On September 1, 2019, we played the wedding reception for Georgia Bennett and Isaac Mallory, at the gorgeous Rocky Fork Hunt & Country Club. I’m know that Georgia & Isaac will remember their big day for the rest of their lives, but I also know that I will too.
The dancing was to take place under a huge, white tent between the Country Club at the pool. Setting up, earlier in the day, I admit I was concerned. Due to the extremely high humidity in the air, I was concerned that nobody would want to dance.
I’m betting the chefs in the catering staff don’t want people to just be full; they want people to be thrilled with the taste of the food. Similarly, at any wedding reception, we in the band don’t just want to just play music to be heard in the background, we want to get people on their feet.
My spirits were literally and figuratively dampened even more when, about ten minutes before our set of jazz music, the skies opened, and heavy, soaking rain poured down. I was genuinely worried that folks wouldn’t even want to be outside, let alone being in a festive, dancing mood.
I could not have been happier to be one hundred percent wrong.
Not only was the dance floor full from start to finish, the guest’s’ singing on our first three songs was louder than we were. It’s with a tiny dash of pride that I admit that we are pretty dang loud, so when the crowd’s singing is louder than we are, I am beyond thrilled.
During one of our breaks, a guest told me that he was having trouble figuring us out. “You all play so well together; like you’ve done this a million times. On the other hand, watching you play, it seems like you are so happy to be a part of it; like it only happens once every so often.” I told him that both are true. I’ve done countless hundreds of gigs with this band, but, each time the groove hits and the people dance, it feels like a gift to me.
Maybe the point was a little too on-the-nose this time, since, as the last chords of our final song rang out into the damp Gahanna night, the clock struck midnight, making it September 2nd… making it my birthday.
Still, no kidding, it all felt like a big pile of presents had been handed to me. It is nothing short of a gift that I get to play with this amazing band full of incredible musicians, especially at a reception like this one where we use a full, three-piece horn section. It is utterly a gift for me that, in addition to having an amazing family and getting to work a day-job that I love, I have this icing-on-the-birthday-cake hobby/second-job where I can be part of a band that makes people as happy as we seem to, night after night, gig after gig.
Weddings are a time for the bride and groom to receive gifts from friends and family, both those that have been bought and wrapped, and also those the very presence of those loved ones surrounding the newlywed couple. I happen to be in the very lucky position of getting my own gifts I love at every wedding reception we play, so, this is my appreciation card to Georgia & Isaac, and to all the other couples in 2019 who have made Scarlet Fever Band part of their wedding days.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
The dancing was to take place under a huge, white tent between the Country Club at the pool. Setting up, earlier in the day, I admit I was concerned. Due to the extremely high humidity in the air, I was concerned that nobody would want to dance.
I’m betting the chefs in the catering staff don’t want people to just be full; they want people to be thrilled with the taste of the food. Similarly, at any wedding reception, we in the band don’t just want to just play music to be heard in the background, we want to get people on their feet.
My spirits were literally and figuratively dampened even more when, about ten minutes before our set of jazz music, the skies opened, and heavy, soaking rain poured down. I was genuinely worried that folks wouldn’t even want to be outside, let alone being in a festive, dancing mood.
I could not have been happier to be one hundred percent wrong.
Not only was the dance floor full from start to finish, the guest’s’ singing on our first three songs was louder than we were. It’s with a tiny dash of pride that I admit that we are pretty dang loud, so when the crowd’s singing is louder than we are, I am beyond thrilled.
During one of our breaks, a guest told me that he was having trouble figuring us out. “You all play so well together; like you’ve done this a million times. On the other hand, watching you play, it seems like you are so happy to be a part of it; like it only happens once every so often.” I told him that both are true. I’ve done countless hundreds of gigs with this band, but, each time the groove hits and the people dance, it feels like a gift to me.
Maybe the point was a little too on-the-nose this time, since, as the last chords of our final song rang out into the damp Gahanna night, the clock struck midnight, making it September 2nd… making it my birthday.
Still, no kidding, it all felt like a big pile of presents had been handed to me. It is nothing short of a gift that I get to play with this amazing band full of incredible musicians, especially at a reception like this one where we use a full, three-piece horn section. It is utterly a gift for me that, in addition to having an amazing family and getting to work a day-job that I love, I have this icing-on-the-birthday-cake hobby/second-job where I can be part of a band that makes people as happy as we seem to, night after night, gig after gig.
Weddings are a time for the bride and groom to receive gifts from friends and family, both those that have been bought and wrapped, and also those the very presence of those loved ones surrounding the newlywed couple. I happen to be in the very lucky position of getting my own gifts I love at every wedding reception we play, so, this is my appreciation card to Georgia & Isaac, and to all the other couples in 2019 who have made Scarlet Fever Band part of their wedding days.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
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