Facebook fan #100

Kent Wisenor, from right here in the San Ramon Valley! Congratulations, Kent!

And the lucky winner is...

I've got a fan page over at this little internet operation called Facebook. Well, it turns out, if a fan page gets 100 people (or more), it gets its own "vanity" address (e.g., facebook.com/yourpage). My fan count is currently hovering in the 90's. SO... here's the deal.

As long as a few provisions are met, lucky fan #100 is going to get a FREE gig! Here are the provisions:

a) Only the first 2 hours are free. Any time beyond that will be billed at my usual hourly rate.
b) Wedding receptions are not eligible (or ceremonies, either).
c) The event must take place within a 25 mile radius of my starting point/base.
d) The date of the event must be "open" on my calendar, and mutually agreeable to us both.

Other than that, start clicking on the "Become a Fan" button on the right! And thank you!

The past couple of days, I've been listening some of the hundreds of songs I have that pertain to Summer ~ yes, I'm already thinking ahead to pool parties, neighborhood barbecues, outdoor receptions, etc.

And those don't necessarily include the hundreds of songs pertaining to cars and driving ~ which, in the case of something like "GTO" by Ronnie and the Daytonas, could go either way. Maybe I'll see you at Danville's "Hot Summer Nights".

And I also have nearly 5 hours' worth of music appropriate for a patriotic gathering (e.g., Memorial Day, Flag Day, July 4th... tea party, anyone?). So, you start accumulating your party supplies and making your plans; I've already got the soundtrack for your Summer events!

Just the right music, at just the right moment

As a case in point, take the fundraiser for Alamo Elementary School from yesterday evening. As I was playing background and dinner music, the auctioneer approached me just prior to the live auction, and suggested that I play snippets of music going into each auction item ~ songs that were either somehow related to that item, or were just going to help in getting the crowd's excitement level up.

So, in a pinch, here's a sampling of what I came up with on the fly. (And, yes, items 409, 410, 411, 416 and 418 got their own music, too.)

Item #401 ~ Pizza for a Whole Year. Song: "That's Amore" by Dean Martin

Item #402 ~ Trifecta of Golf (3 premium courses). Song: "I'm Alright" by Kenny Loggins (from the movie "Caddyshack")

Item #403 ~ Fit Tech 1 Bike. Song: "Bicycle Race" by Queen

Item #404 ~ Electra Cruiser Bike. Song: "Bike" by Pink Floyd

Item #405 ~ VIP Parking at the school. Song: "Out In The Parkin' Lot" by Brad Paisley

Item #406 ~ Principal for the Day (for a student). Song: "Leader of the Pack" by The Shangri-La's

Item #407 ~ a Resort in Mexico. Song: "Margaritaville" by Jimmy Buffett

Item #408 ~ Palm Springs Family Vacation. Song: "Vacation" by the Go-Go's

Item #412 ~ a Golden Retriever Puppy. Song: "Puppy Love" by Donny Osmond

Item #413 ~ Newport Beach Villas. Song: "Summer Breeze" by Jason Mraz

Item #414 ~ "Mad Men" Cocktail Party. Song: "Mack The Knife" by Bobby Darin

Item #415 ~ Backyard Movie Night/Restaurant Feast. Song: 20th Century Fox Fanfare, plus the THX sound effect

Item #417 ~ Heller Jewelers $500 Shopping Spree. Song: "What A Girl Wants" by Christina Aguilera

Item #419 ~ Ultimate Birthday Bash. Song: "Birthday" by The Beatles

Item #420 ~ San Francisco Experience. Song: "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" by Tony Bennett

Now, that's a pretty broad slice of music (and all of it found on short notice)!

Come on over!

Tonight I'm doing music for the kickoff mixer at Club Sport in San Ramon for the "Valley Pulse" group, part of San Ramon Chamber of Commerce (a new group for younger professionals).

Someone's turning 50...

Prepping for a birthday party being held at the clubhouse in the Greenbrook neighborhood of Danville. And just when it hit me, somebody turned around and shouted, "Play that funky music, White Boy!"

Plenty of reasons to celebrate in 2010!

Holiday playlists

Whew! I'm not so sure there's any "not busy" time of year! Having said that, however, I've had enough of a lull in activities during the past week or so that I've been able to get some back-burner projects tended to.

Specifically, I've been rounding up all of the holiday music in my collection and gathering it under one "roof" in my laptop (I should say "roofs", since each holiday is getting it's own umbrella). The "Genius" feature in i-Tunes has been helpful, as have been the copious notes I've kept over the years. Now I can finally get rid of those scattered papers! Songs pertaining to St. Patrick's Day and Easter took no time at all to organize, but some of the major holidays took awhile longer.

What this means is that I finally have to look in only one place to see all of the music I have which pertains to a given holiday - for example, the 3 Christmas songs from the "Love Actually" soundtrack or the 1 Christmas song by Queen or The Eagles are all together now, ready for quick reference and play-ability at the next event.

So far, I've completed Halloween (a bit after the fact, but I've discovered I have plenty of music for more than 4 hours with no repeats!), Christmas (well over 300 songs!) and New Year's Eve (alot more than you'd expect, especially when you dust off old Timbuk 3 hits!). When I get my next scheduling lull, I'll do the same for patriotic and Summer songs.

The latest...

Just did another wedding reception yesterday; this one was held at "Bosco's Bones and Brew" in Sunol. Second floor. Ouch. Had I known about that ahead of time, I might have asked for a larger stipend. As it was, I should have at least allowed for more time to go up and down those stairs, because I wasn't able to set up my lights! Oh well.

Bosco's was named in honor of a dog back in the 80s who made his way onto the local ballot for Mayor of Sunol, and actually got quite a few votes! Those wacky small town folk.

Now our thoughts can turn to the holiday season. I've got a case of CDs devoted solely to Christmas and New Year's Eve music, and not all of it is the stuff you'll hear at "the other guy's" holiday party (i.e., Jingle Bell Rock...). Specifically, I've got a sweet opening right now for the evening of Friday, December 18. Somebody help me fill it!

"Come As You Were (In High School)" Party

What a blast! The 80s music was as big as the hair! The birthday girl in Alamo was turning 40, and seemingly invited all of her high school friends, plus the neighbors out to celebrate. Not sure why so many critics revile this era (maybe it was more for the fashion than for the music?), but the guests and I sure had fun with the "late 70s-to-mid 90s" songs I had cranked last night (plus a request for "Shout", and a few current dance faves).



I played as much as time would allow, from A-ha to ZZ Top, and most of the greatest hits in-between. What are you waiting for? I'm still the best entertainment deal in town. Give me a call today!

October 10 events

Success! Saturday's "Boutique Blitz" went really well, with hundreds (if not 1000+) shoppers attending. If you weren't there, you missed an opportunity to get clothing and merchandise at tremendously reduced prices from 10 different small retailers. The music I provided was a hit as well!


Later on Saturday, I set up all over again for Kathryn and David's engagement party in Alamo. What a lovely back yard it was - it even had its own elevated putting green! For this event, I was given the unusual musical perameters of "classic rock, hair bands and current hip-hop, but NO oldies, bubble gum or rap". Hmmm. Aside from a touch of Van Halen, Cinderella and Greg Kihn, I mostly stayed with mid-tempo urban jamz and hip-hop up until dancing began after dinner.


Is there a party or celebration in your future? If so, give me a call today!

Boutique Blitz!

Most of the gigs I do are private events, so it's nice occasionally to let you know about something I'll be a part of that the general public can participate in. The "Wine and Music" festival of a few weeks ago was a good example.

Well, coming up in a couple of weeks, I'll be providing the music for "Boutique Blitz" at the Veterans' Hall in Danville. Several of the small shop owners along Prospect Ave. and the surrounding community are getting together for one day only, to offer huge discounts on their specialty and designer merchandise! One of the main organizers for this event is Todd Weinberg, owner of the Edge Shop For Men in Danville.

Stop on by between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm and take advantage of the great deals you're going to find (maybe start some Christmas shopping!), and listen to some good music!

Pictures!

The "Music and Wine Festival" in Alamo this past Saturday went well - my son took some pictures of the event. Thanks also to Yellow Wood Coffee and Tea for letting me set up there. We had gotten some rare late summer showers that morning - in fact, I was awakened pretty early by lightning and some thunder. With that fresh in my mind, I started my setlist with "I Can See Clearly Now", "Here Comes The Sun" and "Pocketful Of Sunshine", followed by 4 hours of a great music mix.

There's still a few openings for Fall 2009 events - Oktoberfest, anyone? Halloween party? For any event that could be enhanced by having just the right music, give me a call!

Music Festival in Alamo, CA

I'll be set up at the 27th annual Music and Wine Festival this Saturday (Sept. 12) in Alamo Plaza. This event is fondly referred to by locals as the Alamo Block Party. After you finish your shopping at Safeway, come over to see me at Yellow Wood Coffee and Tea between 2 pm and 6 pm. Lots of other activities will be happening in the vicinity as well, including a rock wall for the kids. Dinner tickets can be purchased at the Alamo Rotary website. Proceeds go toward supporting local schools. So stop by and say hello!

Weddings

I just recently completed back-to-back weddings on the same weekend, which is admittedly not that unusual, but these were just a few hours apart. The first was up at the Heirloom Inn, in Ione, CA (gold country). It's an 1800's-era home that's been turned into a B&B/wedding site. Quite picturesque! I didn't get to use my full range of lights, however, since previous DJs or bands there have blown a fuse in the old wiring! Oh, well. My friend, singer-songwriter Steve Kritzer, is the uncle of the groom - that's how I got the gig. Steve played and sang beautifully for the outdoor evening ceremony. Following that, all the chairs were moved, and that space was transformed into a dance floor! And for the next couple of hours after dinner, I was taking requests and getting people boogeying! Congratulations, Louis and Robyn!

The next day, I attended my 2nd wedding within 15 hours. Luther and Jana got married in a traditional morning service at Messiah Lutheran Church in Danville (Luther's father was the minister!). It was beautiful. Thanks to church members the Stame's for getting me this gig. After everyone went home for a few hours, some guests returned for an evening reception, which I feel went really well. The bride and groom had picked some great music, and I got to round it out with some fun song choices of my own!