KUDOS
Private Party
Cocktail Hour and Dance Party — Norfolk Country Club - Norfolk, Connecticut 9/2/23
Earlier this year, I was asked to book the music program at the Norfolk Country Club, a private golf and tennis club in Norfolk, Connecticut. I’ve been following Empire Beats on social media and have been particularly impressed by the band's strong and charismatic singers. I booked them to perform on Saturday, September 2nd and they delivered an outstanding show.
They arrived punctually, were quick to set up and warm up, and were professional to deal with. Bandleader Mark Boquist and I had been in close conversation via email and phone calls about how to structure the evening, time the music, understand this particular audience, and read the room.
They began the evening with a low key set of "cocktail vibe" tunes: simmering, instrumental classics which was perfect background music while club members conversed over dinner. Then the front line of three singers came out and kicked things into high gear, which quickly got the audience on their feet. They all knew how to work the crowd with the singers and sax player coming out into the audience, which was exciting and gave it extra entertainment value. They performed with tremendous energy playing fun favorites and kept the energy up for two long sets. I have videos to prove it!
Many club members came to ask me about the band and commented on their excellence. They were astounded and said it was the best band we'd had at the club in years. Everyone had a great time, and we're looking forward to having them back next year!
Sally & Derek’s Wedding
Dance Reception — The Bell House - Brooklyn, New York 7/2/23
Empire Beats is the best band you can hire for your wedding, hands down. They are such a tight band. The singers are incredible and all the musicians are so good at their instruments. They play the kind of music that cuts across all age groups. Mark (the drummer and the band leader) is super nice and was such a pleasure to work with. The groom is a musician and Mark coordinated with him to join the band for a song - a highlight of the night! The dance floor was full all night. So many of our guests told us how much they enjoyed the band. We look forward to catching their future shows around NYC!
Olivia & Will’s Wedding
Ceremony, Cocktail, and Dinner Music; Dance Reception — Strong Rope Brewery - Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York 9/24/22
If I could give 500 stars, I would! Empire Beats played at our wedding this September and were absolutely amazing. All of our friends and family raved about the band and danced all night to their soul and R&B tunes. Several folks specifically followed up with us afterwards to ask how we found Empire Beats and to express interest in checking them out in other settings. The band was amazing, and the singers even better, belting out hit after hit. Mark was a pleasure to coordinate with and so flexible about working with us in a unique space. We could not recommend them more and are so happy we booked them for our special day.
Mara & Matthew’s Wedding
Shmorg, Ceremony, and Dinner Music; Dance Reception — Old Tappan Manor - Old Tappan, New Jersey 7/10/22
My friends & family had used Jewish "simcha" bands at their weddings while most of my husband's had used mainstream wedding bands. We decided to take a chance with Empire Beats and mix things up. It was a smashing success! Empire Beats delivered high quality, energetic and entertaining music all day long.
We really appreciated the tremendous attention given to the details. We discussed everything from the song selection to the pronunciation/titles of the wedding party members, how the band should dress, the timing and pacing of all of the specialty dances and so on. The band really wanted to understand the entirety of our wedding plans so the music could flow seamlessly & match the vibe. Most of the music we selected was within the band's repertoire, but they were willing to work with us on incorporating music that was outside their genre, knowing how important it was to us.
From the religious pre-ceremony events to the traditional Jewish dancing, our wedding was definitely different from the gigs Empire Beats was used to, but our guests weren't able to tell! The band came incredibly prepared - researched & rehearsed. That, combined with the obvious talent of the group, made for an incredible day for all. Anyone could tell how much Empire Beats loves what they do - from the big smiles all around to the energy on stage. That energy carries into the crowd, making for a super fun party filled with singing, dancing and celebrating. Many of our guests told us it was the most fun wedding they ever attended and most importantly, we had an amazing & memorable day!
Julia’s Bat Mitzvah
Cocktail and Dinner Music; Dance Party — Congregation Beth Elohim - Brooklyn, New York 5/4/19
Empire Beats made our kid's bat mitzvah into a real celebration. I chose the band with myself in mind – because I love soul and funk and I dread the obnoxious DJs we usually encounter at these events – and was impressed and surprised to watch all the thirteen year old guests stay on the dance floor the entire night. Most of the grown up guests came up to us at some point to say, “The band made this party!” or “Best bat mitzvah ever!”
I left the event wanting to find some reason to throw another party so I could recreate this special night.
Courtney & Mike’s Wedding
Ceremony, Cocktail, and Dinner Music; Dance Reception – Wave Hill - Bronx, New York 10/6/18
Empire Beats was by far one of the best choices we made for our wedding. We had an overwhelming amount of compliments about the band. Mark worked with us and provided excellent service from start to finish. No detail was left to chance, which put our minds at ease for the big day.
We had an incredible vocalist and accompaniment from other musicians for our processional and recessionals. “In My Life” brought the tears out for my wife’s processional. Cocktail hour was fantastic and featured a vibraphone and bass duo. The energy was fantastic and the mood that was struck was perfect. And then, of course, there was the main event – the dance reception. Everyone was phenomenal, especially the singers. They had everyone up on their feet celebrating and dancing. They brought down the house with "Proud Mary."
We were privileged to work with Empire Beats and would recommend them wholeheartedly.
Power My Learning - Innovative Learning Awards Gala
Cocktail and Dinner Music - The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers - Manhattan, New York 6/20/18
As I debriefed our event with our staff, I read through each aspect of the event to get everyone’s feedback – the food, the program, the speakers, etc. When I got to the band, Empire Beats, the first thing someone said was, “Who were they? I’ve never seen people dancing at the ILAs before – I really liked them!”
Empire Beats was the perfect combination of jazzy, subtle when needed, and fun. They catered to the pre-program vibe of our event, which is a bit more mellow and relaxed, and nailed the post-program vibe with just enough groove to get people dancing and keep the energy going. Many members of my team wondered why we hadn’t used them before!
If you’re looking for a communicative, prompt, and professional team of musicians that has a wide-range of experience, from weddings to non-profit galas (like our own) and I’m sure everything in-between, Empire Beats is the band you need. I could not recommend them enough. Many thanks to you all again for such a wonderful night! We are already looking forward to next year!
Jade & Dillon’s Wedding
Dance Reception - DUMBO Lofts – Brooklyn, New York 10/29/17
29 October was unforgettable and Empire Beats played a major role in that. Practically every guest complemented us on your outstanding performance. There were times when I wasn’t sure we were dancing to the band or the band was playing to the dancers – we were lost in the moment
“Where on earth did you find this band?”
“That. Band. Was. AMAZING”
It’s two months since the wedding and our guests haven’t stopped talking about the band. Empire Beats was simply fantastic. They elevated our wedding atmosphere from great to incredible. The dancefloor was filled at all times, with electrifying performance and stunning vocals. Added bonus: Mark, the drummer and band manager, was a pleasure to coordinate with beforehand. Based on our vague notion of what we wanted for the wedding, he delivered exactly what we imagined but struggled to articulate. From assessing the venue weeks in advance, to collaborating with our coordinator, loading the equipment in and out, they were seamless, polite and friendly. Their sound guy, Sam, even did the mic for our toasts which was so helpful. The ideal mix of talent and professional – we can’t recommend Empire Beats enough. If you want your guests to be blown away, if you want a memorable performance, if you want to dance to music that appeals across generations, you need to hire Empire Beats.
Jocelyn & Mark’s Wedding
Ceremony, Cocktail, and Dinner Music; Dance Reception – MyMoon Restaurant - Brooklyn, New York 7/29/17
People that are throwing a wedding want their day to be unique, they want it to be special and personal. And we knew that with Empire Beats, we were going to get that. A lot of people said that this was by far the best band they’ve ever seen at a wedding. This wasn’t a wedding band, this was a real band. You felt like you were at a concert almost, like your own personal concert.
Jennie & Joe’s Wedding
Ceremony and Cocktail Music; Dance Reception – Montauk Club - Brooklyn, New York 5/18/14
Truthfully, I hadn't considered booking a band at first; it was my fiance Joe who suggested them, and it seemed a perfect fit. There was simply no need to look around at other bands. Joe and I have seen Empire Beats live a number of times. They're a very tight unit, and they're also very versatile. I think they have universal appeal because their focus is toward old rock n' roll, good vintage soul, R & B, and funk but they also mix it up with standards and ballads. We spoke with Mark Boquist about a few specific songs we wanted them to play and they were absolutely fine with adding them to their set. We planned our wedding with the main objective to have as stress-free an experience as possible, all things considered, and, although having a band is probably more complicated than simply running the music off an ipod all night, we were in very good hands with Empire Beats. They helped make it an unforgettable experience for us and our guests.
Victoria & Joe’s Wedding
Dance Reception – Granger Homestead & Carriage Museum - Canandaigua, New York 7/31/11
It was incredible! Perfect! A blast! I couldn’t have been happier!
Mark took care of every detail and more importantly the music was outstanding. I literally have never had more fun dancing to a live band. The vibe the band created was so infectious and joyous, family members who I’ve never seen dance before in my entire life, were cutting the rug. Even my divorced parents, who had not danced together for at least 40 years, danced happily together.