To be a DJ requires finesse, knowing the precise timing of a song and how to seamlessly move on to another track, while keeping the crowd dancing without missing a beat. But for female DJs like Melanie Panergo, it also requires convincing every man behind the decks that, yes, she belongs there too. “Every time I DJd, I was always with my male counterparts, and I was either overrated, underrated or not taken seriously,” says Panergo, whose DJ name, ThatGirl, is her way of owning those times she was referred to as, “that girl DJ.” “I had to fight extra hard for the culture, for the music.” Thankfully for Panergo, she doesn’t have to fight the battle alone. As part of the Peaches Crew, ThatGirl has strength in a sisterhood of female DJs who spin throughout the Bay Area. This year, the crew marks its 10th anniversary, making Peaches Crew the longest-running group of women in the region rocking the turntables.
