Finally getting with Guetta

By Melissa Arseniuk

Monday, Nov. 17, 2008 | 9:39 p.m.

Let’s make one thing clear: I’m no DJ expert. I’m hardly a fixture on the club scene and have never claimed to be even a modest authority on turntable troubadours.

With that in mind, it was still pretty embarrassing that I didn’t know who David Guetta was until this weekend.

When a friend shot me a text message asking if I’d be interested in catching Guetta’s set at Rain on Saturday night, I was hardly excited.

“I have no idea who David Guetta is,” I said plainly.

I thought the guy would be indistinguishable from the dozens of other DJs who I’ve heard play in various Vegas clubs.

Apparently I was wrong.

The reply was curt: “Duh, only one of the best DJs in the world.”

Hmm, OK, I thought, still skeptical. But five minutes of Googling demonstrated that the belittling response was appropriate.

Guetta recently ranked number five on DJ Magazine’s list of the top 100 DJs on the planet. And when the Palm’s own high profile resident DJ, Paul Oakenfold, needed a break from his standing Saturday night gig this week, he had Guetta fill in for him.

Interestingly enough, Oakenfold currently sits in the 14th spot on DJ Magazine’s list – yet I knew full-well who he was.

Intrigued about this mysterious, apparently talented Frenchman, I agreed to go see the show. And I’m glad I did.

Guetta took to the tables just before 1:30 a.m. and showed the crowd the kind of time that has made him an institution on the international club circuit.

The set was an hours-long mash-up of “Perfecto” – costumed performers walking through the crowd on stilts, over the dance floor on trapezes, and scaling down from the ceiling at random – and Guetta’s own brand of Euro-flavored house and over-the-top fun.

After his invigorating set (and a few brief but much-needed hours of sleep) I furthered my Guetta education. I learned that the 41-year-old first made a name for himself with his ironically-named parties and corresponding CD release, “F*** Me I’m Famous.”

His career skyrocketed in the U.S. in 2004 with the release of his single, "The World is Mine," which became his first hit single on this side of the Atlantic. He enjoyed further North American success last year with his mainstream mega hit, “Love is Gone.”

To date, Guetta has sold more than two million albums and three million singles, and gets more than 50 million hits on YouTube.

So as it turns out, this guy is a big deal – and I’m glad to have made his acquaintance.

Sometimes it’s good to be wrong.