TONY HORNYAN
on the night shift

As the owner of Antone’s DJ Service, Telluride’s premier DJ company, Tony has a library of over 10,000 songs and 1,100 CDs. He prides himself on being the entertainment source for weddings and festive gatherings in the Telluride region, though his bookings take him up into the Front Range and throughout the Western Slope and the Four Corners.
“Weddings are my favorites, but I do everything from birthdays, to hosting theme nights and karaoke at local bars, to special events at the Peaks and Telluride Conference Center,” says Tony. With a DJ rack-box fully loaded with mixers, a double CD player, Yamaha speakers and, of course, himself commandeering the music, Tony keeps guests dancing all night long. His 12 years of DJing, which started in Chicago where he grew up, has helped him “read” a crowd. His “read” on a crowd often dictates the music that gets air time.
“Eight years ago a friend from Chicago, Mike Metz, moved here and I came to visit,” says Tony. “Next thing I knew, Metz had a job and a place for me to live. I figured I had nothing to lose.”
Tony worked aside Metz at Baked in Telluride for three years, while growing his DJing business here. When Metz launched Smuggler’s Brewpub, Tony became the floor manager, where he supervised the waitstaff and oversaw the computers and inventory. His love of sports and acumen to set up and maintain technical devices put Tony at the helm of Smuggler’s sports department—an extensive system of TVs that air many sporting events simultaneously. Though Tony has moved on from his four-year restaurant management position, he still sets up the sports TV schedules on Saturdays and Sundays for Smuggler’s. As a single guy, it’s a perfect place for him to watch his favorite Chicago teams, the Bears and Cubs.
“I never thought I could DJ full time. It’s a lot of hard work, but I love it,” he exclaims. Being a high-energy type of guy who doesn’t rest on his laurels, Tony also distributes Bush publications throughout four states and preserves tightly woven relationships with his parents and brother, Derrick, A.K.A. D-Rock. D-Rock made Tony an uncle of the sweetest little guy named Zachery Lars Thomas Hornyan in June of 2003. Along with jeeping and hoping to snowmobile this winter, Tony thinks life is pretty rockin’.