Austen van der Bleek

Austen van der Bleek "What is a DJ if they don't dig?"
avbleek.com "What is a DJ if they don't dig?" is Austen van der Bleek's adapted maxim.

One of the Sunshine City's bright spots, he's a champion of undiscovered cuts, carrying the torch for revitalizing eclectic dance floors at home and beyond. Touching on threads of true-school Chicago, Detroit, New York, and Balearic dance music with the discernment of an insider's knowledge while bending the rules from the advantage of an outsider's perspective, his style is distinctive, yet diffi

cult to pin. He's a DJ that truly shines behind the decks, leaving listeners soaking up rays that linger on long after his sets. EPK: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1S4Rb_yCNZGknhMzi-kJxSln-8_GkB3y9

2020 Best of the Bay ‘Best Internet Radio Show’ / ‘Best Club DJ’ Runner Up
2019 Best of the Bay ‘Best Club DJ’ / ‘Best Concert in the Last 12 Months’

11/26/2025

The 2nd annual No Thanks is tonight! I'll be DJing at Suite E Studios later in the night.

Last chance to save on discounted tickets
🎫 no-thanks.eventbrite.com/?discount=avbleek

I’ll be spinning some records for this year’s SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival finale celebration. The 2025 theme is ...
11/12/2025

I’ll be spinning some records for this year’s SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival finale celebration. The 2025 theme is “Origins” and some of my earliest gigs in St. Pete were for SHINE events at Station House, so this occasion feels fitting in my artist/DJ journey as well.

SHINE Origins: Mural Festival Finale
🎫 fareharbor.com/embeds/book/floridarama/items/671712/calendar/2025/11

No Thanks returns for another year! Wednesday, November 26th with DJs at Suite E Studios and bands in The Mad Meadow.🎫 n...
11/10/2025

No Thanks returns for another year! Wednesday, November 26th with DJs at Suite E Studios and bands in The Mad Meadow.

🎫 no-thanks.eventbrite.com/?discount=avbleek

Doing an early set at Bar Mezzo this Saturday for their one year anniversary!
11/06/2025

Doing an early set at Bar Mezzo this Saturday for their one year anniversary!

OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY ✨
We’re doing it up the Mezzo way.
Oysters, cocktail, vinyl DJs, & a midnight happy hour for the night owls.
This Saturday, November 8 — see you there.
• DJ Austen Van Der Bleek 3–6 pm
• Wild Turkey & Campari Happy Hour 3–6pm
• Lost Coast Oyster Pop-Up 3–5pm
• DJ Sein 9pm – late
• Midnight Happy Hour 12–2am
• Limited Edition Anniversary Tee Drop starting at NOON 🫳🎤

Join me at Bar Mezzo for Halloween tonight. I’ll be burning the wax at both ends for you with haunted trax.
10/31/2025

Join me at Bar Mezzo for Halloween tonight. I’ll be burning the wax at both ends for you with haunted trax.

Really looking forward to sharing the studio with Jimpster Thursday. This is his most intimate showing in Tampa Bay yet ...
10/21/2025

Really looking forward to sharing the studio with Jimpster Thursday. This is his most intimate showing in Tampa Bay yet and each of the past times his selections have surprised me, so excited to hear him in this environment.

It’s been a while since the last Open House Conspiracy or I got to play an underground house party. Can’t wait to pull some records for this and see where the night takes us.

🎫 jimpster-suite-e.eventbrite.com

Back at Bar Mezzo for my monthly 3rd Saturdays residency tonight! This is the second to last one as they switch to Mirac...
10/18/2025

Back at Bar Mezzo for my monthly 3rd Saturdays residency tonight!

This is the second to last one as they switch to Miracle at Mezzo through the end of the year.

I’ve built a career on recognizing, celebrating, and honoring legacies, so the privilege of being the first DJs to play ...
10/16/2025

I’ve built a career on recognizing, celebrating, and honoring legacies, so the privilege of being the first DJs to play Clearwater Jazz Holiday in its 46 years of history is not lost on me. And it’s only possible because of and with our community’s support. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite jazz funk fusion, acid jazz, and other selections from my record collection.

Thanks to Freeman Sound for taking up the mantle on this mission to breakdown barriers and bridge the gap. Often, in Florida, there seems to be this divide between live music and DJs, electronic music and everything else, as the music industry has moved towards boxing everything in to easily packaged and marketable categories, but there’s a number of us that have carved out an existence in between. This kind of DJ is not some new or original phenomena, this is the roots of it and how it all began, but it does feel increasingly rare.

I’ve met a lot of people over the years that thought they didn’t like DJs. That was until they got turned out by a good one with eclectic and musical selections that are broad and timeless.

I remember Michael McNamara aka Boomerang saying something like, “Support eclectic dancefloors, wherever you can find them.”

🫡

Design by Bri Dine of Aura Creative Studio Inc.

Next weekend, I have the unqiue pleasure, and honor, of being the first DJ to perform at the Clearwater Jazz Holiday, al...
10/10/2025

Next weekend, I have the unqiue pleasure, and honor, of being the first DJ to perform at the Clearwater Jazz Holiday, alongside JASK, in its 46 years of history. We’ll be on the pier stage Friday, October 17th from 4:30–7PM.

46th Clearwater Jazz Holiday
🎫 clearwaterjazz.com
*You can enjoy our stage with a Sunset Bluff ticket, which is only $5 (+ fees).

While I’m a house DJ at heart with heavy electronic leanings, I’ve come up under the tutelage of previous generations that have instilled in me a no rules approach. It’s an old school (talking ‘70s) sensibility that still honors the original roots of the sound, which included all genres and styles, just pieced together with a certain overarching purpose and spirit. This lends itself to more eclectic and musical selections, spending much of my time bridging the gap between the worlds of live and electronic sounds and audiences.

Sure, it’s more difficult and challenging. You don’t fit into an easily checked box of interchangeable lineups, risk averse plug and play short sets, and so forth… that has become the status quo in today’s DJ landscape. The people appreciate it, like a breath of fresh air, but it’s not as easy for the promoters or bookers pulling the strings to work with when they can’t pin or easily package exactly what they’re going to get. My favorite DJs are the ones that have made a name for themselves for exactly this. Every now and then you get an opportunity that recognizes this direction, these efforts, and honing your craft in such a way. This is one of them.

Thanks to Freeman Sound for the important work they’re doing in the community as well as for connecting the dots, threading the needle, breaking down barriers in this shared mission. Music is a powerful force, especially when you paint in the whole palette available.

Spinning funk and downtempo wax this Friday at Suite E Studios with two fellow Suwannee Hulaween alum, Dionysus and Tama...
09/30/2025

Spinning funk and downtempo wax this Friday at Suite E Studios with two fellow Suwannee Hulaween alum, Dionysus and Tamayo Band.

Dionysus, Tamayo, Austen van der Bleek live @ Suite E Studios
Use this link or promo code "avbleek" for a discount on tix:
🎫 dionysus-suite-e.eventbrite.com/?discount=avbleek

Soundtracking this lovely food and music pairing at Suite E Studios on Saturday.Grab your spot at jamcoast.com
09/26/2025

Soundtracking this lovely food and music pairing at Suite E Studios on Saturday.

Grab your spot at jamcoast.com

Address

Saint Petersburg, FL

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Austen van der Bleek posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Share

Our Story

Austen van der Bleek is an American DJ based out of St. Pete, Florida. Through his selections, Open House Conspiracy parties, various residencies, and travels, he serves as one of the Sunshine City’s bright spots.