You may not know the name Ben Neuffer, but if you are an Auburn student that enjoys the occasional bar hop, you know who Ben Bruud is.
After almost being sued for his first stage name, DJ Catalyst, he decided to keep his first name and tweak his middle name, Bruce. Nueffer’s grandfather is German, so keeping with the theme, Ben Bruud was born.
As a local DJ, Neuffer started with small house party venues and eventually worked his way to consistent gigs with Quixote’s Bar and Grill and 17-16. Neuffer is 26 years old and has played around the state and the Southeast. Being a transplant from Birmingham in Auburn hasn’t affected his work, as he has found success in the small college town.
DJing wasn’t the initial draw for Neuffer. He started with break-dancing. Initially, he hosted house parties to show off his moves, challenge others in a dance-off and enjoy a good shindig with friends.
It all started with a handstand and a challenge to see what else he could do. After a back injury, the dancing slowed and his interest in music increased. Neuffer does not dance nearly as much today, as he is wary of injuries.
“I used to coordinate all the music at these parties, and people always told me I should DJ because I had an ear for what people wanted to hear,” Neuffer said.
After investing in the necessary gear, Neuffer continued to host house parties, but from a different angle. He continued to practice and happened upon an online DJ competition based on social media presence and support. Neuffer won second place in the Schaeffer Eye Crawfish Boil competition and played his first live set.
“Winning that drove me to pursue it more because I had succeeded finally,” Neuffer said.
Soon after, Neuffer packed everything up and moved to Auburn, where he got a gig working at Chameleon Bar and Night Club.
“I was just visiting for the summer, and I met the manager,” Neuffer said. “I kind of faked it a little bit and told him I was a DJ, even though I had only had one show.”
Neuffer said most of the other bars downtown didn’t have DJs at the time, so Chameleon seemed like the place to go. He started working on the back patio and was eventually moved inside where the second stage was. He played at Chameleon for a few months, giving him time to learn and get accustomed to the environment.
“The whole time I was there, there was another DJ, and he kind of took me under his wing and taught me what I didn’t know,” Neuffer said. “Most of what I knew came from reading on the internet.”
At the age of 26, Neuffer has been DJing since he was 21. His most frequent spots to play are Quixote’s and 17-16. The partnership with Quixote’s and 17-16 began with a booking on Halloween. After a successful show, the gigs didn’t stop. Before Neuffer, there weren’t many DJ’s booked for these bars. Around this time, producers and DJs were becoming more popular and something bars wanted to book.
“My style is more Top 40/Open Format,” Neuffer said. “Open Format means you play all types of music. I can play country, house music, trap, hip-hop — pretty much any genre.”
Neuffer said he tries to play something for everyone, including some international music for the international students in Auburn.
“A lot of DJs would be scared to implement international music because you are playing for mostly Americans, but there is great music across all divides,” Neuffer said.
Neuffer said his favorite feeling while on stage is that of the adrenaline rush that hits at the beginning of a set. It’s my job to make sure the crowd has a good night, Neuffer said. He said it’s easy to let himself think the crowd is there for him, but in the end, they are there to have a good time.
“It’s a great feeling to be the feel-good drug of the night,” Neuffer said. “I have to make sure they have a good night. When you realize why they are there, you realize it’s not as much about you and more about making sure people have a good time.”
When he is not playing music, listening to music or talking about music, Neuffer plays Magic: The Gathering. When off the stage, Neuffer continues to immerse himself in music, as his friend group is made up of producers and fellow DJs.
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