Birds and B-Sides DJs are unique, professional DJs who are excited to be a part of your wedding, party or event.  We love creating the perfect vibe for you and your guests, from chill cocktail hour, to a formal dinner party, to a dance party rager!  We are also experienced, classy MCs who will help you plan and execute your evening, facilitating toasts, family traditions, introductions and other event accoutrements.  We'll coordinate with all your other vendors to keep your dance party moving in style! 

Kate Walsh's music career began as a conductor for her parent's recorder group in the 3rd grade. She has been a musician and album enthusiast ever since, from her time as a teenage theory-obsessed jazz nerd/punk rock kid to getting her B.A. in ethnomusicology (affectionately called rocking out studies) from NYU. Kate has been in music education field for over a decade, working with Girls Rock Camps from all over the world, and at Merit School of Music and Intonation Music here in Chicago. She has played saxophone with 20-piece ensemble Girl Group Chicago and is a multi-instrumentalist in other smaller bands about town. Kate is a fan of all types of songs, but particularly enjoys soul, girl group/wall of sound music, first wave ska, and early gospel and blues. When not DJing or shredding a sax solo, you can find her on her bicycle, playing 16" softball, or empowering young people through music education. 

Ruby Des Jardins was born on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands and was raised beneath various bars & stages by her parents, a folk-calypso duo.  She left the Caribbean to attend college in Boston where she studied theatre and helmed a female-focused radio show. Since her coed days, she performed at both Lincoln Center & the Kennedy Center, sung in a punk-rock choir, an all-lady country quartet and an opera about the first dog in space, won twee pop dance contests, worked for a music non-profit in San Francisco and taught kiddos to rock out & DJ at Chicago Girls Rock! Camp. When not behind her DJ rig, Ruby lives in Humboldt Park, rides bicycles, babysits, plays scrabble, cooks homegrown vegetables & occasionally dabbles in live lit or stand-up comedy. Her musical tastes run the gamut from soul to Sondheim to Springsteen, but she especially loves Brill Building era songwriters and music from her tropical home.

We were so happy with our choice to hire Kate as our wedding DJ. She got the dance floor moving during our brunch wedding and so many people commented on how much they loved our music. Kate is super friendly, professional, funny, and patient. She had a really comprehensive list of songs to choose from, and even edited a handful of songs for us to shorten for introductions and dances. Kate was so easy to work with and we definitely recommend her for weddings and other events. She was so easy to work with. Thanks Kate! - Lou and Kristan

DJ Kate and Birds and B-Sides DJs were a fantastic service prior to and at our wedding. They were courteous, responsive and helpful. We met a number of times prior to the event and the guidance they provided in developing a play list was perfect. The day of was just as good and guests provided universally enthusiastic and positive feedback. Further, the service was offered at a good value. We strongly recommend DJ Kate and Birds and B-Sides DJs without any reservation. Please consider them. Thanks!  Brennan and Kate A.

We got married two years ago and Ruby is still all any of our friends want to talk with us about.  She rocked our wedding SO HARD we almost broke the floor.  Her song choices were on point, her transitions were perfect, and she did a great job reading the crowd and taking requests while ensuring that my husband and I only heard songs that we love.  Not only did she create an epic dance floor, but she helped us through the whole event- helping us create the schedule for the evening, making sure our guests new where to be, prepping my dad for his speech, coordinating with the catering staff, etc.  This lady is so much more than a DJ! Don't hire a planner.  DON'T hire a band.  Hire Ruby. - C.B. & B.R.

Kate provided the perfect musical backdrop for our wedding! I reached out to Kate because I knew that she has a strong knowledge in a variety of music styles. She has a clear process for learning about your tastes in music and what you want to hear during each portion of the event. Now that the day is over I must say that she realized our vision 100%. Dinner and cocktail music was perfect for mingling and she kept the dance floor moving from start to finish. In addition, Kate kept our evening moving according to our timeline with toasts, first dance etc. so that we could enjoy time with our guests. We are so happy with the services she provided and will always be grateful that she made our big day so special. We strongly recommend Kate to anyone looking to host a fun and entertaining event. - Logan and Antonio

I received a recommendation from a friend for Birds and B Sides when I was on the hunt for an awesome DJ. I am so happy I found Kate! She was professional, played great music, and really led the dance floor. I can't wait to work with her again.  - McKensie M.

Birds & B-Sides DJ'ed our wedding in July 2013.  They were so easy to work with and made the reception/music part of the wedding stress free for us! Our DJ was able to bring out our personalities in the playlist by including all of our favorites and mixing in ones we loved but had forgotten to list.  She made the dance floor so much fun and she was a big hit with all our guests.  In fact, we got this email the day after the wedding from a close friend, "Jeff, I loved your DJ.  Any girl that busts out Sister Nancy at a wedding and then dances just as hard as everyone else all night is worthy of our untamed love."  - Meryl B.

"It's hard to know who has more fun at parties where Ruby works, Ruby or everyone on the dance floor.  Whatever you imagine for your event, Ruby will make it happen.  She even knows what you want before you do. She kept us shaking, handled requests well, and was simply a delight to work with."  - Kevin M. Schultz, Associate Professor University of Illinois at Chicago

"I hired Birds & B-sides to DJ a party of 100 guests on relatively short notice. They were responsive, punctual, professional and flexible on many aspects of the engagement. They had the equipment we needed and the event went off without a hitch! Feedback from guests was positive and we would hire them again. Recommended!" - Amy Weik, The Bonebell

I was pleasantly surprised by Birds & B-Side. We hired them to play a neighborhood dance party for toddlers. They were professional and incredibly accommodating of any requests we had. They played music appropriate for kids but enjoyable for adults. Everyone was dancing at the party! I look forward to using them again in the future.  - Saher Selod

Ruby DJ'd a birthday party for our daughter. Some DJ's might be less than excited about catering to this audience, but Ruby really went all out and the kids loved it. In advance, we talked about the party schedule and song preferences. She was really easy to work with, on time and has great ideas and energy to bring to any event. The girl knows music and what works best to have a good time with different audiences and venues. The songs she selected were kid-appropriate but not the run-of-the-mill fare that you'd expect. She took requests from kids and parents, and everyone had a good, sweaty time. Highly recommend her! - Genevieve Erb

Get in touch with us for more information about our services, rates, and anything else! We look forward to hearing from you. 

Thanks so much for stopping by! We came to DJing primarily through her love of a killer dance party. We DJ to create a spontaneous, welcoming, empowering and even cathartic dancefloor where everyone can enjoy the music and be themselves.  Kate & Ruby have spun tunes at hundreds of weddings, parties and corporate events. After decades of music nerd-dom we are so grateful to be able to turn our party-starting passions into a career. We look forward to helping everyone get sweaty on your dance floor.