Party Dad

Why did Tay McNabb become a DJ?

"I do it because it's an excuse to buy more records, really," he said.

McNabb has been playing live vinyl DJ sets under the pseudonym "Party Dad" since the New Year and doesn't plan on stopping any time soon.

"It's a great way to share it with people. I was the guy that showed up at a party with a brand-new mix CD and break songs at parties like that. That was one of my favorite things, when I would introduce a song to my friends and it would become a staple at every party."

McNabb started compiling music at a very early age. He played drums in a Christian punk-rock cover band fronted by his youth minister in Pinopolis and broadened his musical horizons through obscure Christian rock bands such as Pedro the Lion.

He started collecting records in high school after he got a job and his own car, where he strayed from the Christian rock vein towards disco, funk, soul and punk.

McNabb started getting actively involved in the local music scene by putting on shows at the College of Charleston Communications Museum and hosting his own radio show on the college station for a year.

In 2009, he expanded his role by broadcasting his own "Somebody Come and Play" podcast, an hour-long show that featured different DIY artists he discovered on the Internet where he perused blogs and music websites.

McNabb also helped open Outer Space, a concert space on upper Meeting Street, that housed shows for nine months in late 2009 to early 2010.

After a New York DJ sold his record collection to Charleston record store Fifty-Two Five, he saw it as a golden opportunity to expand his collection.

"There were piles of old soul and disco, and some really good punk records," McNabb said.

"Right around the time I was getting into the single format, there's this treasure trove for me to dig through."

Shortly afterwards, McNabb's close friend left the city and gave him a second turntable. He quickly capitalized on the opportunity, convincing the bartenders of the Upper Deck to let him spin records all night for free beer.

These sets caught the attention of the Electric Friends, a local DJ super group, and things started to take off from there.

Since then, Party Dad has landed a Saturday night gig at new downtown hot spot O-Ku, as well as a weekly set at The Upper Deck every Tuesday.

McNabb's favorite performance was for a private Spoleto party that was thrown in celebration of a dance troupe. "Juilliard-trained dancers getting down to my set was so much fun. Everyone had a blast," he said.

What should one expect in a Party Dad live set?

McNabb's staples include "What a Fool Believes," by the Doobie Brothers. "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs, "In the Bush" by Musique, and "World Turning" by Fleetwood Mac.

The moniker "Party Dad" was coined by McNabb and some friends as a joke.

"I don't know exactly when I came up with the idea of Party Dad, but it was originally a joke about the creepy dad who shows up at his son's party with two six-packs," he said.

"That was the joke of it, and it made me laugh, so I decided to take it as my name. I am an actual dad, too. Elise, she's party kid."

"Party daughter," six-year-old Elise said.