About this vendor
Faithful Anchor is a music company offering vinyl DJ services or Serato Control Vinyl from Chicago. The company is captained by DJ Dan Maloney, a seasoned veteran of Chicago's music and vinyl DJ scene and songwriter and frontman for the band Death Ships. Dan's musical knowledge is informed by working in and managing record stores in Chicago and Iowa City over the past 15 years. With Faithful Anchor, Dan provides a fun, unique, and memorable musical vibe for your wedding, bar, corporate, or private event. Maloney has thousands of vinyl records to accommodate numerous musical styles and vibes but he specializes in Rock/ Pop/ Soul/ Hip Hop/ Garage/ Psych/ Disco/ Boogie/ Country/ Folk/ Singer/Songwriter/ Punk/ World & Dance.
Details
Equipment
- Sound Equipment
Music Genres
- African
- Bollywood
- Country
- Dance
- Disco
- Folk
Music Services
- MC Services
- Sound Equipment
Wedding Activities
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
- Ceremony
- Reception
Awards and Affiliations
2023 'Best of Weddings'
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
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5
out of 5.030 reviews
DJ Dan was recommended to us by a friend in the music industry and is a true professional of his craft. When you hire Dan, you get so much more than a person in the background play...
ing songs off a playlist. His vast experience makes him so in tune with the moment - the music, the transitions, the speeches, etc. He kept our guests engaged throughout the night and everyone has been raving about DJ Dan since our wedding weekend. Dan will thoughtfully curate to your needs and is flexible with setting up meeting times. And to top it all off... he spun actual records on the dance floor! A lost art that will truly make you feel like he is a worthy part of your special day. We cannot thank Dan enough for making our night the best ever and would never hesitate hiring him for any special event.
Dan was phenomenal every step of the way. He truly took such care with all of our music and he showed this through thoughtfulness as well as setting up helpful meetings. When I say...
no one left our dance floor because the vibes were so good thanks to Dan, I truly mean no one left the dance floor. We kept hearing rave reviews all night about how the music was the BEST. And to top it off, Dan really took care in guiding us with all of the things to do with the ceremony and reception like speeches.
He is a very timely and excellent communicator, and ensures we are all on the same page.
It is truly in large part because of Dan that our wedding was so fun. I cannot recommend him enough!! Absolutely book him without reservation and your wedding will be the most fun. 10/10 DJ, no notes.
Dan is the best! Not only is he super personable, professional, and prepared, he's a voracious listener with limitless musical knowledge and an unstoppable enthusiasm for what he d...
oes. Could not recommend him highly enough! If you're looking, you've found it. Dan is the one.
Hire Dan IMMEDIATELY! I cannot express enough how thrilled we were with Dan from Faithful Anchor as our wedding DJ. From start to finish, Dan hit every mark and exceeded our expect...
ations in every way possible.
During the planning process, Dan was an absolute dream to work with. He was incredibly accommodating, meeting with us on our schedule and offering valuable insights to help us build and review our run of show. His professionalism and attention to detail made the entire process seamless and stress-free.
On the big day, Dan truly shined. His ability to read the room and keep the energy high was unparalleled. Our guests were on their feet all night long, and we had countless people asking us who our amazing DJ was and where we found him. Even the venue staff were impressed and asked for his contact information because of how great he was.
Dan's music selection was spot on, blending a variety of genres and styles to keep the mood lively and fun while still reflecting our personal taste. He took the time to get to know us before the event, which made the entire experience feel incredibly personalized and special.
We cannot recommend Dan and Faithful Anchor highly enough. If you're looking for a wedding DJ who will go above and beyond to make your day unforgettable, look no further. Dan is simply the best.
We have nothing but good things to say. Dan is very easy to work with during the planning process. He meets you on your schedule and is great at helping you make a song list. At...
the wedding, he was a hit! I had people asking me who he was and where I found him, while we were dancing! The venue even asked for his contact info because he was so great. He read the room well and people were dancing all night long! He worked in a variety of genres and styles that kept the mood lively and fun but also matched our personal style. He made a point to get to know us before hand and I think that is what made it feel so personalized. I highly recommend without hesitation.
Dan was amazing! We found him by Googling "Vinyl DJs" and we couldn't have been more thrilled with our experience. We were so happy he was willing to travel to us (Saint Louis) so ...
we were able to have a bit of Chicago (our favorite city we've lived in) at our wedding. All of the communication leading up to our big day was flawless. He was above and beyond professional and very courteous with our guests/vendors. He was adaptable to very last minute changes to our timeline. Everyone complimented how fun the music was and how it was so custom tailored to our eclectic tastes. We felt really taken care of and we highly recommend him. Thank you so much Dan!
We hired Dan and Faithful Anchor after seeing him DJ at a friend’s wedding. We knew from seeing him at that wedding that he was a great DJ on the big day, but upon hiring Dan we le...
arned how great he is during the planning stages of a wedding, as well. Dan was prompt in his replies to our emails, charged a price that we felt was very fair, and was professional in all of our meetings. When we met with him he did a great job of listening to our wishes and music tastes while also providing suggestions based on his expertise. He was also very creative in finding ways to follow union shop rules at our venue while saving us money. Finally, when the big day came we couldn’t have asked for a better DJ. His lighting and audio setups were great, he made clear announcements and introductions when needed, and he kept the energy high throughout our reception. Dan did a fantastic job of reading the room to keep the dance floor full all night, weaving in songs that we had selected with requests from our guests and his own library. We couldn’t have been happier with the services Dan provided and would highly recommend Faithful Anchor to any couple looking for an excellent wedding DJ.
Dan did a phenomenal job with our wedding. Incredibly easy to work with , professional and communicative. Music is a very integral and important part of our lives so we wanted more...
than your average DJ playing the same old stale hits. Dan worked with us to curate playlists that were unique and personal. Exactly what we were after. The art of keeping the dance floor alive is not an easy thing to do and a DJ can truly make or break a great night which is why we went with Dan over all the others. And he killed it!
DJ Dan Maloney did an incredible job on our wedding. Dan is a gem and met all the requirements we had. We found Dan by searching for a Vinyl only DJ. He has an amazing collection a...
nd he knows how to use it, and curate a beautiful playlist based on the couples likes. The quality of the music was fantastic, he helped the ceremony go well providing the microphone, the rehearsal he incorporated the family into the introductions in a beautiful way. Genuinely a great person, so having him involved in our special day was a no brainer. Dan is an absolute PRO. He set up and tore down all his equipment and know exactly what questions to ask. I wish I could give more than 5 stars. MUST have DJ for your event. THANKS DAN!!
Working with Dan was a fantastic experience from start to finish. He was thoroughly professional, flexible and totally committed to making sure our wedding went smoothly. He took t...
he time to really understand what music we wanted to hear as well as what music would get our guests on the dance floor and as a result, everyone had a great time. Dan is a huge music aficionado as evidenced by his residencies at some pretty fashionable establishments around Chicago, so it was pretty cool to have someone passionate about music at the wedding. I recommend Dan wholeheartedly without reservation!
DJ Dan Maloney was amazing for our wedding! He knew the vibe of crowd and got them dancing all night mixing in our requests and reading the crow's level. He was a fantastic master...
of ceremonies and adapted quickly when we had to rearrange some items on the fly. Highly recommend you use DJ Dan Maloney for your wedding/event.
We absolutely love working with DJ Dan, and he has exceeding our expectations on the 2 occasions we've worked together. He seems to have an almost extra-sensory ability to read his...
audience and to play exactly what we'd like to hear and at the right time. Dan's also very easy to work with. We look forward to hiring him again. I'd strongly recommend him.
Dan / DJ Faithful Anchor rocks!! He was the perfect fit for our dive bar wedding reception and totally nailed our music styles. He was awesome at reading the crowd, and perfectly e...
volved the vibes from cocktail hour to dinner time to an epic dance party. We planned our party ourselves, and Dan stepped in to help emcee/make announcements, which was also amazingly helpful.
DJ Faithful Anchor aka Dan was a BLAST to work with. Dan had great communication with us the entire time and curated a great set list for our wedding. His MCing was spot on throug...
hout the day and night to ensure a smooth ride. 10/10 stars!
Dan was the best. I told him my biggest concern was that people wouldn’t dance and from the moment the cake was cut until they flipped the lights on people danced the entire time! ...
I got many many compliments on the music throughout the night and it was all him. He’s very cool and relaxed which helped me as an anxious bride and he did a great job MCing. Cannot recommend highly enough!
Dan was fantastic! We attended a wedding that he DJ’d in 2019 and when we got engaged, we immediately reached out to our friends to get his contact information. We knew we wanted a...
party environment and Dan delivered from our first dance through last call. Multiple guests commented that they hadn’t danced that much at a wedding in a very long time! He did a great job reading the crowd.
From our first point of contact his communication was great. Dan made the process simple and filled the ceremony/cocktail hour/dinner/dancing with the music we love. He went above and beyond and was also able to provide the equipment we needed for the ceremony. We cannot recommend Faithful Anchor more!
Wow, I can't recommend Faithful Anchor enough. He was professional and kind throughout the entire process. At the wedding, he stepped up as needed to provide introductions and anno...
uncements without issue. He played all the music we asked for and kept the dance floor going all night. He really knows how to cater to a crowd and keep things fun. I would use his services again and highly recommend him to anyone getting married or having a party. We couldn't have been happier!
We are so happy we went with Faithful Anchor as our wedding DJ! Dan is the absolute best and made our wedding unforgettable! Our guests are still talking about how much fun they ha...
d and that they didn't want to leave the dance floor all night because the playlist was so good :) Dan was so kind and easy to work with throughout the entire process. He is very detail-oriented and was great at getting to know our music taste and help build out the playlists for the cocktail hour and playlist. We got so many compliments on how great of a job he did and we completely agree, he rocked it. We would highly recommend booking Dan/Faithful Anchor for your wedding!
My wife, Sarah, and I were confident we had made the right call in hiring Dan/Faithful Anchor from the jump. Our initial phone conversation (we planned our Chicago wedding from Los...
Angeles) ranged from covering program details to geeking out over music. Sarah and I reformed our old bands to play at the top of the reception. Dan totally embraced this and then kept the party rolling seemlessly with track after tasty track. Several guests made a point during the celebration to say how much they liked Dan's work. We cannot recommend Dan & Faithful Anchor more!
Dan is the best wedding DJ! His musical knowledge is absolutely incredible. Dan used our ideas as a starting point and built a phenomenal play list that really represented our tast...
es and also kept the party going all night long. We got so many compliments on the music and how it was so "us".
Dan was incredibly professional and worked seamlessly with the venue and our wedding coordinator. He had great advice when we had questions and it is clear that he knows how to make an event come together. I could not recommend Faithful Anchor enough!
Dan did a great job at our wedding. We did not have a wedding planner, and he helped us set up schedule for the day. He has two sets of high quality equipment, so he was able to ...
to sound for the ceremony and reception with out any delays. Most importantly, he brought the party to the dance floor! Highly recommended.
Dan did an amazing job DJing at our wedding and we would definitely recommend him to others! He spoke to us prior to our wedding (in person and over the phone) to get a good idea ...
of our music tastes and was able to create an awesome playlist based on this. On the day of the wedding he was friendly, polite and professional throughout. We got so many positive comments from our friends and family about the music and the dance floor was packed all night. We wanted a 'cooler' DJ as opposed to a cheesy / dad joke-type and Dan was definitely the right choice!
Dj Dan was fantastic for our wedding in Michigan. He was able to mic up the ceremony and do music for cocktail hour and reception. He did our reception introductions and toast intr...
oductions. The best part is he was able to keep people on the dance floor all night long. The music selection fit all people at the wedding, I danced all night as well as my grandmother the next morning saying her hips hurt because she was dancing so much. I would recommend Dj Dan to do your wedding or event.
We had a great time with Dan. He was very attentive and responsive to all our needs. He was willing to meet with us several times in order to orchestrate the entire evening. We we...
re able to complete the entire wedding with vinyl and our guests were complimentary about the whole experience.
Working with Dan for our wedding was such a pleasure! We emailed a bit and had a couple calls to determine exactly what we wanted for our day. He asked us questions I would have e...
asily forgotten, too.
Everyone left the wedding saying how awesome the music was or how they wanted to “hang out with that guy”. The dance floor was always full (I was out there myself 100% of the night).
The ceremony music was also perfectly on queue and when we didn’t know which song selection to do for our intro, he gaged it amazingly based on our tastes.
We could not have picked a better DJ for our wedding. Dan's ability to key in on the atmosphere we wanted was amazing, and he was able to keep the dance floor packed until the fina...
l song. Music was one of our top priorities with planning our wedding and Dan went above and beyond our expectations. We cannot say thank you enough!
Dan was great!! He did exactly as we wanted and met all our needs! Thank you Dan!
DJ Dan was awesome. He set up a meeting after our first email to get to know us better and our taste in music, then met again beforehand to nail down the logistics. On the day of t...
he event, he absolutely crushed it with the flow of events, music choices, pace, and vibe. He felt the crowd and used our input to guide his choices. Everything about the experience went smoothly and we highly recommend him to others!
DJ Dan Maloney of Faithful Anchor was the most epic and awesome wedding DJ we could have imagined. Dan was a true pleasure to work with, bringing the perfect balance of professiona...
lism and fun to the experience. My husband and I both love music, but we were kind of worried that the music that we love most would not be the best to pump up the crowd at our wedding. Dan did an amazing job and created the perfect playlist that had me saying aloud multiple times, "I love this song!"
Dan did the music for both our ceremony and reception and it was flawless. We shared a playlist with him of about 20 songs that we both loved and from that he curated an entire day of music that perfectly reflected my husband's and my taste.
Dan was an excellent emcee. From our grand entrance, to our first dance, to getting the dance floor going, Dan was fun, energetic and did a great job working with our coordinator to ensure we stayed on schedule. Also, as avid vinyl collectors, we absolutely loved Dan's set up! It was a great nod to one of our shared hobbies and our guests got a kick out of his "digital vinyl" turntables.
While I may have been a Bridechilla, there was one thing I was SUPER particular about and that was the music. Needless to say, we were not disappointed in the slightest and he wor...
ked to understand all of our music tastes.
Dan (Faithful Anchor) made a long journey from Chicago to the Quad Cities to DJ our wedding and we couldn't have been any happier with the music. He absolutely crushed it! Our dance floor was still packed at 11PM! From Modest Mouse to Wang Chung to Etta James to The Wobble, he played a great assortment of music that got kids of all ages moving!
One of my favorite memories from our wedding day will be singing along to Andrew WK with my mom in her wheelchair and our doppelgänger officiant head banging. We certainly did Party Hard, but we couldn't have done it without Faithful Anchor bringing the best music to our party!
Thanks Again, Faithful Anchor!
Contact
Chicagoland
Faithful Anchor