Disc jockey knows people

Some people might say it comes naturally, but Steve Hust knows his ability to entertain crowds comes from years of dealing with people -- often very unruly people.

The 43-year-old Wasilla resident said his years of working in his parents' restaurants and bars taught him to deal with people, especially those who've had a few too many. But the blond disc jockey, who works under the name "Steve in the Box" and who has become well known in local bars for his singing ability, said he also learned a lot about people as a teen-ager in Anchorage while living with Natives and inmates.

A visit to Alaska from North Hollywood, Calif., in 1970 prompted Troy and Barbara Jones, Hust's parents, to stay in the state. Soon after, they opened their south Anchorage home to board youth from Alaska villages that came to the city to attend school.

"Mom cooked for them and we did that for a year or two," Hust said of his mother. Then, he said, they built onto the home and turned it into a halfway house for inmates on their way out of the penal system.

"I learned to read people pretty good," he said of the experience that ultimately proved to be a positive influence on his life. He said he always starts everyone on a clean slate, but learned how people tick. That, along with years of working alongside his parents at their various businesses -- Barb's Restaurant in Anchorage, Eklutna Lodge or most recently Big Su Lodge -- has helped him become a "people person," he said.

After graduating from Service High School in Anchorage in 1977, Hust married and had a son, Chris, now 21 years old. While Hust grew up behind a hot stove, his son grew up spending a great deal of time at the local racetrack.

In 1979 Hust became interested in racing stock cars at Capitol Speedway and continued his passion for the next 16 years, most often with Chris in tow. He spent a lot of time cooking at various restaurants throughout the Valley during that time, but his interest in cars also got him into other trades, such as autobody work and as a diesel mechanic. While living in the Talkeetna area he even tried his hand at dog mushing for a while, but found it was too much to handle along with car racing. Somewhere along the way, Hust discovered a passion for music. He learned to play bass guitar and played with a small country rock band in Talkeetna for a while, but mostly limited his singing to emulating his favorite artists on the car radio or at home. It wasn't until the mid-'90s that he realized how far he had developed his vocal range.

"When I tried singing for a band, one that everybody knew well, it shocked everybody," Hust said of his first public performances. "It gave me the confidence to do more."

With encouragement from a close friend, he said, he pursued this newfound ability, singing cover tunes with a band called Liquid Chicken that performed locally but soon broke up.

While cooking at a Palmer restaurant, he was offered a job as a disc jockey at the Dead Dog Saloon, a local exotic dance club now known as the Borealis Beach Club. At the time he had eight CDs to his name, he said. Several years later and after just completing a two-year stint as manager of the Big Su Saloon where he developed his karaoke song list to include more than 500 CDs, he is working steady jobs at Wasilla Bar and the Beach Club, entertaining crowds with both his singing ability and his friendly patter. Providing his own equipment, Hust also said he DJs private parties, festivals and weddings. Sometimes the events turn into a jam session, he said, with people bringing their equipment out to plug into his system. Almost always, he said, it's a good time and every gig is a chance to meet new people.

Hust said he's suffered a few injuries over the years and this type of work suits him because it's low-impact. But it doesn't mean his style in the DJ booth is low-impact, he said. He enjoys getting the crowd excited and convincing people to loosen up and try their hand at karaoke. There's something about singing that makes everybody happy, he said, whether they're good at it, or not so good, it's always fun.

"Once they start it's a rush, and when they find out they can [get on stage and] do it, they want to keep doing it," he said.

After playing in a band, singing his heart out at local nightclubs and developing "a bit of a following," Hust still says he never thought he would be on a stage performing in front of crowds. He doesn't have big dreams of being discovered by a talent agent or cutting a record deal, he said.

"I wouldn't consider myself a star," he said, "but I'm good enough to get the job done."