As someone whose idea of dressing up is wearing black socks along with my schleppy outfit of beat-up kicks, baggy jeans and a T-shirt, working alongside Tom Levey-Galleguillos (as I happily did for seven years selling books at Books Inc.) was awesome and intimidating. Surely you’ve seen Tom strolling Park Street, browsing the thrift stores, and now at Rocket Reuse, resplendent in full suit and tie, hair—to borrow from Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” —perfect, with the coolest glasses happily resting upon his nose. His stride, dare I say, better than Travolta’s in Saturday Night Fever. Yes, that guy. And what a guy! Tom is a polymath with book knowledge, music smarts, a profound affection for all things Disney, and is the subject of this interview. Forgive me for trying to be as cool as Tom, but let me let him spin his story, and be prepared to sway or dance hooray: 5Q4 Tom Levey Galleguillos.
At what moment did you discover that you wanted to be an artist?
My first clear memory of wanting to be an artist was watching my dad draw on a Denny’s napkin with a ballpoint pen every time we went out to eat. He would ask the wait staff for a pen, he would ask me what I wanted him to draw, I would come up with something, and he would draw it. I remember being so excited that I was giddy inside and actually laughing from joy. Hours looking through his art pads, paintings, photographs, and record collection. I was raised by an artist from day one.
Who was the most influential person who helped you achieve your goal?
Both of my parents were very supportive and influential, in terms of supplying me with art supplies and time to pursue my creative endeavors. We lived in the mountains in the middle of the redwoods and our entire backyard and surrounding neighborhood was wilderness. It provided an endless supply of inspiration. But I would say my father positively was the most influential person who helped me achieve my goal.
Tell about the best—or a best—experience you had as a performer.
One of the best experiences I’ve had as a DJ and live performer was getting an opportunity to spin records at a massive warehouse event in Oakland in 1998. My set was at 1 a.m., the peak time for a DJ playing dance music. The turntable booth was set up outside the large parking lot area. I looked out in front of me to a sea of thousands of people dancing to my set. I was told at the end of the night that 8,000 people had attended that event. It was an exhilarating feeling. A feeling of joy, a feeling of camaraderie, and a feeling of ‘I’m doing exactly what I set out to do.’ Gigs don’t make a performer a success. Neither does money. I’ve also played for crowds of two people—the bartender and myself. Both are legitimate performance experiences. But there’s nothing worse than playing for an empty room.
Conversely, tell us about a pretty bad experience.
I’ve had the police show up several times for noise complaints. I’ve had people grab the record off the turntable because they didn’t like it. I’ve had people knock over the turntables because they thought I was terrible. The public can be really awful. I also hate taking requests and I rarely do it. But for some reason, everyone loves to request music from the DJ. If the request fits the theme of what I’m doing, then, by all means, I’m happy to try to work it into the set. Otherwise I’m the artist, I’m the performer, I create the ambience, I create the atmosphere. It is my set.
Any advice to folks out there hoping to pursue a life in the arts?
Once you begin on the path of whatever your craft is, know that that is what you are. A scribble on a piece of paper by an aspiring artist is a piece of art. If you’re getting started with DJ or other types of musicianship, you’re a musician. If you take a photograph, you’re a photographer. My top advice is don’t ever listen to what other people think you should be doing. It is your life. It is your craft. You created it, you make it yours. You may have to compromise from time to time, but don’t let people take advantage of you economically. Be creative because it brings you joy, not because it brings other people joy. Deploy your craft with integrity, skill, and determination—what other people think of you or your art form shouldn’t make any difference. Lastly, when someone asks you what your job is, tell them what your craft is, not your day job. That’s always going to be secondary to your art form. Just go be an artist. It’s very easy.
Gene Kahane is the founder of the Foodbank Players, a lifelong teacher, and former Poet Laureate for the City of Alameda. Reach him at [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Gene-Kahane.
