Live music!
“Live music.” That common saying may contain some truth, but these days the word “live” has less and less to do with music. For many people, a dj is their form of live music. Despite what DJs would like you to believe, musicians are excellent entertainment.
First, people enjoy human performance. Many musicians, like great athletes, are multi-talented. They’ll sing on the tenor sax right into your soul, then turn around and play a funky groove on a Fender Stratocaster. Can a dj play a turntable behind his head or with his teeth? Professional musicians love to sing and enjoy almost any style of music, from Frank Sinatra to Outkast. They especially enjoy playing when the audience is responding to their performance.
Second, musicians are students of the arts. Musicians are not limited to “pushing buttons”. They’ve had years of practice at home and do their thing on stage. Unlike the djs, the musicians do not try to sing or add other loud or extraneous noises to the music on the show. Once a song starts, it flows to the end, and in the unfortunate event of a power shortage, musicians can continue playing acoustically until power is restored. Even non-professional musicians often understand the concept of “the show must go on”.
Finally, one of the most attractive features of bands as entertainment is the affinity between them and their audience. Watching a great drummer is never boring because he is constantly moving… feeling. An animated solo violinist playing an old wooden Stradivarius violin has a much better chance of reaching into your soul and stirring your emotions than a DJ with an array of magnetic speakers and digital amplifiers, no matter how good his system sounds. It’s an apple trying to be an orange. It’s the difference between human blood and electricity.
Contrary to popular opinion, bands can be affordable. Just like with a dj, finding a band well in advance and securing it with a low down payment, the price can be negotiated to avoid expensive or inappropriate entertainment. The bands will even offer a free cocktail hour or an extra half hour at the end to secure a date! Many bands now offer “dj time”. This is when he takes off his musician hat and puts on his dj hat to play today’s Techno, House, Hip-Hop, etc… genres. People with small bands should appreciate these features of bands. However, many people who have large parties choose to have bands because they love the personality of the musician. In many ways, musicians make the ideal entertainers.
Candido Bretto
PartyBands.es
Partybands.com is home to over 200 bands from across the United States.