Musicians for Parties
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Musicians for Parties
Nov 2010
Our daughter is getting married next summer in Sonoma. They
are looking for a smallish band that will really get people
(of all ages) up and dancing. Also doing the hora... They
love every kind of music from Sinatra & Beatles to some
current music. (They recently mentioned how embarrassing it
was to hear a cover of Justin Timberlake songs -- thus SOME
current music.) Recommendations? anon
The Martini Brothers are a class act. They played at my
wedding 13 years ago and I still have people tell me it was
the best wedding they've ever been to. The Martini Brothers
are popular in SF and are 40's style genre. They've played
at the top hotels in the City.
Good luck, Rita
Rita
A really fun band who play a lot of weddings and corporate
events is Notorious (as well as a lot of local venues). I
believe they were even written up in Modern Bride. Here is
the website:
http://www.notoriousrocks.com/
Anon
A great band for weddings is The Peelers, based in San
Francisco, but travel all over the bay area. They play a
variety of music, including music from the 70s, 80s, 90s,
and currently. They somehow manage to combine the
performance energy of a live band with the versatility of a
DJ who plays the regular standards. But they are much more
than a cover band. While cover bands play the same songs
from ten years ago, DJs accommodate everyoneC",b"s tastes,
bouncing from R&B to pop to hip-hop to classic oldies to
rock and everywhere in between without skipping a beat. This
is what these guys do and more. For instance, they can play
a medley that connects Michael Jackson to Lady Gaga to the
The Eurythmics to Usher. They are versatile, high energy,
very professional and on time, which is important for a
wedding. You don't want sound checks when the guests are
trying to mingle. Go to their website and you can even
check out their set lists. Needless to say, I loved them.
Write to me if you want more info, but check out their
website at www.thepeelersband.com SB
March 2007
We're looking for a small (2-4 piece) band for a small (80
person) afternoon bar mitzvah party. Band needs to be able to
play some Jewish music (e.g., horas), but also contemporary and
oldies rock and ideally, some soft jazz or background music.
Party will be mostly extended family with some teen friends.
Any leads to good local groups (this event will be held in
North Berkeley over Memorial Day weekend) would be appreciated.
Nancy
Try Klezkidz--they're a talented group of high schoolers. They
just played for a group of elderly folks at Reutlinger in
Danville; in the past they've performed at numerous bar/bat
mitzvahs, in the Haight in S.F., etc. My daughter has been a
part of this band for over 5 years. Contact the musical
director: Carol Ginzberg at 524.3293 (gizmos@earthlink.net).
kg
Meshugga Beach Party
http://www.meshuggabeachparty.com/
They play Jewish Intrumental Surf Music!
anon
Jan 2007
We are looking for someone to provide music with a
casual/informal/fun feel for our outdoor wedding ceremony.
We're basically open to anything at this point (harp, cello,
violin, classical guitar, ukelele, or even bagpipes). We
appreciate any and all recommendations on the subject. Thanks
in advance.
fk
We used the Music to Go! services from the San Francisco
Conservatory of Music when we got married in 2001. They were
excellent and possibly less expensive as the students are the
ones providing the service. There are many musical instrument
options for you to choose from. Good luck.
http://www.sfcm.edu/musictogo/musictogo.aspx
Martha
Try Pauline Metzgar with Garden Strings (gardenstrings.com).
Her phone number is (925)642-6099. She's great!
dina
Jan 2006
It is the big 5-0 for my beloved husband. I'm planning a party
at the Ramp in SF, a great dive bar. Any ideas for a good party
band?
Cheryl
My husband (a Berkeley parent) plays in some bands that would be
good; of course, it depends on what kind of music and atmosphere
you are looking for. He has an awesome straight ahead jazz
combo. You can hear them at http://www.voodooaisle9.com. The
group can be tailored to fit your budget, i.e., more musicians,
more money. Excellent jazz for serious music lovers. He also
plays in a gritty blues band that might be perfect for the Ramp
venue. You can hear that band at http://www.rhythmdoctors.com. Then there is the jazz/punk/rock-y kind
of band that you can hear
at http://twofeettall.com. No vocals; edgy original music. And,
if you really want to be cool, you could check out the go-go
girls surf music group he plays in. They are called the
Go-Going-Gone Girls. Jazzy surfy party music with three scantily
clad (in a retro hip tasteful kind of way) women doing the
dancing and singing thing. Very hip. All excellent musicians,
including one former member of the DK's. Their website is under
construction right now, but should up in a week or so. If you
want to email me directly, I can forward some pics. Good luck. Kim Card
A friend of mine at work and his wife are in a couple of bands,
and they do blues, rock, vocals, etc. He says they are not
expensive, but they seem to be pretty busy. (They also teach
Scottish country dancing, and can probably pull together
scottish country dance music if you wanted). They also know of
a funk band (Tower of Power, Stevie Wonder, etc) that lives
downstairs from them that he said would be really fun. His wife
also teaches rock bands for teenagers, and she has a couple of
teen bands for other occasions if you'd be looking for only a
few different songs. Bruce (my colleague) and Patti (his wife)
are very eclectic, know all sorts of music, but call them
directly for details. (They're also fun!)
Patti & Bruce 415-826-2287
janet
Harpist for wedding
October 2005
Re: Photographer, Videographer For Wedding
Diana Stork is a great harpist and a great person. She does
weddings, but she doesn't play traditional music. She is located
in Berkeley. If her music doesn't suit you, I am sure that she
can recommend someone local. Contact info at her website:
http://california.com/~mcmf/diana_stork.html
Feb 2004
My son's Bar Mitzvah is March 6th and I'm looking for someone
who can play piano or maybe guitar as background music during
the lunch. It would be from about 12:30 or 1 till maybe 2;30 or
3 at the latest.
The piano at the temple is old and funky but in tune.
Music? Any kind....jewish, popular, classical...
Thanks for any recs.
June
I heard a 4-person band in a SF restaurant. They played a good
variety of background music - jazz & klezmer. You can contact
Darren Johnston at 415-552-3243. Have fun.
M
Jan 2004
We are seeking a few klezmer musicians to play at my daughter's
bat mitzvah? We are working with a modest budget and require
only one hour of music...any ideas?
We hired California Klezmer for our wedding 3 years ago and they
were great. The price varies with the number of hours and
musicians, but I thought it was reasonable. They'll send you a
demo tape.
Contact Gerry Tenny, the ''band leader,'' at
http://www.californiaklezmer.com
David in Berkeley
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