About

Whether for family-friendly events or those catering to adults 21 and over, Red Tail Sound strives to create welcoming, positive spaces for communities to come together, have fun, and dance.

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Red Tail Sound’s founder and principal is Pete Welsch. Pete started DJing in January, 1998 after spending a semester studying medieval history in Oxford, England. With London just an hour away, he spent most weekends clubbing with friends. Inspired by the likes of Coldcut, Mixmaster Morris, Fabio, Grooverider, Daft Punk, and Dimitri from Paris he resolved to become a DJ.

“Pete’s got the chops and he’s got the gear, this guy knows how to put on a party. But on a less glitzy (yet of equal/greater import) note, this man is easy to work with and a great human being. He shows up early and is set up well in advance of the stated call time. He responds quickly to emails and texts and just generally does 101 things in the background that help make an event seem seamless. If you want a quality DJ set and someone who shows up on-time ready to fully embrace and enhance your event, look no further than Red Tail Sound!”

Jeff Kagan, Jeff & Paige

Returning to the United States and inspired by Jean Renoir’s Le Crime de Monsieur Lange, Pete and several friends founded the DJ collective Otaku Soundsystem and began throwing monthly on-campus parties that attracted hundreds of attendees and, in one memorable instance, a police helicopter.

After college, Pete moved to Baltimore, MD and began to DJ around the Baltimore and Washington, DC area. He held two weekly residencies at Baltimore’s groundbreaking Sonar Lounge and played regularly at The Ottobar, the 13th Floor Lounge, and at parties, bars, and clubs around the DMV.

“Red Tail Sound was a fantastic DJ for Our Glow Party! We had Red Tail Sound for our elementary school’s glow party, and it was excellent! The kids danced the night away, enjoying a perfect playlist that kept the energy high. The DJ was flexible and engaged with the kids, creating a fun and positive atmosphere. I highly recommend Red Tail Sound for any event! Thank you for making our party unforgettable!“

Genna Jaramillo, Heatherwood Elementary

^{_{Temchine, Michael. A New Spin. An interest in social activism and music led Pete Welsch, a DJ, to library school. 2007, Photograph, The New York Times.}}

After graduate school Pete moved to DC and joined a crew of 6 other DJs to throw a monthly sweatbox of a funk and soul party called Fatback. Fatback drew an enthusiastic and loving crowd, with more than a thousand attendees and a line down the block on many nights, and brought them to venues such as the House of Sweden, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and to several shows at the 9:30 Club.

As The Washington Post reported, “Fatback has morphed from a ridiculously fun funk-and-soul dance party to a full-on phenomenon.”

“Pete isn’t just professional and experienced, but will bring a creative and unique vibe to any event! Can’t recommend enough.”

Lance Panagutti, Without Limits Productions

During this same period, Pete had the honor of joining the staff of President Barack Obama’s White House in the first Office of Digital Strategy. While there he was responsible for hosting the first two official White House Hackathons.

After leaving the White House, Pete joined an advocacy organization that tapped him to stage manage a rally in New York’s Battery Park featuring climate activist Greta Thunberg, performances by Jayden and Willow Smith, and many thousands of thousands of attendees on 72 hours notice.

Pete is now based in Boulder, Colorado with his family. Since moving here in 2015 he has hosted several events at the Junkyard Social Club, including the famed Disco Brunch and Cheap Date. For the last several years has been the DJ for Tube to Work Day and brought Dino Disco to the Boulder Creek Festival in support of live performances by Jeff & Paige.