A recent email from one of our musicians demonstrates the way we think — for better or worse.
“Hey Mike [Gendler, EBE co-founder],
“I had to share this with you.
“Over the weekend I attended a family wedding at the Ballroom at the Ben. It was my first big event as a ‘guest’ rather than a performer at a familiar venue since joining Dreamtime two years ago, so it gave me the unique opportunity to experience (and critique!) from our clients’ perspective.
“Initially, I was a little disappointed that my cousins did not reach out to me for advice when it came to the entertainment for the wedding, but I’m not that close to them, so it’s cool. What I discovered this weekend made me really appreciate how thorough and professional EBE strives to be.
“The band was the [...], a ten-piece orchestra. First off, the sound system was woefully inadequate: just 2 small EV cabs up on poles behind the band, which caused a couple of feedback situations with the vocal microphones. The PA system seemed to be just for the vocals, so without at least having the kick drum mic’d, there was just no drive.
“The musicians & singers themselves were fine, but there was no FUN happening on stage: the guitarist & keyboardist sat down the entire evening, the horns sat when not engaged, the backing singers were frequently sitting as well and there was no choreography. Heck, there is more energy in any EBE band’s 20-minute showcase than there was all night from this band!
“The set list was okay, but the arrangements were not tight, there were no decent medleys, and the amount of “dead air” between tunes was appalling. They left me with the impression that they weren’t all that well rehearsed, or perhaps they were using a lot of subs that night. In all fairness, the band succeeded in getting the crowd up and dancing for most of the reception, but they were, in my opinion, merely ‘adequate’ – not the level of entertainment that you would come to expect at a high-end venue such as the Ben.
“Personally, I was not compelled to compliment the band at the end of the evening, and I would seriously doubt that the band experienced the kind of praise from the crowd that I have come to appreciate at the end of a Dreamtime gig! To cap it all off, [...] pulled me aside as we were leaving and said, ‘Well, THAT was no Dreamtime.’
“The experience left me proud and honored to be a part a band and a company that knows how to take it to the next level!
“Thanks!
[...]“
