As Craig Finn of the Hold Steady once said, “Everyone’s a critic and most people are DJs.”

Truer words have rarely been spoken. As someone who spends more than enough time fighting with friends for dibs on the next song selection, I can tell you unequivocally that it’s an art to select and arrange just the right songs to set the mood for a party and propel it to the end of the night. The art of dejaying has been stretched and perverted over the years to the point where the word can’t be mentioned without bringing to mind images of sweaty, strobe light-infused nightclubs and the techno-revelers that inhabit them.

It’s a shame.

Bobby Galaxy, then, is certainly a breath of fresh air. Spinning exclusively soul, funk, R&B, Motown and various combinations and permutations thereof, Galaxy has begun to permeate the Tacoma music scene.

“I basically just like good, driving beats,” says Galaxy. “Bill Whithers is my favorite.”

Most would recognize Galaxy as a member of the now-defunct and much-missed Tacoma band John Walker and The Hitchhikers. Since the group dissolved, Bobby Galaxy has had more time to devote to spinning, which he does between sets at rock shows or as a standalone performer.

When asked if he would like to return to playing in a band, Galaxy says, “I don’t have any real set plans, but I have some real aching to get something started like what I play as a DJ.”

For Galaxy, a trumpet player, such a project would seem like an easy fit. But for now, Galaxy is content spinning. It’s a relief, to say the least, in our climate of psychedelic, indie and folk rock, to be able to soak in the soul, and to breathe in the funk. With the right DJ, that’s all you need.

[The Swiss, Urban Arts Festival Iron vs. Art, Saturday, Aug 1, 12 p.m. no cover, 1904 Jefferson Ave, Tacoma, 253.572.2821]