The Cooper River Band

Wow!!!!! There are not enough words to put into a review about this band! The Cooper River Band is professional, experienced and knows how to get a crowd dancing and singing! They performed at our wedding and we had so many compliments how great they were. David was easy to work with from the song selection to the reception setup. He is very detailed oriented and truly wants his clients to have a blast! They are versatile and can sing Bruno Mars to Garth Brooks to David Bowie. They even learned the song “Red Red Wine” and performed it in memory of my dad. It was a very sweet moment that my family and I will never forget. Thank you for the memorable moments and dancing!!!!

We initially booked Permanent Vacation/Cooper River Band for our wedding and were so excited to have them play for our guests! Unfortunately, we had to cancel due to our venue canceling because of COVID-19, and were so incredibly bummed. However, the band was amazing to work with, so friendly and cooperative, they have an extensive playlist, and their sound is great! I would highly recommend booking them for any event!

Michael and the rest of the band were awesome! They were incredibly easy to get in touch with and knew what they were doing. They played the majority of our cocktail hour, reception, and emceed and everything was perfect! Couldn’t have been happier with them!

Oh. My. Gosh. WE LOVE PERMANENT VACATION!! They made the entire process so simple and easy going. They were on top of their business and were extremely professional. We danced all night long and were so sad when it had to end. We’ve already had people ask for their name so they could book them for their wedding/ a friends wedding. They are true entertainers and won’t let you down!! 10/10!

Permanent Vacation is absolutely amazing! We hired their four piece band, Acoustic Vacation, for our wedding and I can not say enough about how great they were. Michael was so nice, flexible and responsive prior to the wedding. The variety of music they played was perfect and they were so much fun! All of our guests can't stop talking about how great they were.

Permanent Vacation was incredible to work with from the moment that we booked them. They are very responsive, professional, and organized. At the wedding they had EVERYONE on the dance floor. They are by far the best wedding band I have ever heard and I would highly recommend them to anyone getting married in the Charleston area! We received so many compliments about the band and we can't wait to go hear them again soon!

I can not begin to tell you how many compliments we got on the band. They are phenomenal! So easy to work with and accommodating. They helped make my wedding day the best day of my life.

These guys are amazing. We booked them for our wedding at Alhambra Hall this past June and it was so much fun! Michael is so easy to work with and literally goes above and beyond for his clients. I would highly recommend these guys!! They are wonderful.

What a fantastic band! We had PV for our wedding at the Francis Marion hotel on 8/13/2016. The band was SO MUCH FUN, and kept everyone on the dance floor all night long! Michael was great about responding to any questions I had prior to the wedding day. I would definitely book them over and over again if I could!

Permanent Vacation was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! They had everyone (young and old) on the dance floor the entire time! They played such a great variety and exactly what the bride and groom requested! The best wedding band ever! I wish I could rate them 10 stars!

There are not enough stars here to describe how wonderful Michael (lead singer) and Permanent Vacation are! The absolute best decision made for our wedding last weekend. Only regret I have is not being able to be on the dance floor more! One of the easiest vendors to work with and well worth every penny! One of my bridesmaids has PV as their wedding band in a few months - I cannot wait! Thank you from one happy Bride!

Permanent Vacation, Thank y'all for giving us and our guests a night we will never forget!! We had so much fun and had people coming up to us all night to let us know how awesome y'all were! We cannot thank y'all enough!! The music was great, exactly what we discussed and our guests loved the variety. They ran the music for our ceremony by supplying speakers, provided mics for the officiant and groom and played a play list provided by the bride. They also played a playlist supplied by the bride for the cocktail hour and then played live for our 4 hour reception. They were more amazing than we ever could have imagined and made the groom and I feel so important and that our wedding was one of a kind. We would HIGHLY recommend them to any couple looking for a night full of dancing and good music.

What can I say about Permanent Vacation that hasn't already been said?! They are the BEST wedding band in Charleston and really know how to work the crowd! They have been doing this for years and you can absolutely tell through every step of the process. They make the effort to get to know you beforehand and what it is you are looking for at your wedding. Then they actually make it happen! Whether it's learning your first dance song (which they happily did for us!) or announcing your wedding party, they do it all! And they are seriously the most FUN band around. I had one guest tell me that she typically is skeptical of wedding bands and prefers DJ's, but that Permanent Vacation was the best wedding band she'd ever seen! So if you want your guests to really get down and have a fun and memorable wedding, you won't think twice... go with PV!

Permanent Vacation is the best band, ever!! Plain and simple... Nothing more to say.. But I will. They were our wedding band and have seen them at 10-15 other everts and it gets better everytime..except for our big day--we still think that takes the cake. (Pun intended). Anyone looking for a band that's gonna make the night 10 times better.. Go with P-Vacay!!

Well, we pretty much had the best wedding band EVER! Permanent Vacation was incredible. They are amazingly talented, highly energetic, and enabled us to have a phenomenal reception! We have received countless compliments and rave reviews... Guests of all ages had a blast! They play classics and current hits... They get the party started and keep it going! I am beyond pleased with our decision to have Permanent Vacation as part of our day! I would recommend them to anyone looking to have a memorable and amazingly fun event!!

We booked Permanent Vacation for our destination wedding over a year in advance and they came highly recommended. We just had our wedding last week and they were fabulous! Their set list was great and our guests of all ages couldn't stop raving about them. They performed our father/daughter song live which was simply beautiful. They really got the crowd up and dancing and I didn't stop dancing the whole night. They were great to work with and very quick with responses. They really tailored our wedding to our personal style which was great. We cant wait to get back down to SC to see them again, they were fantastic! The best band ever! Thanks so much guys! A. Michalski

I would highly recommend Permanent Vacation as a Wedding Band or a Band for Any Occasion! They are professional, experienced, talented, easy to work with, friendly, fun and most importantly, they have the supreme ability to keep everyone on the dance floor! I have been seeing this band play for over 10 years and they have always entertained. They have a wide arrangement of music that was great for people of all ages. If you want to have a memorable wedding for you and your guests, I cannot recommend a better band. It has been almost a year since our wedding and people are still talking about how much fun the Band was.

My reception wouldn't have been as amazing as it was without Permanent Vacation!!! They are such an incredible band and so much fun!! All of my wedding guests had a blast and they really do a great job of involving the crowd and getting everyone on the dance floor. My guests were talking about Permanent Vacation for weeks after my wedding :) They are also really flexible with their playlists and willing to learn song requests from the bride and groom if they have a favorite that is not currently on their playlist. Truly an amazing band, they are talented, fun and an awesome group of guys!! You would be missing out if you don't book this band!

PV played at our wedding reception at the Historic Rice Mill, and we couldn't be happier. They were super nice, engaging, responsive, easy to work with, and reasonably priced. Great sound and great musicians. They played a wide variety of music and made the reception fun for guests of all ages. Book them! You will not be disappointed!

I cannot thank the band members of Permanent Vacation enough for the best wedding music ever! From the moment the music started til the very end of our magical wedding night, our guests were rockin' the dance floor...including myself (and I am not a dancer!). Permanent Vacation helped turn our wedding reception into my dream reception...I wanted a big party, lots of fun and dancing and that is just what we got! All night long our guests told us what a great band we had...in fact, when I talk with folks who were at the reception, they still mention what a super band we had playing at the wedding reception. I felt as though the band wanted to make my wedding reception just as special as I did! Months before the wedding we were contacted by the band with questions about the types of music we wanted to have played...as well as what we did not want to have played. The band kept in touch with me right up to the wedding day...it was very comforting - I never worried about one of the biggest pieces of the wedding! From now on, any band I hear at a wedding reception or out in the community, will be compared to Permanent Vacation! Thank you again and again Permanent Vacation!!

Permanent Vacation played at our wedding on May 31st and they were amazing! They tailor their extensive song list to the specific set that you and your guests would enjoy. The band was originally booked for the date of our wedding but when those plans changed, they reached out to me personally to notify me of the change. They were even willing to travel to Columbia when they usually play around the Charleston area. We were so happy they were available because the music really made the reception! Everyone loved the music and they were great at interacting with guests. Best piece of advice - BOOK EARLY because they get booked quickly!

They came recommended to me by a family member that had seen them out at other events. I wasn't sure how everything would be but I am SO HAPPY that we went with them. They are the best wedding band I have ever heard! Everybody in the band was very nice and they had a great energy. They have a great variety of music (which was all exactly what I wanted) and they made sure that everything was how I visioned it. They were interactive and just FUN! I haven't seen so many people up and dancing at a wedding in a long time. THANK YOU!

We thoroughly enjoyed the band Permanent Vacation! They have a great vibe for wedding events and were very easy to work with. I highly recommend them!

Permanent Vacation was our wedding band on March 8th, 2014. They were amazing! Not only did they rock out, but they kept all the guests entertained! They were excellent at keeping the reception flowing -- there was never a dull moment! The band's cover of each song is unique yet spot-on! The band was a vital part of our reception, and I would recommend them to any couple looking to make their reception an absolute blast!

Having no experience with bands, we chose Permanent Vacation for our daughter's wedding just on their reviews, but quickly realized we had made the perfect choice! Working with these guys was pure pleasure. They stay in close touch, ask your opinion on any decision, give you the most personalized evening anyone could expect. And then there's the talent!! Their sound was just what we asked for. A balanced mixture of beach, pop and current music. Can't say enough about the wonderful time had by all. To really put this in perspective, we told the band, based on the extraordinary performance they gave us, that they didn't charge enough!! Now that's a true compliment coming from the bride's parents! You can't go wrong, for any event, with Permanent Vacation. They have our most sincere "Thank You" and our highest recommendation!

Permanent Vacation added so much fun to our reception! They were great and our guests loved them. Our guests are still talking about how much fun our wedding was 6 weeks after!

Permanent Vacation was the band that played at our wedding just a couple of weeks ago. I could not have picked a better group to play on our big day! They played just what we wanted and more. They kept us and our guests on the floor all night and even incorporated us and the guests in their music. I can't get enough compliments from our guets since that day and I owe it all to this group. They truly love and enjoy what they are doing. Permanent Vacation is the Best Wedding Band out there.

I got a warm and fuzzy feeling about these guys from the moment I spoke with the lead singer Michael on the phone and my instincts were right! They were just as awesome as they proved to sound over the phone. I got married in Hilton Head and was planning my wedding as a destination from Atlanta. Music was important to me and all I had to go by was the way they sounded online and recommendations since I was unable to hear them live beforehand. They were AWESOME and my friends and family are still talking about how amazing they were.... My wedding was a month ago! My feet hurt from dancing for 3 days and they even had the baptists up and dancing! :)I highly recommend these guys. Look no further. This is your band!

When my wife and I decided to get married in Charleston SC we knew one of two things MUST be accomplished. Where will it be...and who will be playing. We had our wedding at Alhambra Hall in Mount Pleasant SC so that was one check off our list and the next check was booking Permanent Vacation. My wife and I are really into music...fun music...and when I saw this bands song list I couldn't help myself by immediately signing off on almost every song. Unfortunately these guys can't play all 150+ songs on their list for one wedding but they played every single song we requested off their list. HOWEVER, this is where I think they deserve a 6th star if I could apply one. In their contract it mentions that they will try and learn a song should we really have one that's not on their approved song list so my wife and I thought long and hard to pick one...however we couldn't pick just one...we picked 3 and told them to pick one and learn it and my wife and I would be graciously surprised. Well get this, they learned ALL THREE!! They even learned a song with an instrument that they never played with...a banjo... Who does that? First, these guys are very popular in SC and play all the time so who has time to learn not one but THREE songs. And second, who has the time to actually learn a new instrument just for us?? Apparently they do!!! They rocked it...they kept everyone dancing, entertained, engaged and sweaty from all the dancing. I even had guests come up to me and say..."where did you find these guys?... They are AWESOME!" I knew this day was going to be one I'll never forget and all I can say is that these guys took the time and made sure everyone else wouldn't forget it either. Mike, Paul and all the other guys...thank you so much! Thank you for making this day unforgettable. Rock on! -Travis & Katie 7/20/13

I would like to sincerely thank Permanent Vacation for performing at my wedding! Not only did they have to travel a little outside of the Charleston area to Pawleys Island, but they did it with no questions asked! All of our guests danced the entire night and packed the dance floor thanks to their upbeat attitude and wonderful music! All of our guests have commented on what a remarkable band we had hired for the occasion and said it was by far the best wedding band they have ever heard. These guys are truly great and even played through one of their breaks because they were having such a good time with the crowd! One of the highlights for my husband and I were how they allowed all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen on stage to sing along with them. I even got to go back up on stage with my mom during our favorite song and I've never seen a band allow this at a wedding before! Truly something special with great pictures to prove it! I would highly recommend you use Permanent Vacation for your upcoming event because of their high-energy, passion for music, and how they interact with the crowd. They were also very professional and timely when communicating about the occasion. Can't wait to see PV perform again!

Permanent Vacation was the BEST band we could have ever asked at our wedding!! The dance floor was LITERALLY overflowing with everyone dancing!! We extended the reception another hour because everyone was having such an AWESOME time and wouldn't stop dancing!! All the band members were amazing--super professional, laid back, nice, genuine, fun, all around awesome guys. They played everything we wanted to hear and MORE to keep the party rolling! SO. MUCH. FUN. Highly recommend these great guys and will definitely be out around in Charleston to see them again!!!

We've enjoyed the sounds of Permanent Vacation for years as we've heard them at countless events in and around Charleston, SC so it was a no-brainer that we would invite them to play on our big day. PV did an amazing job engaging our wedding guests, filling the dance floor song after song, and making our wedding reception the greatest party! We literally had a full dance floor all night long and I distinctly remember hearing several guests raving about the music as we were leaving - people still talk about what an awesome party it was and I know that was a direct result of the band and their involvement with our guests. If you are looking to find a high-energy, people-pleasing group of talented musicians who are very keenly in tune with making your wedding reception exactly what you've dreamed of, then look no further and hurry to book Permanent Vacation. They created memories for us that we will carry forever (even as recently as a Charleston vacation where we set out to enjoy them at a local venue and were able to have a special dance to "our song" with "our band"). Thank you to Michael Ruthsatz for being so great to work with and all the band members for sharing their incredible talents!!

Permanent Vacation played for our June 29th wedding and they rocked the Cotton Dock! They were absolutely fabulous from their professionalism to their performance and their willingness to accommodate. They are the nicest group of guys and they made the music side of our wedding planning a breeze. I would highly recommend Permanent Vacation to anyone and everyone looking for an excellent band. All the guests at our wedding commented on how much they enjoyed the band and even our photographer said that the band rocked! We couldn't have been happier with our choice of band. Thank you so much Permanent Vacation!!!

I heard PV in 2009 at a friend's wedding and remembered how fun they were - when I saw that they were still playing in Charleston I was so happy! Besides being great musicians and bringing exactly the type of energy I wanted to my wedding, they are so easy to work with and such nice genuine people. In addition, they let my dad jump in and play the drums for a few songs, and they let our family play a song that means a lot to all of us. They really allowed us to make our wedding personal and include all those we love. After the wedding I had so many people come up to me and say, "I think you had record time for getting people on the dance floor!" I was so happy - that was my goal!! I just wanted everyone dance..A LOT and they did - we even ended up extending them to play a little longer because everyone was having so much fun! Thank you PV - you really helped make my wedding day exactly what I wanted - I had so much fun and it was certainly the best day of my life so far!

We booked this band just based on word of mouth and recommendations. What everyone said was true. They played a mix of shag songs, old country (my husbands request) and some club songs to kick the party into high gear. Everyone was dancing til the very end of the night. My dad and father in law (plus anyone else that could fit maybe 16 people) got on stage for the last few songs it was a blow out. They are awesome!

It's pretty darn simple. If you DON'T use Permanent Vacation as the band for your next event, then you are settling for second best. Permanent Vacation is the BEST wedding band that I have ever experienced...and I've been to my fair share of weddings and events. I used Permanent Vacation as the band for my wedding reception, and I can easily say that it was the best decision that I made throughout the entire planning of my wedding. They are fun, energetic, play a wide variety of music, very easy to work with, punctual, prepared, professional, and they communicate often to ensure the vision of the bride and groom. I would recommend this group to anyone looking for a party band. If I was to get married again...which hopefully I won't ;-)...I would use them again!

I cannot express how glad we were that we chose Permanent Vacation for our wedding band. A good band makes the wedding, and we had a blast. The dance floor was packed and that was a direct reflection on the band and the music. Our guests are still raving about how great the music was. We planned our wedding from long distance and I often time went back and forth with the band to make changes and requests. They were so flexible, patient, professional and extremely kind. We loved working with them!

Permanent Vacation played at my wedding. They were very easy to work with throughout the entire process. If I had any questions, I was quickly given a response. They played for our cocktail hour and the reception and did an amazing job! Our wedding was outside...it poured down rain and they were still willing to play (of course we had a tent). Everyone keeps talking about our band, they were awsome! Highly recommend.

We couldn't have asked for any better! I don't know if anyone ever left the dance floor, especially my husband and me. They interacted with our guests keeping us all on the dance floor from the very beginning. Their lists of songs is endless with something for everyone. It was hard to narrow down but they worked with us build the perfect set list! I wouldn't think to recommend any other band!!! Definitely the best in town!

Michael was amazing to deal with before, during, and after the wedding. I had a million questions leading up to the wedding and Michael was always quick to respond and never acted like I was a Bridezilla! I got compliments all night about how great the band was! They were even accommodating to the crazy groomsmen who insisted on taking over and singing a few songs! I was so pleased with the song list as well as them learning our song for our first dance! Best band EVER!

We booked Permanent Vacation for my daughter's August wedding in Charleston at the William Aiken House. From the first email, Michael was very professional, helpful and always prompt with a response. My daughter and her husband had heard them play at the wedding of a friend of theirs and knew that they would be perfect for them too. My daughter had always wanted "Sweet Child of Mine" to be the song that she danced to with her dad. Unfortunately it wasn't on the play list. When I spoke with Michael he said they'd try to learn it, but since it was a difficult song, he couldn't promise that they could do it. Just before the wedding he said that they had worked it out and could do it. I didn't tell my daughter that they were going to play it for her dance with her dad. The band started a few chords of "My Girl" and I could see the look of disappointment on her face. When they stopped and said..."wait.that's not right" and went into Sweet Child of Mine, she broke out in a huge smile and started to cry! It was the best moment of the night. I can never thank Michael and the band enough for making my daughter's night perfect. They kept the crowd dancing from start to finish. The dance floor was still packed when the bride and groom were ready to make their exit and the end of the night. They play a variety of music and really get the party going. If you choose Permanent Vacation for your event I KNOW you will not be disappointed! They are FABULOUS!!! I want to have another party just so they can play for us again!!!

the band was amazing! They played all of the songs I requested. All of the guests danced the night away and we received many compliments on how much they loved the band.

I was planning our Charleston, SC, wedding from Virginia, and relied heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations from friends in the area. Permanent Vacation was one of those recommendations and I am so thankful I listened. I talked to one other popular band but PV won out. Michael was so easy to work with and responded to any emails, etc. promptly and professionally. I also thought their price was really reasonable compared to others in the area. Their play-list is awesome (and any songs they don't already play can be learned (for a fee) or they can use an iPod). We saw no need to do this as the playlist was great--we just picked some of our "favorites" and let them put together a good mix of fast/slow/etc. They primarily play classic rock and "beach music" with some 80s and 90s hits thrown in. On the day of our wedding, they put on an amazing show. They were so much fun and had everybody on the floor dancing, from our teenaged guests to the great- grandparents! Michael did a great job "Em-Cee'ing" when necessary and was interactive with the guests (in a good way). We have received so many compliments on "the band", and my parents are hoping to book them when my sister begins wedding planning in the next few months. Truly, they were great and it was exactly the reception my husband and I had hoped for. Everyone had a fantastic time, and we all truly hated to see the night come to an end.

Michael and the guys of Permanent Vacation could not have been a better reception band! One of the most fun, enthusiastic and accommodating bands that I've ever worked with. The guys were so easy to work with and did everything they could to make our day TONS of fun (for us and our guests)!

Permanent Vacation MADE our reception. I had never heard of them before we hired them, but I listened to their samples online and read a ton of reviews before booking... and Friends and family are still talking about the great time they had dancing all night to the live music from this great band! They even let my mother (who has always dreamed of being a singer, despite her awful voice) get on the mike and jam to a song with them! They played every song I requested and they played them all AMAZINGLY. LOVE THIS BAND!