Velocity

ad found a rare gem. The band is incredibly talented! Even after we had booked them we bought tickets to hear them play at Summerfest regardless of the 4 hour roundtrip drive. We were disappointed to learn only on the day of our wedding as we arrived at our reception venue that the lead female singer we had seen and heard in the videos and at Summerfest was not with the band that evening and had been replaced by another female singer, who although talented and could out sing most, was a bit of a let down compared to the female singer we had seen live. I would have appreciated a heads up from their management about this arrangement ahead of time and was saddened that the lady we had bragged about for months “No one can belt Proud Mary like she can!” wasn’t present. The other thing that frustrated me slightly was in the months/weeks leading up to the wedding we had a back and forth about songs to be played. They said they preferred a more open list so they could “read off the crowds energy” so they had to freedom to switch it up if the crowd wasn’t feeling a certain song or genre. We are a younger couple for sure, and the set-list the band brought, with the exception of the 5-6 songs I requested as “Must plays” were mainly 70’s and 80’s. While my husband and I enjoyed them, they didn’t resonate with many of the guests and many times during the night the dance floor was completely empty. I was hoping this might be a clue to the band to abandon their set-list and opt for either some Motown or more modern songs, but they stayed playing songs from their set-list instead of “reading the crowd” like they had said they preferred. The songs I requested were all played right at the beginning of the reception, all in a row, and the floor was packed. While I would hire this band again in a heartbeat, and encourage you to hire them for your wedding, I would make sure as the client that you are getting the singers they advertise in their promotional videos and at Summerfest. I would also not be afraid to give them a longer list of “must play” songs that you know will be a hit with your guests or ask them to switch up the set-list mid-reception to keep people on the dance floor. Had they notified me ahead of time of the singer switch, or had the original, along with reading the crowd better it would be an easy 5 stars.

liments on the band!!! We partied all night and they stayed until the very end. Highly recommend!!!

ow competitively Velocity is priced. The maxim is you get what you pay for, but Velocity bucks the trend: They are a top-quality band available for a very reasonable price by Chicago wedding standards. And I mean top-quality! We thought maybe we'd bit off a little more than our venue could chew with a seven-member band, but Velocity made due with the tight squeeze they were given and never complained. They set up without a hitch while the upright bassist and keyboardist provided the perfect background jazz accompaniment to our cocktail hour for a modest extra fee. Using their PA system for speeches was easy, and the band crafted a fantastic playlist right in line with our preferences (which they surveyed beforehand). My wife and I both love to dance, and some of our best memories from our wedding are of the band absolutely rocking the night away. They were a huge hit among our family and friends; we saw folks on the dance floor who haven't kicked back in years. Having two singers really expands their repertoire, and the multitude of instruments gives them such a full, diverse sound. Wedding bands can be hit or miss, but we hit a home run with these guys and couldn't recommend them more highly.