Freaky Deaky are center stage in the Long Beach community.
Since 2019, Sal and Ciara Lopez have serviced their beats and musical prowess via Secret Service – a music collective of like-minded creatives and curators who are hosting some of the city’s most memorable dance events.
Driven by the desire to integrate electronic dance music into LBC’s hip-hop & punk rock-dominated scenes, the power couple unexpectedly paved the way to something even bigger… a passion project blooming into one of the most heartfelt success stories.
Freaky Deaky + Secret Service
In 6 years, Freaky Deaky and the Secret Service collective reimagined Long Beach’s music scene to normalize electronic dance music. In a city once scarce to the sounds they love – house, techno, disco, and funk – Secret Service’s groundwork has helped ignite a movement of increasing demand for these genres. We’ve even seen the relocation of multiple Insomniac massives – Apocalypse, Dreamstate, Day Trip, and Basscon – to one of the city’s most famous historical landmarks: Queen Mary.
While Secret Service bridges the music gap between Los Angeles and Orange County, their team has also prioritized cultivating a safe and inclusive environment at their events. (If you asked someone in the local scene about Secret Service’s reputation, I guarantee you they will mention their sense of community.) Their mission to protect the vibe and attract a respectful community has shined a positive light on electronic dance music in a city once aloof to the magic it can create.
So how did this all come about? The story begins with a budding relationship between two musically-driven individuals.
Q: How did you two meet?
Ciara: I met Sal on Bumble – he was actually the first person I met! We bonded a lot over music, but we talked a long time before meeting in real life. We became great friends and that eventually turned into something more. Totally a best friends becoming lovers type of story.
Sal: Yeah, when we met, Ciara was taking private DJ lessons and learning how to spin vinyl. I had already retired from the nightlife scene, but I still spun here and there so we naturally began spinning together. She’s really the reason why I fell back in love with the scene – she reinvigorated my passion to get back out there.
Q: How did Secret Service start?
Sal: When we got our first bookings as a duo, we were surprised to see the immediate support. I think they liked the fact that we were a couple and wanted to book us together.
Ciara: We would also have people approach us after our sets and ask about our next performance and how they could get involved. By word of mouth, we started making more connections with hungry creatives which eventually built itself into the community we now call Secret Service.
Q: What key moment stands out in your musical journey?
Sal: I think the biggest moment for us was starting our own little residencies in Long Beach. For the first time, there was a base for house music.
It wasn’t accepted at first though. The first time we asked a venue if we could play house, they told us “it doesn’t work here”. Since we played a lot of open-to-close sets, we compromised and played hip hop and latin music like they wanted us to; but by 11pm, we would start blending in house that worked well with the venue’s preference. Somewhere along the way, we must have cracked the code because everyone started to really dig it. That’s when we realized we were on to something.
Evolution + Experimentation
When creating your artistry, putting passion into your craft is only one piece of the puzzle. The second piece is Evolution + Experimentation; without it, an artist will never get to where they aspire to be.
Freaky Deaky discuss the evolution of their DJ duo, the Secret Service brand, and their full circle moment.
Q: You have your own individual personas – Salvad3r and GypCi. How do you bring your individual sounds together for a Freaky Deaky set?
Ciara: Freaky Deaky is definitely a blend of both our music styles. We’ll communicate a lot during our set and usually plan it out as we go. Personally, I love playing disco funk, afro, and tribal – that’s actually where GypCi comes from!
Sal: My style is more minimal – I really like that Chicago style while also mixing in some tech house and deep house too. Together as Freaky Deaky, our sound is pretty eclectic – we play everything from disco and Motown funk to hip hop and R&B.
Q: How do you balance running an established collective, Freaky Deaky performances, AND having your own individual DJ personas?
Ciara: The community we’ve built has brought us a lot of connections and, ultimately, friendships. The Secret Service team consists of a lot of hardworking creatives who love the scene – there is always someone ready to help when we ask, or they come along pitching their own ideas on how to help!
Sal: I second that. Some of our team has been here since Day 1 and we are extremely appreciative of that. Because of their contributions, we have the resources and ability to host events and showcase incredible talent.
Community + Connection
Freaky Deaky’s success is rooted in the Community + Connection they’ve built across Southern California. As a result, Secret Service parties are widely known to be one of the most inclusive and safest dance events.
As masters of the craft, Sal and Ciara reflect on how this last puzzle piece – Community + Connection – helped them become the most established dance collective in the LBC as well as their role in cultivating the next generation.
Q: Out of all your Secret Service events, what’s your favorite venue/crowd you’ve played for, and why?
Ciara: Mine is Belmont Pier. It’s Long Beach’s hidden gem – there’s just something so special about that venue. When people go for the first time, they’re mesmerized by the view. It also gives us the versatility to have 2 stages – one on the pier and another inside the building.
Sal: It’s so hard for me to choose since all our curated residencies each have their own unique vibe. I’ll go with El Barrio since that series started on my birthday!
Honorable mention goes to our pals at Altar Society Brewing Co. – I had been working on that booking for 2 years, so that was a huge win for us. It’s the oldest standing building in Long Beach and the murals inside are hand-painted. Altar will be hosting Secret Service’s 5th birthday for our Haunted Disco on November 2nd and our headliner Ardalan who will be treating us with his disco alias, Diablo Discobar!
Alongside Ardalan, The Haunted Disco lineup features many of our Secret Service residents: Alex Harris, Artcast, Chris Jay, Eder Chedder, EMZ, Freaky Deaky, Hot Pursuit, Jacob Cardell, Jared F, Kharachi, Rosko, and Tenebrae. This will be a special one, especially since we are celebrating 5 years… and I hear there’s going to be a lot of spicy B2Bs!
Q: As a 3-peat Day Trip returner, how would you describe its role in your music journey?
Sal: Funny story actually. We booked Adam Auburn for our 2nd annual Belmont Pier event and absolutely crushed his set. Every year since then he’s played at one of our pier events… and he tells us it’s because Belmont Pier is his favorite place to perform at when he’s in the area.
After our first booking with Adam, we started to talk about bringing more events to South Bay and I offered to help out with whatever he needed to make that happen. That’s when Adam mentioned bringing Day Trip to the Queen Mary… and in 2021, it actually became a reality.
I remember the Tuesday before Day Trip weekend we got the call to play. That was a surreal moment for us – getting the opportunity to play at the inaugural Day Trip at Queen Mary in the same town where we created Secret Service… that was a full circle moment for sure.
Performing at Day Trip for a 3rd time was incredible. We get to curate the vibe for the community that’s gotten us to where we are today. Our set packed a full house and we were overwhelmed by all the support that day. We were able to rinse out some of our team’s tracks, including one we made with our Day 1 homie, Jared F.
My question is… now that we’re 3-peat returners to Day Trip, does that make us Day Trip residents?!
Q: What venue/event would you like to perform at in the future?
Ciara: Lightning in a Bottle is at the top of our list. Just like us, they’ve created a culture at their shows. As curators who also aim to protect the vibe at our events, we couldn’t think of a better match.
Sal: Also, how could we not want to play Freaky Deaky in Texas? We’ll even dress up for the theme!
Wins + Aspirations
Wins + Aspirations set the tone for the future – what you hope to be, work to be, and one day, be.
The legacy Sal and Ciara are creating has just begun. The duo reflects on their past accomplishments and how they’re using it as motivation to continue reaching for the stars.
Q: Biggest win?
Ciara: Our biggest win is the friends we’ve made along the way. Looking back, we had no idea Secret Service would get as big as it did. Now…
“We’ve become a collective – a community – of like-minded artists, curators, and groove makers.”
Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the next year?
Ciara: As Freaky Deaky, we’re hungry to release some original tracks together. We want to drop an EP soon… and something might already be in the works.
Sal: As for Secret Service, we’ve been actively searching for a venue to call home for our events here in Long Beach. We also want to do a takeover across state lines. Who knows? We might just show up in your state.
