Kate Siamro Says It's a 'Special Experience' to DJ With Friends Who Elevate the Artform

Kate Siamro doesn’t have an alter-ego stage name, and it makes her spinning seem even more genuine. Everything she’s done seems to follow a path that represents her true self. She spins what she loves, and she loves a good dance party.

Before opening LadyLove Lounge & Sound with Spinster Records owner David Grover, she could be seen spinning around town with other members of the Spinster crew – Grover was a successful DJ in California before moving to Dallas and opening the Oak Cliff music store. Originally from Canada, her family moved to the North Texas suburbs when she was young and she eventually found herself drawn to the Dallas nightlife. That’s how she discovered Bishop Arts and landed a job at Spinster.

“Spinster Records had only been open a few months before I stopped by to buy some records. I stopped in while walking home from a coffee shop. We connected immediately, and I had the job on the spot. David and I really connected on the hospitality point of record shops. Neither of us likes the snobbery stereotype of the audiophile, despite loving the movie High Fidelity so much. I think I bought a Sonny and Cher album and that’s what started our conversation,” Siamro recalls.

Siamro first learned how to DJ at the record store. She remembers, “Between the opportunities of Spinster Records and coworkers with potential wedding gigs, I found my footing. I have most of my experience through Spinster Records. All the staff there are versed in DJing.”
She adds, “Also, the temptation when you collect albums you want to share with the world, makes the DJing ability sit stronger [within you].”

Siamro told the Observer about her first real DJ gig, which was at a wedding. “I felt like throwing up the whole time. I had practiced in Spinster on our gear plenty of times. Once the day came, I felt like I was such a perfectionist. I had triple what was needed. The high of the experience threw me into wanting more.”

Eventually, she was spinning at a variety of spots around town, but she knew there was potential for something bigger. “I’m a woman who goes with her gut. It’s the witch in me,” Siamro says. And, her gut was telling her Dallas wanted a space that would elevate the art of DJing beyond what was expected. That led to the opening of LadyLove in Bishop Arts.

Siamro explains, “LadyLove is the love child between David Grover and me. We wanted to create a high-quality audio spot with delicious cocktails and a hyper-focus on DJ culture. I was infatuated with the Japanese listening bar. LadyLove would be romantic for the DJ. I think when you DJ enough spots, you start to daydream of your perfect DJ booth. It’s community-focused and very tactile to the music lover.” The LadyLove booth is special. It doesn't allow laptops or controllers. It has a consistent setup of two Technics 12000s, two Pioneer CDJs 3000s and a Pioneer A9 Mixer with four channels. The DJ sits a little higher than the floor to spotlight the booked guest for the evening.  All they have to bring is a curated collection of records or a USB.

Because Siamro runs LadyLove, she doesn’t spin quite as often as she used to, but she’s fine with that. “Nowadays, I feel like a filler. I book myself before acts within LadyLove to get the room warmed up just right to celebrate the main act, the superstar DJ of the night. I enjoy it. I am at a point in my career where I aim my talents to lift others up.”

She definitely feels like being a DJ has helped her while booking LadyLove. “I really resonate with the DJs I book. I hate telling people what to do because it’s an art in itself and I relate to that practice. To book while also having experience of being booked creates a lot of empathy, and I honestly have a lot of passion to see these nights and concepts succeed. I want my DJs to feel like superstars. I want them to go home with the same highs I’ve had,” she says. Having a record store background definitely helps round out her collection, but Siamro doesn’t try to prioritize quantity over quality. “I have records at LadyLove, records at home and records in storage. There’s been gigs I’ve borrowed albums from Spinster Records,” she says, adding. “I don’t ever want too much. I have a bin of albums meant as gifts or donation, because I never want to hoard or keep things that aren’t played.”

Siamro has a genuine appreciation for a DJ who’s refined their art form.

“I love a DJ that moves and dresses up. Triico will dance the entire time he spins. Gabe Mendoza is a sweetheart, and he puts so much love into his sets. Love a 45s king. Alaska is going to be famous. She’s got that thing. I love watching our bartender, Ash, spin records. She goes by Solector Spins; she is so warm,” she says of her contemporaries.

But, Siamro says, “I love DJing with David Grover or Ronnie Matharu. There’s a really special experience when you get to DJ with friends you love.” For more DJ features, read about DJ Spinderella and her daughter Christy Ray, DJ Sober and Willie Dutch.