The Wedding Singer
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Story by
John Egan
It sounds like a broken record. You’ve boogied to “Brick House” at wedding receptions as many times as Britney Spears has lip-synched. You’ve jammed to “Celebrate” at wedding receptions as often as Madonna has bared her, um, soul. Now hear this: Here in the selfproclaimed Live Music Capital of the World, brides and grooms aren’t wed to the same old options for wedding-reception entertainment— deejays and cover bands pumping out those tried-and-true, get-thedance- floor-hoppin’ mainstays.
Scores of musicians in Austin play a decidedly different tune when it comes to entertaining the guests at a wedding reception and, most important, the guests of honor—the newlyweds. So come with us as we unveil some wedding-reception alternatives that are innovative “I dos” rather than ho-hum “I don’ts.”
Retro Show
“What defines a typical cover band is their song selection. They sort of go for the low-hanging fruit and play things that people expect to hear,” said Trish Murphy, member of Skyrocket and successful solo rock artist in her own right. In contrast, said Murphy: “We ask something of the audience. We ask them to suspend their normal expectations and follow us around musically.” Expect the unexpected from Skyrocket, the seven-member Austin band, formerly known as the K-Tel Hit Machine, resurrects long-lost radio hits from the seventies and eighties. The kitschy lineup includes “Boogie Fever,” “Baby Come Back,” “Girls on Film,” and “All Out of Love.” The members of Skyrocket (
www.rajiworld.com/artists/ktel.php), all of them songwriters, delight in performing
well-written pop tunes.
Touch of Class
“Elegance” is the calling card of Gary Michael Bass. The Austin pianist pulls from a repertoire of twenties, thirties, and forties standards (“As Time Goes By,” “It Had to Be You”) as well as contemporary classics (“Memory,” “All I Ask of You”) for performances at wedding receptions. Little, if any, dancing occurs at the receptions where Bass (
www.garymichaelbass.com) appears. Brides who seek out Bass tend to be women in their thirties who desire elegant music that fits a conversational, family reunion–style atmosphere, he said. “I find that it’s an honor to be the musician over in the corner providing the music,” Bass said. “It’s such an integral part of the occasion that it has to be done well. I really enjoy being that element of the celebration.” ($175 for the first hour, $100 for each subsequent hour.)
Tailored Just for You
Barry Manilow writes the songs that make the whole world sing. Austin singer and guitarist India Taylor writes the songs that make brides and grooms weep. Couples-tobe hire Taylor (
www.weddingsongwriter. com) to customize songs for their wedding receptions or ceremonies. After a one-hour interview with the couple during which she asks them about a dozen questions, Taylor drafts a song, typically a mellow pop or country ballad, whose theme touches on the couple’s relationship. She then produces a CD of the song that can be played at the reception or ceremony.
Taylor recalls one particularly memorable wedding reception in 2001 at the Four Seasons Austin Hotel. During the cutting of the cake, the bride surprised the groom with a Taylor-made song. The deejay played dance music, then Taylor—who had been standing unobtrusively off to the side—began to sing the tune live while strumming her guitar. “It was a very moving moment, not only for the couple but for the other people who were present at the reception,” she said. And, of course, the bride and groom were able to hang on to Taylor’s original recording, as she handed them a wrapped copy of the CD. “It’s like having a keepsake for life,” Taylor said. “It’s a song that they’ll always have.” (The cost: $595 for a guitar/vocal arrangement or piano/ vocal arrangement, $795 for a full-band arrangement. She’ll even perform during the reception, as a soloist at $150 for one hour and $230 for two hours, or with a backup band at $300 an hour.)
Big Band, Big Sound
With 12 tuxedo-adorned musicians on an old-fashioned bandstand, Austin’s Nash Hernandez Orchestra (
www.thenashhernandezorchestra. com) brings a sense of nostalgia to a wedding reception. The orchestra’s playlist spans big band to Latino to swing to classic R&B; you’ll recognize favorites from such artists as Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Al Green, Wilson Pickett, and James Brown. The group, which includes eight horn players, appeals to a broad age range, said Ruben Hernandez, son of the orchestra’s founder and now its director and drummer. “A lot of times, the mom and dad are paying for the wedding, and they would like to hear something different. They don’t want to hear what’s on the radio a lot,” Hernandez said. “We aim to please.” (Fees for a local wedding reception run about $3,000.)
A Wee Bit o’ Fun
Marc Gunn bills the Austin duo that he and Andrew McKee lead as “the ultimate cover band.” If nothing else, they’re original. After all, how many cover bands are clad in kilts or Renaissance garb? Gunn and McKee make up the Brobdingnagian (pronounced brob-dig-NA-ge-an) Bards (
www.thebards. net), specializing in Celtic folk music. It’s a blend of Irish drinking songs, instrumental Celtic pieces, and Renaissance festival–style numbers. Gunn is the lead vocalist and autoharpist, while McKee plays the recorder and the mandolin. “Our music has a very unique sound,” Gunn said. That unique sound draws prospective brides and grooms seeking a departure from the standard cover band or deejay. “Personally, I’m not a fan of deejays. I like live music. But to each his own,” Gunn said. “If you’re trying to make an absolutely magical wedding experience, there’s nothing like having live music.” (The Bards’ tab for a wedding reception: $500 to $800.)
Pulling Some Strings Quartetto Lirico is more than its name indicates. While the Austin group is, indeed, a quartet, the members also break offer trio and duo formations for wedding receptions. What is consistent among those configurations is the music: classical. Yet Quartetto Lirico (
www.qlaustin.com) shouldn’t be pigeonholed. The ensemble does present modern music with a classical flare, from Broadway to the Beatles, said Evan Morgan, the quartet’s director and viola player. “It’s a wonderful alternative for people who are looking to add an upscale and beautiful and elegant ambience to their wedding,” Morgan said of classical string music. “It’s going to be something that you’re going to see more in the next few years in the wedding industry.”
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