Cafe Wha? Band

recovering the next day.

ups, their shredding on guitar and their ability to keep everyone dancing all night. We have not stopped getting calls from our friends and family telling us that the band was the best they’ve ever heard! There is no other choice but them!! Not to mention they were amazing to work with! So accommodating and professional.

t act for our wedding. Hap and his team were incredible. Professional and flexible and most importantly they injected a VIBE into our special day. You're making a mistake if you look anywhere else.

bridal party entered the reception. Even our cocktail hour music was amazing - Ben and Mike made great recommendations on instruments and songs, and catered to our wedding theme with Christmas music. It was absolutely perfect. They also played throughout the entire night - in my opinion, some of the best music they played was some beautiful acoustic love songs during dinner - it was such a fabulous touch. A few couples even got up from the dinner table to dance! Cafe Wha brought the energy all night, and they are so so talented. Our wedding wouldn't have been the same without them! Highly, highly, recommend them - worth every penny!

fun and that was entirely due to Cafe Wha Band. I've been to plenty of weddings with other famous NYC area wedding bands but Cafe Wha is totally unique and special, with a huge selection of songs beyond the standard wedding set list, mash-ups and remixes, and the energy of the Cafe Wha club in Greenwich Village. They are worth every penny and then some!

the dance floor. Our band leader Mike was so accommodating leading up to the big day. Their playlist and execution were perfect, they even let us perform a song with the band, which was a dream for my wife to play drums at her wedding. No one could say enough amazing things about this band and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Far and away the best Wedding band I've ever seen and we have been to a LOT of weddings.

ions on our wedding night. As soon as the party began, everyone was on the dance floor. We had many comments throughout the night about how amazing the band was, and it was truly a masterful performance, song after song. With regards to planning, Ben was a pleasure to coordinate with, and was very accommodating and responsive to any requests and questions we had. He was also very direct and clear in what we could expect. Overall it was just an incredible experience. Thank you Cafe Wha for a wedding party we will never forget!

that before and that the band truly was spectacular. While not surprised, we were so impressed with Cafe Wha, and had a great experience working directly with Hap and Mike leading up to the wedding. I-Despite multiple COVID wedding date reschedules, Cafe Wha was flexible and supportive throughout the entire process, and the party was certainly worth the wait. The night entirely exceeded all expectations, I know we are biased, but we are not the only ones that have said it was one of the best parties people have been to - and we know that the music and dancing was at the center of that experience. We could not recommend the Cafe Wha band more highly

e band were stunning. And the DJ at the after-party was voted all around as the best after-party DJ of all time!! Between the wedding support, the amazing Café Wha band, and the after-party DJ, we could not have asked for anything more. AMAZING!! AMAZING!! AMAZING!!

room with an unexplainable magical energy. Hap and Ben were fantastic to work with and made sure to create a set list perfect for me and my husband. From the minute guests arrive to the end of the night the Cafe Wha? band is playing and giving your guests a night of dancing they will never forget. If they are available for your big day, hire them!

xperience. Our guests have not stopped raving about how amazing they were. They kept the energy super high; everyone was dancing the entire night for 3 hours. We had guests singing and dancing that we've never even seen them move before. The evening was so contagious and memorable. As a vendor, they are responsive, organized, and attentive. Both Ben and Mike ensured the best for our wedding day. We truly loved every second we got to experience this team of talent. Please go check them out in Greenwich Village they're phenomenal. The right entertainment makes the event. You aren't investing in a "wedding band." You're investing in musical talent just as you would invest in going to see any rock show or concert. They are god-tiered talent and you will not regret it.

incredible, play music everyone knows and loves, and can read a room like no other. Our guests were on their feet dancing the whole time because they played song after song people loved, a huge feat while the band seamlessly switched up genres and decades. Ben & Hap were extremely communicative in advance of the wedding - we discussed music taste, guests/audience, vibe, attire and collaborated on the run of show in order to ensure a smooth and seamless event. In addition to fantastic music they were also able to help coordinate confetti & cold sparks for some extra fun elements. As both a bride and a producer in the events industry, I would recommend them over and over every time. Don't hesitate because their dates will be gone fast because they are SO GOOD! I'm already looking forward to the next wedding I attend or produce to work with them again!

, and my guests are still talking about it. Thank you Ben and Hap and everyone for making our day absolutely perfect!

Due to the pandemic we had to postpone our wedding but decided to get legally married in a small ceremony on our original date in 2020. Hap was absolutely amazing by coordinating with my mom the perfect surprise! Via zoom the Cafe Wha band recorded Signed Sealed Delivered to congratulate us on our wedding day! We finally had our wedding this weekend, the band was just incredible! Hap and Ben made it a breeze coordinating all the details and selecting all the song choices! The band had all the guests on their feet all night long! The compliments we received from our guests were incredible. From the minute guests arrived they were amazed! Thanks again for the best night ever!

vel of the event to new highs, the dance floor is cooking 100% of the time. Instrumentally and vocally they are beyond compare! And they are true pros, always going the extra mile to make it memorable and perfect! In addition to that, they are a sweet group of people.

with them again next year.

My Mind" to "Can't Stop the Feeling," we loved every song they played.

. The band played the song Sweet lovin by Sigala and it was even better than we could have imagined with the instrumentals and vocals. Every band member was more impressive than the next. Thanks for a great job. We highly recommend the band to make your wedding.

to make a lot of changes last minute due to covid. We are beyond grateful that we chose this band - they are THE BEST!

day. They music variety and artist quality was incredible. All around perfect.

ere right for us. Ben, our wonderful bandleader, asked for our genre preferences, and built the playlist around that. We trusted him to select the right dancing music—rather than being too specific—and it worked out very well. We had one big request: a very long hora. When we talked to them about this, they suggested we hire Shlomo Haviv, a Hebrew specialist who works with the band often. Shlomo and Cafe Wha gave us the most energetic hora we could have asked for. We were so glad they recommended him. One last plus for Cafe Wha - you can go see them before deciding to book at their venue downtown, where they play almost every night of the week. That cinched the decision for us. Run, don’t walk—you will be glad you did!

up dancing and having a great time late into the evening. The performance quality was excellent. In addition to technical skill, every single musician had incredible energy and kept the crowd dancing and excited. The song selections were also on point. Ben (the band leader) was fantastic to work with - he was organized, proactive, calm, and flexible throughout the planning process and executed seamlessly the night of the wedding.

age all the details for an elegant affair. But having the peace of mind knowing you’ve partnered with true professionals allowed us to sleep at night prior to the event . . . and then party the night away during the evening. Café Wha’s excitement and energy set the tone for the room and all involved. Even before the wedding party was announced, we had guests out on the dance floor grooving to the tunes as soon as they entered the ballroom – it was awesome! The band never stops – continuous music throughout the various food courses . . . with soulful individual instrumental and vocal background music that allows for quality table conversation; combined with high-energy, full-sound dance music that keeps the momentum and love flowing – now that’s a party! All night long, guest after guest, paid the highest compliments about the quality of the band. The best part about Café Wha is the people – they are dedicated, caring professionals . . . who love what they do, and it shows . . . you can feel the passion exuding from the stage! A word about Ben – a consummate band leader, businessman and gentleman. Ben is pro-active, responsive, and he leaves nothing to chance – working with your other hired professionals to ensure a seamless, flawless event of your dreams. Thank you, Ben . . . you gave us, our friends and family an exceptional experience to remember . . . for a long, long time . . . and we’ll be back in touch when it’s time to plan for our next ‘bucket list’ affair!

rdinated our wedding date based on their availability. So book ASAP! They are not your typical 'wedding' band. They are exceptional on every level. All of their musicians play to the highest level and put on a SHOW. They were the highlight of our wedding and brought the party all.night.long. Our guests still cannot stop talking about their off-the-charts performance they put on, how spectacular the music was, and I heard 'Best Band Ever' too many times to count. Shout out to Hap for making it happen and the band: Ben, Mike Davis, Kim, Amadou, and Robin for absolutely rocking it. We wish we could plan another party to have them play again!!

roughly enjoyed the showcases as did we :) We're looking forward to working with these fabulous musicians again very soon.

Go to the cafe wha in New York and see this group and you will look nowhere else. The day after our wedding every single guest we saw told us how blown away they were by the band. Thanks for making our day PERFECT!!

work with, on time, read the crowd perfectly. Unbelievably perfect band to rock our event. Thanks to all of the Cafe Wha ? family for making our daughters wedding night a complete success !

of our dreams come true and played their hearts out. Every single person was on the dance floor the ENTIRE night. I couldn't have asked for a better wedding band. THANK YOU!

are still talking about how good the band was a month later. There was never a lull in the night. Every single musician is amazingly talented and brought so much energy to our wedding night. They are seriously unlike any other elite wedding band out there. Just to give you a sense of how epic they were - at midnight, when the reception ended, the entire 240 person room started chanting "one more song, one more song." And of course, they delivered! I could not recommend Cafe Wha more. Ben and Hap were so easy to work with, and made planning fun and seamless. They are 100% worth the price and more.

ll of our needs / requests and followed through on each. It was perfect. They even learned a song that my dad wrote for me and my now-husband and performed it with him. It was the most magical night and I owe a lot of that to this band. I can’t even count how many people have come up to me after the wedding saying they were the best wedding band they’ve ever seen. They are performing at my sisters wedding next summer also and we are so happy that we booked them twice! Honestly - AMAZING.

d. But one thing we knew was that whenever the time came we would be using Cafe Wah. Cafe Wah's performance is like going to a concert. They can play any song and make it their own and in a way you've never heard before. They were just amazing to work with and took our vision and made it come to life. They cater to the crowd and are the absolute best around. They made our wedding!

ps, and are just generally great musicians. Every member of the band is a total professional. Quite literally every guest at my party came up to me at some point during or after our wedding to tell me it was the best wedding band they'd ever seen. They're not inexpensive, but they are also not even close to the priciest, so you definitely get your money's worth. Not to mention the whole process of working with hem was easy, seamless and very professional. Truly can't say enough good things about my experience with them.

the dance floor packed throughout the night. In addition to being very easy to work with, there are a couple of factors that we thought differentiated the band from others we considered. First, they played continuously, without breaks, for the entire night. Second, you can see the band perform at the club in Greenwich Village before making your wedding band selection, which we did. Given the importance of choosing a wedding band, we found it surprising how few bands we could see perform live. Once we saw the band in person, we immediately chose them for our wedding. It was the best decision we could have made!

e. Not only was the performance great, but the planning and arrangements before-hand could not have gone more smoothly. They are highly recommended.

y to work with to book the band. Ben was our band leader and so professional and fun to work with too. The night was just perfect. They read the crowd unbelievably, played all our requests perfectly and were so FUN! We're in search for a reason to book them again soon but look forward to seeing them at the club in the meantime!

ssional, engaging (Mike was a great MC without pulling the spotlight to himself), managed the energy of the night from start to finish. They learned a few songs that we requested, and Robin's "Hamilton" brought the house down. I made the decision that people wouldn't remember the cake, but they would remember the band - or at the very least the 'feel' of the wedding. And Cafe Wha created something really spectacular. Thanks guys! Ken

eam is PROFESSIONAL and INCREDIBLE.

ne's and other middle-men brokers. THEY ARE TRASH. You will sit through a 90 minute infomercial and be sold whatever spare parts of a band they have available that night at a HUGE mark up. DO NOT BOTHER. I can not understand why so many people lazily go to these outfits rather than doing a very basic amount of research to get a much better real band at a lower price. Next, if you don't want my word for it, no problem: Ask to come and see the band yourself. They'll sit you in the front row at Cafe Wha and you can experience it yourself. For us, the only question left was price and whether they can replicate their awesome Greenwich Village act into a wedding venue. I'll leave the first part to you and your budget, but I can tell you the second part is a RESOUNDING YES. Unlike many of the bands we spoke to, Cafe Wha has a professional manager (Hap) who handles all the bookings. The band leader, Ben, will speak with you a few weeks before your big day about all the specifications you want and special requests. On special requests, these guys can nail ANYTHING (including in our case a song with the groom). If you don't have a lot of specifications, that's OK too, they have a huge repertoire and can come up with the right feel to the evening based off your general likes or dislikes. We had our wedding at the Weylin, in Brooklyn, which is a very difficult place to play acoustically; it has huge domed ceilings. The tech there told us NO ONE manages to navigate their acoustics like Cafe Wha band. If they can handle Weylin, I have to imagine they can easily handle anything. In the end, Cafe Wha hit all the right notes at all the right times, from the cocktail hour, ceremony, and party time. Our guests were on the dance floor en masse the entire night and could not stop raving about the music. Do yourself a favor and at least go check them out, and skip the middle-men timeshare pitch from the band brokers.

s patient with all of our questions and quick to answer us. The entire team did not disappoint. Music was really important to us and the band was AMAZING. Our guests are still talking about what an unbelievable job they did. Would highly recommend to anyone! Thank you to the entire Cafe Wha team!

reception, the band infused the room with energy to keep us dancing past midnight all the way until 2AM. They were so good at reading the room for what it needed, whether it be something more upbeat or a chance to slow things down. Wedding guests of all ages were dancing and having a great time well into the late hours of the night. I cannot keep track of how many people told us how much they LOVED the band. Make sure to check them play at Cafe Wha in the Village to get a feel for what they are all about. You will not be disappointed.

e planning process. Hap and Ben were both amazing to work with (and I don't consider myself the easiest!), and boy did the band deliver. EVERYONE (all generations) commented on how fabulous they were. My now husband and I are both from NJ, and he is a huge Springsteen fan. We were hesitant to do a Springsteen song for our first dance, knowing it wouldn't sound just like Bruce, but we went for it. The sound still gives me chills. It wasn't Bruce..it was better! HIRE them!!

ay we knew one thing we didn’t need to worry about was the music- which essentially makes the party. And they did not disappoint, our wedding was a month ago and we are STILL hearing from guests who loved the band. Another plus, if you are in the NY area is that you can schedule a meeting with Hap prior and actually listen to and experience the band in their natural habitat at Cafe Wha? We had a blast doing that and love that we can return on our anniversary or a random Tuesday to re-live part of our special night. One we shall never forget.

use Cafe Wha? Band and I believe this was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. Everyone says a wedding is good if your food and band are good... well, they're WAY WAY better than good!!

e crowd going the entire party and our guests raved about them for months after the event. I was hesitant to spend the $$$ but it was SO SO worth it.

fe Wha was the best wedding band they'd ever heard" - and it's true! We were blown away. I would HIGHLY recommend them for a wedding band. They know how to get everyone on the dance floor and keep them there all night!

ng with Ben was a pleasure. He was professional, thorough, and talented! He had my back the entire time. I had many guests that complimented my party saying it was the best band. And we had so much fun! I can not thank them enough.

tstanding musicians had EVERYONE rocking from start to finish. So our little advice would be: go see Café Wha perform a set and book them right away---stop wasting your time researching for a band; you're going to need it for everything else!

n the gamut of so many genres - rock, hip-hop, oldies, punk, R&B - and they nailed every single one. From Green Day to Kendrick Lamar to Foo Fighters to the theme song from The Golden Girls, they did everything from romantic to Rage Against The Machine and they were unreal all night long. They even mixed songs together, like oldies and hip-hop at once. Everyone we spoke to afterwards raved and said “where did you find that band??” We highly recommend them to all happy, music loving, couples!!!

sts were taken into account. When it came to the wedding day the band rocked! Suffice to say the dance floor was packed all night! Picking the Cafe Wha? band was unquestionably the best choice we could have made.

our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception and during each one, it felt more like being at a concert than a wedding (which was exactly what we wanted). Our friends and family have continued to go on about how much fun they were and how engaged they kept our guests. There wasn't a moment where the dancefloor wasn't full. Truly a great experience and we'll be going back to the club to relive our wedding night with these guys for years to come!

ll of the songs my husband and I requested! (Sweet Child Of Mine at the end of the night!!) You were all so accommodating, so nice to work with and of course the greatest musicians singers and entertainers!! Jon and I have been coming to the club on McDougal Street for 30 years, and as our kids got old enough we started bringing them and their friends- it's one of our favorite places! So we were thrilled when our daughter only wanted you to play at her wedding! However, we never dreamed that you could rock a big wedding the way you did!! It was unbelievable!! Unforgettable!! Thank you all so very much!!! Donna Ostrau

yed! Guest after guest asked who is this band and when can we see them again. Hap and Ben met with us several times and thoughtfully listened to us...what we wanted, what we didn't want...made their suggestions (they were ALL right) and created both a 14 piece band for the ages and a play list that matched EVERYTHING we could have asked for! if you want canned and corny wedding band...Café Wha isn't for you....If you want a band that will bring SO much ENERGY and SO much love into the room...GET ON IT. thanks again for EXCEEDING all our wishes and expectations!

orts of music which we spoke about and the process going into the wedding was very easy. I loved working with Hap and Ben -- they are professional, helpful and got everything we asked for.

e were at home. As for the band, they stood out from the pack as they were clearly more than just a group that moonlighted as a wedding band on the weekends. They are a set of experienced musicians that play almost nightly, which affords them enough range to accommodate a host of genres and requests with the ability to fill them easily. We worked with Mike extensively who was incredibly nice and agreeable in terms of the type of sound and music the band could and would provide. Being of a self-proclaimed music snob, I was happy that Mike took the time to incorporate our personal tastes and create a mix that captured our preferences. He took our requests diligently, but also gave us the confidence to know that the band was experienced enough to gauge the crowd and play the right songs to keep everyone dancing for the entire night. On the night of our wedding, the band delivered! They play hit after funky hit, and all of our guests were dancing the entire time. They played such a great mix of genres that included, funk, soul, hip hop, pop, and rock and really created a fun a lively environment for everyone. People continue to mention that this was the best band / party they had ever been to. We can’t say enough about their professionalism, musicianship, talent, and presence except that hiring the Café Wha? Band made our wedding a smashing success. We cannot recommend them enough to a couple having a wedding in the tri-state areas. They are pros that are head and shoulders about the rest.

ry first song to the very last, they were amazing! Every single vocalist brought something else to the table and our guests were dancing from the moment they entered the room. We have received countless compliments that Cafe Wha was not only the best wedding band, but the best band they have ever heard. Thank you, thank you for making our wedding the greatest dance party we could have asked for.

ith having them be part of our wedding!

wedding. They were also super easy to work with regarding the the song list etc. I would highly recommend :)

ng together and loved what they did for a living. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

they understand crowds. All the musicians are ridiculously talented. Super easy to work with. And, most importantly, they put on an AMAZING show!!!!

ve that such an amazing band actually did weddings! They are the complete opposite of the cliche wedding band, and were exactly what we wanted. Hap, who handles the coordination, was absolutely wonderful to work with; he always responded to my questions timely and anything we requested he made happen (including having the band learn some country songs !). I also spoke with Kim, the band leader, to hammer out logistics and the flow for the day of and she was so nice to talk to and made me feel so at ease with how the day would go. At the wedding, the band absolutely killed it! They created such a fun party atmosphere and the selection of songs had people of all ages on the dance floor all night. During the wedding and in the days after we got so many compliments on how amazing the band was and how they were the best wedding band they had ever seen. In my opinion a band can make or break a wedding and I would not have trusted my wedding with anyone else. If you want to throw an awesome party and totally wow your guests get this band!

you'll be dancing the night away! I sure did. I even went back to see them live downtown just a couple weekends ago. They're worth every penny.

ound me were saying the same thing. We were about to leave about 9:30P when we said lets just hear a song from this band 9 people with 4 guitars, 2 drums and great lead vocals both male and female. The first song blew us away. Frankly the Band made us forget the first act in ahurry. We wound up staying for the next two sets and Im sorry we couldn't stay longer as the artists got better as the nite went on. We were dancing and the Band was into it with the audience. GREAT BAND We are coming back for more as soon as we can. Café Whaq is my place and the food and service is terrific. Tom and Cat Z

were on the dance floor for most of the evening. Several guests complemented the Band following their performance.

he Cafe Wha band had them moving the entire time. They can play literally any music and have a great feel for the audience. I wouldn't compare them to other wedding bands because they are a NYC staple that happens to do weddings. The whole process is seamless as they just "get it". You have a million things to worry about during your wedding, if you go with Cafe Wha you can check off the band. LOVE THEM!