Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

aksbride Posted: Oct 21, 2008 12:41 PM

Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

If anyone has any experience with the following bands, PLEASE chime in. FH and I went to a Code Bleu showcase last night and really liked them. Over the next week we're seeing Heart & Soul, Vision, and Time Square Orchestra...We also want to consider Body & Soul and Full House BUT....Code Bleu can only hold the date for a week, so we won't get to see the last two bands before we'd have to make a decision. Is it worth risking losing our date? Are Body & Soul or Full House worth holding out for? Right now I'm partial to Code Bleu (obviously) but really loved what I heard online from Body & Soul...are they as good live?

Also, I've noticed that the Franklin Wayne bands have a huge turnover in members & heard that they swap members between the bands...any insight into this?

Another consideration is that we need a band that can play a very wide variety of music....Thanks in advance, this is a HUGE deal for us!

michelle1024 Posted: Oct 21, 2008 01:04 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

Hey there...We're not using a band, but I went to see a couple with my bridesmaid who is getting married next year also. She is going with Times Square Orchestra, and I saw a showcase and thought they were really good.

Also, a friend of mine who works with a wedding planner said she has never heard of complaints about them and that Times Square always keeps the guests dancing!

Hope that helps!

aksbride Posted: Oct 21, 2008 07:18 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

Thanks, that does help...now I'm psyched to see Time Square =)

lovelee Posted: Oct 21, 2008 08:29 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

renegade is also good

LeeAnne Posted: Oct 21, 2008 09:22 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

time square orchestra is unbelieveable!

i am using them for my wedding but have heard them at 2 other weddings. i love them! they have a 9 piece band with horns. they also have 4 lead singers so it doesnt always sound like the same song over and over with the same singer.

check them out!

aksbride Posted: Oct 21, 2008 09:54 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

We heard amazing things about Renegade but unfortunately they were already booked for our date =(

Oh, and I found out that Heart & Soul just lost two of their lead singers !

Talia Posted: Oct 21, 2008 10:41 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

Arcadia from LI Paramount is the best!! Their website is great but at a show you can really appreciate their variety and talent. I live in NJ but went to see them last week after already seeing four other LI/NJ wedding bands- I don't want to mention names here. Arcadia is amazing, they are at another level. I confirmed my thoughts by FM'ing other brides that used them on this website. I booked them yesterday. I was so impressed with everything. Don't feel pressured or rushed to book a band, it's very costly and important. I enjoyed other bands at showcases but was still unsure and hesitant to book. At the Arcadia show we immediately knew that we loved them and wanted to book them. If you have any other questions, FM me.

smrsun Posted: Oct 21, 2008 11:03 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

I'm using Full House.

I love them! They sent us a DVD to watch.They played in my FSILs wedding and I saw them at another wedding. We danced all night!

Any questions, FM me!

lila Posted: Oct 21, 2008 11:06 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

We used Code Bleu and loved them. FM me if you have any Qs. My parents said they were the best band they ever heard

FallBride2010 Posted: Oct 21, 2008 11:24 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

I love Heart & Soul...thought they had a ton of energy...that Code Bleu lacked a bit

ELluvsMB Posted: Oct 22, 2008 10:47 AM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

If money is not a contraint I would also consider called Faze 4...they were the best I found. We are using a NYC based band called NYC Swing, they're also pretty great.

sarahdavid Posted: Oct 22, 2008 01:51 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

Code Bleu definitely is the best choice in my opinion.

tela Posted: Oct 22, 2008 02:02 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

We used Soul Revival (not in your poll though) and they were amazing! I know they are having a showcase this Monday too Hope that doesn't make things more difficult for you

Soul Revival

aksbride Posted: Oct 23, 2008 06:28 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

wow...thanks for all the feedback! We went to see Time Square Orchestra and it left us a little less than impressed. The female vocalist was strong...one of the male leads...not so much. The band itself sounded great, despite the synthesized bass, but it was hard to get a good idea of how diverse their abilities e.g. they were playing at what seemed to be a 40's+ singles bar and almost every song was 60's - 70's. Can anyone provide insight into how well they perform with various styles of music? Price also comes into play...we're willing to spend what we need to to get the 'right' band (within reason), but the fact that TSO comes in more than $1000 less than CB might influence the decision, should it come down to those two....Thank you everyone!

BCM2009 Posted: Oct 23, 2008 07:26 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

I'm partial to Code Bleu, i think they're great and worth the extra $$$. Not sure about the other bands but Code Bleu doesn't take a break the whole night which is a nice perk.

Mawa Posted: Oct 23, 2008 08:20 PM

Re: Choosing a band - need help ASAP!

Here are a few i looked into before booking my band....
Code Bleu- was a little cheesy, they seemed to try to over compensate for lacking vocals.
Time Piece- Pretty good voices
Arcadia- These guys are good, the women have strong vocals.

I booked...Hank Lane! The Steve Delisi Band. Hank Lane has 12 different bands to work with. They are a totally different caliber than the typical Long Island Wedding bands you usually read about on this site. Make an appointment to speak with someone there, it will be totally worth it. They don't do any showcases.
They are more expensive than the bands listed, but if you have it in your budget they are definitely worth it...
http://www.hanklane.com/