Party Pros: Finding a Band or DJ

No doubt about it: Music can make or break any celebration. It's the heart and soul of a party and can send your guests home with happy feet -- or pained grimaces! The fact that you want to hire a talented band or fleet-fingered DJ is a given. Finding one is a matter of polling friends, surfing online, shopping around with fine-tuned ears, and making a move quickly -- top talent can get booked up to a year in advance. What type of entertainment suits your personal taste, budget, space allowances, guest demographics, and killer dance moves best? Keep an open mind, and consider these issues to start your search.

Vibe
The type of music you choose can set the tone of your party and solidify a theme. And remember, it's the thing people most often remember. Think about what musical genre best reflects your personality (or the personality of the person or people you're throwing a party for) and inspires the ambience you want to create: Groovy funk or subdued string quartet? Swanky swing or kick-off-your-shoes-and-sweat zydeco? How the music is delivered -- by live band or DJ -- also affects the ambience.

Variety
Are you a little bit country, or a little bit rock 'n' roll? Regardless of whether you choose a band or DJ, be sure they play slow and fast songs. If there will be a wide range of ages at your shindig, make sure they play old and new tunes to encourage different sets of guests to hit the dance floor.

Budget
In the price war, DJs generally cost less, and prices vary depending on whether the day of the week and equipment requests. A twelve-piece band, for example, will generally be more expensive than a DJ since there are more people to pay. (There are always exceptions; celebrity DJs can be just as expensive as live bands.) Band prices vary by the number of musicians, how long you want them to play, day of the week, and what time of year it is.

Space
Don't get your heart set on an eight-piece salsa band before you check whether your party site has any restrictions on the number of musicians and pieces of equipment you may bring in, and whether there are any electrical power supply or noise limitations. For example, a registered landmark site may not allow you to use large speakers. Ask these questions before you start scouting bands.

Band? or...
There's nothing like a live band to get a crowd stoked and create a sense of sophistication. Music groups can synergize with the tone of your day and almost any niche theme, offering everything from soul hits to klezmer ditties. A good bandleader will interact with folks on the dance floor, pay attention to the "feel" of the room, and select music accordingly.

Pros: Live music is, well, live. You and your guests will experience the pleasure of a performance. Anything can happen to raise the excitement level, from an infectious horn-section interlude to a moving solo.

Cons: Bands can be more expensive than DJs. Also, no matter how great the band, they can't have the repertoire of a standard DJ, who can keep an enormous variety of music on hand.

...DJ?
Today's disc jockeys are artists in their own right, offering balanced and eclectic mixes of musical styles for all ages. Plus, the songs played will sound exactly as you remember them, encouraging sing-alongs and improvisation. And depending on the amount of equipment a DJ brings, he or she will take up less dance floor real estate and can be relocated with relative ease.

Pros: The biggest plus for hiring a DJ is that they often don't take breaks, and if they do, it won't be for as long as a band and they can throw on a compilation disc. Also, DJs are generally less expensive than bands. A DJ with a charismatic stage presence and excellent emcee skills can really set the mood and keep the party pumping.

Cons: On the opposite end of the spectrum, a DJ with a less-than stellar personality can be a party-killer.

 

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