THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN HAPPIER WITH KUGELPLEX AT OUR WEDDING. THEY ARE SIMPLY AMAZING. The first thing is they are unbelievable musicians - the kind that is rare to find on the wedding circuit. From the second we started planning until the moment we walked down the aisle at each step they infused the wedding with the perfect energy. What's amazing to me is how they are like chameleons - they change, blend, and frankly can do it all. I think it's so unique how they're present and intimately involved yet hidden at the same time. They started as an ad-libbed backdrop to the groom's tisch, then played gorgeous ceremonial music as guests arrived which led into a perfect coordinated but entirely unrehearsed procession that literally moved with the people. As soon as the glass broke the energy exploded 1000% and they became a marching band leading our 175 party down Highway 1. Cocktail music lead into the most incredible hour-long hora that I have ever been a part of. I have no doubt this memory has been burned into our young nieces and nephews, keeping Jewish culture and tradition alive. Later in the night, at our request, Jason transformed into a DJ and exceeded every expectation on the dance floor. In terms of the logistics, they are really easy to work with (we planned everything over the phone and Skype from the east coast). On the day-of they executed without a hitch and were on autopilot, they required basically zero direction. They simply squeeze into a corner and still make the most wonderful music come alive. After the wedding, Jason told me his wife had given birth the day before. Despite that, he was so 100% present and made sure that not a beat was missed with execution. We are thankful and impressed! My advice is to anyone who wants a unique, tradition-infused, wedding with gorgeous music to book these guys now for your wedding. I don't think you will regret it for even a millisecond, they didn't skip a beat for us. read more

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I have never in my life been as spectacularly ecstatic about how amazingly wonderful an experience could be. Kugelplex changed the fundamental reality of my wedding. One guest said "they played like every song was their last". The energy, the love, the performance, and the quality of the show they put on played a large role in making my wedding the absolute best day of my life. They are so personable, they have so much passion for what they do and they really made every moment of my wedding amazing. If you have even the tiniest bit of thought that you might want a klezmer band at your wedding stop thinking about it and book Kugelplex. Their music was better received by our guest than any music that was later played by popular artists. I LOVE THIS BAND!!!! I want to go back and relive my experience with them 1,000 times. When we renew our vows they will be there for certain! Don't miss the opportunity to have these people at your wedding or any event for that matter. I kind of want to hire them to add music to my daily life! read more

Kugelplex - Performing Arts Near Me

We were lucky enough to have them play our wedding and it was absolutely incredible. Had 100+ people dancing for over an hour. They also made a video of the ceremony. Music was something that we really wanted to invest in (though they also were able to book another venue nearby that morning to keep within our budget). Can't wait to invite them to play at a big anniversary in the future! read more

Another wedding rave review for Kugelplex/Lord Loves a Working Man!! They played an assortment of klezmer and soul music for our mixed-faith Jewish-Catholic/Jersey-meets-Cali wedding celebration, and the dance floor was packed. We only needed a band for an hour, as other friends were providing the rest of the tunes, but they were certainly the hit of the night. As a musician myself and someone who wanted to avoid the trite, typical wedding hits you usually hear, there could not have been a better option. From the klezmer to the bluesy, funky soul they finished up with, everyone old and young enjoyed dancing and listening to the band. Not only are they immensely talented musicians, but they were also a pleasure to work with on the business side -- patient, professional, and reliable every step of the way! We have had guests contacting us to let us know how great the music was, some even going so far as to say it was the best music they have ever heard at a wedding. Highly, highly recommend them for the best darn jam you could grace your wedding with! Their website also does them justice: www.kugelplex.com read more

I couldn't possibly have been happier with Kugelplex. The band was recommended to us by our photographer Patrick Roddie, and after exchanging a few emails with Jason, we met him for coffee and hit it off immediately. He very eloquently walked that very fine line of both fulfilling our specific requests and taking control as a professional who knows how to play weddings and play them well. We had the first part of our event on a deck overlooking the bay at Sausalito, so the seating area where the ceremony would take place - and where the guests began gathering about half an hour before for champagne -- was up a long flight of stars. One by one, each band member began playing down below and then played while walking up the stairs, finally joining the others on the deck. It was magic, like seeing a lone musician walking through a 19th century village and having people come out to walk and play with him until they have formed a parade. Kugelplex plays a mixture of Klezmer and Gypsy Jazz (think Django) with plenty of up-tempo, but enough slower tunes as well. The music before the wedding was thoughtful and sweet. But the second the ceremony was complete, Kugelplex exploded with joy and energy. After we moved inside for the reception (and through the night), the mandolin/guitar player, David, was fantastic at interacting with the guests and encouraging them to dance and leading the dances, etc. We also asked the band set the pace of the evening -- when to start dinner, when to have the toasts, when to cut the cake -- which they did flawlessly and which gave us so much more freedom to concentrate on our guests. All through the night, we were both bombarded with questions about Kugelplex: Where did you find them? Are they local? Do they have CDs? I think the band was the favorite part of the evening for many of the guests, and it was certainly one of my favorite parts. I have always dreamt of having a Klezmer band in my wedding (if I ever managed to get married) and Kugelplex not only fulfilled that dream, but far exceeded my expectations. read more

Do you want a fun and memorable wedding? Yes? Hire Kugelplex. they set the tone for the night-- hora was amazing, people were fired up and blown away all at once. Planning: A Musical Talents: A Fun Factor: A Vibe: A read more

It had always been a dream of mine to have a klezmer band at my wedding. I am a musician and most of my friends musicians - we are very picky about what we listen to. Kugelplex exceeded all of our expectations! Here's Why... 1) their MUSICIANSHIP is off the charts - they are chock full of multi-instrumentalist virtuosi who can hop from klezmer to jazz to American roots in an instant; 2) their SHOWMANSHIP is exceptional - they march, they dance, and their energy is infectious. David Rosenfeld (mandolin/violin/badchan) rallies the guests and gets them dancing and singing. 3) their PROFESSIONALISM is reflected is the degree to which they are committed to realizing the vision of their clients. My wife loves David Bowie, I love Argentine Tango - Kugelplex wove our requests seamlessly into their set. After our wedding, countless guests came up to us and said that Kugelplex was the best wedding band they had ever heard. Many of them had never heard klezmer and we're surprised by how much they loved it. My wife and I will never forget what Kugelplex brought to our wedding. read more

I admit I had this notion that klezmer was boring. I could not be more wrong! Me and my BF quickly revised our conceptions: we could have listened to this all night! Top it off with super hip styled musicians and just clarinet that is out of this world and you realize just how jammin' klezmer can me. Here's some proof: http://soundcloud.com/toddtate/burt-and-lizzies-wedding-at Now where was the kugel? read more

We hired Kugelplex for our wedding and they definitely made the day memorable! The band created the right mood for guests arriving with some background music, played the perfect traditional melodies for the ceremony and then kicked things off at the reception with an amazing hora! Jason is a clarinet virtuoso who puts his entire body into his playing -- all the guests couldn't stop talking about him for long after the wedding. I've seen Kugelplex play elsewhere and the band is made up of incredibly skilled musicians who are well versed in many styles. I would strongly recommend hiring Kugelplex for any event or just to go hear them play to enjoy great music. read more

We hired Kugelplex to play at our wedding this summer. At first I was hesitant to get a band for our wedding. If you're planning a wedding, you know that costs tend to quickly mount up. There's the venue, the food, the rentals. And now my wife-to-be wanted to get a band? Why not just get a DJ? A DJ would do the job? But my wife-to-be was dead set on hiring Kugelplex. She was right. I am learning that she's right about most things. Now first off, you probably want to hear about how good Kugelplex is as a wedding band. Simply: yhey were incredible. They provided the perfect musical accompaniment to every stage of the wedding. A procession through a sunny field? They got the music. An impromptu dance party as we signed out Ketubah? They got the music. Delicate background for the ceremony processional? They got the music. Rocking traditional Klezmer for the Hora? They got the music and then some. The band even turns into a proper DJ set-up later on in the night, so your friends and family members can dance to whatever pop tunes you like. If you want to see how it looked, our friends posted this video of our wedding--and it just so happens that all the scenes they decided to show were mostly of people dancing to Kugelplex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpIE1JTsGBw BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE Hiring Kugelplex also means that you get a fantastic help with organizing parts of the wedding itself. Jason is a pure professional, so organized and conscientious in helping deal with all the little interlinking complexities of our wedding day that he often felt like a second wedding planner. On the day itself, Jason would constantly transform from masterful clarinet-slinging band leader to thoughtful planning aide. In the night after the wedding, I kept on hearing the Hora music that Jason and Kugelplex played, over and over again. Quite simply. they made the wedding for us. read more

We couldn't be happier with Kugelplex. They played at our wedding and made it an event to remember and talk about for years to come. Jason Ditzian who is the manager and plays the clarinet was great to deal with. They were very accommodating with allowing our relatives to sing Italian songs. The only thing my bride and I were disappointed with was that we didn't have the time to dance and enjoy the music because we were being pulled in all direction by family, friends and the photographer. We are looking forward to seeing them again when they play a local public gig. read more

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I hired Kugelplex to play for my wedding in Stinson Beach on November 3, 2012 after seeing them play (and rock) at different shows and events in the Bay Area for years. I'm thrilled to report that I truly couldn't have been more thrilled with all that they did!! Every step of the way, Jason, the bandleader and clarinetist, was patient and attentive - at our meeting before the date he allayed my fears of the music being too loud (some of my family aren't so into dancing, and I've been to weddings where you couldn't even talk to the person next to you once the DJ or band started blasting) or that not everyone would be able to dance to Klezmer music only. I had NOTHING to fear, because the band was excellent, and Jason knows exactly how to craft the perfect joyous evening. They had *everyone* dancing--all en masse to some fabulous klezmer music, but also to classic jazz and swing numbers that friends, parents, and grandparents alike, enjoyed. Every single picture of the reception had people with huge grins on their faces and it was all thanks to Kugelplex. The fabulous Jewlia Eisenberg (http://www.radicalritual.com) was also with them, and she sang some FANTASTIC numbers that blew the roof off the place and helped get everyone to do the circle dance and join in the revelry. After the band stopped playing, Jason continued to DJ and it was seamless and fun as hell. But not only did the band play at the reception, I also had them play right after the ceremony ended, outside the church, to help process the guests to the cocktail hour space - it was perfect! Straight out of a movie! They then continued to play during the cocktail hour and lent the perfect vibe for the start of the evening. Everyone complimented me afterwards about their playing and energy, and I even have a friend who's snapped them up for her wedding this year! I can't recommend them more highly! THANK YOU KUGELPLEX!! :) read more

Kugelplex - Performing Arts Near Me

I bought their first cd. Loved it and listened to it over and over. That was years ago. Not even sure where the CD go? CDS??!!! Hahaha.

Kugelplex was a massive part of why my wedding was so special, beautiful and personal. I am a huge music person and for me music was one of the most important elements of the day. I spent months listening to and vetting dozens of klezmer (and other) bands, and after my amazing experience with Kugelplex, I could not recommend any band more highly. From the pre-ceremony music to the dinner music and all the way through the hora, Kugelplex's music was stunningly beautiful, artful and powerful. These guys are true professionals who infuse true soul in all they do. Jason Ditzian, the band's leader, invested an enormous amount of time and energy to accommodate everyone one of my multiple requests which made the event super personal. At my request, Jason worked with my Rabbi to select a beautiful ancient tune and inspired all of our guests to chant it so we walked down the aisle to the warmth of our guests singing to Kugelplex's magical accompaniment. Jason also worked with our dear friend who delivered a speech during the ceremony to incorporate personal musical references at key moments like a masterful Radiolab production. Additionally, Kugelplex provided perfect musical accompaniment to two live signing performances during the ceremony: one duet (John Prine's "In Spite of Ourselves") performed by friends and another duet (John Denver's "Follow Me") performed by my mother (I was the bride) and my husband's father who had never met each other before. For both of these duets, Kugelplex recorded soundtracks in advance of the wedding in the singers' key of choice so they could practice beforehand! And Kugelplex also coordinated beautifully with another band at the event, a brass band that appeared immediately after the ceremony for the recessional. The two bands played together and it was amazing! The band played a beautiful set of instrumental cabaret-like music during dinner, and after dinner, our hora and the mezinka (traditionally played for the bride's parents when their last child is "married off") was hands down the best hora in history. Even the rabbi said so! Totally rockin. Everyone was dancing. Above all, the music--which included a clarinet, violin and accordion-- was just incredibly gorgeous and moving. Many guests told us it was the best wedding music they'd ever heard elevating the event overall into a huge success. Overall Kugelplex strongly exceeded my very high expectations. read more

We are so grateful we chose Jason and his band, Kugelplex for our wedding. They did an amazing job with the processional march, leading our guests up a winding trail to the site. It was a stunning vision. Their sound is lively, traditional, yet wild and fun enough to keep both the elders and the teens dancing (or at least nodding their heads in a subtle yet interested manner). Even now, several months since our wedding, people have still been sharing how much they loved the band, their eyes entranced by a faraway moment, lost in the memory of that wild, and magical experience. I would especially recommend this band for an outdoor wedding as their equipment is so great, you won't have trouble hearing them play at all and no loss in sound quality! read more

Kugelplex played my wedding recently and they were amazing! The kept the hora rocking and the music was sensational. I ahve never heard so many people compliment the band. And if you are thinking twice about having a Klezmer bland play you wedding if the guests aren't all Jewish or observant, don't worry--they got everyone dancing and kept them dancing for hours. Furthermore, they were consumate professionals and a delight to work with. read more

We hired Kugelplex for a wedding. Wow! In sum, if you want virtuoso playing, hire Kugelplex. If, on the other hand, you want a great party band, you should hire Kugelplex. But if you just want to have the nicest folks playing great soulful music, I would recommend Kugelplex. Of course, if you're looking for a band who will play right through an aquatic spider attack, and whip your guests into such a frenzy that they start diving into the lake, your only option might be Kugelplex (see below). Hire these folks! They are possessed with music. 1. Jason was fantastic from the start. He helped us figure out how to arrange the ceremony and responded to infinite unreasonable requests with charm and enthusiasm, making all of our ideas better. I can't tell if Jason has a beautiful soul or if he traded it away to the devil to be able to play the clarinet the way he does, but in either case he made our party pure magic. 2. The band started playing at 2pm during tea-time, and they finished playing at 4am (that's AM) by the bonfire. 3. For a processional march, we sent Jason some examples of music that we liked the feel of. One piece was by a Sundanese gamelan orchestra. Jason immediately volunteered to arrange a beautiful gamelan processional, to be played by our friends. On a gamelan. You know, the gamelan he just happened to have lying around. The result was personal, haunting, and heartbreakingly beautiful. 4. For the hora, we invited all of our guests to join us on a floating dock. As the guests piled onto the dock, it started to sink under the weight, and when the bottom touched the water, thousands of spiders of all different species sprung up through the wooden slats, flooded from their usual homes. But no mere aquatic spider attack would keep the band from playing an awesome hora. They played a hora on land and another on the water as we launched a dance party on a raft. The infectious frenetic energy possessed the guests, with some diving into the lake from the raft right in their best wedding garb. How many bands can do that? 5. After dinner, the band transformed into Lord Loves A Working Man and kept us all sweaty on the dance floor with sweet southern soul. Everyone from the age of 1 to 86 was dancing! 6. Around midnight, we took everyone out again on the raft under the stars, and the band played the most soul-stirring set with half the guests dancing frenetically and the other half lying under the musicians, absorbing every sound in absolute bliss. After that, the band set up in the woods and later by the bonfire and played until 4am. The guests could not get enough. read more

Looking for a Klezmer band? Look no further! Kugelplex will rock your world! They played at my wedding and I couldn't be happier! Our dance floor was full for the entire time that they were there. Guests kept coming up to us and asking about the band since this was something so unique and wonderful! We have many musicians in the family so the expectations were high, but these guys met and exceeded them! read more

Kugelplex played at our reception and the clarinet player, Jason, played at our ceremony. They're an incredible, amazing band with loads of talent and energy. I highly recommend them! As well as being really great musicians, they're also super nice people. A double whammy! read more

Kugelplex - Performing Arts Near Me

AMAZING. AMAZING. AMAZING!!! Never thought we'd find a band like kugelplex to do our wedding. didn't even know something this cool was out there. they brought the house down with the best hora anyone had ever seen. They were so great that two separate couples that were friends of ours booked them immediately after our wedding! Jason and the guys make old school klezmer freaking COOL. I can't wait to book them again for another event! read more

Kugelplex played at a wedding in Sacramento that we photographed a couple weeks ago, and they are by far one of the best bands we have worked with. Their music is ridiculously entertaining, and they had the guests dancing and laughing for a long time. Our bride said it was the longest hora she had ever been to, and we ourselves have never seen a group of 275 guests collectively get worn out from having so much fun. It's also clear that the band has a lot of fun doing what they do as well, which really adds to the energy in the room. Our job is to get pictures of the guests having a great time during the reception, and Kugelplex made that easy. read more

We hired KugelPlex for our wedding and we were incredibly happy with the outcome it was exactly what we were hoping for! Kugelplex is not your grandmothers Klezmer band, they bring a contemporary, jazzy, gypsy energy while still staying true to the tradition. I've now been to two weddings with Kugelplex (my cousin had them at her wedding seven years ago), and wish I could get married again to experience it again! Kugelplex was very flexible and accommodated all of our particular requests-- they even learned several traditional Yiddish/Russian songs they never played before and successfully accompanied my family members who performed a few numbers. Their hora was wild, had the whole room (even the non-Jews) dancing-- make sure you have a big enough dance floor. Their leader, Jason also stayed to the end and DJ-ed contemporary music afterward so we didn't need to hire a separate DJ-- he did a great job! Hands down, of all the elements of our wedding, we got the most compliments on the how great the band was! read more

I admit it! My standards are REALLY high. That said, I COULD NOT HAVE WISHED FOR MORE FROM KUGELPLEX. We first heard them when they played at an Oakland Symphony event, where they knocked our sox off. They were so talented that we never dreamed they would consider playing our wedding, but we decided that there was no harm in asking. And... They agreed! Not only that, they travelled all the way from the Bay Area to Santa Barbara to make the event. And WOW were we lucky. Kugelplex was TRULY AWESOME: They are deeply talented, passionate artists with an incredible love for the music and an intuitive sense of how to hold, reflect, and gently shift the dynamic mood of a wedding. The music was sophisticated, gorgeous, full of life, and even ecstatic at all the right times. Plus, the band members were a delight. Kugelplex's energy and art absolutely made our wedding experience, and I know the wedding party felt that way too, based on their many compliments. THANK YOU KUGELPLEX! What beauty! read more

these guys are amazing. if you're looking for an old world type of sound for your wedding, kugelplex is it. not only are they totally talented musicians, jason is the absolute best to work with. we had a very demanding wedding schedule and jason handled my 8,000 stressed out emails with humor, grace, and professionalism. when my husband and i met with him for the first time, we left feeling like we were in great hands. this guy knows weddings and understands the intricacies of planning a smooth, festive celebration. he even worked with a couple of my friends who i wanted to have sing with them, including them happily in the spirit of music and festivity. if you want your wedding to be filled with joy, heart, and an overabundance of love, hire kugelplex. they will warm the soul of even the darkest, most cynical, "i hate weddings" heart. Oh! and Jason DJs as well. give him your playlist and he goes to town. so much easier than hiring an additional DJ for the dance portion of your evening. read more

We recently had our wedding at the Mission Ranch in Carmel, CA. Kugelplex played during the processional, led the recessional and continued through the night. They were the best wedding band we could have hoped for and then some! They played Klezmer as well as other music--and every song sounded incredible. Jason was great to work with as we planned for the wedding and tried to figure out the song for our first dance. All in all, Kugelplex was incredible! read more

The first thing we knew when we got engaged was that we wanted live, fun music. We thought of Klezmer, as it's diverse, dancable.... makes a party. We were thrilled to hire Kugelplex-- Jason made the experience a joy. He was fun to work with. Our wedding was amazing-- and what people have told us is that they loved the way the music was woven into the whole experience, from the pre-ceremony tisch, to the groom greeting the bride, through the ceremony, and of course.... dancing! Thank you thank you. read more

Forget about the DJ! Kugelplex played for my daughters's B'not Mitzvah last January. They were fantastic. Jason was a pleasure to work with, very responsive, very flexible in coming up with the best configuration for our venue. The band was just terrific. They have a great hipster but sincere vibe and are all very talented musicians. Having a live Klezmer band was really important to us. We wanted our nighttime B'not Mitzvah party to have a deep connection to the spirit of the daytime ceremony. Kugleplex helped make the party a Jewish celebration of life and love. My daughters, both string musicians, played a couple of songs with the band. We had arranged this before hand with Jason who met the girls for a few Klezmer lessons ahead of the party. Having the chance to play music for friends and family on the day they became adults was a moving experience for all of us. Really, one of the best days of my life and Kugelplex was an important part of it. read more

KUgelplex gave us the BEST HORA ever! our wedding hora was like an hour... everyone danced, Kugelplex is a super professional, high energy band with serious talent. they can play everything from Klezmer to jazz, to irish music. Planning and communicating with them was a pleasure! read more

Kugelplex did a fantastic job as our wedding band. Their ability to magically morph from one type of band to another, depending on what was called for, was part of the reason we hired them. That and the fact that they play the most inspired gypsy-klezmer-old world music. They played a lively tune to assemble everyone before the ceremony, romantic music during the ceremony itself, broke out into a frenzied siman tov mazel tov after that, and then infused the reception with pure joy (and multiple horas) for the rest of the night. At the very end, Jason, who heads the band, put on his DJ hat and we ended the night with favorites from our playlist. Our guests loved the energy. Jason really knows how to listen and at the same time he made us feel that we were in good hands, working with a pro, from start to finish. I joined Yelp just so that I could write this review. These guys are really something special! read more

I had always said I wanted a Kelzmer band to play at my wedding. I found Kugelplex through contacting them on their website page and was delighted to meet with Jason Ditzian, the manager and unbelievable sax/clarinet player. In all my years I have never seen a band have the ability to create ecstatic joy out of all ages, genders and generations. The music lifted the crowd and kept us high and moving for almost 3 hours. Jason is such a nice, honest, sincere person. He met with us in person to go over the play-list, answer any logistical questions and was open to playing a song outside of their genre for our first dance. He responded to each and every one of my hundred emails and was very professional in a way that was productive and trustworthy. Our guests are still professing their enjoyment and amazement at how gifted these musicians are. Their price was totally fair and they didn't have any hidden costs or last minute add-ons (which I found with other bands) and they produced what they said they would. l just wish I had another event that I could hire them to play for. read more