Having played and gained musical experience from being in a band for 10 years, Dylan Jung decided a year ago to switch the way he created music, by becoming a DJ throughout Northern Arizona. Jung goes by the name Lounge Lizard D while playing. His next event is the Ghost Town Social on Friday, July 10, at the Spirit Room in Jerome.

The Ghost Town Social was created to take the place of the trivia nights that were hosted by Jung and his friend, who recently needed to take a break from the event. The trivia nights were booked for a few months out and in an effort to fill the bookings Jung decided to create the Ghost Town Social. The social occurs every second Friday of the month from 8 to 11 p.m. and is free for those 21 and older.

“I started the event to branch out from the normal ’80s Flashback Parties I throw throughout Northern Arizona. I wanted to create an event that acted as more of a social gathering, rather than concentrating on DJ music,” Jung stated. “I choose music via vinyl or digital media that are more like background music, but still upbeat. Jerome is such a unique little town in our desert, and this is my way of trying to get these folks together, as well as anyone who may happen to be visiting the ‘ghost town.’”

Jung grew up with music in his life and after playing in a band for so long he saw becoming a DJ as the natural segue from playing in a band. Jung had been a DJ for a few dance parties in Northern Arizona, but it wasn’t until he spent two and half years in North Carolina that he gained his musical inspiration from the DJ friends he met there. Jung has followed in his friends’ footsteps for the past year by playing the music he knows best.

“These [DJs] were hipster men and women who were big-time record collectors. They’d have a night or a week where they’d play their stuff out in little dive bars. I always danced until it was all over or at least until sweat was dripping into my eyes. More importantly, [their music] was not Top 100 stuff, a lot of the tunes were old ones that are hard to find now, even with Spotify and YouTube,” Jung stated.

With Jung’s sound created from the use of vinyls, not from scratching discs like other DJs, he reflects the kind of parties he would want to go to through his events. The use of vinyl is not as common as it used to be, making Jung’s music stand out against the new generation of DJs.

“I’m not really the normal kind of DJ most people think of these days when they see that title. I’m a rock ’n’ roll musician first and foremost. I take the approach more as a musician, and mix grooves and vibes like a band would. My hope is just to provide a good atmosphere for people and a good party,” Jung said.

Jung enjoys putting on the Ghost Town Social event because it is a little different from the others he hosts and he gets to share an experience with the attendees.

The Spirit Room has held three previous Ghost Town Socials and information about upcoming ones can be found on its website. The Ghost Town Social is something that can be enjoyed by all types of people, the atmosphere Jung creates makes it a place where people can come enjoy other’s company, but also allows for people to dance and have a fun night out on the town.

“I let the crowd steer the ship so to speak, by adding their requests and going from there. If people choose to start dancing, then I try to bring a little heat to the selections. However, I try to set a tone that enables people to imbibe and have conversations. Maybe they want to play a game, too, in which case they have the option. The Spirit Room has provided a number of traditional games to play, so long as no one is gambling,” Jung stated.

Jung hopes to create an event similar to the Ghost Town Social in Sedona because he knows the community and wants to create a similar experience for the residents here. He hosts other events in Sedona ranging from trivia nights to Flashback to the ’80s parties. Information on all of Jung’s events can be found on Lounge Lizard D’s Facebook page. Jung plans on hosting many more events and sharing his love for music with people until he can’t hear it anymore.

“I plan on doing this until I am 80,” Jung said.