Hey, I'm Allen
My name is Allen Waddell. I was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and I'm in my late 20s, which means I grew up right in the sweet spot for some of the best party music ever made. Your parents/grandparents probably disagree, whoops.
Why Me?
I'm a young DJ who is genuinely passionate about music and tapped into all kinds of genres, new and old, mainstream and underground. I know what the younger crowd wants to hear because I'm part of that generation. At the same time, I know how to keep the parents and grandparents up on there feet too.
I'm also trying to break down the stereotype of the corny Iowa wedding DJ who plays the Chicken Dance. No shade to you if that's what you're looking for that's just not my style.
I want your wedding or event to feel like a great party with a friend behind the music, not just a businessman who happens to own a DJ setup. I'll bring the experience, preparation, and music knowledge needed to make your event something to remember!
My Story
My love for music started at a very young age. From my parents listening to 80's hair bands to my older sister giving me a burnt CD of 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Trying to waking up to MTV playing music videos in the morning. I tried different instruments as kid but DJing first appeared on my radar when I was about 12-13 years old. I saw someone playing the DJ Hero video game at Bestbuy and thought it looked cool. I went home and downloaded some of the earliest DJ software out there and had no idea what I was looking at. This was before you could learn how to do anything from Youtube, so DJing got put on the shelf for me until 2020 when I had some extra time on my hands.
What started as just another hobby quickly became something I was passionate about and I spent a lot of my time learning the ins and outs of DJing. I never really planned on DJing in front of other people, but eventually I got the opportunity to work with another local DJ company. That opportunity gave me the chance to turn what I had been practicing at home into real-world experience. I worked dozens of weddings, private events, and public events and learned a ton about what it actually takes to DJ for a room full of people.
Eventually, I decided I wanted to build something of my own. I wanted to take more ownership of the events I was DJing, get to know my clients before their event, and build my own name as a DJ in the Cedar Rapids and Eastern Iowa event scene.
And that's how All-In Events started!