Local StoriesMay 16, 2023

Daily Inspiration: Meet Jackie Sue

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackie Sue.

Hi Jackie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Demographics was established in 2009 in Central Texas as an indie music podcast showcasing music from independent and worldly artists. The podcast lasted about a year and a half before being discontinued. I continued Demographics as an online blog where I would post reviews and information about local Austin music/bands, shows, concerts, and festivals. In 2012, I began DJing around town as a house music DJ playing at downtown clubs for free to get a start in the local music industry. In 2013, I wanted to learn a new language (apart from my second language, Spanish), so I started learning Korean by watching KDrama and listening to KPop music. I also joined a language group where I made a lot of friends. Many of these new friends voiced their frustration with not having anywhere (as far as a nightclub to dance) to listen and dance to KPop.

I was DJing at the Karma Lounge club around that time, where I was a resident DJ playing house music. I got the owners on board with having a “Kpop Night” there and planned the very first KPop night called “I♡KPOP!” on December 27th, 2013. To my surprise, with very little promotion, we had a good turn out. We needed a bigger venue to host the night, so we looked to Elysium (Red River district) to have our next KPop night. The next Kpop night, we ended up being a huge turnout, more than the first night. Thus, we kept it going and have had this event for almost 10 years. The community has grown so much since then! I’ve also been able to take this event around Texas to San Antonio and Dallas. I’ve also had many opportunities to work with different production companies from Korea, where I’ve gotten to DJ in Los Angeles and South Korea. I love to travel, but nothing is better than being home and the warmth and love of the community we’ve grown here in Austin! They always come out, and it gets bigger every time we have this event.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

For the most part, yes. But there have been a few bumps in the road along the way with one big obstacle being the language barrier in this business. I’ve been learning the Korean language (my third language) for over a decade now. Even though I’ve been able to communicate and understand the language so much better than when I first started learning, there is still a bit of a language barrier when working with companies and productions from South Korea. If I had been more fluent in the language, I think I could have done more in the industry and taken “I♡KPOP!” to more places. I still learn more daily, though, and I try to stay learning more to improve my Korean language skills. I also did lose a business partner not too long ago, which put a year-and-a-half gap in the time between doing events. That was hard at first because I like having my friends and good people close to me when doing these events. I had to readjust to doing these events and everything by myself. Eventually, I worked it out and I found great people to work with again.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a DJ from Austin, Texas. I’ve been DJing since right out of high school, so about 17 years now. I specialize in DJing and Video DJing. The most recognizable format is KPop music videos. I also DJ house and electronic music. I consider myself a professional now since I have been doing this for more than 15 years and have been able to play at many venues and places in the States. I’ve also been able to work and perform with so many amazing musicians and artists as well as teach others how to DJ.

I’m most proud of the opportunities I’ve had over the years through doing these events I put on and with DJing. I’ve gotten to travel across the world and have been able to meet so many amazing people. Being able to see the world puts many things in life into perspective. My biggest accomplishment by far was winning a competition to go to South Korea to learn the ins and outs of the Korean music industry. That led to being a tour manager for the Kpop group EXO’s first North American tour in 2015.

What sets me apart from the rest is really just the vibe I try to bring to every event. There’s something there that so many people always tell me they don’t get from any other event they go to. Also, how long have I been working in this industry, and how long have my events been going on.

What are your plans for the future?
I’ve gotten to do many things now and have worked with so many people. I want to eventually start making my productions bigger for the fans here in Texas. I’m partnering and working with another company to plan a KPop music festival in Austin. I also want to work on getting more KPop acts here to perform in Austin. We have so many unique venues here that K-pop would do so well if more shows were booked. I want to bridge that gap to make that happen, whether it’s by utilizing my events or if it’s working outside of that. This is my one big goal for the future going forward!

Contact Info:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demographicsent/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/demographicsEnt/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/demographicsent

Image Credits
All credits @dE (DemographicsEnt)

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