Q&A: Matthew Jacobs

• Age: 32
• Lives in: Lyn-Lake, Mpls
• Occupation: Ph.D. candidate in political science; co-presenter of Forever Young and Tuesday Night Music Club at the Uptown VFW

Q: How did you go from just being a student to also being a party-thrower?

A: Sometime during my second year of grad school, I was going stir crazy and I needed a creative outlet. I bought turntables off Craigslist -- I already had a bad vinyl-buying problem -- and I just started DJing parties.

Q: How do you deal with the "Portlandia" "everybody has a DJ night" hipster stereotype?

A: Minneapolis is very open to that type of event: We have a lot of DJ nights. In other cities I've lived, they have cover bands instead. Here, stations like the Current and Radio K introduce people to a wide range of music. It's fantastic.

Q: What's the most underrated element of a good party?

A: Anybody can show up with a laptop and speakers, but what makes a great party happen is when the people who run it have a real passion. We have a team of 10-15 people who help set up and contribute art to Forever Young. If you care about what you're doing, the party ends up being amazing without you even having to try.