Yo! This bio is a bit outdated because I've been busy writing everybody else's bios for them. The info is still pertinent, but it needs an update. Anyway...
BIO:
DJ GRAHAM FUNKE
Upfront, here’s where you can find him these days: Monday nights at Area in Hollywood, Tuesday nights at ghostbar inside the Palms in Las Vegas, Wednesday nights at Green Door in Hollywood, Thursday nights at Six in Phoenix AZ, Friday and Saturday nights at Ivan Kane’s 40 Deuce inside Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Saturday and Sunday afternoons at Tao Beach outside the Venetian in Las Vegas, and Sunday nights at the Playboy Club inside the Palms in Las Vegas, in addition to monthly appearances at the premiere clubs in San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, St Louis, and beyond...
While most DJ’s resumes are inundated with past parties for whichever reality star is hot at the moment, Graham Funke’s resume is actually chock full of heavyweights, from presidential candidates like Hillary Clinton to A-list movie directors like Bryan Singer (Superman Returns) and Brett Ratner (Rush Hour) and Taylor Hackford (Ray) to number one recording artists like Christina Aguilera and Sting and Jessica Simpson to box office stars like Will Ferrell and Sharon Stone and Dustin Hoffman to the most eccentric personalities like Marilyn Manson and Jenna Jameson.
Having worked as a DJ for over a decade, Graham Funke has been instrumental in launching some of the legendary clubs that have shaped today’s highly-competitive nightlife market. Based solely in Los Angeles at the time, he was the resident DJ when the doors opened at The Downtown Standard Hotel, Nacional, and Spider Club, and worked every other hot spot in Hollywood until leaving for Sin City in Fall 2004.
In 2006, Uncle Sam said “I Want You!” and sent Graham Funke out to the military bases in Asia to entertain the US troops overseas; he is the first and only DJ to have this honor. Another tour is in the works which will cover the Middle East, primarily Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia. Graham Funke leaves his politics out of it, focusing less on the policies that put these men and women in action and more on delivering a “lil bit of home.”
Graham Funke has appeared in publications such as Maxim Magazine and Intouch Magazine, been featured on E! Channel and Bravo!, and has worked for tastemaking corporate entities such as MTV, VH-1, Juicy Couture, Grey Goose, Moet, Red Bull, Vogue Magazine, and the American Music Awards.
And you might even recognize Graham Funke’s face from the slew of national television commercials he has appeared in, from Starburst to Citibank to Adidas to Fed Ex, or seen his name in the byline of a feature article in Scion Magazine (circulation 500k), for which he documents those things on the forefront of pop culture.
Now, with all the hype out of the way, here is how Graham Funke got there...
Graham Funke was raised in the legendary offices of Charles and Ray Eames, where his Oscar-winning father Alex Funke was a cinematographer. Graham Funke was exposed to a wide variety of groundbreaking projects and ideas which cultivated his young mind.
While in high school, Graham Funke would sneak out all night, entranced by the burgeoning Los Angeles underground club scene of the early 1990s. It was there that he first witnessed the spoils of DJing, carrying records for Hollywood pioneers DJ Mike Messex and PimpDaddy Sean Perry. He became very aware of the attention they received upon entering a room and the power they wielded while working. Plus the free champagne and big paychecks.
During a 6-year stint of college in San Francisco, Graham Funke paid close attention at the side of DJ Andrew Jervis, famed record collector, Ubiquity Records curator, and On-The-One Magazine editor. He absorbed the Brit’s knowledge of records and adopted the proper amount of snob appeal needed to succeed as a DJ.
Once the Y2K bug came and went, Graham Funke moved back to Los Angeles, working at first with Insomniac Productions and DJing large events at the Los Angeles Coliseum, the LA Sports Arena, Empire Polo Fields, and the Queen Mary.
Soon after, nightlife impresario Ivan Kane, the man who “almost single-handedly made nightlife sexy” (Vegas Magazine), took notice of Graham Funke and made him the Saturday night resident at the world-famous 40 Deuce Burlesque (www.fortydeuce.com). Upon witnessing Graham Funke’s fluid and eclectic mix of hip hop, rock, pop, and favorites, Ivan Kane knew he had found his new music directeur.
They opened the 40 Deuce at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas in 2004, and more 40 Deuce establishments are on the horizon in San Diego, London, Miami, and the much heralded New York club, which opens in Fall 2007 with partners David Bowie and Sting. Graham Funke looks forward to spinning and unearthing talent in each new location.
By 2006, Graham Funke had become one of the few go-to DJs in Sin City. When the new Palms Casino Fantasy Tower opened, Graham Funke DJed the grand opening and was offered the coveted Sunday night residency in the world’s only Playboy Club. He enjoys being associated with the world class brand and loves his co-workers, who wear bunny ears.
And by Spring 2007, he had crossed paths with the forward-thinking nightlife guns behind Tao at the Venetian, Jason Strauss and Noah Teppenberg, who recently unveiled Tao Beach, a VIP daytime playground, where Graham Funke will spend the season playing records and enjoying the European aspects that seem to surface when booze, music, and a pool collide.
expect all your favorite songs from every era mashed together all night long in an extended set, playing 100+ songs every hour.
The CANDY BAR at PEARL free before 9p, free parking, stylish attire only. Hosted by Star 101. 9s Maleko EMAIL ME AT F@FLASHANDMATTYBOY.COM TO GET ON THE GUEST LIST WITH YOUR FULL NAME GOOD FOR YOU + 1 IT’S FREE BEFORE 10P & $5 TIL 12.
The SKYLINE At Sheraton Waikiki's Hanohano Room FREE pupus & massages from 9p-10p. 9p-2a, 21 & up, free self parking, stylish attire only. EMAIL ME AT F@FLASHANDMATTYBOY.COM TO GET ON THE $5 GUEST LIST WITH YOUR FULL NAME GOOD FOR YOU + 1 BEFORE 11.
For vip reservations & bottle service for all FM events email vip@flashandmattyboy.com.
