When DJ GLOtron takes the stage at Cowbells Sports Grill, his energy is infectious. He instantly grabs the attention of everyone in the room and refuses to let go, which is no small task in a bar the size of Cowbells.
Julie Caprizzi, a manager and bartender at Cowbells Sports Grill, said every time DJ GLOtron whose real name is Philip Vanderleest, performs, the crowds grow larger. When he has not performed in a while, people begin to ask about his next performance.
“Some DJs won’t even take song request, but he will welcome people up on stage,” Caprizzi said. “Plus, of course he will bring his lasers in.”
The laser machines fill the room with lights, creating a visual element far different than the average local DJ.
His laser machines, energetic personality and willingness to connect one-on-one with members of the audience have allowed Vanderleest to become one of the most prominent DJs in Starkville, with a schedule consistently packed with events. When he moved from his hometown of Jackson to Starkville, he never envisioned being in the music industry or continuing to live in Starkville after graduation.
When Vanderleest arrived in Starkville in the late 2000s, he was an aerospace engineering major with every intention to work in the aerospace industry.
However, music was already a heavy presence in his life.
Vanderleest grew up going to concerts in his spare time put on by bands from a wide range of genres but was first drawn to perform when he learned about electronic music, which sparked a deeper interest. As he learned more about music, Vanderleest began DJing for his own enjoyment.
“I always loved music,” Vanderleest said. “You know, it beat doing homework.”
When Vanderleest graduated in 2011, he began making a decent amount of money from DJing. Still, he was focused on finding a job in the aerospace industry.
“When I graduated, I got my hair cut, got a nice suit and looked for a job for about a year, and didn’t really find anything that I really wanted to do,” Vanderleest said.
Although he had studied for years to become an aerospace engineer, he could not find the right fit.
“It was a challenge to finally say, OK, maybe the aerospace job right now isn’t going to work out, and putting more time into DJing is going to be rewarding in the long run,” Vanderleest said.
Vanderleest found his first regular job in music as the resident DJ at Remington Hunt Club in Starkville during the summer of 2012.
“There was nobody in town,” Vanderleest said. “Starkville loses its bulk and I would DJ for five to 25, or five to 15 people on Thursday and Friday nights there.”
While some might expect performing in front of such small crowds to be demoralizing, Vanderleest said in some ways he enjoys performing for small crowds even more.
“It was cool because there was no stress on trying to entertain a diverse group of people who all kind of want different things,” Vanderleest said. “The people who were there were just kind of content with me doing whatever, and kind of learning the ropes and learning the line dances, and learning how to mix and what songs go good together and songs people don’t necessarily like, but maybe that is one that I like.”
Since leaving the Remington Hunt Club, he has DJed regularly for several locations in Starkville, including State Theatre, Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern, Rick’s Café and Stagger-Inn. He also provides music for sporting events, weddings and has performed for crowds as large as 2,300 people when opening for major acts at the Mississippi Horse Park and the MSU Amphitheatre.
“Opening for the big acts is a delicate balance of playing music you want the people who are there to hear, not over-entertaining the room so you don’t wear out the crowd for the headlines and finding a balance with, especially EDM acts, you want a progression over the night of energy build,” Vanderleest said.
In addition to DJing, Vanderleest works with GTR Productions, who set up lighting and sound systems for large concerts and events, including local Disciple Nows.
GTR Productions is run by Will Howard, who Vanderleest considers a mentor.
“He has been in Starkville for 20 years and has been DJing for 25 years or so, and has taught me everything I know in that realm, and some about life in general,” Vanderleest said. “He is a great mentor.”
Howard said Vanderleest’s passion for learning has helped him to grow into the DJ he is today.
“He wants to know and understand on a deeper level, not just about songs and how they relate to each other, but how the sound system works and what effect songs will have on the crowd,” Howard said.
Vanderleest has adapted to a wide range of audiences over time. One of the biggest changes he faces is an ever-increasing age difference with a large portion of his audience.
“I’m 29, which, in a college town is old,” Vanderleest said. “I’m almost completely separated from being immersed in what college kids listen to.”
Vanderleest views DJs as storytellers and says it is fun to create a story by DJing. Although he enjoys performing and learning about the craft of DJing, he still is unsure if he wants to work in the music industry long term. He is focused on enjoying each opportunity as it arrives.
“Anyone can play music off their phone and maybe entertain, but to really try to find a commonality between music, or a theme and try to play that out in an interesting way that grabs people’s attention, or is fun to listen to or dance to is something I try to do now,” Vanderleest said.