E3 Detroit/The Dan Rafferty Band

E3 Detroit made our wedding day one to remember for both us and our guests. From the cocktail hour with a jazz trio, to dinner music and dancing after dinner - they brought the energy the whole time. Throughout the planning process, they made it so easy - we loved working with Connie, Mark and the crew. They were a one stop shop for all we needed with music for the entire wedding and uplighting to enhance the room. They helped make our wedding so special and truly had everyone out on the dance floor the whole entire night - which is something our families and guests have not stopped talking about. We cannot recommend E3 enough -they had us dancing the night away!!

E3 Detroit and The DRB First Call Crew were a fantastic choice for my daughter and son-in-law's wedding last weekend. They are a one-stop shop for music for an entire wedding. They played the music for the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and then for dancing. They worked with my daughter and son-in-law to choose the music that suited them best and also engaged the older generation to dance the night away. They kept the party hopping and were very interactive so that the dance floor was busy all night long. I heard from many of the guests, "the band was fantastic" even days after the wedding. I would highly recommend the First Call Crew and would use them again for another event. Thank you for making the night magical for my daughter and son-in-law.

I would shout it from the rooftops how much I love and appreciate Derek and The Dan Rafferty Band! Derek is an expert level wedding MC/DJ/Entertainer, he has it down to a science. Leading up to our wedding, Derek and the E3 Detroit team answered all my questions and made me feel extremely stress-free. The day of, Derek was on top of everything and I never once worried if things were going as planned. With the help of the band, our dance floor was PACKED the whole night and everyone raves about the band. I would 100% back this team of entertainers for any wedding or event. It was the best night ever, with a lot of credit due to The Dan Rafferty Band!

I cannot say enough good things about E3 Detroit and The Social Bandits!!! We knew we wanted The Social Bandits to perform at our wedding after seeing them at a wedding a few years ago, and Connie and her team at E3 made booking them as our wedding band so smooth! We had a meeting to discuss what we wanted, and were able to customize our experience, like adding a horn section, a female singer, including cocktail hour, etc. Booking through their online platform was easy and it made communication so easy and reliable! On our wedding day, The Social Bandits made it the literal best day ever!!! They played all of our favorite songs, learned a song that we both love, engaged the crowd the entire time, and no one has stopped talking about them since our wedding day! We cannot thank Jesse, his band, and the E3 team enough! Hopefully we can throw another big party that requires a band in the future, because I would do anything to watch The Social Bandits perform again!

Our experience with The DRB First Call Crew was nothing short of amazing! We used them for a corporate party and they were a perfect fit! Getting started with E3 was a breeze, and they helped us find the perfect band for our event. Once we had settled on the specific band we wanted, we started the planning process with DRB First Call Crew. We worked closely with Mark in the weeks leading up to the event. He was always available and willing to discuss ideas, concerns, and requests. He took all the information we gave him into consideration to plan everything out perfectly. On the day of our event, we were even more impressed than we thought we'd be. The entire night was so well executed by the band and their crew. They incorporated everything we requested, they had an amazing ability to read the room, crowd and energy, and make everyone's night memorable. The interaction and experience that they provided to all guests was second to none. Although our event was not a wedding, we have no doubt that they would be SO much fun to celebrate with. We look forward to working with E3 and the DRB First Call Crew again in the future! Thanks to E3 and The DRB First Call Crew for an unforgettable night!

The Dan Rafferty Band went above and beyond what we expected! Their energy was fantastic and every member of the band was so talented. We're still getting comments from guests about how great they were!

The Dan Rafferty Band was absolutely incredible. From a business standpoint, incredibly professional and made the process easy. They were happy to learn songs for us because they genuinely wanted it to be the best night for us. They had a trio of musicians for our ceremony that played beautiful arrangements of Make you Feel My Love and All you Need is Love. They started playing towards the end of dinner and artfully got everyone on the dance floor so when they announced us for our first dance, we came through the doors to all cheering and standing around us!! It made for magical first dances!! The whole night the dance floor was full!!! Whenever we asked (or people freely shared) what their favorite parts were- almost all said the band!!!!!! Seriously as the bride I never wanted to leave the dance floor, though had to at times to “make the rounds.” I have vivid images of me hearing the song they were playing and sprinting down the hallway and jumping onto the dance floor. Towards the end of the night, my wedding planner came to get me on the dance floor and told me it was time to change into my exit dress. I looked her in the face and said, but I can’t stop dancing. All this to say- best band ever!!

E3 Detroit was amazing to work with for our wedding! Derek, Connie, and the whole Rafferty Band team could not have been more kind and accommodating to what my husband and I wanted for the music for the evening. They even let me dad join them on the keyboard for a song :) Our guests are still complimenting the band over a month after our wedding. They created a wonderful playlist of songs, incorporating all of our requests, and we especially loved their live hora. Thank you, Dan Rafferty Band!

Derrick and the team brought the PARTY! When planning our wedding, one of our non-negotiables was a live band. We knew immediately that we wanted to work with this band. The whole planning experience was so positive. They were easy to work with and made us feel so special. When it came to the big day....WOW! The entire band, the singers, Derrick, everyone was amazing and so talented. One of the common themes from our wedding guests was that they LOVED the band! The energy and the vibe was on point for the entire night. And they played all of our songs! Danced with us! Cheered us on! We all had so much fun. HIGHLY recommend!

We had First Call at our wedding last weekend and LOVED them! They got the crowd going, were interactive, could tell they were having fun up on stage, and took the time to learn our first dance song (and nailed it)! Couldn’t recommend enough. :)

All we can say is WOW!!!! We hired Mark and E3 Detroit for our wedding in August 2022 and they completely surpassed our expectations! Mark- the band leader who also doubles as a DJ- went above and beyond to ensure our dream became reality and made our wedding reception one for the books! He arranged multiple zoom calls, was very thorough and professional, and very quick to respond. The band was very accommodating to all of our needs and they worked hard to accomplish our special requests. Mark even customized our entrance and first dance songs with his DJ skills! We added on a trumpet player last minute and we were also able to have him participate in our ceremony. Every person in the band was so talented and clearly passionate about what they do. From the cocktail hour trio, to our bridal party introductions, to our special dances, to surprising us by learning one of our favorite songs, to having a new equally talented vocalist sub in last minute, to coming down onto the dance floor and singing/dancing with all of the guests, E3 Detroit absolutely crushed it!!!! The dance floor was full all night and the energy was out of this world! Tons of our 300+ guests came up to us and said it was the best band they have ever heard at a wedding! Thank you so much to Mark and the entire E3 Detroit band for celebrating with us in Grand Rapids, Michigan and giving us the show of a lifetime! We love you guys! ~Paul and Allison

This Saturday I was able to work with E3 and the Social Bandits at the Detroit Institute of Arts. I have worked in venue related roles for several years now in Detroit but I am newer to the planning scene. Jesse and Connie were extremely helpful in finalizing the details of our bride and groom. Their music was fantastic and they certainly kept the party going all the way until the end of the night. Looking forward to working with them again in the future!

Dan Rafferty made our wedding!! I would book them 100000 x over ! So worth it!

I’ll start off with several people have followed up with us after our wedding to tell us our wedding had the best band they’ve seen. E3 provided a piano and violin for our ceremony, a jazz trio for cocktail hour, and The First Call Crew for our band with Mark as emcee and we could not have been happier with how every part of it turned out. The ceremony music was beautiful and they played our requested songs perfectly. The First Call Crew was energetic the entire night. Our guests didn’t want to leave the dance floor, because they were having so much fun. The band actively maintained their sound levels so every song was exactly as loud as it should be and engaged with our guests. Mark was an excellent emcee. We could not recommend The First Call Crew enough.

We were absolutely thrilled with The Dan Rafferty Band! They sounded amazing and brought fantastic energy that had our dance floor packed all night long!

Hire the E3 Detroit/The Dan Rafferty Band for your next wedding, especially if I'm invited! I was blown away by our entire process and of course the big day by everyone at E3 Detroit. The band sends you a setlist so you can review the songs and create the event you've been dreaming of. My now husband and I also had songs we wanted the band to learn for our first dance, mother/son and father daughter dances. Both my father and maid of honor said Derek was so good at hyping them up before their toasts and the communication the night of the reception was so good. Most importantly, the band was so stellar. We added the horn section (a must) and the talent of this group was incredibly premium. Even my dad who does not dance was out on the dance floor watching and enjoying the music - that's when I knew it was a good party. Thank you so much to the team for creating the reception of our dreams!

The end-to-end experience of working with E3 Detroit was incredible. We'd highly recommend them for another family member or friend's wedding! Planning: We had to reschedule our wedding twice due to COVID (3 dates across 3 calendar years). The band honored our original contract and was flexible and supportive throughout the process. During the planning process, the band requested we fill out a comprehensive form and then during our phone call, Mark showed up on time and having thoroughly reviewed the form ahead of our call so that we could be effective and efficient with our time. Not every vendor respects your time during wedding planning, so this was very appreciated. Mark and the band were very receptive to our "must plays", genre requests, and "please do not play" list. They also coordinated well with the our planner and the staff at the Garden Theater to ensure they had everything they needed. Baraat (Indian Pre-Ceremony Ritual): We asked Mark last minute to be the DJ and MC for the Baraat part of our Indian wedding. Even though he'd never done this before, he embraced the opportunity. We had a call to align on the details of what was expected of him, what music to play and what equipment would be needed. He dealt with a mini-crisis before the Baraat when the mini-iPad we were supposed to use for the music overheated, but he was able to cool it down quickly and get the Baraat started on time. He did a great job MC'ing and leading the Baraat. Ceremony: Part of the band played during our ceremony and their instrumental covers of Maggie Rogers "Love You for a Long Time" and Post Malone's Cover of Hootie & the Blowfish's "Only Wanna Be With You" were the perfect renditions of songs for my wife and I to walk down the aisle to. Cocktail Hour: Part of the band played upbeat jazzy music during our cocktail hour which was a really great way for folks to be entertained and get excited for the reception. Reception: Mark was a great MC, lead for the evening, especially considering he had to help us deal with a mini-crisis as one of our wedding guests had a medical emergency during the reception. While my wife and I and the venue staff dealt with the medical emergency, he worked with our planner behind the scenes to come up with alternate schedule options for the remainder of the evening in case the reception was still going to move forward. The show did go on (our guest was okay) and it was in large part thanks to Mark and the rest of the First Call band. Mark brought great energy throughout the early parts of the reception and he's a huge reason why everyone was on the dance floor right when it opened. Most importantly, the band was absolutely incredible. Every single one of our guests had the highest praise for First Call. They played a variety of classics and modern hits, came onto the dancefloor to join the party and even had a Michael Jackson segment where one of the band members did an entire MJ dance routine. Everyone had great voices. The music wasn't too loud. They also embraced Jewish + Indian cultures amazingly. They played the Hora to get the dance party started and during the first band break, Mark DJ'd a 15 minute Indian setlist where he studied the songs ahead of time and mixed it live. He'd never done this before but embraced the opportunity with open arms. We can't say enough about how incredible it was to work with this band. We'll always remember them being a special part of our wedding weekend.

An amazing band! My daughter and son in law recently got married. The dance floor was full all night. Everyone raved about the band during and after the wedding! Derrick kept everyone engaged and was an amazing MC. The band did the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. We were thrilled with all of it

The Dan Rafferty band was the highlight of our wedding! They tailored the music perfectly to us and kept the party alive all night. We received endless compliments from guests about how much they enjoyed the band. The jazz trio at our cocktail hour was also lovely. We had the best night of our lives thanks to these guys!

I had personally seen both the DRB and E3 perform at weddings back in 2018 and knew as soon as I started the planning process they were the band I wanted!! Truly, no one else compares. Mark and the E3 crew were absolutely phenomenal from start to finish!! To say they did not disappoint is an understatement. From our very first conversation to their live performance, the E3 team and Mark made us feel like their #1 priority. They were on top of every email, every question, every need almost immediately. Which, as a totally Type A bride was BEYOND appreciated! From a performance perspective, you would not believe how many compliments we received from our guests saying "your live band is AMAZING!" But, we already knew that going in. ;) They truly put on a spectacular performance and learned all of the songs that were special to us for that day. Even during challenging moments trying to corral guest (due to the size and layout of the venue) Mark and his team had it covered. Please do yourself a favor and hire E3 to play your wedding!!! It will be a party you won't forget.

Choosing E3/First Call was hands down the easiest (and BEST) wedding planning decision we made!! I was lucky enough to have seen First Call perform at a number of other family/friend's weddings over the past several years and had the absolute best time at all of them so when we got engaged I KNEW I had to hire them! We actually chose our wedding date partially based on their availability... The entire process working with them was seamless. Derek talked us through the band package options and let me know the band had performed a ton of weddings at the Inn at Bay Harbor which made us feel so at ease that everything would run smoothly. As the wedding got closer, we worked with Mark on all of the day-of logistics, song choices, entrances, etc. - he was so patient with us...I think we chose our Father/Daughter dance song and switched up the order of events ~6 days before the wedding – he was super flexible and pulled everything off without a hitch. He even coordinated a last minute request from our MOH to play a song during her speech. The band was INCREDIBLE, up beat and so fun – the dance floor was full the entire night!! Every person we talked to after the wedding said it was the most fun wedding and could not stop raving about the band. Our #1 hope for our wedding was that people will remember it as FUN and First Call helped make that a reality for us. THANK YOU Derek, Mark and the entire E3/First Call Crew!!

The EASIEST and BEST decision we made for our wedding was hiring The Dan Rafferty Band. Derek and the band kept the dance floor packed the entire night with the perfect mix of oldies and current songs. Seriously, if we could have stayed on the dance floor until the sun came up, we would have. It's been over a month since our wedding and our guests can't stop talking about how amazing the band was, and neither can we. They made the party everything we wanted it to be and more. If you're thinking about hiring DRB, DO IT! You won't regret it, I promise.

Literally MADE the entire wedding! They were absolutely incredible and a joy to work with. I loved the idea of having a band but was initally a little worried they may not be able to play any current hits / keep the younger crowd on the dance floor but they absolutely NAILED it. The perfect mix between classics and more current music and were super flexible and willing to do anything we wanted. By the time the wedding was ending, everyone was still out on the dance floor and all of the guests starting chanting "ONE MORE SONG" and didn't want the band to leave! They played us one more song and it was a hit. I will NEVER forget having this band at my wedding! Thank you E3 you guys are amazing!

The Social Bandits were the highlight of our wedding!! Everyone was on the dance floor THE WHOLE NIGHT! I was blown away with how incredible they were and so were our guests. I am so happy we chose them, they made our wedding so much fun and beyond what I ever imagined. The energy could not be beat! Melody from E3 Detroit was the violinist for our ceremony and she was also amazing. Her music truly made the ceremony walk-ins/outs feel so much more special! I am forever grateful that we chose E3 Detroit for our wedding.

E3/ first call made our reception!! To be honest, my husband was skeptical of having a band and he says he was happily wrong. The music and vocals are great, but the showmanship and interaction made the evening. They were so fun, high energy and easy to work with. The Motown segment was so fun and perfect for a Detroit wedding. We received lots of compliments on the band and many people were asking for contact info after. Highly recommend!

Derek and The Dan Rafferty Band brought the energy to our wedding! Derek and his team were so professional through 3 date changes. Finding a band was what we were most excited about for our wedding, and this band blew our expectations out of the water. From the cocktail hour music to the packed dance floor - we are so grateful. Every musician was so talented, and Derek was the best emcee. Meeting with Derek before our wedding gave us complete peace of mind - these are the experts.

Derek and the team were unbelievably good and just so much fun to work with. The feedback from guests was through the roof and they were crisp and professional throughout.

The Dan Rafferty band are absolutely amazing!! Not only were the jazz trio and band truly wonderful for our cocktail hour and reception, Derek and team were great to work with during the planning process. The team was flexible and incredibly helpful as we planned and rescheduled during covid, and made sure our wedding ran smoothly. They exceeded all our expectations! Derek and the band kept the dance floor packed and guests continue to rave about the music, even a month after the wedding. Thank you, DRB & E3 team!!

Absolutely ABOVE AND BEYOND!!!!!!!!! They truly made our wedding the best ever. They are worth every single penny. So kind, professional, and fun! Thank you Mark for your amazing and creative ideas. This is the best band in the world!!!!!

We had the First Call Crew for our wedding and they were INCREDIBLE! Literally every person I've seen since my wedding has commented how fabulous they were. They were so energetic, even came out and joined us on the dance floor, and kept the party going all night long. I was truly glued to the dance floor I was having so much fun with them I couldn't leave! They were also great to work with leading up our wedding and easily accommodated many requests to make the show special. The best!!

Derek and his team were amazing. In addition to putting on a great show, they also were flexible enough to accommodate a shifting schedule after our dinner took too long to be served. Any aspect of the event that the DRB was responsible for went incredibly well and without issue. We received countless compliments on the entertainment from our guests and the dance floor was filled all night long. I can not recommend the Derek, the DRB, and E3 Detroit enough. My wife is not constantly looking for reasons for events/parties so we can try to hire them again.

We were so lucky to have the First Call Crew as the band for our wedding at the Inn at Bay Harbor!!! I was a little anxious at first because of communication but as soon as we got in touch with Mark it was the best experience and we would HIGHLY recommend. Mark was so responsive and had the best recommendations for songs, he was so professional and all around wonderful to work with. Then the wedding day came and the band was amazing - they sounded incredible, they were so fun and they kept people on the dance floor the whole night! Honestly the band is what people are still talking about and people kept saying they were the best part of our wedding!!! We also had them play for our ceremony and cocktail hour and that music was beautiful and we’re so happy we did that!

The First Call Crew, a band of the E3 Detroit company, were an exceptional team to work with. We saw them at a wedding in Detroit, and knew we could not find a better band, so we brought them to Columbus, Ohio for my daughter's wedding in July 2021, and they were exceptional! All of the 240 guests were impressed with the talent, energy and rhythm this band exemplifies. They are prompt and organized on the back-end, and have a flow to their performance, that keeps the crowd engaged and truly entertained. The band's professionalism, style and music provide a one-of-a-kind performance. We can't wait for our next daughter's wedding to have them back! You will enjoy every minute of their performance! Marian M.

Was a guest at the most fun wedding!!! First Call Crew was absolutely AMAZING!!!!! The dance floor was packed the entire night. I'll recommend them to everyone I know for sure!

First Call Crew rocked our wedding so hard!!!! They got everyone on the dance floor from the father/daughter dance until the end of the very end of night. Every song was spectacular from rock, to soul, to rap, to pop. They made the night so memorable for us, the bride and groom, and for everyone that attended the wedding. We heard over and over again that our wedding was the best they had ever attended, and it was because of First Call Crew. If you want your event to be a success and for no one to leave the dance floor make sure you book them! Thank and you for making our wedding a night we will never forget!! Love, The Jensens

We hired the Social Bandits for our wedding and could not have been happier. They provided great value, were responsive and went above and beyond every step of the way. Highly recommend!

Ok...WOW. I don’t even know where to begin with this band. First Call/E3 Entertainment did a FANTASTIC job for my wedding. We received SO many compliments following the wedding and have had multiple people ask us for their information for their upcoming events. We used this band for my brother's wedding in 2016, and after I got engaged, I booked these guys immediately. There was no question we wanted them again and they did not disappoint! Having a great and organized band is imperative for a fun and "smooth" wedding reception. Mark did a fabulous job MC'ing and the band players were so engaging. They listened to exactly what I wanted (a play/do not play list, for example). The band players come into the crowd , Mark has so much energy and makes sure that everything is running on time, and you can't tell when the band takes a break! They were so pleasant to work with and were a major reason that my wedding was so fun and such a success. You will not be disappointed with these guys!!! I promise. Wish we could do it again.

Derek was so personal to my husband and I! He kept the dance floor packed and involved all night. The band is incredible and has such a wide range of music! We have received countless compliments!

The Dan Rafferty Band was amazing! The dance floor was packed all night long. I have 2 friends that NEVER dance, even at weddings, and they were up on that dance floor dancing the night away. What a memorable evening!

Do yourself a favor - use the Dan Rafferty Band!! They absolutely made our wedding. I want to do the whole night again so I can spend more time just appreciating their music! Due to COVID, we didn’t actually hear the band live until our wedding. They were recommended by a few people and we went with our gut... so glad we did! Every single guest raved about the music. The dance floor was packed all night. We even had family interested in the band traveling from Michigan to North Carolina for their event. Derek and company were amazing about our venue changing and dealing with neighbors at my parent’s house. They all had the best attitudes throughout the whole process. Derek and the band go above and beyond in making the night unique to the couple. They are professional, kind, and SO FUN! Best band ever!!!

We hired two E3 bands for our wedding events and they blew it out of the water. We hired The Social Bandits for our Friday night welcome party and wow they were incredible. They captured the vibe that we wanted perfectly. They nailed every song and were such a pleasure to be around. Their song choices were incredible and every single guest commented by how immensely talented they were. I wish we could have had them for 5 more hours. Then we hired First Call for our wedding night and they were the best damn wedding band we have ever seen, bar none. The entire band ABSOLUTELY CRUSHED IT. From the SECOND we hit the dance floor we were blown away. There are videos of us dancing and I am looking at my husband with my jaw on the floor. Literally from the second we got on the dance floor from the very first song when the saxophonist started doing a solo I knew we were in for the best night of our lives. Every single wedding guest came up to me and said this was the best wedding band they had ever heard and I know I am biased but I have been to enough weddings to know that it's the truth. I have never experienced such energy, enjoyment and TALENT. They nailed every single song. Every song was better than the next. When the singers would jump onto the dance floor everyone went nuts. When the saxophonist again did his solo we all went WILD. When we slowed it down it was the perfect time. When we asked them to play a song twice they did it. And when they closed the night out with a rap it was one of the most fun moments of our lives. Mark even stayed on to DJ our silent disco - again, another of the most memorable and fun moments of our lives. A band can make or break a wedding and they absolutely crushed it. We are SO grateful for them for giving us the best night of our lives. Also, our planner said that they were the best band to work with on the back end on all logistics - a win win on all accounts. They also learned a few songs that we had asked them to in record time, and for that we are forever grateful.

Derek and team are amazing!! Derek was great to work with the entire process, even helping us navigate our postponement due to COVID. DRB rocked the night and made our wedding the most perfect night of our lives! We can never thank you enough!

We hired 'First Call' to perform at our wedding and were absolutely thrilled with their performance! The vocals and musicians were excellent both during our ceremony and throughout the celebration. They also handled MC responsibilities very well to keep the night on track which was really important to us. We would hire 'First Call' again and highly recommend them to anyone looking for a fantastic band to perform at their wedding!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for making our night so perfect! The Dan Rafferty Band was so easy to work with and talk to leading up to our special day. They gave us ideas that we didn't even think about and had our back with every detail. I highly recommend hiring them for your wedding- it was definitely the best decision we made!

E3/The Dan Rafferty band was absolutely outstanding. They made our reception one I and every one of our guests will never forget. They kept the dance floor packed with all ages of people all night long. We are still having guests contact us for the name of the band. From the first moment i inquired about hiring them through to the actual day they have been a pleasure to work with. I would HIGHLY recommend them to any couple!