1. What do guys charge and what factors affect pricing?
Base pricing starts at $1900 for most weddings and $2500 for corporate events in our geographic area. Booking the Jazz Trio as an add-on is an extra fee. Factors in pricing include driving distance, type of event, requested arrival time at the venue for set-up, time of year, day of the week, and our availability. We accept 1 (one) booking a month. A request to book in a month we are already booked affects pricing. A request to book on a holiday weekend affects pricing. A request to book when one of the band members has planned vacation or planned time off affects pricing. Fridays and in general, weekdays are difficult for us (not impossible) because of our work schedules and affects pricing. Pricing includes all our expenses except hotel rooms if needed.
2. What kind of music do you play?
We are a variety band. We play most every style. Classic rock is our mainstay. People seem to want familiar tunes. We cover Elvis, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, The Beatles, Willie and Waylon, Blues Brothers, Kid Rock, Lynard Skynard, Billy Joel, and many others. Songs we play are also "time-tested" by us, especially for wedding dances. Some might refer to many of our songs as "Oldies." While we do play a few songs from the 80s, 90s and this decade, most of our material would be considered classic rock, oldies and classic country. Click here to listen to us: WYSIWYG
3. How far will you guys travel?
The band members reside from River Falls to Janesville to Marshfield to Madison and Medford. We will consider gigs slightly beyond the Wisconsin border, but such gigs will be bid in the higher range and probably require you to provide us with hotel rooms for the night. Generally, we'll play anywhere in Wisconsin, and into Rockford, Dubuque and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Please ask.
4. How can I find your availability?
Call or email. Check out the Gigs link on our home page. We all have wives, families and day jobs. We only book 1 (one) gig per month by personal choice. Please don't be offended if we turn you down even if it looks like we're available.
5. Do you play for wedding dances and corporate events?
Is the bear in the woods Catholic? We've played more Wedding and Corporate gigs than any other type. We get great reviews playing wedding and corporate dances and are known for our ability to please Junior to Granny. Click out the "Wedding" and "Corporate" links on our home page for more information. Add our live Jazz Trio for the cocktail or dinner hour for an additional charge - a classy, impressive "wow-factor" add-on for your guests.
6. What instruments do you play?
We take great pride in our musicianship. We feature bass, drums, guitars, vocals, keyboards, harmonica, fiddle, banjo, steel guitar, accordion and a vast, seemingly endless array of auxiliary percussion often featuring the oft-forgotten, and under-appreciated "egg". Vocal harmonies are an integral part of our sound. For 2012 and beyond we will feature a professional sax player and for almost all gigs a 2nd guitar player, turning the band into the Whoz Playing? " Supergroup", yet priced as a 6-piece group. Be sure to ask or request a sax player if that's important to you.
7. How loud do you guys play?
We'll play as soft or as loud as you want us. It's your event. You're the boss. You call the shots. We rarely are told to "turn down". We'd rather be told to "Turn Up". We realize that sometimes you just want to sit, listen and talk to your friends or to you long lost Uncle Wilheimer.
8. Does the band need to be fed and do they need free drinks all night?
No. However, feeding us at your wedding or event, even the discarded table scraps or floor droppings is appreciated for the following reason. For most events we arrive early in the afternoon so we are entirely set-up and sound-checked before the first guest arrives. We feel this is important so as not to disturb your guests or the flow of the event. If the venue is not close to an eatery, providing us a meal or even covering the cost of us ordering from the venue's restaurant or bar makes it easier for us so we don't have to leave the venue. This also allows us to be available to you if you need us for anything. Likewise, free drinks are appreciated, but never necessary. We will never overdo it with the imbibement. A complimentary brandy old fashioned sweet with olives (A Whoz Playing? tradition) to start the performance puts you on our "AAA" list!
9. What do you need for set-up and staging? PLEASE READ - THIS INFORMATION IS CRITICAL.
We provide our own sound and lighting system which you are welcome to use to announcements, etc.. A cordless microphone is NOT part of our standard set-up, but please ask. An elevated stage is preferred, even if only risers and 4" above ground level. We need 1.5 - 2 hours to set up and 60-90 minutes to tear down. For wedding and corporate dances, we will arrive early enough to be set up before the first guest arrives at the dance hall - please arrange with your venue to let us in early for set up. You don't want us setting up right before the dance starts, trying to set up and sound check while everyone is visiting, eating, socializing and cocktailizing. As a 5-7 piece band, we need a stage or area to play that's sheltered from the elements and roughly 15' wide and 13' deep. Please allow extra time if you are asking the jazz trio to set up and play in a different room or in a different area from the full band - in that case we need tear down time and transition time between the jazz trio performing and the full band starting the dance. Good clean power is essential. We normally need 2 separate 20 amp circuits to be safe. We once played for a city festival and every time the Ferris wheel started up, our sound cut out. True story. Please give thoughtful consideration to the area in which the full band and the jazz trio is playing (jazz trio if applicable).
10. Will you show up in jeans and t-shirts?
Possibly only for set up (but we'll look great!). Come time to play, we are in suit-n-tie. Got a themed event? We can dress to your theme. And we'll have fun with it.
11. Do you require a contract?
Yes. A contract protects both of us. We recommend contracts so there is no misunderstanding as to the date, time and place, cost, details and any other terms including payment for the performance. We generally book 12 months in advance. Contracts are highly recommended.
12. Will you learn our "special Song" for our First Dance?
Yes. I can't think of a song we couldn't learn and play WELL at the wedding dance. But please use your best judgment on song choice: we are not an all-girl band, a slasher band, a death metal band or Lady Gaga or Whitney Houston. We are also happy to learn an additional song for the father/daughter or mother/son dance, but again please make it a reasonable request. We are not in the position of being able to learn more than 2 extra songs for your dance. Many songs on our current songlist will work great for either your first dance, father/daughter dance, mother/son dance, or grand march, and are songs other couples have requested that we have kept in our songlist because they have worked great. Please ask, we're happy to help.
13. Will you play music during your breaks?
Yes. Our break mix or yours. On our Ipod or yours though we prefer ours. Just let us know what type of songs you want on the breaks. Many times, stuff like Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas works well for break music if you are a younger couple. Other times, folks want stuff similar to what we play during the dance. One thing we've found is that if we are using your Ipod, the mix through our PA system may not be the best and some songs may be loud on your Ipod and others may be soft. If you have recorded your songs on your Ipod so they are equalized, it won't be an issue, but we've had the experience using your Ipod where one break song was loud, the next soft and it was an issue for the bride and groom.
14. Can we "pick and choose" what songs we want you to play during the dance from your songlist?
We are certainly willing to have you pick certain songs you want to hear and even certain songs you do not want to hear. Please leave to us, however, the discretion when to play them and to "flow" the evening for you musically. Please be aware we have run into issues when told what to play and what not to play. When the bride and groom have said, for example "absolutely no polkas!", then grandma and grandpa of the bride come up and request a polka to dance to, it puts us in an awkward terrible no-win situation.
15. Will you take requests during the evening?
Yes. However, unless asked ahead of time, please don't get upset if we can't play "Whitney Houston" or "Lady Gaga" or "Beyonce". We're happy to play those through the Ipod on breaks, just tell us.
16. How long do you play/How many breaks do you take?
We generally play 1-1.5 hours for the cocktail hour if asked with our jazz trio (extra charge) and 4 hours for the wedding dance, starting after dinner. We will not take any breaks for the cocktail hour music provided by the jazz trio. The full band will take either two 20-min breaks in the 4 hours of the wedding dance, or three 15-min breaks. During breaks, we'll play music on an Ipod.
17. Can I come hear you before deciding to book you for our wedding or event?
In most instances, yes. Since we play mostly private events, I will always need to get permission from the bride and groom, or event coordinator to make sure it's OK. Some will want you to remain outside the dance hall to listen, others may say it's OK to step inside the dance hall to listen. But it's their call. If we get permission for you to attend to listen, whether inside or outside the dance hall, please dress appropriately.
18. Where can I find the most complete list of songs you play?
The best place is on our Gigmasters website which is kept pretty current. Click here to go there: Songlist
