We wanted live music for our wedding (march 2011), chill classical stuff for the ceremony and some…read moremore fun, jazzy pieces for the cocktail hour, and they managed both beautifully. My husband did most of the work with contacting them and setting things up, and he said they were wonderful to work with. I also loved that they have audio samples of different songs, because we had no clue what we wanted to walk in and out to, and their samples made the decision very easy!

If it were possible, I would give Shine Band 10 stars, and i'm not kidding! Shine played at our…read morewedding reception this past November and we could not have been happier with their music. My husband and I had a wedding song which isn't really a frequent play, and John was more than willing to accommodate us and play our special song. It really made our night to have it as our wedding song! :) From start to finish, planning was an absolute breeze! John was extremely helpful in suggesting mother/son and father/daughter-in-law music. The mother/son pick turned out to be one of mom's favorite songs!! With only a few generic suggestions from us, the band played an amazing variety of music that suited us and every last guest. People we never expected to see dancing completely rocked the dance floor! I can honestly say that we left that night wondering what kind of party we can have next, just to have a reason to work with Shine Band again!! No DJ will ever compare to a live band, and Shine tops the charts!!! Thank you Shine for making our reception a night we will never forget!

The Shine Band was a pleasure to work with, and they kept everyone on the dance floor all night!…read moreOur venue offered us an hour of piano music during our cocktail hour, and Shine agreed to incorporate the piano into their playing (which was so flexible on their part, and really sounded incredible)! John is a true professional who will guide you through the planning process. He told us when he was going to be on vacation while we were planning, and answered every email and call within a few hours. We can't thank them enough!

STAY AWAY from hiring NR Band. I absolutely cannot recommend them to anyone. Let me start off by…read moresaying that I saw NR Band (Jackie, Jerome and Bryan) perform at an event and fell in love with them. When I found out they were available for my wedding date I was thrilled! They were one of the parts of my wedding that I was most looking forward to. Now comes the day of my wedding, 8/25/18, and I was totally disappointed, upset and let down. Not only did the THREE singers (Jackie, Jerome and Bryan) that I had hired and SIGNED A CONTRACT FOR not show up, but they sent us TWO singers who were not dressed in formal attire (like the contract states they need to be) and were horrible. Their style was nothing like Jackie, Jerome and Bryan. To be honest, Initially I thought that the wrong band showed up at our venue. In our contract it stated that we needed to approve of any changes in Band members, so NR broke contract by not running it by us first. Now let me tell you about the MULTIPLE issues we had. #1, our wedding party was introduced into the reception by a woman using an iPad...at any wedding I've been to, the band introduces the bridal party. #2, our first dance song was played using a band members iPhone and TWICE their phone went off from a phone call during our first dance. It was totally unprofessional and embarrassing to us. Also, they cut off the song about halfway through, so it just stopped playing. My husband and I were shocked and had no idea what to do, so we just sort of walked off the dance floor and went to our seats. I remember hearing gasps from guests when the phone rang during our first dance. #3, our MOH and best man speeches were announced by the woman with the iPad, the band still wasn't present on the stage. #4, when the band finally appeared and started to play, they were way too loud for dinner music and my venue needed to instruct them to turn down the volume. #5, they took several breaks and only performed about 1 hour tops and they didn't perform anything we had included on a "Love list" Also, the style of their performing was totally not what you'd expect to get with Jackie, Jerome and Bryan. #6, father/daughter and mother/son dances were played on an iPhone and the volume was so low, guests commented to me after that they could not even hear what songs were being played. Basically, it seemed totally unorganized, chaotic and like everyone was a "fill in"... most likely due to my wedding date being double booked. Also, when we did have contact with the band manager Jerome prior to the wedding, it took weeks or multiple emails to get a response. The only reason I'm giving one star is because they did refund us some of the money (I don't even think they were worth what we paid after some refund), and the back up instrumental musicians were actually talented (one played a lovely piano solo during cocktail hour). All of my vendors, as well as my venue, told me afterwards that they've added NR to their "do not hire" lists for other clients. I hope that other brides and grooms do not have to go through what my husband and I went through. It was a total disaster.

Night Rhythm has been around a long time and deserves some independent reviews on Yelp (which I…read morepersonally trust more than Wedding Wire, etc). We hired Bryan and Monica from Night Rhythm and they were absolutely spectacular. We worked through Daniel Calvo of Night Rhythm to set everything up as our primary point of contact. He is very responsive and helpful. From start to finish the process was clear and easy. Bryan was the M.C. and it was obvious he wanted to make sure everything went well. He came in early to introduce himself, confirm the schedule and get the pronunciation of everyone's names. When our wedding planner disappeared leaving the cake in the middle of the dance floor, Bryan suggested we move forward without her so we could start the party. They learned music they didn't know and were just a pleasure to work with. I was surprised how stressful and difficult a lot of wedding vendors are... not these guys. With their quality and expertise, we decided not to give them a set list of songs, but let them read the crowd. We don't have a single complaint or regret, just a host of compliments from a ton of the guests on how amazing they were. There was only one short period of time when the dance floor seemed to quiet down briefly, but Bryan didn't let that last long at all. He kept the party going with high intensity right down to the end. I'd hire them again in a second.

I hired Deborah and her colleague to play at my wedding at Boston University Marsh Chapel. They…read morewere such a great company to work with. They were easy to work with and extremely accommodating with my wedding music requests. The music was truly lovely in the chapel. I would recommend them any day as they are extremely talented musicians.

Brooke and Fil were absolutely amazing!! Fil came with a color-coded spreadsheet (my love…read morelanguage), walked us through everything for the evening, was really on top of schedule changes, and made great suggestions about moving speeches and other moments around to get the best flow for the evening. The whole band had such amazing energy and kept us dancing until the minute we had to turn off the amp for a local curfew time. All of our guests were enthralled and so complimentary all night - and still talking about the experience in the morning! One of our guests was moved nearly to tears every time the saxophone player had a solo, and is not-so-secretly hoping he can fly the whole band down to his wedding next year in Florida. We are so so glad we chose Brooke and Fil with Cover Story - 100% would recommend!! Chris and Elena (behind the scenes for booking and planning for the months leading up to our wedding) were really accessible and ready to answer the dozens of questions we had. The planning document they provided ended up being our skeleton schedule to help everything else fall into place throughout the evening. We didn't hire a planner, so that was incredibly beneficial.

As a wedding photographer, I work with many different vendors and I don't typically walk away…read moreimpressed. Cover Story was a different story! (Pun totally not intended...) To start, it's clear that they know what they're doing and know how to navigate a wedding day, which is key to the day going smoothly. The wedding we worked together endured a crazy rainstorm, the audio stopped working for a bit and everything had to come to a halt for cables and lights to be moved out of the water, but Chris and his band kept the crowd in good spirits and ensured it was still going to be an amazing night, and it was!! Beyond their professionalism and great work ethic, they JAM. Seriously, we got the best dance-floor/party photos we've ever gotten at this wedding due to the great music. Even I abandoned my camera for a couple of songs and got joined in... Totally couldn't resist. If you're looking for entertainment for your wedding/event, stop looking... These guys are it!

Frank Bonanno and Center Stage are an absolute pleasure to work with, have a killer sound that will…read moreget people dancing, and are just FUN. Frank is a consummate professional; from my first contact with him he was straightforward, flexible, and always reliable. He is also incredibly accommodating and easy to work with. He made me a great deal when I booked with him for my wedding ceremony in addition to the reception, and he and his band learned several new songs for my event (every one that I asked about). The experienced and talented musicians of Center Stage also know how to get the party started. One of my great fears for our wedding (a common one, I know) is that the dance floor would be empty and awkward. We've all seen it happen. My fears were entirely unfounded, as the dance floor was busy the ENTIRE night. The music was a fun mix that appealed to a wide audience, and the band did a fantastic job of reading the crowd. My new husband and I could not be happier that we booked with Frank and Center Stage, and the next time I need a band, he will definitely be my first call.

We just had Center Stage play our wedding 2 weeks ago... they were AMAZING!!! We listened to a lot…read moreof bands online before finding Center Stage and they had a sound that just popped. Not only are they extremely talented musicians, but they are extremely professional and easy going. Frank, the band leader, was just outstanding to work with. Our venue was a little tricky because they had to move locations a couple of times during the course of the event, but they did so seamlessly. They played a good mix of classic Motown, rock and pop songs and had everyone dancing all night. Essentially they were a huge treat for everyone. They were able to accommodate songs we wanted for our first dance and processional song and played a mean Hava Nagila (great job!!). Some of our guests were also musicians and they were more then happy to let them play with them- such a special gesture. All in all we were extremely satisfied with Center Stage. We had a blast with them and they really rocked out!!!

Leading up to the event, Brittney was very responsive. The form we had to fill out was simple and…read moreeasy to follow. What really surprised us though was how talented and flexible the band was. They played 2 hour-long sets and each had everyone dancing from start to finish. Every musician was very talented. But they really went above and beyond with how flexible they were! At a few different points in the night, we asked if someone could sing a song. They said yes every time. We have some very musical people in the family, and it turned into an incredibly memorable mix of dancing and an occasional karaoke performance. Our guests are still raving about the band weeks after the wedding! To sum it all up, we cannot recommend them highly enough. They have a great set list (and you can add a couple songs), their talent is top-notch, they're very flexible, and they're the best value... they check every box! We fully recommend them.

How do you sum up The Broken Heels? The greatest wedding band with extreme levels of talent,…read moreprofessionalism, showmanship, and passion. Having looked into almost 2 dozen bands, The Broken Heels quickly became our favorite. They are a 5 piece band that will rock harder than any 10 piece band, at a cost that will actually make sense for your budget. If you want a band that will deliver a high-energy dance party, this is the band you've been looking for. The Broken Heels rock all the hits from the 60's through present day. Our favorite part of their repertoire: the extensive list of hits from the 80's, 90's, and 00's. As a couple born in the early 90's, this band stole our hearts by playing all our favorites from our childhood. We also requested "The Bones" by Maren Morris for our first dance, and they learned it with no issues and absolutely NAILED IT! Every member of the band is a professional musician, and they all bring an immense amount of talent to the stage. They play the iconic hits with perfection, and they also know how to rock. The band leader, Brittney is absolutely amazing. We simply cannot say enough about her - professional, prompt, talented, and enthusiastic. She is kind, fun, and so easy to work with. We changed our wedding date twice, and The Broken Heels were able to make the switch without a problem. With increased safety measures for COVID-19, they remained professional and understanding of all the changes. Our "micro-wedding" was an absolute party because of them - our guests still haven't stopped raving about them! You need this band for your wedding!

I saw Soul City a few times around town, including at Ryles in Cambridge, and was impressed:…read morepowerful and varied vocals and a great groove. Still, other bands can sometimes serve that up, too. What I think especially set them apart was their amazing horn section. We ended up hiring them to perform at our wedding a few years ago, and Pat (who books them and also plays a mean bass in the band) was very easy to work with. The band was professional and courteous, and totally brought the house down. So glad we chose to work with them.

Soul City Band played for a fundraising event for 350 people in Arlington on March 10th and I…read morecannot say enough good things about them. They played a great range of songs that kept the crowd of all ages entertained. There were still so many people on the dance floor at the end of the night and the energy and excitement from the band was contagious. We heard so many rave reviews the night of the event and have had people email us the last few days asking if we've asked them to come back next year! From an event planning point of view, I'm extremely grateful at how easy Soul City was to work with. Natalie returned emails the same day, was available to talk by phone if I had a problem, and did everything possible to make the event run super smoothly. I truly couldn't ask for a better experience. These musicians are the real deal. We recommend them without hesitation!