Retro D'Luxe: Talking GR History with Retro Buff Geoffrey Hudson | Arts & Culture

By Joseph Charles McIntosh

Musician, DJ, amateur historian and all around tech nerd, Geoffrey Hudson is a modest, soft spoken kind of guy. A hipster jack of all trades, he is guy in the background, never calling much attention to himself at the show or party. But during my conversation with him, layer after layer is unfurled, revealing a passionate artist and archivist who has done much to foster and promote the indie cultural scene in Grand Rapids. 

But most importantly, Geoffrey Hudson loves the '80s. He likes the '70s and '90s, too, and probably a little of the 2000s. But definitely, the '80s.

“Nostalgia might just be this weird brain disease that kicks in once you are in your thirties," Hudson says. "I fell into it, but now it's getting worse and worse.”

Hudson has managed to turn his nostalgia obsession into fun and profit. Perhaps most prominently, he is known as DJ Jef Leppard, host of the popular retro-themed dance night, Retro D’Luxe.

“I got into DJing not on purpose," says Hudson. “I just kind of hogged the stereo at parties. The people liked what I was playing and kind of expected...

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