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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2014 |
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“They don’t call me DJ for nothing!” boasts a blue subcompact as he pulls into the intersection of Radiator Springs’ Main Street, also known as Route 66, and Cross Street. DJ has a plethora of speakers, a custom paint job, and an impressive spoiler with winglets. |
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Waitresses and mechanics from Flo’s V8 Cafe nearby are impressed. They surround DJ, and soon DJ has them dancing. And then they have kids in the audience dancing—and perhaps a few adults too. DJ’s music is perfect for the setting—songs such as “Dancing in the Street,” “Car Wash,” “Life is a Highway,” and “Route 66.” |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2013 |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2013 |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2013 |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2014 |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2014 |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2014 |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2014 |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2014 |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2014 |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2018 |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2018 Quite a crowd by the end of the show |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2018 Heading to a gig further down the road |
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DJ got the town dancing, but who is DJ anyway? The book Meet the Cars (Disney Book Group, 2017) provides a brief biography: From an early age, DJ, whose full name is Devon Montegomery Johnston III, was interested in all kinds of music. He had a voracious appetite for collecting records and was a gifted student at the nationally renowned East Coast Music Conservatory. One evening at a friend's party, Devon met a gentleman by the name of Wingo. An expert in paint and body modification, Wingo designed a custom paint job for Devon and a wicked sound system to match. Now going by the name DJ, Devon revels in his treble but never loses touch with his bass! Yes, DJ produces plenty of treble, plenty of bass—and plenty of volume. |
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DJ’s Dance ’n’ Drive premiered as one of the opening day features of Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. The spectacular new land, based on Radiator Springs in the Disney-Pixar movie Cars (2006), had its official grand opening on June 15, 2012. |
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Frame capture from Cars © 2006 Disney-Pixar DJ as one of the Delinquent Road Hazards in the first Cars movie |
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At the beginning of the movie Cars, very sleepy Mack the truck is hauling Lightning McQueen to California through the night. DJ plays Kenny G’s “Songbird” to make Mack nod off. The other three Delinquent Road Hazards cause Mack to drive on the bumpy shoulder. One thing leads to another. The back of the truck opens and Lightning McQueen rolls out somewhere near the forgotten town of Radiator Springs. DJ was a minor character in Cars, but, for his role in the park, he was the perfect character—essentially a flashy sound system on four wheels. But it was the dancers who really made the show with their talent and their ability to get kids to join in. DJ’s final performance at Cars Land was January 6, 2019. It was a run of six and a half years—an impressive length of time of a street show. DJ did not drive off to the CarMax Quality Certified lot after his last trip backstage. “Hey DJ! What are you going to do next?” “I’m going to Walt Disney World!” |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2019 Transplanted to Florida |
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Disney’s Hollywood Studios, to be more precise. On March 31, 2019, DJ began a new gig called “DJ’s Ready! Set! Party Time!” Dance Party at the courtyard outside Sunset Showcase, near Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, while Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy debuted inside. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2019 DJ showing his profile in Florida |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2019 “DJ’s Ready! Set! Party Time!” Dance Party |
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The idea was similar in Florida. It was again a dance party for children, but the songs were different. The dancers were presented as Lightning McQueen’s pit crew. The setting was a concrete courtyard. DJ, instead of driving up and being in the center of things, was parked in the background under a canopy. DJ’s music act had a much shorter run in Florida. The final performance was September 30, 2019 — just six months after the debut. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2024 DJ, sitting quietly |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2024 Cruz Ramirez, also just sitting quietly |
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After the show closed, DJ continued to be parked in front of Sunset Showcase, with Cruz Ramirez from Cars 3 under a separate canopy. Somehow, DJ seemed happier at Cars Land at Disney California Adventure than at Disney’s Hollywood Studio. The final performance of Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy was on October 7, 2024. Disney had already announced that the Sunset Showcase would become home to a new Villains-themed stage show, debuting in summer 2025. That also meant that DJ and Cruz Ramirez would no longer have homes at the Sunset Showcase courtyard. Maybe DJ will get a great new gig when the “two exciting new Cars-themed attractions” announced at the 2024 D23 Disney Experiences Showcase open at Magic Kingdom Park. |
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© 2024 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated October 18, 2024 |
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