Best of Calgary is a celebration of the people, places and voices that make Calgary an amazing place to live and call home.

Written by: Kelsey Woods

A couple of guys, who were up to no good, started making trouble in your neighbourhood - introducing Smalltown DJs! This musical duo have been making fun, bass-heavy music for years, starting small here in Calgary and growing to play festivals and clubs like Bass Coast, Shambhala, Lollapalooza, Fabric and Bestival. If you’ve ever caught a show downtown Calgary at the Hifi Club, you may have seen these two since they founded and now own and operate the business. Whether you love the electronic music scene or you’re a fan of supporting local artists, let’s hear what Calgary’s Best DJs of 2018 have to say!

Pete Emes & Mike Grimes

Are you born and raised Calgarians?

Yes, we were both born and raised in the southwest.

What was your dream job growing up? How has this influenced who you are today?

Surprisingly, we both wanted to be the Beastie Boys. We did stay within the music industry!

What is your favourite thing about Calgary?

Two things actually: being close to the mountains and the spirit of the people here.

If you could describe Calgary in one word, what would it be?

Adventurous.

What does being a Calgarian mean to you?

It means having a supportive home to pursue our creative endeavours.

Do you have a favourite watering hole in Calgary?

Too many! Home & Away, Commonwealth and, of course, our very own Hifi Club.

What is your favourite Calgary event/ activity or thing to do?

Sled Island is pretty great.

Where is the best place to people watch in Calgary?

Definitely the Dome.

If you were an emoji, what emoji would you be?

The party confetti one.

Tell us about your business, what motivates you to do what you do every day?

We travel around the continent playing music for people in clubs and at festivals as well as produce our own music. Some people ask if music has lost that magical feeling since we’ve turned it into a career, and we can safely say no. Even as music became our job, we still find it motivating and fun!

Anything special coming up we should know about?

Grinding in 2019. Stay tuned for a bunch of new music this year.

Connect with us here:

Instagram: @smalltowndjs & on all other platforms

Kelsey Woods is the Content & Editorial Manager for Best of Calgary.