Live bands versus DJ's   |   About Austin    |  Austin Wedding Venues  |  Choosing the Best Austin, Texas Bands for your Reception

New Braunfels Bands, Austin Bands, San Antonio Bands

What's the best form of entertainment for your wedding reception, a DJ or a live band in Austin, New Braunfels or San Antonio? Texas Wedding Bands always come out on top in this scenario! Austin, New Braunfels or San Antonio live bands give that special touch of class to your reception especially if they have a horn section. Live bands have far more energy and mystique than a DJ because the group is putting on a show as well as playing music and the live energy of the band often packs the dance floor far more than a DJ. regrettably, its not the joyous union of you and your fiance that your guests recall most but the entertainment of the evening. You will hear far more congratulates on the band you hired than you will compliments on what a gorgeous ceremony it was, and you will rarely hear compliments on what an unbelievable DJ that guy was. the entertainment of the evening is key to a successful event.
Some proponents of DJs might say that a live band has a small song list but this is a fallacy as most professional live bands have over 16 hours or more of songs and can easily pick and choose the best songs based on crowd response to guarantee that the dance floor stays packed and the energy never fails. Also, bands act as a DJ on band breaks and this is a nice time to have them play some of your favored tunes that might not be in their set list. Also, during breaks should be when you do all your wedding activities such as bouquet and garter toss, cutting the cake , and best man toasts. This will give your guests something fun to do while the band catches their breath in between sets and the remainder of time left on break can be filled with the band DJing your favorite dance tunes. You can also have the best of both worlds with a live band DJing tunes on their breaks by having the band DJ special types of music for relations of particular ethnic groups that may be at the reception such as Jewish, Latin, Greek, or whatever genre your special nationality of guest opts for.
When looking at bands, don't expect all live bands to be on the same playing field. Make sure you take a look at the band's song list to see if it is sizable and it should have a diversity of music from all eras. A group that has been around for years will know which songs work best at getting people on the dance floor in the various age groups at weddings and will know which songs are best-loved across all age groups. An instance would be Shout by Otis Day and the knights which is just as effective at getting teenagers onto the dance floor as it is getting 50 year olds on the dance floor. A good live performance will have all this info in advance and will use it to their full advantage in keeping your party hopping through the entire evening. Also, most professional wedding bands will have a band leader that acts as Master of Ceremonies announcing the bride and groom, the wedding party, cutting of the cake and bouquet and garter toss. Check to make sure that the band has an MC that will do this for you.
With all these benefits of live bands, there comes a con. Live bands will invariably be more costly than a DJ. Live bands can be anywhere from $1500 to $10,000 for the flag ship show bands and DJs can be anywhere from $300 to $2500. Most of the time, you usually get what you pay for. More costly bands are more costly for a reason. They usually sound much better and have much more wow factor than cheaper bands.
In sum, a live band will contribute to a much more successful party than a DJ by sheer entertainment value and can also act as a DJ playing specific obscure tunes you may desire that are not on the bands song list. The band leader will know the best songs to play and what time during the night to play them and can also act as Master of Ceremonies. If youve got the money, the obvious choice here is a live variety band for your wedding reception. You also might consider looking for bands in Houston and Dallas as most Houston Wedding Bands and Dallas Wedding Bands also travel to Austin, San Antonio and New Braunfels. As well, most San Antonio Wedding Bands travel to Austin and New Braunfels as they are just a hop skip away.

 

About the author:

Ron Ronhaar is the originator and leader of the "The Grooves" which is one of the best-known Austin cover bands, well known for their ability to keep the dance floor packed all night with hit favorites from all eras. He has performed with his group for a living since 1991 and his band is considered to be in the top tier of Austin bands, San Antonio bands, Houston bands, New Braunfels bands, and Dallas bands. The Grooves perform throughout Texas for weddings, corporate parties, society parties and fund raisers. After Ron originated the band in 1991, the band skyrocketed to the top of Austin musicians and then took the state of Texas by storm. Ron and the Grooves Band are now in high demand across Texas and are considered the finest of all Austin bands available for any event, and are one of the most booked of Austin party bands. Don't miss out on the best Live Band in Austin!

 

 

 


Houston Bands

The Groove Duo has been considered one of the best duos out of many Houston bands because of their dynamic performances in Houston, Texas.  They are also a favorite of Austin bands, Dallas bands, and San Antonio bands.  The Grooves band can also transform themselves into a much larger band called The Grooves that plays wedding receptions in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth.