Rock'N'Roll Wedding Bands

Interesting article in the Sunday (Nov. 1) New York Times about what the reporter terms "one of New York’s premier wedding bands for people who would never dream of hiring a wedding band." The group, The Dexter Lake Club Band, is a raucous rock band with a rakish rock'n'roll attitude -- not the typical tuxedo-clad all-purpose wedding band. Yet they specialize in wedding gigs.

The article portrays the group as a fun alternative to the traditional wedding band, but not without some drawbacks.

The band plays a wide range of popular covers, but unabashedly balks at playing others, even if requested. A more conventional wedding band (or DJ) will play whatever the bride and groom and their families and friends wish to hear.

This band actually puts a clause in its contract giving them access to the bar.  Normally, a professional wedding vendor would never dream of drinking on the job, much less demand it!

And, if the article is to be believed, the group will at times purposely play unappealing songs if they feel put upon by the mother of the bride or aren't happy with the vendor meal.  That rebellious stance befits the rock'n'roll mystique but strikes me as sketchy when we're talking about somebody's wedding!

Two rock'n'roll/R&B bands here in the Washington DC area that qualify as nontraditional wedding bands but without the naughty behavior of the group profiled in the Times -- are The Grandsons and The Johnny Artis Band .  Both bands listed as among Washingtonian Magazine's "Best Wedding Vendors" (as, I'm proud to say, am I).

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