Today we’d like to introduce you to Byron Laszlo.
Hi Byron, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
From the age of three years old, I was fascinated with music – records in particular. I loved my parents’ record collection. I loved the album artwork, the inserts, the label on the record itself. The records had a smell to them – kind of like dust meets plastic. Their record collection was in the bar with the turntable. There were records by The Associates, Elvis, The Beatles (I loved everything about “The Magical Mystery Tour” record), The Fifth Dimension, Ray Coniff, Jan and Dean, and so many more.
At the same time, my aunt was into slightly more progressive rock – newer music at the time like Heart and Fleetwood Mac. She had a turntable stand that my father made for her that lit up with moving lights. I thought it was amazing.
I loved every song on the radio. If it was on the radio, I wanted to record. At age six, I was allowed to pick out my first two adult records. We went to K-Mart. I did not know song titles. I picked out the records based on cover art or label art. I selected “Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain and Tinnelle and the other was KISS with “Detroit Rock City” on one side and “Beth” on the other. I was the biggest KISS fan from that point on – at least the through their “Unmasked” record.
I always knew I wanted to be a DJ. I started going to Dallas nightclubs in high school – late 80’s. Starck Club, Club A, Amnesia, The Basement – these were a few. I loved the people, the lights, the music.
In 1990, I started leaving mixed tapes at local clubs. The original Aqua Lounge on Elm St. gave me my first real break. They gave me a Wednesday night to myself to DJ my own night.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As far as getting DJ gig, it was a rather smooth road for what I wanted to do. I am not totally sure how or why I had so many opportunities. I was never really a technical DJ. I loved bringing people together. I have always embraced the alternative scene. And I was probably just charismatic enough to BS my way into some of these really great bars and nightclubs in Dallas over the years just so that I could DJ.
But I did have my struggles. It was too easy to party while working in nightclubs and bars during the 1990s. It failed me hard my times. My time as a club DJ came to an end in the late 1990’s. In 2003, after my 5th DWI, I stopped drinking. I immersed myself in AA for about 3.5 years. In 2006, I really missed all that I loved about nightlife and started my own weekly club night called PANOPTIKON.
I have never had an issue with alcohol since and maintain a very sober life today. But I admit, for the first several years after launching PANOPTIKON, I was not very social. I was not really comfortable being sober and social in a club setting. That took a few years to overcome.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My professional work is two-fold: I am a nightclub DJ/promoter, and I own my own floral design company with my husband, Jiri Smitka. I started my own nightclub 17 years ago May 2006 called PANOPTIKON. It is a weekly alternative dance night that takes place every Friday night. I started this night at the former Club ONE location in Deep Ellum in 2006. I partnered with other venues as needed over the years. Today, we have a great partnership with Sons of Hermann Hall in Deep Ellum for PANOPTIKON every Friday,
At the end of 2016, my husband and I launched a floral design company called Weekly Floral. Our goal was, and still is, to provide beautiful floral arrangement to commercial properties like luxury high rises, hotels, and corporate buildings in the immediate Dallas area. We have an amazing team. Our clients include some of Dallas’ most beloved properties. We could not ask for more.
What sets us apart from others? From the club side… there are not many places in DFW for the alternative community. I am founder of PANOPTIKON. I DJ my own club night along with my dear friends Sam Nicholson (DJ Son of Sam) and Missy Morgan (DJ Red Vamp). But I am also a resident DJ at the iconic, world-famous club night, The Church (every first Sunday).
With respect to my DJ friends and club-owner friends, fewer things set us apart from each other, and more things bring us together.
With regards to the floral company, I believe the relationships we have with our clients – the trust and the reliability – makes us stand out in the industry…at least to our clients There are so many great floral companies in Dallas, both well-established and new companies. So, I feel very fortunate to be working successfully in this arena.
But I would not have any other this without my sobriety. My last drink was June 16, 2003.
What are your plans for the future?
Right now, we are on a steady path with the floral company. PANOPTIKON is pretty consistent as well. I am not entirely sure what the future holds for us, but certainly more traveling. We just returned from Prague and touring the Czech Republic, where Jiri is from.
One of my personal goals is to have my own bar – not just a weekly club night. So, if that happens in the future, I say take me there.
Contact Info:
- Email: byron@weeklyfloral.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/panoptikondallas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dallaspanoptikon
- SoundCloud: www.mixcloud.com/panoptikondallas
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/weeklyfloral/
