How We Build Our Wedding Reception Playlists
The best wedding reception playlists are not really playlists. A playlist is fixed. It starts with song one and keeps going whether the room is ready or not. A great live wedding set does something different: it begins with a deep understanding of the couple, then changes shape in response to the people on the dance floor.
Choosing the Right Band Size for Your Corporate Event
The best band size is not determined by guest count alone. It is determined by what the entertainment needs to accomplish at each stage of the event. Side One receives more than 700 inquiries each year for corporate celebrations, galas, conferences, fundraising events, holiday parties, weddings and private events.
What Can a Cover Band Do for Your Corporate Event?
Corporate events have come a long way since the days of awkward mixers and potluck picnics. I’m reminded of that Simpsons episode where Homer attends Mr. Burns’ family barbecue — Marge in tow with one of many gelatin cakes. Those days of polite small talk under fluorescent lights are long gone. Today, companies are realizing […]
What Type of Band Should I Hire for My Wedding?
This one comes up a lot. If you’re in the middle of the wedding planning process and wondering what the best live music setup is for your wedding day, you’re not alone. We hear it all the time: “We know we want a live band, but how many musicians do we need? Is a 6-piece […]
How Do I Plan Music For My Event?
One of the biggest questions that we get from our clients is: How does it work when we choose the music for my event? Well, there are 3-4 parts typically to a wedding: The final three items are typically what folks refer to as the reception and on a corporate event or gala, it would […]
“I notice you have a lot of different band members…”
Who will the singers be at my event? Are you guys even a band? When we started Side One in 2010, we were Rebecca, Martin, Rob, Cory, Paul, and Chris. And we were only in Vancouver. Since then, we’ve played 2,400 events and have added teams in Calgary, Toronto, and Seattle. We have almost 150 […]
Why ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ Is The #1 Song We Play In 2023
I’m a baseball guy. I like data, numbers, stats, etc. So at Side One, we do things a bit differently when a couple books us for their wedding. Instead of sending a menu of songs to choose from, we ask our couples to send us a list of songs that they (and their guests) think […]
We Play The Hora
A common question for any wedding band is “Can you play the Hora (Horah, Hora dance, etc.)?” And to that we say l’chaim! This is one of our favourite wedding traditions and there’s no better way to kick off a party! What Songs Are Included In The Hora? Side One prides itself on our horas and in […]
Do you guys have an album?
After playing a full night of live music at a wedding in Vancouver, a corporate event in Calgary, a fundraiser in Toronto, or a backyard party in Seattle, we’re often asked where people can buy our album which is funny because we’ve just played 3 hours of other people’s music. That said, I totally understand […]
Us & Them: Why Side One?
I like to say that Side One is a BMW. It’s not a Bentley and it’s not a Hyundai (no offence to the Hyundai owners!) but we are probably on the pricier end of event band but not in the comically expensive. Trust me, that band that is charging $20K for your local event are […]