Faces in Focus: Despite a new title, he's a DJ at heart

A love of music and a desire to spend time in nightclubs brought Rashon Stanton to his current career. To him, it seemed natural to evolve what he loved into what would pay the bills.

Recently though, he chose to evolve again from managing resorts back to managing a nightclub - namely NV50 Ultralounge in Mound House.

Stanton was hired as the club manager four weeks ago, moving back from his hometown of Philadelphia to take the job.

"I started as a DJ and a promoter in college, and worked my way into the business end of it," he said.

Stanton got his degree in business marketing from Temple University and began focusing on the business end of making nightlife popular.

"I believe in entertainment and customer service. This business is about giving people a great time and having fun," he said.

Stanton is no stranger to Northern Nevada, having spent several years in Lake Tahoe as the general manager of the Nero Club in Caesar's Lake Tahoe and Stone Street.

He has been in Philadelphia for the last 21Ú2 years.

"That was a challenge. I had managed clubs for a while but never a resort. It's a different mix, working with a resort. You have to do different things," Stanton said.

Stanton, who declined to give his exact age, but said it's late 20s or early 30s, hopes to put more of an emphasis on live entertainment and more regional acts.

"We want to go full scale ahead to bring in more live entertainment and get regional and national acts in to perform," Stanton said.

As for the music, he said it's hard for a DJ to choose a favorite.

"I'm a music guy; I like a lot of different things. Hip-hop, rock, dance music. I enjoy all of it, and I hope to bring all of it in," Stanton said. "I still DJ. On my days off, I'm out at different places seeing what's out there."

Stanton said that each venue presents different challenges based on the area and the location.

With NV50, Stanton said the biggest challenge is getting people to give the club a try.

"It's getting the business out here, getting people to come in a see it," Stanton said.

Although the opportunity to help create the style and feel of a nightclub was a big draw, it was Stanton's friendship with owner Dennis Hof that played a large part in his accepting the job.

"It was a mutual thing. They were looking for a nightclub guy, and he knows the work I did at the lake," Stanton said." Getting to work with (Hof) is the best part. He's a fun guy, and it's a good match."

• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.