By Mikkel Hyldebrandt
While many first came to know Boomer Banks through his work in adult entertainment and content creation, he is now channeling that same confidence and instinct for connection into an entirely new arena: DJing. What began as a creative curiosity has quickly evolved into a serious pursuit, with Boomer building momentum behind the decks at clubs and events from coast to coast. As Boomer Banks has stepped into being a DJ, he’s showing that reinvention doesn’t require erasing the past, only expanding beyond it. We got a cance to talk to the DJ about inspirations, mentors, and what kind of DJ he aspires to be.
What made you decide to try out DJing?
A big factor was that in late 2022, I lost my best friend, and I was just grieving deeply. One of our things was a deep love of music , and a big thing that I shared with my friend was that we would share music every Friday, so music was a big part of our friendship. We would also joke a lot about how everyone was a DJ after the pandemic, and she would always tell me that I would be much better than all of them. I always took it as a joke, but she knew how much I loved music. So, when I started learning how to DJ, I never assumed that I would know what I was doing or even be any good. But something that made real sense to me was that you can learn all the technical things and how to mix and how to put together a playlist, but if you can’t read the room and create a vibe or a journey, you just don’t have it. I’m so grateful that I caught on to that right when I started.
Did you have any kind of mentors or someone showing you the ropes – or the decks rather?
I’m so grateful to my proximity to some amazing DJs – New York City legends – that I call friends. Nita Aviance (from the Carry Nation, ed.) is one of them, and when she saw that I was just intensely grieving, her solution was that maybe I should play some music. So she invited me to her studio where she just told me to kind of play around with things, and I figured it out after a while.
One of the first places I got to play was at REBAR in Chelsea that I’ve had a relationship with forever. I used to be cocktail waiter, and then I hosted a bunch of parties there, and they always just had a playlist in the background, so I asked them, hey, would it be okay if I came and played so I can learn? I went there and started playing and learning on these very old 2000s, and it gave me a sense of what I need to do, how to mix properly and to beat match on my own and all that stuff. It was a lot of trial and error!
Obviously, it all paid off, and you have regular gigs now. Do you think being a name in the community has helped that?
Yes, for sure. You know, Nita actually touched on this, and it really stuck with me, because she said that clubs and parties are going to hire you for your name, but you have to keep them wanting more because of your music. So take the gigs because you have a name, but get rebooked because you were good.
So how has it all been since you started DJing just a few years ago?
I mean, it has honestly happened much faster than I ever imagined. I’m very humbled and grateful to have played alongside so many amazing DJs already. Just recently, I headlined with Leonce and it was my L.A debut at the same time. The TUFF party has taken me on and basically tells everyone that I’m now their resident DJ, which is mind-blowing to me. TUFF also brought me to Atlanta for Pride, which was a lot of fun.
I’m grateful that people have taken a chance on me and have invested in me and this new craft of mine that I love. I want to be the kind of DJ that makes people feel something during the set. There are a lot of DJs that are great at playing for ambiance or as part of a party concept, and that’s great and a lot of people love and need that – but that’s not the kind of DJ I want to be.
Has it also been a challenge being a well-known name for other things than DJing?
It has been a plus and a minus. It helped but it has also blocked me from some events or parties because people will be like, oh, he’s a porn person, and they don’t even know that I’m a DJ. But at the end of the day, I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone. I just want to be good at what I do, and it’ll show in my work, in my effort, and in my passion for it. So those people who didn’t want to hire me before, they will end up hiring me because I’m good at what I do – but now it won’t cost the same. I’m happy to say that I’m past that point where I was willing to take gigs just to have gigs.
How has this affected your work in the adult industry?
DJing has already replaced that. I still do content for my own platform called foreskinmafia.com, but I haven’t done industry porn in over three years – I just never made an official announcement that I actually quit making porn. Music is my main career now that’s paying my bills, and the content creation is just my side gig.
What has it been like to shift career tracks like that?
I’m 45 now, so having this kind of approach on a new career is probably pretty healthy, I think. I’ve always had a need to thrive, which I think stems from the fact that my parents died when I was just a child, and I somehow chose to thrive and not just roll over and give up, you know.
I’m not looking to be famous, I want to make art. Like I said, I genuinely want to learn piano and instruments, so that I can make actual music and not just noise. I want to make music and make my community happy and still do a lot of advocacy for our trans, black, and brown individuals.
I feel like a lot of my drive and groundedness comes from wanting to survive but also wanting to thrive at the same time.
A lot of people would have dealt with a similar situation in a very different way.
Yes, and I did for a while there. You know, I was a drug addict until I got sober when I was 20, and I’ve been in recovery for well over 20 years now. It wasn’t easy, but it was either that or I was going to die. It has helped me build my confidence and my desire to want to thrive.
And in a way that’s what you’re doing with your music, helping people thrive.
I hope it’s creating a space for us all. I don’t want to take up the whole room just me because why would I? I want to be a presence in the room, but I also want my brothers and sisters to have a presence, you know? It’s disturbing to me that infighting is still a thing when we live in a society where our liberties are being slowly chipped away. I will fight for everyone in my community. I may not agree with you, but I will be kind to you, and I will support you. We need more of that vibe.
So what projects and gigs do you have coming up?
Well, I’m doing a collab with Cazwell and his brand Daddy Department. Collabs are always fun, because fashion is a lot of work to do on your own. There will be more fashion coming from me, because people are always asking, but right now I want to focus on my music. Stay tuned.
Where do you see this taking you? What is your dream?
I feel like I’m already chipping away at that dream, but I would love to DJ at the Basement, DJing for my DJ mom Nita and the Carry Nation, DJing at Battle Hymn. These people are like my family, and I love them, and I would love for them to see what and how I’m doing and to DJ for them.
Would you come back and DJ in Atlanta?
Yes, for sure! I go to Atlanta all the time, and I love what is going on there with Queen Butch and Deep South. I’m, ready for another gig in Atlanta!
You can follow DJ Boomer Banks on SoundCloud and check out his event schedule by following him on Instagram @baconlvr.