FAQ

We wouldn’t expect you to feel comfortable moving forward without learning a bit about the band, so here’s a brief background.  The Dukes are based on Martha’s Vineyard, but we perform often throughout New England, and we play gigs across the entire US, and abroad, as well.  While we’re known for being a wedding band, we play many other types of events, including corporate functions, private parties, and over 40 club dates on the Vineyard each summer.  The diversity of our schedule keeps it fun and fresh for us, and after years of playing every kind of gig there is, we pride ourselves on this ability to consistently provide the perfect style of entertainment for which we’re hired.

The band is run by Maria Stukey, a vocalist and entertainer who has decades of experience performing with groups and in shows around the world.  She has toured with Jim Brickman and Joan Rivers, sang back up for Wayne Newton, opened for Sawyer Brown and Jay Leno, performed for Rod Stewart, Serena Williams, Donald Trump, Shirley MacLaine, and William Shatner, and most recently, shared the stage with Sheila E and the Roots.

And the core members of the Dukes are all top professional musicians who write, record, produce and tour, and wouldn’t still be performing together if there wasn’t a deep respect, appreciation and enjoyment of one another’s musicianship.  There’s no substitute for passion on stage, and we attribute our success, in large part, to the fact that we truly love what we do.

At this point, it’s hard to remember what it was like before we were playing together.  The band gigs year-round, and in summer, when our schedule is the busiest, the Dukes sometimes play as many as five days a week, between our weddings, Vineyard club dates, featured performances, and private events.  Performing so frequently has definitely shaped the band’s dynamic; knowing each other so well, both personally and musically, really shines through when we’re on stage together.

Absolutely!  We realize that a studio demo can’t fully capture the raw energy that comes with packing the dance floor at a wedding or rocking out on a live stage, so we encourage all of our prospective clients, as well as those who have already booked us, to come experience the Dukes in person.  We perform regularly at clubs and restaurants on Martha’s Vineyard during the summer months, and we’re always happy to coordinate your visit based on our performance dates; we can even perform certain songs you’d like to hear when you come out to see us.

Sure!  The Dukes travel off Martha’s Vineyard regularly, and we can certainly leave the island to come play your wedding, or any other event you have in mind.  We’ll have to make sure it’s logistically feasible, of course, taking into account the location, date, and any other relevant factors, but we’ll always do our best to make it work.

We’re admittedly a bit biased, but in our opinion, the more musicians, the better the product.  Our standard lineup is a 10-piece ensemble, which includes a rhythm section (bass, drums, guitar, piano), three horns, and three vocalists.  Of course, it’s partially about the sound – having more band members means that the songs will sound fuller, richer, and closer to the original recordings. But it’s also about the look and the energy that comes with having more people on stage.  When the band is having a party while performing, that sets the tone for the entire event; if your wedding is all about keeping the dance floor full all night, start by ensuring that the band stage is full, and the rest will take care of itself.  Still, we understand that everyone’s budget is different, so we do offer our band as small as a 7-piece.

Yes; we routinely provide these extra services for the many weddings we play.  Having live music during a ceremony truly heightens the words and actions of the bride, groom, and all others involved.  Options include a solo pianist, a solo guitarist, the use of horns or strings for a classical setting, or a combination of your choice of instruments.  A jazz quartet during cocktail hour creates an ambiance that’s elegant but also fun and relaxed at the same time, and the difference between the live quartet and a jazz recording is like night and day.  If you’re looking for a certain mood or sound during cocktails, we offer complete flexibility in terms of which and how many musicians you’d like.  And we can provide a DJ for your after-party, just in case some of your guests haven’t been completely worn out by the band when the reception finally winds down.

For more info about how we approach weddings, you can read about that here.

We play about 15 songs per hour, although there’s some variance, of course.  For a typical Martha’s Vineyard wedding, we’ll perform three sets that are approximately an hour and 10 minutes each, segueing seamlessly between each song to ensure that the dance party never stops.  So that’s a total of 45-50 songs over the course of the night, again, with some variance.  Regardless of what the event is, we’ll make sure you hear the songs you want to hear, focusing on your favorites while also mixing in ones from our repertoire that everyone loves to dance and sing along to.

Yes, the band does take two 15-minute breaks over the course of a wedding reception; for non-wedding events, we do one 15-minute break sandwiched between every two sets.  We believe that our audience needs a short breather after an hour of high-energy dancing before picking back up for more, and the band is only human – we need the rest, too!  Once the band returns from its break, we hit the stage fresh, and immediately the party is back and the dance floor is on fire once again.

Yes, the Dukes will perform up to two special requests that aren’t on our list.  We realize that for certain events, especially for weddings, there might be certain songs that hold significance for the couple, and it’s our pleasure to learn and perform excellent renditions of those songs.  If you have more than two unlisted songs that you’d like played, just let us know; we should still be able to accommodate those extra requests, within reason, of course.

Of course!  Your cousin traveled 2,000 miles to Martha’s Vineyard and happens to have a great voice – why shouldn’t she have the opportunity to rock out with us?  Weddings are all about family and friends having fun together, and it’s a surefire hit when a musical friend, relative, or even the bride and groom themselves climb up onstage to play with the band.  We try to avoid impromptu performances while the event is ongoing, but as long as we know this kind of featured appearance is going to be happening in advance, we’re happy to make it work, giving your guest the spotlight to shine.

We bring just about everything!  This includes instruments, amps, and all related sound gear (speakers, a mixing board, stands and cables), as well as lights.  We only require the venue to provide a stage and a power source.  The main stage and all other performance spaces (cocktail and/or ceremony, for example) should be covered, in case of inclement weather, and we can iron out all that with the venue, as well as the power supply and any other technical details.  The less you have to deal with, the better!

One of our fine vocalists, of course.  All of our vocalists have plenty of experience doing all sorts of public speaking and managing events, and we’re happy to make whatever announcements are necessary for the night to run smoothly, whether it’s introducing the bridal party at a wedding or introducing speakers at a corporate event.  We can be minimally involved, if you want to avoid formalities or have the flow of the event be as organic as possible, but we can also be as loud, rowdy and energetic as you’d like.

If you’ve booked us, then congrats!  You’ve taken a huge step in ensuring that your event is going to be truly memorable.  From here, it depends on several factors, including when your event is, whether it’s a wedding, a private party, or a corporate function, and how hands-on you want to be in the process.  We’ll begin discussing the details of the event, the instrumentation of the band, the possibility of ceremony and cocktail for weddings, your preferred songs from our list, and many other details.  And even if you have questions unrelated to us or the music, we’re happy to offer advice and make suggestions; when you play as many gigs as we do, you become unofficial experts of everything from performance spaces to wedding decorations, and it’s our pleasure to share that experience with you.  We want to make sure you feel taken care of throughout the entire process, and we’re genuinely excited to make your event – just like every single wedding, function, and party we play – a success beyond your expectations.

Pricing isn’t so simple, that’s why we wrote a very comprehensive article about how much you can expect to pay for The Dukes to play at your wedding. Find out more here.