Man behind the music: DJ Bob

What's going on tonight? Who has a DJ? More importantly, who has DJ Bob?

There are a few things every good Princeton student learns early on in his or her social career: 1) Enrique Inglesias is actually cool; 2) belting out the lyrics to "Living on a Prayer" is not only cool, but an inevitable and recurring moment of every Saturday night; and 3) the quickest way to find a great party at the Street is to ask the critical question, "Who has DJ Bob?"

Princeton students have counted on Bob "DJ Bob" Sallade to set the tone for their most cherished Street memories for the past 11 years, a service the Haddonfield, New Jersey native is more than happy to provide.

"I really like it here," said Sallade, in an interview Tuesday night at Ivy Club. "I've designated myself to be at Princeton every weekend — I basically live here Thursday and Saturday nights."

Always looming in the shadows of the dance floor, usually sporting a baseball cap and hiking boots characteristic of his laid-back style, DJ Bob is a fixture on Prospect Avenue. Lately, though, the astute Princeton student may have noticed that DJ Bob is rumored to be at more than one place at one time.

How is this possible? The answer is not only the key to the enigma that is Bob, but also the key to his growing success, both on the Princeton campus and lately, on the national and local level.

Contrary to campus superstition, there is only one DJ Bob, Bob Sallade. But Sallade owns an entertainment company, Soundtracks (www.soundtracknj.com), which consists of 12 DJs and nearly $1 million in sound and lighting equipment.

As Sallade emphatically insists, the name of his company is not DJ Bob, nor is every DJ who works for the company named Bob, though clubs advertising "DJ Bob" may have a Soundtracks disc jockey other than Sallade himself.

"I'm not trying to be egotistical, but I would like people to know the facts," Sallade said.

Growing fame

The Soundtracks disc jockeys provide music for a variety of occasions throughout the central Jersey and Philadelphia area, including weddings, proms, bar mitzvahs, and of course, college parties.

But Soundtracks also manages the sound and lighting equipment for live bands, and it is this end of the business that has brought Sallade the most success in recent years.

"In the past nine months, I've worked with Alicia Keys, Kelly Price of Destiny's Child and P. Diddy," Sallade said.

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Despite Soundtracks' growing fame, Sallade remains faithful to his favorite venue, the Princeton eating clubs, and harbors a secret desire: to play at all eleven clubs at once.

"It's a personal goal," Sallade confessed. "Last year during Houseparties, we had parties at 9 clubs at one time — that's a record. Almost a clean sweep! Maybe this year it will happen," he said with a smile.

Without question, the underlying formula for Sallade's popularity is his keen understanding of the Princeton music style.

"'Like a Prayer' is like the national anthem of Princeton," said Sallade. "There are some songs that are popular only here, those old favorites that have been hanging around and just won't die."

"People think we automatically play those songs, but we always wait for people to ask for them — and they do, every night."

Clearly, Princeton students prefer a unique brand of music, a hodgepodge of classic rock, pop and hip-hop. But just as we yearn for the same songs night after night, our tastes invariably guide us to the familiar and addictive beats of DJ Bob. Like Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, this New Jersey classic is here to stay.