How much Michael Buble are you gonna play?

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rickryan.com

DJ Extraordinaire
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Dec 9, 2009
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Heard a new one yesterday. Had a wedding at a church, no alcohol. For dinner, I usually start off by doing the first 30 minutes of Sinatra, Buble, Nat King Cole then start transitioning into Motown, Darius Rucker, etc. Had a lady walk up to my table, scowl and said, "How much Michael Buble are you gonna play? My whole table is complaining about it." I almost laughed out loud but tried to keep a straight face and told her I'd take care of it. Pretty sure that was a first for me.............lol
 
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That just goes to show, you never know what the audience is going to do these days. It seems people have very strong music likes and DISLIKES.

Oh well we just keep pushing play!
 
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My whole table is complaining about it.

That part sounds like an exaggeration. But I rarely do Rat Pack during cocktail hour now days. If I do, I mix in a few female vocalists (Nora Jones, Diana Krall, Billy Holiday) and maybe a couple of instrumentals. If we only really knew what every guest was thinking of our song selections - but we only get the occasional compliment or rare complaint.
 
My whole table is complaining about it.

That part sounds like an exaggeration. But I rarely do Rat Pack during cocktail hour now days. If I do, I mix in a few female vocalists (Nora Jones, Diana Krall, Billy Holiday) and maybe a couple of instrumentals. If we only really knew what every guest was thinking of our song selections - but we only get the occasional compliment or rare complaint.

I use Krall's album of Cole classics. It's kinda funny but I pretty often get compliments about the dinner music. I can only remember twice where someone complained about it. Once was "Too much Stevie Wonder" and then this one last night. Gotta feel sorry for someone who is so bitter that they'd actually come up and voice a complaint like that.
 
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You said the lady said her table was complaining. Not just her alone.

Just because she said they were, doesn't mean they actually were. It's a pretty standard line when you want someone to do what you want .. say "everyone else" said they wanted it too.
 
I use Jazz, Buble and a lot of instrumental music for the seating time during the ceremony but I take a different approach to dinner time at the reception. I try and get a good age profile on the attendees and their prefrences during the planning with the bride & groom and their parents.

I then pick some great hits from those eras that I won't be playing during dance time or are not exactly dance songs, all up tempo. That is what I start an automix playlist with. I then go out and visit the tables and people I think are showing the most energy, I notice their ages and take some additional request from those tables. I then start shuffling in those songs and back out to the audience. I do spend a lot of time talking to people during the nonscripted part of the reception.

It allows me to build energy in the audience and have a read on how to adjust the dance sets for those that I see are there to dance.

Recently I played some oldies, light rock/pop from the 60's and 70's (Sugar Sugar, Chevy Van, Me and You and Dog Named Boo, etc) and you would be surprised at the number of people who came up and asked for more of the songs like that, and stated they had heard more than enough Kenny G, Buble and like artist at weddings, they said bring on the classics.
 
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I used to do a mix of Buble, Sinatra, Brubeck, Krall, the Midnight in Paris soundtrack and the soundtrack to My Best Friend's Wedding (and still do on occasion) but it seems lately most want top 40, country, and 80s love songs. Don't know if it's the demographics I've been playing too lately or what, but I think I've done one wedding this year where they wanted the more "jazzy" "classic" style reception music. I mentioned it to one bride, playing Buble, and she said "that sounds kinda gay"
 
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At a wedding last year I played a mix of '70s and '80s during cocktails. This guy sitting very close kept saying stuff like 'oh, more '80s huh'. Like he was trying to have a conversation with me from his table, but was coming off kind of negative. It turned out he wasn't even invited to the wedding, but was there with his girlfriend who invited herself because she did the bride's hair.
 
I have several playlists for dinner. (crooners, contemporary light hits, jazz, classic rock, am gold, etc)
I have a section on my paperwork where I ask what kind of music they want for cocktails/dinner.
I have never had a complaint, so I guess that the b/g have selected the proper music for their crowd.
Of course, I get the occasional young person who asks, "Is this ALL you're gonna play tonight??"
Who woulda thunk that Michael Buble could offend anyone!
 
Who woulda thunk that Michael Buble could offend anyone!

Yea, I thought it was funny. In all seriousness though, this lady was part of the Texas contingent. Nothing against Texans, but they are usually more vocal and boisterous than the norm and for some reason they think if it's not "Texas music" (whatever that is) then it's their obligation to b$tch about it. Until I start getting regular complaints about the music selections I won't be changing a thing. I pretty regularly get compliments and this was the first gripe. It is always funny how they try to say "Everyone feels this way" when, in fact, it's just them being a prick.
 
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I believe Texas Music is also known as "red dirt country" at least part of the Texas and Oklahoma music scene is that. It bleeds up here to Kansas and the fans can be a bit…annoying