Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Mcguigan

Hi Jeremy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.

I was the youngest of two boys born in Reno, NV. As a child, I was often described as a shy boy with a kind heart who always sought to make people laugh. Little did I know that this trait would eventually lead me to the entertainment industry.

At 15, my friends and I decided to emulate my father and start a stage magic show. I pursued magic throughout high school, performing at Christmas parties and even selling out high school theaters for fundraisers. Despite frequent warnings to have a backup plan—since success in entertainment was rare—I was determined to follow my passion.

After achieving some success with my magic shows, the group went their separate ways after high school. During this time, my mother and I began line dancing at a local hotspot, Rodeo Rock Café. About a year later, the club’s management approached me and asked if I had ever considered being a DJ. They were short-staffed and saw potential in me. I accepted the job, initially working just for a bar tab. I learned to DJ both country line dancing and party music, as the club transformed into a nightclub featuring late-night hip-hop.

Balancing this job with a full-time job took its toll, leading to many late nights and early mornings. The strain made it challenging to focus on long-term goals. Eventually, Rodeo Rock Café closed, and I found myself stuck in a warehouse job, sinking into depression. I drifted from job to job, often focusing more on making people laugh than on my work, which made it difficult to stay in one place for more than a year or two.

In 2008, after being let go from my job as a meter reader at a power company, my older brother Jason suggested we start a DJ business. Jason was at risk of losing his house due to a balloon-rate mortgage, and a home-based business could help with taxes and provide extra income. In September 2008, we founded Last Resort DJ Service, and this new venture reignited my passion for performing at weddings and special events.

However, just a few years later, Jason decided he no longer wanted to be involved in the business, and I had to buy him out. This blindsided me, as I was happy with the steady growth of the business. I was informed that until I signed the buyout agreement, Jason and his wife would keep all the equipment, preventing me from fulfilling wedding contracts. I signed the agreement, paying $2,500 to buy him out.

Feeling lost again, I faced the challenge of running Last Resort DJ Service as a one-person operation. At this low point, my wife, Melissa, stepped in to help, and we made it work together.

In 2014, my stepdad informed me that Gilley’s, a nightclub chain, would be opening at the Nugget and was looking for a DJ. I submitted my bio, and though I felt the interview hadn’t gone well, I was surprised when I was hired. A few weeks later, I found myself training at Gilley’s in Las Vegas for the grand opening of the Sparks Gilley’s.

Gilley’s marked my official return to the country music scene. I worked there four nights a week and DJed signature events such as Bikini Bull Riding and the Toughest Cowboy Contest, alongside line dancing.

In 2017, rumors began circulating that Gilley’s would be closing. Unfortunately, these rumors proved true, and Gilley’s shut its doors at The Nugget in April 2017. Faced with this setback, I considered refocusing on the wedding DJ business, but my plans changed when the resident DJ for Country Nights at Grand Sierra Resort contacted me to cover a few weekends. After covering several weekends, the resident DJ decided to move to Texas, leaving the position open for me.

I took over Country Nights and also acquired the Daisy Duke Dancers. These dancers were integral to the show, performing alongside me and teaching the audience the dances. This partnership marked the beginning of one of my most successful business relationships.

Occasionally, dancers would move on to bigger opportunities, creating openings for new auditions. In March 2020, with Country Nights still thriving, we held auditions to find new dancers. One of the candidates, Sara B., had been a regular dancer and impressed me with her performance. She was set to join the Daisy Duke Dancers, but just as she started, the global COVID-19 pandemic hit, leading to a period of uncertainty.

During the pandemic, I was contacted by smaller venues for one-off events, such as country nights at the golf course and monthly dancing at the historic Piper’s Opera House. These gigs, along with social media, kept me in the public eye.

As the pandemic began to subside, my opportunities grew. Sara and I began booking bigger venues and events, leading to a phone call from the owners of the country nightclub “Pure Country Canteen.” The venue had opened right as the pandemic started and had become the top country hotspot in northern Nevada. They offered me a job, and I took on Sundays, helping build it into something special. It only took a few months for the current weekend entertainment to realize I was a better fit, and they moved on to other venues, leaving me with Thursday through Sunday nights at Pure Country.

Once again, I was the best DJ working at the best country nightclub in town. Along with this new venue, we decided to start our own camp at the yearly country music festival “Night in the Country.” We’ve had our own camp there for the past six years, and it has grown each year. We estimate that in 2024, we had an average of 1,200–1,500 people at our party every night. Our main goal is to host the official after-party for Night in the Country!

Around the same time, we also got the call to perform mid-week nights at the Coors tent after-party at the Reno Rodeo. Prior to me getting the call, the Coors tent had served to complement another after-party tent at the rodeo, with the other tent focusing on DJing and club music while the Coors tent featured live bands. It was up to me to turn the Coors tent into the best after-party spot for this event. With my show and the Daisy Duke Dancers led by Sara, we’ve not only taken over all 11 nights of the after-party, but we now have lines hundreds of people long waiting to get in. Our party is the one everyone wants to be at!

So that’s my story, and I’ll leave it with this: No matter what your passion is, there can be a career for you. Even if you get doors slammed in your face or told “no” over and over, if you never give up, then you have never failed.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

My journey has been anything but smooth. As is often discussed in the media, the entertainment industry is one of the hardest to break into. Even with the best skills and talent, you still need to find a way to stand out. I remember when I submitted my resume and bio to Gilley’s and received the call for an interview—one of the most terrifying moments of my career. Up until then, I had mainly done weddings and other events, but I had never done a residency, even though I had been DJing for several years.

During the interview, I spoke with a hiring agent who described a type of DJ that I wasn’t. I did my best to sell myself and explain what I do, but I left the meeting feeling uncertain, thinking that there was no way I would get the job. I called my wife, Melissa, to tell her that I didn’t think it would happen. To my surprise, I got the call, and just a few weeks later, I was on a plane for training. As it turned out, I was exactly what they needed.

One of the biggest challenges in my business is that when it’s good, it’s really good. But venues and events come and go, and staying relevant is crucial. I have to keep my name and image out there to ensure that, even if a place I’m working at closes, I can still find other opportunities to perform. This is important not just for the creative outlet, but also for income.

Not a single event goes by without me feeling nervous before I take the stage. I often catch myself thinking, “I hope they like what I’m about to do,” or “What if they all hate me?” But at the end of the day, the only way I can sleep at night is by giving it my all. Once it’s showtime, I step out there, do my best, and make sure every person who took the time to come see my show has a great time and leaves with amazing memories.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

I am a Mobile DJ and Live Stage Entertainer, and what I do goes far beyond just playing music. I specialize in line dancing, which is a key feature of my residency. For large-scale events, I ensure my shows match the energy and scale of the occasion. From leading sing-alongs with over a thousand people singing back to me as if I were the artist, to incorporating live performance dancers, my shows offer an energy and excitement unlike any other.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?

I don’t believe luck plays a role in what I do. I believe persistence and practice are key. With enough effort and repetition, you’ll make waves and eventually get noticed. Success comes down to the time and work you put in; if you put in the effort, it will be rewarded.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.jeremymcguigan.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/djjeremymcguigan
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DJJerky/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mcguigan-56964640/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/djjeremymcguigan

Image Credits

Jeremy McGuigan
Melissa McGuigan
Abasto Co.