It's hard for Jason Callihan to pin down exactly when his love of music — and his passion for sharing it — took root.  

There was the moment when he was recruited to DJ Thursday nights in a now-defunct 18-and-older club in Whitefish. Or maybe when a friend, headed out of town, loaned him his turntables.  

It could have been when he and his childhood companions turned finding new music into a competition, ordering records from the music store's catalogue.

But if Callihan had to pick one thing — just one — it was probably his mother's driving. 

"My mom listened to very loud music in the car," the longtime Flathead Valley DJ said with a smile over a cup of coffee in Whitefish's Fleur Bake Shop on a busy weekday morning. "So I can probably attribute my love of music to that." 

Callihan's mother favored rock 'n' roll while his father preferred country. Naturally, that meant Callihan had zero interest in either.  

Growing up in Houston — Callihan moved to Northwest Montana before entering his teen years — he tuned into urban radio and quickly fell for hip-hop. He was particularly taken with G-funk, a West Coast style of gangsta rap that emerged in the 1990s. It wasn't long before he was making mixtapes with his friends, recording music off the radio.  

Callihan took pride in becoming the source for new music in his circle. Everyone was looking for the next thing, he recalled.  

"I made it almost into a job," Callihan said. "In my free time, all I did was look for new music and read the magazines, like Spin, XXL and The Source." 

IT WAS his love of music that resulted in him being approached to play one night a week at a club in Whitefish. At the time, Callihan worked for Montana Coffee Traders, but was a regular fixture at live shows. He was recruited, he recalled, because of his taste in music.  

Given a dual CD deck to work with, Callihan wired a mixer into it. It wasn't much, but it was a start.  

"That kind of lit an extra fire," he said.  

Soon he had turntables and a mixer on loan from a friend, which led to him spending every spare cent on records. He eventually bought his own equipment on eBay for about $600. 

About that time, Callihan and his friends began operating a "ramshackle studio" in an old house in Whitefish, putting down hip-hop beats and rapping. 

The group, which included Graham Hart, Eric Kanter and Vincent Rannazzisi, landed a show playing at the VFW. Known as Custom Holmes — "We thought it was funny. I don't know if anybody else did.” — they made sure to have priorities straight, he said.

"We had merch before we were even a group," he said incredulously. "We had a merch table before we even played." 

Rannazzisi and Callihan went on to form Analog Armada, which features the former on drums and the latter working the turntables. The live drumming, Callihan said, gives the music a more organic feel.  

And there is nothing like playing live, he said.  

"There's no safety net there," Callihan said. "And if you're playing with no safety net, you can still push yourself further with it." 

WHEN PERFORMING, Callihan — who goes by JC on the stage — keeps two principles top of mind. One is playing music that gets people moving on the dance floor. 

"On the other side is taking people on a journey with the music," he said. "I try to take people places with some familiarity. I also like to present people with stuff they haven't heard. That's important too." 

He doesn't like to stay with one genre, pointing to Zach Sciacca — also known as DJ Z-Trip — as an inspiration. 

"I heard one of his mixes a long time ago and it was all over the place — this is how you do it," Callihan said. "I want people to kind of be blown away and expect the unexpected. And when I'm done, they'll want more."  

Callihan figures he brings seven or eight hours of music to a given two-hour show. He prepares for his performances, but there's no pre-recording. Anything he comes up with, he has to pull off live.  

"I mess up every gig," he said. "I have some type of error. I take it hard, but you know what? At least I'm trying. I'm still taking risks." 

"I could play it safe," he added. "But it's boring." 

While Callihan has never made DJing a full-time gig, it permeates his life. He remains immersed in music, on the hunt for something new or just finding a fresh use for a well-known tune. He recalled driving with his wife recently when Toto's 1982 hit "Rosanna" began playing.  

"There was something in the song [where I realized] 'I can use that,'" he said.  

It's the music, he said, that keeps him going. Even if the crowds stop showing up, he figures he'll still be DJing at home.  

"Music keeps going. Music doesn't stop," Callihan said. "There's always new music, so I'm always still searching." 

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 406-758-4430 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.

    Flathead Valley DJ Jason Callihan, who goes by JC when he's on stage, is seen performing in this undated photograph. (Courtesy Jason Callihan)
  

    Flathead Valley DJ Jason Callihan, who goes by CJ when he's on the stage, in downtown Whitefish on Thursday, July 30. (Derrick Perkins/Daily Inter Lake)