Special date night for me, OR working at a wedding??? Hmmm...

Okay, I completely wallowed in the comfort of Mechanics Hall this past weekend. Here is why it was the best wedding we played all year for me personally:

1. An actual green room with private, clean dressing rooms and showers is a much nicer place to change than a public restroom.

2. Generous tip IN ADVANCE in separate envelopes - unusual and lovely on so many levels!

3. Wicked dance-y crowd that will not bother us because not only are they distracted by glow sticks, but........ (see #4!)

4. ...we are up on a stage out of arm's reach. ...AND it's pretty.

5. Last but not least, it was not raining on the load in or out, there was really good food, tons of cheese snacks, we ate in a lovely room away from the reception guests, and management did not care if band members had a glass of wine.

This was a paid night out for me...have my standards for a good date really gone downhill?

Wait...don't answer that.

Thanks, Mechanics Hall!

A**hole Gallery

Oh, man, I wish these pictures had come out better. This character was literally crawling and gyrating on the floor for 99% of the evening - starting with the first song of the dinner set, scaring most sane people away from the dance floor. I'm talking about writhing wildly in a completely horizontal position to Patsy Cline. Hello.

I'll get better pics for the next one! Many more of these characters, I'm sure.

BAND/CLIENT RELATIONS: Helpful DO’s and DON’Ts

 Okay, let’s assume you have made a great choice in your band: checked references, seen videos, etc. …In other words, you have hired professionals, and not your college roomate who happens to own a karaoke machine and digs doing the worm.

That said, here are some helpful DOs and DON'Ts that may help your special event run as smoothly as possible:

·      Can I be honest? DON’T have the band at a table in the same room as the rest of the party during the reception. It confounds me when this occasionally happens, primarily because the guitarist and drummer will inevitably get into a competition of “who can yell louder about whose testicles are larger.” And they will be seated next to your Grandmother.

·      Brides and Grooms-To-Be: if you happen to have an ex whose first name is featured in a popular song, DO let the band know up front. DON’T run up during “Come On, Eileen” and give us a frantic “cut” sign as your new partner in wedded bliss glares at you. Yup, this does happen.

·      DO allow the band members to have a drink (unless you are hosting an alcohol-free wedding). After all, these musicians typically dedicate serious time to traveling, setting up, performing, breaking down, schmoozing, etc. to help create the perfect event you have envisioned. Sometimes a lovely glass of wine can be just the thing to help unwind after a long drive - and therefore create a happier environment for the party. AGAIN, if the band members are professionals (and remember: you industriously researched this before signing their contract), they understand that getting drunk and grinding on your Grandmother’s lap is unacceptable, unless she is very attractive. 

 

Blue Ribbon Sunset

Unfortunately, your wedding planner just can't work this perfect sunset out in advance...but they can make sure you have plenty of good cheese to munch on just in case it happens!

View from Goat Island, RI

Cutest ideas Summer 2011

What YOU see vs. what the BAND sees!

MORE COWBELL

Yes, we have all seen the hilarious skit with Will Farrell and Christopher Walken on Saturday Night Live. I laughed when I saw it, too. However, during every single one of our weddings for several years now, at least one drunken white dude stumbles up to the bandstand and shouts, “MORE COWBELL!” While alternatively grabbing for the instrument and/or playing “air cowbell.”

Note to “More Cowbell Dudes,” wherever you are: When you feel compelled to do this, Gino and I will avoid eye contact with you at all costs because encouraging you will inevitably lead to you falling into our equipment and possibly causing serious injury.

MY BAND

MY BAND

 

We are a seven-piece band that plays everything from Pitbull to Patsy Cline. We work around Boston, greater New England, and NYC.

 

The Bandleader: Dan plays bass in the band, but most notably he is the “go-to” guy whenever someone approaches with a request (for song or otherwise: see “More Cowbell”). He is the one who contacts agents and brides, sends out information to the rest of us, and negotiates with clients. Because of the extra work he puts in, he makes significantly more than the rest of us. Because this is his primary source of income, he often makes “deals” with agents and clients that frustrate the rest of us, such as having us drive for three hours each way without getting any money for gas. He also encourages us to wear elf hats with big ears for Christmas parties (unsuccessfully).

 

The Male Singer: Gino has traveled around the world as an arranger for some famous groups that you loved if you were 15-35 years old in the 90s, and like me is involved in teaching music during the day. Our friendship has been forged in the fire of too many weddings to count, including my own (he was our officiant). A classic ladies’ man, Gino is a multi-tasker as he performs, and is able to dance/sing/play instruments and search for any panties that are showing in the dance throng.

 

The Drummer: Mitch is a real salt-of-the-earth guy who runs a landscaping company during the day and plays with many other bands. A sweet guy at heart and an extremely subtle and talented drummer, he has also improved significantly over the years at not speaking loudly about his sweaty balls in the line for cocktails.

 

The Guitarist: Jon owns a music studio and has his name on Gold Records. A real industry professional, Jon has conquered former anger issues by taking up a regime of meditation, vegetarianism, and avoidance of alcohol. He now takes his anger out by turning his amp up to inhuman levels of sound and ignoring any guest who approaches him.

 

The Sax Player: (rotating cast) We are currently working with a fabulous sub who plays his ass off, is easy to work with, smiles and converses with the guests, and is generally the ideal GB sax player. Hopefully he will stay with us.*

 

*Sub sax player is filling in for our former player, a philosophy student who played one note for entire evenings as an experiment and asked questions like, “Is the saxophone obsolete?”

 

The Keyboard Player: Rich has been in and out of the band for over 20 years. He is wicked cute and has been my hubby for five years now. Yes, we met in the wedding band!

To begin...

To begin, I should introduce this blog by explaining that this is my second try at it. My husband, who also happens to be the keyboard player in my 7-piece East Coast band, is also a writer. After reading my initial entries, he told me that I should be more positive in my characterizations of other musicians, wedding guests, mother-of-the-brides, etc… Apparently, 500+ weddings have transformed me into a bit of a wedding snob. Who knew?

SO, I have begun from scratch, and in this *new and improved* series, I will attempt to approach the wedding industry experience with a more positive, “wine-glass-half-full” attitude.

I hope that you enjoy it – your comments are welcome!

Some of my fave locations for visual impact...