Late Nights, Loud Dreams, and the Art of the Mix
Tommy Widmer performing in Times Square, New York City. Fall 2025.
Artist: August Grace (Beans) | Water Color with B&W filter.
New York has a way of testing people before it celebrates them.
Between late nights, creative risk, and relentless ambition, DJ and creative Tommy Widmer has quietly been building his sound — one mix, one room, one opportunity at a time.
Last fall, that journey landed him behind the booth in Times Square. We talked music, inspiration, pressure, and what it means to chase something loud in a city that never stops moving. I sat down with my brother while helping him trim his hair and asked him a few questions in the comfort of our own home.
I am very proud of my little (est), tallest sibling and am also nourished creatively by him as a person, artist, and friend. His favorite flower is a ___
Name: Tommy.
Based in: Long Island, NY.
Current obsession: Dance Music and community.
Go-to late night snack: Pop Corners Kettle Corn from the basement stock. Wendy’s. Slice of pepperoni pizza.
Artist always in rotation: Avaion…
Beans: Who’s that?
Tommy: He’s from Europe- he doesn’t have a visa to come to the US which kinda makes him cooler. Other’s are It’s Murph and Avicci.
Dream venue: Brooklyn Store House. It’s a massive warehouse on the pier. It holds like 13,000 people.
Beans: Manifesting that for you right now.
Coffee or cocktails: Cocktails. Im a beer guy- straight down the middle fast ball. I like beer. Or I’ll take a high noon or a surf side. I honestly don’t do mixed drinks too much but, I can do shots.
Three words that describe your sound: Unviversal , Punchy, High energy.
think everyone can dance to my music and its not too particular that
ON THE MUSIC
Beans:When did music first become more than just something you listened to?
Tommy: Music became more in College once I started playing bigger shows and realized that people enjoyed listening- or honestly in High school. Kids that were older than me were putting out these mixes and I thought it was awesome.
Beans: Oh yeah, I remember that!
Tommy: So I started to do it. I used Garage Band and once I got to College I got my first DJ Set.
Beans: How much did it cost?
Tommy: That one was like 200 bucks but then going into my senior year of college I bought one for 2 thousand I used Opa’s gold coins to help me buy it and that’s what I used my whole Senior year.
Beans: I’ll never forget that..What made you want to start DJing specifically?
Tommy: Hmm.. I have always been into sound. Nick, Max and Andrew made it seem cool.
Beans: What’s harder than people think about DJing?
Tommy: Mixing songs together… because I like to do it on the fly. I don’t really like to plan out what songs I am going to play. I have a catalog of like 15,000 songs that pop up once I plug in my board and then I go from there.
Beans: You dont know what your gonna play going into it?
Tommy: I always decide off the fly.
Beans: That’s fly.
ON NEW YORK
Beans: What did it feel like DJing in Times Square?
Tommy: It was a dream come true. It was the largest crowd I ever played for and I played before one of the biggest DJ- Oliver Heldens. I got to be direct support dj which means you play directly before the head lining DJ which is the same I did in Montauk.
Beans: What’s the name of the place you played in Montauk?
Tommy: This place called the Montauk Beach House
Beans: Do you think New York influences your sound?
Tommy: 100% percent its the biggest market for dance music in the US.
Beans: What’s your favorite kind of crowd to play for?
Tommy: A filled crowd…A Packed crowd.
ON CREATIVITY
Beans: Where do you pull inspiration from outside of music?
Tommy: My Friends most of them come from my friends. we have a group chat of like 25 of us and we always share songs.
Beans: What’s a song that completely changed your life?
Tommy: Not one song in particular but Avicci was definitely my biggest inspriation.
Beans: What keeps you motivated when things feel uncertain?
Tommy: That I am passionate about it and I will always come around on it.
Beans: Who deserves their flowers right now?
Tommy: Probably - Nick, Max and Andrew for getting me into it when I was younger.
Beans: What’s something you hope people feel when they hear your sets?
Tommy: That they want to hear it again.
Beans: What’s next for you?
Tommy: I am going to the City tonight cause we have our first boat party and I need to be on site- then there is a concert this weekend - these guys Laszewo. their playing at a roof top called pier 17 and then I am opening for them in July .
Beans: Congrats! What did you do last night? :
Tommy: I went to a sick pop up show at public records in Brooklyn.
Beans: How was it?
Tommy: The best. It was me and my buddy mike going so hard ha. One of the best Friday at 5 pm feelings I ever had, you know? After that we went back to the financial district and got pizza and watched the Knicks game.
Beans: Did they win?
Tommy: Yeah, they won.
Beans: Where did you get pizza?
Tommy: Joe’s pizza its the same spot that spider man delivered pizza to in the spider man movies.
Beans: That’s sick.
Tommy: Yes. So fire. I can’t wait to get back in the city this weekend.
Beans: When are you going?
Tommy: Tonight.
The dream sounds loud now — exactly as it should.
Proud of my little brother.
