Live Band or DJ? Debate! (You Can Probably Guess What Side We’re On)

Tons of couples get married every year.  A small percent know they want a live band.  Some are probably set on a DJ from the very beginning.  Everyone else wrestles with the idea of hiring one or the other.

And there are some big pros to hiring a DJ.  They’re significantly cheaper, of course.  Easy set up, easy clean up.  The songs sound just like the original recordings (because they are the original recordings).

However, opting for a DJ over a band might be best described using a series of analogies.  A DJ at a wedding is:

… a BLT without mayo.

… shorts without pockets.

… watching Star Wars on your smartphone.

… a full-body massage without oil.

… NSYNC without Justin Timberlake.

… eating cereal with a fork.

… your dog Pete, who tears up the couch occasionally.

Yes, some of these scenarios will bother some people more than others (personally, I believe that the lack of mayo on any sandwich, much less a BLT, is an offense that should be punishable by jail time), but the point is that while not ideal, they’re all fine.  Livable.  They don’t ruin your day.  They’re still good enough.

You don’t want your wedding to be fine.

You don’t want your wedding to be good enough.

You want your wedding to be the absolute 100% hands-down no-question-about-it best party that any of your friends, relatives, or even your grumpy Uncle Angus has ever experienced or thought possible to experience.

A DJ most likely can’t give you and your guests that dream party.  He’s just one guy with some speakers and a Spotify playlist.

But you know what can?  A stage packed with crazy-talented musicians, recreating the music you know and love right there, in front of your very eyes, and infusing your venue, your guests, and you – and I mean physically possessing and rousing your body through the power of sound, rhythm, vibration – with food for your ears and nourishment for your soul.

Yes, that sounds a bit silly and metaphysical, but explaining the difference between live music and recorded music is difficult.  You really have to experience it to understand it.  As a musician, but also as a lover of fun, parties, laughing, dancing, smiling, friends, family, and most other things that make us human and that define the celebration of marriage, I ask all of you to take that leap of faith and choose live music.  You’ll never be able to directly compare it to what your wedding would have been like with a DJ, but most likely, you’ll be so happy with the end product that you won’t even care.

Live music at your wedding?  It’s a full body massage from Justin Timberlake while eating Honey Bunches of Oats with a spoon and watching Star Wars in IMAX, with a well-trained Pete the dog there to keep you company. And there’s some mayo stored in your shorts pocket, just in case.