Born and raised in Colorado, Shane Pfannenstiel, a.k.a.
DJ Shane Stiel, caught the music bug while still a teenager. Before too long he had broken into the Denver gay nightlife scene spinning at Traxx 2000, Club Matrixx and, more recently, with high-profile gigs at Vinyl and Mo's in Denver as well as a residency at
The Endup, San Francisco's legendary gay dance club.
I caught up with him the other day to talk about breaking into the DJ biz, his
Going Away Party this Friday at
Mo's, and his plans for the future.
Shane, I hear you’re not gonna be a local boy much longer. Say it isn’t so!
That's right, I’m moving back to San Diego. I love it here too but I just can't be in the cold anymore.
It seems like there's a lot of gay migration back and forth between Denver and San Diego. We're like sister cities.
There is a lot of that, actually. I really love both cities but I'm just really ready to pursue my music out in Cali. I have some strong residencies and a strong following out there so I'm moving back to take advantage of that.
How long have you been DJing?
Thirteen years...
No way, how old are you?
I will be 30.
So you got into it when you were a tot?
Oh, yeah, I actually started way back in the rave days.
That was you with the glow stick?
I have to admit I’ve done that. I got into dance music when I was 15. A couple of years later I met and befriended a bunch of local DJs and promoters - Denver has a really strong scene - and I just thought to myself, 'I can do that.'
And I just started doing it.
I had to take a bit of a break when I joined the Navy, but when I got out I just pursued it again. And that’s how it kind of all began.
How would you describe your musical style?
I'd say I have kind of an eclectic house sound. I like to bring in a little bit of the gay circuit but I also like to explore outside of that whole circuit gay thing and bring in some electro, some progressive, a little bit of trancey. I just like to kind of create my own sound.
You've been a popular fixture on Denver's gay nightlife scene...
Yeah, Friday at Mo’s has been great. And I did
Vinyl a lot. I will actually be back to Vinyl this summer.
DJ Tatiana and I talked about me coming back once a month this summer. I'll also be doing Gallery 22 once a month so I won't be gone from Denver completely.
You're going-away party is this Friday at Mo's, right?
Yeah, it's a going away party plus a Madonna Revolver party …
Whoo-hoo!
I know right? What a good note to go out on. It’s being co-promoted by
DJ Ken-E, me, and B&G Productions so it should be a good event.
Sounds like a real recipe for success.
Yeah, it’s gonna be in the new space downstairs so it’s gonna be kind of intimate and the sound is great down there. Both the Milk Bar and the Jazz Bar will be open so it'll be a really fun event.
What else should we know about DJ Shane Stiel?
I'd love for everybody to check out my podcast
WERQ – I might be doing a live set for the podcast this Friday at the going away party.
And I can’t really go into too much detail right now, but I’m gonna be working with some producers on a couple of my own tracks in the near future so let's just say that people will definitely be hearing more about DJ Shane Stiel.
What message do you have for readers of MileHighGayGuy.com and the Denver gay community?
Thank you so much, Denver. You’re truly where my heart is. The people here have always been great and welcomed me with open arms and I appreciate it. Don't forget about me.
