“My wife and I could not be happier with the job that Jackie Sugarlumps and Ceremony DJs did for us during our recent wedding in San Francisco. We absolutely recommend her and Ceremony DJs for your event.
One of our top priorities for our wedding was that we have a good DJ, someone who was knowledgable and passionate about music, someone who could read a crowd and put together a solid set list that got people moving. Jackie exceeded our expectations in every category.
First of all, she was incredibly organized and easy to talk to. We had several meetings before our ceremony and Jackie was always ready to go with questions and great ideas that helped make our experience smooth and unique to our musical tastes.
At the event, Jackie arrived early to the venue and made sure that the sound and lighting would be perfect. As major music nerds and audiophiles we were super impressed. The bass and treble were perfectly set and both the chapel for the ceremony (indoors) and courtyard for the reception (outdoors) had studio-quality sound.
Jackie supplemented the songs that we chose with similar genres and artists that melded perfectly with our musical tastes. Moreover, you could tell that she herself is a huge music fan. As she DJ'd she danced along with the music and made our guests feel like they were attending a music festival. We received so many compliments from our friends and family for our choice of DJ. Everyone, especially this newlywed couple, went home happy.” — Nate
Claudia Eslahpazir and Mike Michon Wedding
“Jamie did a great job with our wedding. We had some special hardware needs because of our actual ceremony being on top of a hill. Jamie got the hardware that we needed and hooked us up. The rest of the party was completely on point -- the dinner was romantic and chill, the dance party was high-energy and got people moving. He spends a lot of time up front tailoring the set list to your specific tastes and needs. And the comments we got from guests were that the songs played fit exactly our style, with a lot of nuance. It was great!” - Mike Michon
Gabriella Horn and Benjamin Tievsky Wedding
“Jamie and Rocky did a fantastic job. We had several meetings/calls/email exchanges before the wedding and got on the same page (in great detail) about the genres/artists/vibe that we were looking for. Jamie was all about developing a "vision" - not just playing requested songs, but actually creating a program for the dance party that we wanted. Jamie and Rocky were also great at navigating the inevitable logistical/technical challenges that came up. We had no qualms about being in their hands and would recommend them to anyone who wants a cool and non-stodgy wedding.” - Benjamin Tievsky
”Thank god we found Ceremony DJs for our wedding in Mendocino in August. Jamie was a pleasure to talk to about music and life and weddings from the first minute. He has no end of enthusiasm and excitement for his craft in stark contrast to many other DJs I spoke to who had their canned set and feared deviation. Rocky sent us a long list of songs and we went to town marking our favorites and our despised and Jamie dug in and really heard us. The music was on point and our friends and family stayed on the dance floor until 2am. We got many incredible compliments from our guests on how good the music was. Jamie and Rocky worked through a bunch of technical and transitional nightmares behind the scenes because of our venue and they were professional and flexible the entire time. My husband and I and all of our guests had the time of our lives thanks to the most excellent playlist that Jamie performed - just like bringing the coolest SF club to our tent!” - Gabriella Horn
Grace Yau and Devin Riley Wedding
“We hired James to DJ our wedding and he absolutely crushed it. We went in thinking he'd just do our dance music at the reception, but he ended up doing a fantastic job with our ceremony and dinner music as well. He spent a bunch of time with both of us going over our musical backgrounds and sneaking hidden gems from our conversations into his set list. He was hyper-aware to play music that both us and our guests, including family, would enjoy. He transitioned smoothly from more recognizable songs to surprising and fun deeper cuts. James convinced me playing some low-key music during dinner would help set the tone and it was a great call. He played a cool, nonintrusive set during dinner and then blew it away with a bunch of fun dance jams at night. People were getting weird on the dance floor by the end, which is really all we wanted. Don't let Ceremony's rock / indie vibe throw you off either, he was knowledgable in all the genres we talked about, and was very careful to tailor the set to what we wanted most. We mostly went for rap for our dancing and he knocked it out of the park with his set.” - Devin Riley
”So happy with our decision to work with James! He was super attentive to what we wanted and gave great suggestions as well. The most important thing - we danced the night away :)” - Grace Yau
Danielle Perez and Drew Daniel Wedding
“When I started looking for a DJ, I knew I didn't want your typical cheesy DJ that barks at the crowd and plays the chicken dance. I knew Jamie's DJ work and thought he would be a great fit. And he was! He worked with us months in advance to make sure he knew our music likes and dislikes. My FH had a great time talking music with Jamie, who is a music knowledge god. He then came up with a playlist that kept us dancing all night! He was flexible and accommodating when I changed the set-up of the dance area on him day of. He also provided the music for our ceremony. Overall, exceeded our expectations!” - Danielle Perez
“Jamie by far is one of the nicest djs I have ever met. He djed for me and my wife's wedding in May. When I heard he actually uses turntables and records I was blown away with excitement. Months before the amazing day he sent us an extensive list of stuff he has. Me being really into an eclectic range of genres had a blast picking and choosing bands/artists my wife and I would love to hear at our wedding. We was stoked on some of the stuff we chose and he also was very intrigued by our love of 90's hip/hop and country. Weeks before the wedding he came and toured our venue with us to see where he was going to set up. Jamie did such an amazing job queing and looping the jams all throughout the day and night! We had a blast dancing and everyone enjoyed all the music! He goes above and beyond and you can see and tell he enjoys what he does. Thanks again, Brother!” - Drew Daniel
Brittany Schell and Ryan Loughlin Wedding
“Rocky was the DJ at our wedding, and the whole process working with her and Jamie ahead of the big day was very smooth and enjoyable! On our wedding day, Rocky handled the transition from ceremony site to reception site smoothly, and kept people dancing all night with a great mix of music! She really developed a playlist in line with our tastes, we couldn't be happier. Thanks Rocky and Jamie!” - Brittany Schell
Ceremony: Dipsea Gardens / Venue: Stinson Beach Community Center / Photographer: Romin Lee Photo / DJ: Ceremony DJs / Caterer: El Tonayense
Craig Daniel and Rob Delamater Wedding
"James DJ'd our wedding reception at the de Young Museum this Summer and it could not have been more perfect. James took the time to really get to know us and our tastes in music (we are both huge music fans) and used that to tailor a set list that both met our expectations but also surprised us and packed a lot of unexpected joy. The dance floor was smoking. Throughout the entire experience James was personable, organized and enthusiastic. He made himself a trusted partner in our wedding plans. Press "play" for James and his deep record collection and knowledge of music. A wonderful fellow." - Craig Daniel
Amanda Lawrence and Tommy Good Wedding
"To start, we want to say that Jamie was an absolutely amazing DJ. We found Jamie through our wedding photographer (who we also had a wonderful experience with), and were immediately impressed. After very promising email correspondence, we had an hour-long video chat with Jamie where he asked us all about what we wanted in terms of music for the wedding ceremony, reception, and everything in between. He then went on to ask about each of our favorite songs, bands, and genres, as well as what our family and friends liked. This may seem like a simple step, but it's far removed from what we experienced with the other DJs we interviewed - his interest in our musical taste and how to cultivate a great experience for our guests was incredibly genuine. He clearly took time to listen, take notes, and think about how to create a wonderful experience. It's obvious that Jamie didn't simply take the music that we and our friends liked and make it into a simple playlist. He very clearly dove into the genre and came up with a killer soundtrack informed by our input and interests. We had at least three people stop us the night of the wedding, and more since then, to compliment him on his playlist. If you're looking for a non-cheesy, fun DJ who will listen to what you, your friends and your family like to hear, and take the time to build a playlist you will love, we highly recommend Jamie. If you're looking for a cheesy wedding DJ, we suggest you go elsewhere. If we were to do it all again, we couldn't imagine a scenario where Jamie wasn't our DJ." - Tommy Good
"Jamie was the best DJ! We were planning our wedding from afar, so we had a call with Jamie just to chat with him and understand his vibe and his services and he was hands down the best DJ we spoke with. We had several other calls with other DJs and the all sounded like yourtypical, cheesy wedding DJ. Jamie is completely the opposite. It was so clear to us how much Jamie loves music and cares about what he does, so it was a pretty easy decision to decide to book with him. Once we booked, we had another call with Jamie to go over our musical tastes, what our friends and families like, and the overall feel we wanted for our wedding. Then we went through his insane list of music that he has, marking off what we liked. He took so much time to really understand what we liked and craft the most perfect soundtrack for our wedding. The wedding day was perfect. Jamie’s music was exactly what we hoped it would be and more. Our friends and family still talk to us about how great the music was. I’ll also note it was about 107 degrees the day of our outdoor wedding and Jamie was a champ setting up all of his equipment in the horrible heat. You really could not find a better DJ so just save yourself some trouble and go with Jamie!" - Amanda Lawrence
SF Weekly Mix
Giving Reality Bites the Soundtrack It Deserves
For Debaser's 9th anniversary party this Saturday, DJ Jamie Jams has put together a booming alt-rock mix.
Jessie Schiewe Fri. May 26, 2017 12:17pm, All Shook Down
This year, Debaser — a monthly party at the Knockout dedicated to early ’90s alt-rock and led by DJ Jamie Jams — turns 9. For the party’s third anniversary in 2011, Jams concocted a mixtape of “odes to love and love lost” themed around Cameron Crowe’s film Singles, replete with vocal cuts from the movie. For its fifth anniversary, Debaser created a mix themed around Boyz n the Hood, with tracks by Cyprus Hill, EPMD, Grand Puba, Public Enemy, and more, and jokes from Ice Cube littered throughout.
In keeping with that tradition, Jams has just released Debaser’s third official mixtape, this time based on the iconic ’90s film Reality Bites, with songs by Yo La Tengo, Fugazi, R.E.M., The Lemonheads, My Bloody Valentine, and more.
“I wanted to take another stab at the ’90s rock era,” Jams says. “How can we distill it into its most distilled form? How can we get a concentrated dose of whatever je ne sais quoi there was about the ’90s?”
He’ll be playing the mix — along with an assortment of records, from the 12 crates of vinyl he’ll be bringing to the party — at the Knockout on Saturday, May 27.
“The idea is to create the feeling of being at the craziest rock show, but made out of all records,” he says.
We chatted with Jams about the mix, the particular songs he simply had to include on it, and why he chose Reality Bites in the first place.
Catch Debaser’s 9th Anniversary Party from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., on Saturday, May 27, at The Knockout.
Tiffany Ishihara and Josh Compton Wedding
"Jamie was the DJ at my wedding and I cannot recommend him enough. I should mention that the music at my wedding was the the most important element to my husband and I; Jamie did not disappoint. He has a very extensive knowledge of all types of music and was able to curate a playlist for our very specific request - 1970’s Power Pop. Not only was he able to create a playlist we really loved, but he was super excited about it and made the process very easy. There was never a moment that we had to worry about what was playing. If you want a DJ that will put a lot of thought and energy into your big day, Jamie is the way to go!" - Tiffany Ishihara
Kate Garklavs and Micah Saul Wedding
"If you’re looking for a top-notch wedding DJ, look no further: Jamie is capital-A awesome. For years, Jamie hosted Debaser (excellent 90s dance party), and it was through Debaser that I got to know Jamie and his work. When my now-husband and I started planning our wedding, we aligned on what we were looking for in a DJ — someone with impeccable (and broad) musical taste; someone with the emotional IQ to cater to not just the bride/groom’s preferences, but also to honor both extended families’ wishes; and someone who can bring a rockin’ dance party. Jamie exemplifies all of these qualities. He spent several hours with us discussing the sort of mood we wanted to create and how we wanted our reception to evolve; he then translated this vision into a playlist that kept our guests on the dance floor all night (and into the morning). What’s more, he was extremely professional, handling all the tiny details that no bride or groom wants to deal with. You’d be hard pressed to find a better, more intuitive DJ than Jamie. " - Kate Garklavs
"Jamie kicked ass at our wedding ceremony and reception. We'd both known him for years through Debaser and other parties he'd DJ in the Mission, so when we decided we wanted someone for our wedding that'd get our guests to dance their faces off, we knew who to go to. Jamie was amazing to work with. We talked through the general them we were hoping for, he worked with us to come up with our lists of must haves, as well as some secret requests, and was just generally super attentive and responsive. The party, of course, was amazing! Jamie is incredibly good at reading the energy of a room and adapting his set to both feed on and feed that energy. We didn't have an emcee or a day-of planner or anything like that, and Jamie was able to direct the flow of the night using the music he was playing. And yes, we all danced our damn faces off!" - Micah Saul
Emily Schaeffer and Michael Omer-Man Wedding
"I'll just come out and say it: we had the best music of any wedding I've been to before and since ours! Jamie played the perfect combination of tunes from the genres we selected to fit the exact moment of the wedding, from cocktail hour to dinner to dancing. The music built upon itself, telling a story that flowed flawlessly and fit each moment of the wedding perfectly. Most importantly - and impressively - he had everyone from toddler, to Gen X survivor, to octogenarian shaking their booties all night long! Our guests, from uncles to best friends, complimented us repeatedly.
Music is an essential part of both my and my husband's lives, but although we had been together for two years, finding common musical ground seemed daunting. (Were we going to have a wedding playing only NIN, Tool and Tori Amos?!) Jamie has a vast and impressive collection of music. Through discussions by phone and a super fun exercise he created that we each did, Jamie homed in on our individual and mutual tastes and helped us design a playlist that would have us both exclaiming, "I love this song!" over and over throughout the night (playing, for instance, upbeat and danceable tracks from Morrissey, to the Cure, to Depeche Mode, weaving in rug-cutting songs by Michael Jackson, David Bowie and the like). He also made planning a wedding from abroad easy, affordable and even fun! We can't recommend him more highly." - Emily Schaeffer
Jessica Taich and Josh Levitz Wedding
"When planning our wedding we knew that we wanted to have a reception with music we actually loved. But finding a wedding DJ that got our taste was a challenge. We had attended a few of Jamie's Debaser nights at the Knockout and always had so much fun. On a whim we contacted Jamie to see if he would DJ our wedding - and luckily he was interested! We met for drinks and talked about the kind of music and vibe we hoped to have at our wedding reception. Jamie was extremely responsive and very excited to give us our dream party. On the day of the event Jamie was timely and professional and the dance party was incredible. Our friends 3 years later still talk about how Jamie was the best wedding DJ and love to reminisce about the playlist. Jamie and team are hands-on, passionate, and genuinely want you to have the best time at your wedding. We would highly recommend hiring Ceremony DJ's!" - Jess & Josh Levitz
We're on NPR Music
The Bold Italic Profile
Spin City
Abby Wilcox / Apr. 20, 2012 / The Bold Italic
Jamie Guzzi (a.k.a. Jamie Jams) of Debaser takes us back to our roots with his ’90s parties at the Knockout. He scours local record stores for popping ’90s LPs, which run the gamut from baggy beat to shoegaze, grunge, alternative, Britpop, indie pop, post-rock, post-hardcore, and emo. Jamie spins mostly ’90s alternative at his parties, though he’ll periodically mix in some hip-hop and r&b.
The parties feel like a community, with lots of epic rock T-shirts in the house, though he would love to see more baby-doll dresses. “We're doing this year-by-year theme, so we'll be slicing it sort of horizontally instead of vertically for a little bit. Probably throwing in a bit more of the other genres we've missed too as we go. We even played a little industrial at the last one! We're definitely putting the ’90s on rinse, that's for sure.”
San Francisco Chronicle, 96 Hours Interview
Debaser: DJ night parties to all things '90s
Michelle Broder Van Dyke, Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, March 23, 2011
DJ Jamie Jams, born James Guzzi (shown), explains the origins for the party, which begins in 2001: "We wanted to do something that reflected our own experience of growing up, and figured the '90s would eventually come into style demographically speaking. The only problem was, at the time, no one really knew what 'the '90s' was. So, we spent the next four years talking to our friends, going through old mix tapes and testing the records out at parties."
Debaser on Current TV
We were the subject of a short film on Current TV.
SF Weekly, Best of San Francisco
Best Club Night to Wear Flannel
Tue. May 18th, 2010 4:00am
Bars and Clubs / Best of San Francisco
The first Saturday of every month, divey hipster watering hole the Knockout becomes a time machine that transports all those people who were teenagers in the '90s back to their childhood bedrooms. But you can check your angst at the door (just don't forget your flannel before 11 p.m., otherwise you pay $5 cover) because this is a full-out eardrum-busting party where kids who never got the chance to live out their alternative music fantasies (or maybe they did, and never got over it) can bump chests and grind privates to Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Bikini Kill, and, yes, Neutral Milk Hotel. You will be lathered in the sweat of strangers, there will be mosh pits and stage diving, and if you're on the prowl, the throb of sex at this party is palpable, just like it was in high school.
SFBG, Best of the Bay
BEST FLANNEL REVIVAL
In this age of continual retro, it comes as a surprise that listening to mainstream '90s alternative rock can give you, under the right inebriated circumstances, the kind of pleasure not experienced since heroin went out of vogue. Debaser at the Knockout has become one of the best monthly parties in San Francisco, largely because it gives '80s babies, who were stuck playing Oregon Trail in computer class while Courtney Love and Kat Bjelland were rocking it out in Portland, the chance to live out their Nirvana-era dreams. Debaser promoter Jamie Jams is the only DJ in San Francisco who will spin the Cranberries after a Pavement song, and his inspired mixology is empirically proven to induce moshing en masse until last call, an enticingly dangerous sport now that lead-footed Doc Martens are back in style. Sporting flannel gets you comped, so for those still hung up over Jordan Catalano and the way he leans, Debaser is rife with contemporary, albeit less angsty, equivalents.
First Saturdays, 9 p.m., Knockout, 3223 Mission, SF. (415) 550-6994, www.myspace.com/debaser90s
SF Weekly Review of Debaser
DJs dig into '90s nostalgia
By Jennifer Maerz
Wednesday, Sep. 24, 2008
It was one of those balmy September weekends when San Franciscans can actually go sleeveless after 10 p.m. And yet in the line snaking outside Mission bar the Knockout for the club night Debaser, partiers were bundled in flannels. One dude kept a nest of dark hair tucked under a black ski cap. Were we in the same climate zone here? Yup. These folks weren't dressing for the weather; they were working an era. This particular Saturday night was all about the '90s, so no matter what the thermometer displayed, the look required plaid Pendletons — or, I should say, the admission discount required it. If you show up at Debaser before 11 p.m. in flannel or a babydoll dress, you bypass the $5 cover.