography work shooting backstage for fashion week, celebrity photo shoots, stuff like that. I was in Miami for such a long time and I felt like if I didn’t leave when I did that I was going to miss my window. I moved to Brooklyn. I am beyond grateful for the support. It was great for me when I first moved here because a lot of my peers who lived in Miami as creatives lived in New York then.
The thing I would say is the difference between here and Miami is in New York you’re always on. I have a party named Faith Lift. We just got back from Miami and it was such a reminder of how on we always are here. It was such a different pace.
I worked for Winter Music Conference. One of their panels was about mental health in regards to the music industry, DJs, Promoters. I know that we are always on all the time, but I think it is really important to check in on ourself.
upfrontNY: Can you tell us more about Faith Lift and how it got started?
DJ Logan’s Run: I left Winter Music Conference and came back to New York and the church I went to for years in Miami, called Unity on the Bay. It is non denominal. Everyone who has gone can’t wait to go back. It is super inspiring. The name Faith Lift came from a message there and it stuck with me. I was leaving Miami and I remembered Faith Lift and I knew I wanted to do something, but didn’t know what it was. I kind of sat with this idea brewing for a few months.
What we would do, we would play Gospel House music, Motown, Funk, Disco, upbeat fun music and have it during the daytime. I think there is a lot of exclusion in the LGBTQ for parties and events and I wanted to do something that was inclusive for everybody. Music is music and people love to hear good music. We always have an event every month that is free. I thought that was very important for us to do to have events that anybody can attend.
I express so much gratitude we had so much support and it brought along Sam Coffie, DJ Brgzr and that is my DJ partner. When I did this I felt that I needed to have someone with me on this journey and I have known Sam maybe 10 or 12 years and he jumped on board and it has been a great partnership. The events we have done have been really great positive feedback.
upfrontNY: Do you have a preference on the type of music you play?
DJ Logan’s Run: Typically we have a lot of different genres we stick to. People really resonate with that and it has been working really well.
upfrontNY: What would be your dream place to DJ?
DJ Logan’s Run: I have always been fascinated with DJing at a festival overseas. I was just in Vegas recently on a photo shoot and I gave myself 4 years. They are having a documentary for Showgirls for Tribeca Film Festival and I got tickets. I think it’s this American dream of performing in Vegas and I was like I would like to do that. I know I will do that.
upfrontNY: How did you get into photography?
DJ Logan’s Run: I wanted to be a photographer since I was a little kid. I remember in middle school and elementary school I would get my girlfriends to steal their moms’ clothes and we would be shooting pictures. I grew up in Virginia until I was 18. I was always obsessed with fashion and had pictures of Vogue, Seventeen, W magazine all behind my bed taped up and said I am going to do that and shoot fashion photography.
When I was 18 I went to Ft. Lauderdale for art school and when I graduated I moved to Miami. This is when Versace was still alive. It was such a glamorous and special time. Most people know me for shooting backstage photography for Fashion Week. I had an opportunity with a publication and I got to shoot the pit. I typically never shoot in the pit. That is a very specific style of photography and was not entirely my direction, but the publication got an access pass for the pit for a Versace show. Coming from the mountains in Virginia to being in New York shooting backstage and then shooting in the pit for Versace, it was kind of like ok take a deep breath, you’ve done pretty well.
upfrontNY: Who would you like to have a photoshoot with one day?
DJ Logan’s Run: Dolly Parton or Kylie Minogue
NYC FAVORITES
Favorite NYC Club or Music Venue: C’mon Everbody in Brooklyn
Favorite NYC Restaurant: Coppelia
Favorite NYC spot to photograph or find inspiration: Central Park
Favorite NYC Memory: Christopher street piers during summer time. Great time to relax and have fun with friends.
Favorite thing about NYC: There is always something to do.
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