Chicago-area athletes aren't the only ones going for the gold in London.
DJ Rock City, a mainstay at Chicago nightclubs and special events, snagged the gig of a lifetime at the Summer Olympics, spinning for VIPs and late-night party-goers alike in the host city.
The DJ, born Brandon Joseph, is working for Coca Cola to provide the background beats at the Olympic sponsor's Oxford Circus hotel.
"You're dealing with so many different types of people, from VIPs to their reps and people all throughout Europe who won contests," Rock City said via phone during some rare downtime.
Since he was already in London, Rock City and his trademark sky-high mohawk also managed to hook up gigs at some elite London clubs like China White, where he spun at a birthday party for a couple of Chelsea football players -- Britain's version of athletic royalty.
"It's a challenge to perform when there's such a diverse mix of people in the room, as opposed to say The Underground where you just have to play the latest jams," Rock City says.
So what's the biggest difference between the London nightlife scene and Chicago's? Price, for one. He got a case of sticker shock when he had to pay $26 for his drink of choice, Patron and Red Bull.
"Overall it's a really cool vibe, the music is a bit different, but I like how the DJs here structure their sets, and I'm going to bring a bit of that back to Chicago," Rock City says. "People here love to dance ... none of that standing around and frontin', it's a straight up dance party."
Rock City plans to be back in Chicago by Saturday to check out the second half of the Lollapalooza festivities and to possibly spin at some after-parties.
And to also gain a new appreciation for a $12 cocktail.
