Who built Stonehenge? What really happened to Atlantis? Who is DJ Drew?
These are some of history's greatest mysteries. I'll leave the questions regarding Stonehenge and Atlantis to the experts. But I just can't let the mystery surrounding DJ Drew - the unsung hero of the Linebacker - go unanswered.
Everyone these days is all "Bieber this" (ugh) or "Taylor Swift that" (double ugh), but the real musical genius of our time is DJ Drew. Every weekend, he watches over his Linebacker kingdom from his booth, ruling with an iron fist and a heart of gold. He seamlessly transitions from classics like Toto's "Africa" to Ke$ha's "Die Young" in a way that is both poetic and inspiring.
When I approach his booth, antsy with anticipation about what Linebacker shenanigans the next few hours will bring me, I feel like I am on top of the world. Without fail, I always request Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" and Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." Because DJ Drew is omniscient, I don't even have to ask for the songs I want to hear when I pay him a visit. Most times when I go up to request my next jam so I can cut some rug, he tells me he already knows what beloved ballads I want to hear that night.
Despite our weekly conversations, I still only know one substantial fact about him. This past Saturday, after begging him to play Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis," I worked up some courage to ask DJ Drew a question that has haunted my friends and I for months: How long has he worked there?
Apr. 13 will mark DJ Drew's 25th anniversary at the Linebacker, a quarter of a century bringing joy, class and magic to the people and students of South Bend, Ind.
I've been to Brothers, Fever, Corby's, Mulligan's, CJ's, O'Rourke's and Finny's. I enjoy myself at other bars and I definitely have fun, but I will always hold a special place in my heart for the Linebacker. Though we don't know anything about him or what he does when he's not creating his legendary playlists, my friends and I can't picture our senior year without DJ Drew and his ambiance at the Linebacker.
So if anyone is looking for something to do Apr. 13, put on your party pants and dancing shoes and join me at the Linebacker, celebrating 25 years of DJ Drew.
