It’s time women reclaimed their romantic turf and all small, good things. The whole notion may have taken a backseat to practicality in recent years, but the occasional video store perusal in favour of Netflix might revive the whimsy within. Think vinyl over i-pod, sit down dinner over protein shake, and hardcover novel over boob tube. Because weddings are concerned with savouring all that is unhurried and idyllic, hiring a live band is the perfect way to incorporate that same, sweet-toothed nostalgia.
The Directors, a snappy, stellar Montreal band, reveal the common threads and affirming indicators of any good musical round up.
a good band is hard to find
That eternally subjective question, “What makes a band good?” is not about latest subculture genres or modish duds – it’s about perennial energy. Your reception ought to be infused with concert venue verve, as if you were sneaking through the greenroom door or crashing a 1950’s prom. There should be no barrier between audience and stage, meaning the musicians’ zeal should be working like electricity, pervading everyone’s dancing shoes. Look for entertainers who fit the title, vocalists that deliver and back up bands without a weakest link. When interviewing, pay close attention to inter-band chemistry and question those pushing digital sounds. The Directors plug the purity of instruments all the way.
bridal prep
As a bride on the hunt, always be thorough in your research for superb sound. The Directors suggest ignoring the influx of recommendations from well-meaning relatives and going with your gut. That being said, the playlist should not be dictated by your innards, as they have a tendency to be biased. It is your wedding, but you want everyone pleased as punch and grooving on the dance floor.
Also, don’t place faith in cushy studio recordings; get the full effect at a live gig. Request to “crash” another event and evaluate their crowd-working.
Once you’ve fallen for that darling jazz trio or tongue-in-cheek Zydeco band, it’s time to meet. If you’ve noted that they’re as palsy and intimate as a travelling family folk group, go ahead and weigh up your own chemistry with the musicians. If you click, it’s just one less stressor come W-day.
reasonable expectations
While a good band will become one with the venue (as intrinsic as the crystal chandelier), the members aren’t machines, and they’ll require a much deserved break. This breather usually comes around after hour two, and the silence is satisfied by a romping DJ. The set list, or “bloodline of the band,” may be dictated by music trends, but the length could be either truncated or extended by dance floor traffic. Much like stage presence and entertainment value will affect the energy of the crowd, your guests’ partying stamina could influence the mood of your mood makers.
the directors
The Directors is made up of eight musicians and two vocalists, everyone of them a performer at heart. The band offers up a personalized service, complete with multiple meetings and a questionnaire ready to unearth your most repressed musical desires. Stage lights render their unique personalities totally transparent, and that awesome energy is never lost on an audience. Their verve is so grand and cinematic in fact, they’ll be appearing in the upcoming screen adaptation of fellow Montrealer Mordecai Richler’s incomparable “Barney’s Version.”