DJ Roman Rosati fronts live musicians

Three things you'll notice about DJ Roman Rosati, in no particular order:

His accent -- thick and French -- is as exotic as his name; he owns the coolest mixer board in town; and a live band accompanies him when he's in the DJ booth at Nikki Beach in the Tropicana. He kicks off the bar's happy hour Thursdays at 4 p.m.

Born and raised in France, Rosati, 36, has been working as a professional DJ for more than 20 years. He started out in his hometown of St. Tropez but quickly developed a taste for travel and has played all over the world, most recently in Mexico. A Las Vegas vacation opened his eyes to the possibilities of working here so, when he won a green card in the lottery last year, he moved to town.

"I think it's a good city for me. People come to Vegas to party," Rosati says. "Being a DJ is kind of easier here than anywhere else because it's a party city and everyone wants to be a part of the party."

Rosati's specialty is house music, which he now mixes on his new, custom-made touch screen board. It's clear as glass and cost him about $5,000. To him, a DJ is like a musician in that they create mixes from existing songs. That's why Rosati decided to incorporate live instruments into his performances. A percussionist and saxophonist almost always accompany him, but up to eight people could join him during a performance, he says.

So far, the format has been well-received, and he'll continue to use it so long as crowds like it. Rosati says he takes an instinctual approach to DJing, relying on the crowd's energy to direct him.

"I always try to find the track that the crowd wants," Rosati says. "It's just a feeling you get. Sometimes you have to look at the people, they will tell you if something is wrong or if something is right. The more you play, the better you get at figuring out what they want."

For more information, visit Rosati's website at RomanRosati.com.

-- By SONYA PADGETT