Bands vs. DJs- a Band's perspective

Keyboard player Mark Shilansky of the Hip Pocket Orchestra in Boston,MA offers some great advice when deciding on your entertainment for your wedding.

Hip Pocket Orchestra
Music Mangement

Bands vs. DJs.
As a keyboard player who has been a full-time and sub member of some of New England's finest wedding bands (currently a member of Hip Pocket Orchestra, have played with Moment's Notice, Night Rhythm, Stardust), I'm obviously in favor of you hiring a band for your wedding or other event.

Our singers interact with the crowd, often dancing with guests and leading dance contests and the like. As instrumenalists we can interact, as well, upping the intensity as the dancing becomes more intense... having seen a band like Earth Wind and Fire live, I can tell you it's much more fun to dance to them live than in my living room. A couple gets an even more special feeling if a human being stands before them and sings their favorite song, than when a human being pushes a button on a CD player or an ipod. And, with a band like Hip Pocket that has choreography and great soloists, the members of the crowd who don't feel like dancing get treated to a concert.

Not to discount the value of DJs. They can play up-to-the-minute current stuff, and can also get crowds worked up. And I wouldn't recommend working a Bar Mitzvah without a DJ (and dancers) for the kids, as well as a band for the adults. But, if you have the money, it's worth the expense to have the extra warmth and energy a band can generate.

You need to choose a band that is capable of playing the music you want to hear, or is capable of playing the widest diversity of styles imaginable, to meet you and your guests' needs. Ask if the band plays specific tunes by specific artists; a good band almost always includes in its basic pricing one or two special requests, with more available at a small fee. Try and hear the band live to see if you want to spend several hours with them. And, back to the diversity issue: our band can play the latest tunes from the pop charts (we're currently seeing the dance floor fill up to "Single Ladies" by Beyonce, and Lady Ga Ga's "Just Dance"), and disco and 80's classics (EWF's "September" and, surprisingly, the novelty hit "Come On Eileen" are huge for us), but then play jazz and James Taylor for the cocktail and dinner sets, and even provide musicians for the ceremony.

So, thanks for reading, and consider weighing these options when choosing entertainment for your event! Congratulations!

Bands vs. DJs- a DJ's perspective

Image from Brown Photographic


Dave Dionne, a DJ in Maine who has been in the wedding industry for the past 23 years has given some great insight to this subject. Here's what he has to say about the ongoing discussion!

Dave Dionne

One of the great wedding debates is whether to have a band or a DJ at your wedding reception. In either case you’ll want to get an experienced wedding DJ or band! A really good wedding DJ will have quite a few advantages over a band.

Music:

The total number of songs available to a DJ has no limits (especially for those DJs using a laptop computer and having access to the internet). A music playlist for your cocktail hour, dinner and the dancing portion of the reception can easily be put together by your DJ. That means having music customized to your reception reflecting your tastes. Bands on the other hand are very limited in their potential song selections. They follow their playlist and are completely limited to the songs they know (and practice) as a band. Your DJ will supply music continuously throughout the reception. Bands are notorious for their breaks. There’s nothing worse for the party than the sudden silence that accompanies a band’s break!!

Emcee:

Your experienced wedding DJ will be an excellent master of ceremonies. With experience at wedding receptions comes the knowledge of how to keep things flowing and when to make specifics events (introductions, cutting of the cake, garter & bouquet toss, etc) run smoothly. Clear speech and command of the microphone will make each announcement easily heard and understood by everyone! I’ve known of many instances where even the best wedding band didn’t have a member of the band who was an effective emcee!

Cost:

Here’s where the DJ has yet another major advantage over a band, cost!!! Here in Maine an experienced wedding DJ will probably cost you around $1000-$1500 for a prime Saturday between May and October. The cost of an experienced wedding band will be three to four times as much!!!

Bands vs. DJs- a Band's perspective

Here's another expert's opinion on music for your reception.

Amy Serrago of Nite-Time band in NYC agrees that if you can afford it, having both the band and DJ is the best of both worlds! Check out their website for more information on Nite-Time!

Nite-Time band






A live band brings an air of excitement to any event. There is something about watching and listening to live people making music right in front of you that takes the whole experience up a notch, and your wedding is a once in a lifetime event. A professional event band should be able to cover all types of music, but this is an especially great choice if you are into rock, swing, Motown, alternative, and genres generally utilizing live instruments to create their sound. If your fiance proposed to you at a Bruce Springsteen concert, trust me, you’re band people.

However, if you are into club music, hip hop or techno, and you and your fiance never miss a Saturday night out at the club, then a DJ might be a better fit for you. A great DJ can play his or her turntables like an instrument, and this way you will know exactly what the songs are going to sound like. If you practiced your first dance to the CD for all of those months, you can dance it exactly the same way that night.

I agree with Anne about price, a live band costs considerably more than a dj - we have more people to pay. However, I disagree with her statement that "most bands can't play from grandma's era to today's top hits" a professional event band can and has to play music from all eras. If you find one that can't, you should keep looking.

Of course, for the bride that wants it all, you can always hire one of each and have them trade off, or start with band, end with dj. I find that to be a fun night. We've been asked to "dj" certain songs or sets of songs. We can save people a little money that way too, by letting the musicians go early and then turning on the tunes through our system. We can custom design playlists and music packages for all tastes, styles and almost all budgets.

My husband and I started running Nite-Time - New York City's Premier Party Band! in 2002. We serve NYC and the tri-state area. We opened a Hudson Valley office in 2007 and are starting to get more work in that area as well as some in New England. We have a combined experience in the wedding/event music business of 42 years, and we're not even that old! We both got started very young, I guess.

Bands Vs. DJ's- A DJ's perspective- Anne Turgeon, All 4 you DJ in Rhode Island

Recently I joined BridalTweet.com, a new community for wedding vendors and brides to discuss everything about weddings.  I met a Rhode Island based DJ, Anne Turgeon and asked her to chime in with her two cents on this subject.  Here's what she had to say:

We always tell our brides and grooms that if they can afford a great wedding band, then go for it! A band offers a certain excitement that a DJ can't. But, at least in our area, a great wedding band can run 5 or 6 times the price of a DJ. It all depends on the size of your entertainment budget.

However, we hear more couples say that they want to hear songs they love at their wedding. When a great song starts to play, you see people rushing for the dance floor, and dancing and singing along with their friends and family to songs they love. Brides want to dance with their Dad to a song that has meaning for them, they way they remember it. And, of course, there's the variety. Most bands can't play from grandma's era to today's top hits. We can also provide those ethnic songs or specialty dance tunes that a band can't.

I certainly agree with Anne in terms of the actual artist performing a special song.  I have heard bands from across the country, some costing upwards of 50k, and I still think there's nothing like the original artist.  In terms of versatility, I have seen a lot of bands who know the realm of the 50'-70's really well and then the 80's to Top 40 gets a little challenging.  There are SO many songs for them to learn, especially with new hits coming out almost every week.  I would suggest finding a band that caterers to the most popular style you're looking for and then consider even hiring a DJ for band breaks and maybe the last hour of the event so you can get the most out of your band and you can also enjoy the original versions of some of your favorites songs.  To have the excitement factor of a band and the ability to hear original versions of your special songs is a great combination!  Thanks Anne for your insights!  

Check our Anne's website, www.all4youdj.com to learn more about her services.  Based in RI, Anne travels throughout New England for weddings and other events!

Bands vs. DJs- a Band's perspective

Cindy Charest from the Bob Charest Band in Portland, ME took some time to give me her thoughts on the advantages of hiring a band for your wedding. Here are some of her comments, some photos of the Bob Charest Band, and a link to their website. We have worked with the BCB before and we think they are fabulous! Really high quality musicians who actually rehearse and produce a very polished product... enjoy her two cents!

The Bob Charest Band

The band can communicate to the guests, person to person, in a unique way.

Fully-rehearsed and professional ensembles can create an atmosphere at a reception that is unique.

The size of the band can be a pro or a con. If appropriate to the event, it complements and completes the atmosphere. If space is limited or the guest count is too low, a band that is too large can impose itself on the event.

Visually, a band can be very dynamic, and energize the crowd.

Logistics for some bands may be impractical for certain venues, such as island locations.

Bands take up a certain amount of space, so be sure to check out how much space they need, and if the room can accommodate them.

Bands can improvise, substitute special lyrics, fine tune arrangements to suit, invite you or your talented family member or friend to "sit in" on a number.



Photos by Bill Getty Photography







Photos by Susan Mullen Photography