NYE marathon man

And you thought your New Year’s Eve plans looked hectic.

San Francisco house DJ Kaskade’s evening is so packed with gigs, he had to charter a jet to make his schedule work. The 36-year-old is attempting the DJ equivalent of a trifecta on New Year’s, playing three shows in three cities -- L.A., San Francisco and Las Vegas: “I have a problem saying no to gigs,” he says with a laugh.

But clearly no problem staying awake: The soulful spinner (born Ryan Raddon) starts his final gig of the evening at 7 a.m. Tuesday and that’s without the aid of anything more artificial than Diet Coke. “I don’t need drugs,” says the Mormon-raised Kaskade, adding: “Honestly, I’ve had longer nights. I’ve done weekends in Europe where I’ve had to stay up for days.”

Indeed, this year alone he’s fulfilled over 125 dates, playing everywhere from Jakarta to Cape Town. The steady work is thanks to his last two releases, 2006’s “Love Mysterious” and 2007’s mix CD “Bring the Night.” Both discs feature his crisp, funky take on house music, and added considerably to the maestro’s fan base.

The ascendant DJ, who signed to New York dance imprint Ultra Records in 2006 after years on the smaller San Francisco indie Om Records, admits the New Year’s gigs will present some transportation challenges. “It’s going to be tight,” he says. And lucrative, which is good: Jets aren’t cheap. “It’s a very nice night for sure,” Kaskade says of his sure-to-be sizable payday. “NYE is always good for DJs.” Kaskade’s NYE trifecta: L.A.: Giant Maximus 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.; San Francisco: Mission Rock Cafe 2:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m.; Las Vegas: Empire Ballroom 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

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Charlie Amter

@THEGUIDE.LATIMES.COM