How Not to Hire a Band for Your Houston TX Wedding

Having a live band at your wedding reception is a great way to ensure that everyone has a great time…if you can find a great band in the Houston TX area. Many people default to looking for a DJ, which we cover in our article on wedding bands vs. DJs for weddings and other events).  Finding the best of Houston wedding bands is the way to ensure your guests have a rocking party,  but finding and hiring the right band is not always easy and it’s possible to choose a band that’s not suited to the task and who put a damper on the events. No one likes bad wedding music! (Or bad music period, for that matter, but the stakes seem higher when we’re talking about the lifelong memories of a wedding.)

To spare you that experience, we’re going to share some common mistakes that we see often so that you can avoid them and choose the perfect band for your next party!

Four Party & Wedding Music Mistakes to Avoid for your Houston Wedding Reception

Here are four things you don’t want to do when choosing a live band. 

1. Choosing an Original Band

Original bands are wonderful in their own right. But when you’re having a party where you want people to dance, they’re not the way to go. Even if they have one or two songs on the radio, most people won’t know their other tunes and so they won’t dance.  

And even if your crowd isn’t that into dancing, you’ll still be better off hiring a wedding band from Houston that can play songs that everyone knows and loves. You wouldn’t want people to be bored, now would you? Of course not! You need a professional cover band for your event.

2. Choosing a Theme Band

You’re planning a theme party. It makes sense to hire a theme band, right? 

Wrong! While it sounds reasonable, it’s actually one of the biggest mistakes we hear about. 

For example, Great Gatsby-themed parties are very popular and many planners hire 1920’s bands to match that theme. While a great roaring 20’s band might be entertaining for maybe 30 minutes or maybe even an hour, the fun doesn’t last long. After a while, everyone is sick of this music, probably because they’ve never heard most of the songs before. In any case, this often results in an empty dance floor and people leaving early. 

On the other hand, some theme bands such as 50’s tribute bands and Woodstock-themed bands just fall flat. While a certain crowd might love these types of groups, they just don’t work for 99% of events. You want a band with a versatile range of songs various genres & decades in their repertoire. For instance, The Grooves can do themed events and are delighted to rock the costume or outfit of your choosing (if you have a preference!) but are also able to keep a party going no matter how diverse the crowd.

3. Picking the Wrong Songs

What do we mean by the term wrong songs? Songs that you pick based on what you suspect people might want to hear or based on what you like to listen to. Don’t get us wrong—we’re sure you have great taste in music. 

However, only an experienced band will be able to tell you what songs work for what type of crowd. Night after night they see what songs go over for different age groups. When you have a playlist set in stone, you prevent your band from being able to use that experience and knowledge to make your party as much fun as it can be! The majority of bands in Houston that perform for weddings  on a regular basis have a list of songs that they know are winners at getting the crowd onto the dance floor.

4. Not Considering Volume

It’s nothing short of a disaster when the band you hire is too loud. It’s irritating on every level. People struggle to have conversations, end up with headaches, and even leave early because it’s just unpleasant to be around. This is especially a turnoff for older guests. 

Overwhelming volume is often the result of either inexperience or acoustic drum kits. Especially if the drummer is a hard hitter, acoustic drums can be really overpowering and cause the rest of the band to play louder to hear themselves. 

Whatever the reason, though, a high volume can be a serious problem. 

How to Hire a Houston Wedding Band for a Party The Right Way

Now that you know what party & wedding music mistakes not to make, there’s a lingering question that needs to be answered. What are your steps when looking for a  wedding band to hire?

1. Find a cover band for hire that can play a wide variety of music and, specifically, one that specializes in dance music.
2. See the band you’re considering live, if possible. If that can’t be arranged, at least listen to any videos of live performances that are available and inquire about whether acoustic or much quieter electronic drums are used. Many wedding bands in Houston have live videos on their website so take advantage of that way of viewing them.  A video can say a lot about a band’s stage presence.
   
3. Make sure that a female vocalist is available to cover the songs sung by women. 
4. Carefully consider the cost of the band, keeping in mind that price usually says a lot about whether a band will be great or just okay

We’ve covered the common mistakes when hiring a band, how to hire a band for a party, what not to do, and what to do when hiring a band. Now it’s time to use what you’ve learned. Keep these tips in mind as you peruse local bands and you’ll end up with a great one!

And, if you’re looking for the best cover band in Texas at an affordable price, consider booking The Grooves! We have decades of combined experience among our group of artists based in Austin – the live music capital, unparalleled energy and showmanship, and stellar reviews!