Williams/Bradford @ Hotel Orrington

Welcome to "Weddingpalooza!"

This is the period when the Fig deejays gear up for receptions, ceremonies, and any other events that fit well with the magic word of "wedding." Although my first event did not contain bushy-haired hippies and drummers with bass drums larger than their car, this one did honor the holy matrimony of my clients, Kevin and Tonya. Along with my partner Andrew Ettenhofer, wedding planner extraordinaire Hope Weis, two skilled photographers from Stuart Rogers, and Bruce Kite from the luxurious Hotel Orrington in Evanston, we joined forces to produce a classy, fun afternoon for the couple and their guests.

The reception began at 11:30 in the morning. According to Tonya and Kevin, music was certainly the core of the afternoon. It was my responsibility to come up with a cocktail mix, a dinner mix, as well as all the music for the afternoon. Cocktails showcased the cool sounds of Najee, Incognito, and Kirk Whalum, to name a few. The dinner mix was really nice, as I played a lot of smooth jazz covers of familiar songs, such as "Joy and Pain" and "That's the Way Love Goes." As for dancing, I handled most of the playing, while Andrew filled in when I had to step away from the decks. The big pleasers were the "Cha-Cha Slide" and a very unexpected request, Parliament's "Knee Deep." Yeah…I didn't recognize it myself until I heard it at the event. There were also a few slow songs here and there, but for the most part, there were some fun, energetic soul, disco and R&B songs in our mix. I really felt a lot of ownership around the music of the event, as I worked hard to locate and gather every song that they requested, as well as use my musical knowledge to set the mood of the day well.

Were my efforts all in vain? Listen to this: At at the end of the afternoon, at least four or five people—including one of the bridesmaids—complimented either Andrew, myself, or the both of us on our great job and collaboration. The most wonderful happening occurred right before I left the grand ballroom: This tall, lovely woman by the name of Leslie Wesley (yes, that is her real name, and it does rhyme!) sought me out and not only did she give me praise for my hard work, but she also asked for my card and a copy of the smooth jazz dinner mix that I made! That was the icing on my virtual wedding cake. Yum.

Truly, this was a successful, yet mellow event. As mentioned before, this was an afternoon gig, so most people were not crazy-drunk (or just plain drunk or crazy). This was a conscientious and mature event, and I fit in well with my professional attitude and my music. I am really fortunate to be on gigs where that can happen. Let's see what the next wind of "Weddingpalooza" will take me.

– Brent Rolland, resident deejay

(Special thanks to Hope Weis, Eric @ Stuart Rogers, and Bruce @ the Orrington for everything!)