BEWARE - Tri-CitiesDJ, Tri-Cities, WA - Russ Pulliam
There is more than one Tri-City DJ in the USA. This one is in Tri-Cities, WA and this is the one I'm writing about. Please do not confuse this business with any of the same name in a different State.
Here is my personal experience with DJ Russ (AKA Tri-City DJ, Russ Pulliam). I am going to tell you exactly what happened and why I think DJ Russ lacks in character, good business skills, and ethics. I tell you this because if you book him for his services you run the risk of him not showing up
Here are the facts:
On July 17, 2025 I contracted with Russ Pulliam to DJ a birthday party I was organizing for my wife. Services were to include Karaoke as well since my wife loves to sing. There were to be about 60-70 people at the party and it was to be held at our home in Walla Walla. Russ Pulliam (DJ Russ) and I executed his contracted, signed by both of us for these services.
Two 2 days before the party on Sept. 4, 2025 I contacted Russ Pulliam by telephone to confirm all was good and to provide him a list of preferred songs to play. He advised all was good and he would see us on Saturday afternoon ((9/6/25) about 4:30 pm to set up.
On Friday 9/5/25 at about 8:30 PM Russ Pulliam called me and advised he was not going to do our party and he was going to send a guy named Kyle to do our party. He told me he booked a wedding to DJ instead. I couldn't believe it because I had a contract, given him a deposit, and I'd interviewed 4 DJs before deciding on DJ Russ to host our party. In the conversation that ensued I learned the wedding was going to pay him $1,200 fr his services. We were paying him $600 for our party, the price he agreed to.
I was completely blown away that anyone could be that irresponsible, not to mention he was knowingly violating a contract he'd signed. I encouraged him to speak with his parents or best friend to see how wrong his decision was. He obviously should have declined the other job and fulfilled his commitment to DJ our party. I was completely stunned and finding good DJ the day of our party would have been impossible. Somehow our conversation disconnected. I don't know if the call dropped or he hung up on me took place, but I wasn't called back and had know idea if the DJ named "Kyle" would show up or what his competency level was.
Fast forward to the next day. A guy named "Kyle" showed up to about 4:30 to DJ our party. I had neither approved "Kyle" or declined to have him DJ, but I was without a DJ so I let him set up. Kyle was clearly an inexperienced DJ. His playlist was poor for the party so we regularly had to have him play requested songs. He was also supposed to be doing Karaoke but had a laptop and people wanting to sing could not see the words on the screen. Further, he had access to a 65" TV mounted to a wall next to him but couldn't get it to work with his Karaoke. For a long time music was delayed because he was trying to get the 65" TV to show on the screen. Further, what Karaoke songs he did pay had cover music melody and not the original music with the song so it sounded really poor. Sometime before the end of the party I asked "Kyle" to pack up his equipment and I would play music through our system, which we did. Before "Kyle" left he apologized profusely because he knew he didn't do a good job. One of the attendees, a 16-year girl who attended told me if I ever needed DJ services again, she'd do it and do a much better job. That's how horribly bad this was.
On the Friday night before the party after speaking to DJ Russ Pulliam I sent him an e-mail demanding he rethink his decision and not violate our contract, hoping he'd realize what a bad decision he was making. I never got an answer to that e-mail. On Monday, after the party I sent him another e-mail asking for my deposit back and telling him that I was also thinking of reviewing his services whether or not he gave me my deposit back or not. It is now Wednesday, 5 days after my first e-mail, and 2 days after my second e-mail and I have not heard from him.
I have no idea if I'll get my deposit back but I feel a sense of obligation to warn others because if you book an event with him months or even a year out you run the risk of him not showing up. I'm sure Russ Pulliam (DJ Russ of Tri-Cities DJ) is a good DJ from reviews, but if he doesn't show up that's a huge problem, and you need to know about his character and reliability.
I will be happy to share with anyone requesting it, a copy of my contract, and both e-mails I sent him if you care to view them.
These are the facts and everything I've said here is 100% accurate. I intend to sue Russ Pulliam in small claims court if he fails to send my $300 deposit back. He may or he may not, but I want a judge to hear this story and Russ Pulliam to learn a lesson from his poor decision making and knowingly violating his contract with me.