Midnight Hour Blog

Many of us will remember Saturday October 29th for the unusual weather that Mother Nature bestowed upon the Northeast … a snow storm BEFORE Halloween.  That is certainly something worth remembering!  However, the band and I will remember it as the night we saw someone fly down the grand staircase at The Racquet Club of Philadelphia .

We were privileged to perform for the wedding of Beth and Mike McDonald.  Just a great couple.  Upon arriving at The Racquet Club of Philadelphia that evening, it was clear that the wonderful snow fall had only enhanced the mood of their family and friends.  Everyone was just glowing with happiness and warmth, and Beth and Mike made for a picture of happiness. 

The Event Coordinator at The Racquet Club of Philadelphia is Marc Liss, and I had contacted Marc in advance of course.  Great guy.  He worked with us to ensure our plan was integrated with his meal service, and he really knew how to make things flow perfectly in that space.  For anyone who has never visited The Racquet Club , you should stop in to see it some time.  It’s truly one of our city’s gems. 

We introduced the bride and groom, and they entered down the grand staircase in the foyer.  I’ve seen this many times before, as we’ve played many receptions at The Racquet Club, but I never tire of the view one gets … it’s truly wonderful.  Beth and Mike chose “In My Life” by The Beatles for their first dance, and the band did a great job with it.  Beth’s father, Paul Henry, offered some truly moving remarks after their dance, and then the guests had dinner.

After dinner, we played “ Father and Daughter ” by Paul Simon for Beth and her father, followed by “ Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” for Mike and his Mother, songs they’d chosen that the band prepared for them.

Then, it happened … the Best Man flew down the stairs.  Mike’s brother, Kevin, had come up to me during dinner and had asked if there were any way the band could play the “ Top Gun Anthem ” at the start of his speech after dinner.  I checked my iPad, found a WIFI connection, and downloaded the song.  He was ecstatic that we could play it!  I asked him why, and he said “You’ll see, dude!”  So, we played it, and there he was, being carried by two other members of the bridal party, his arms extended … he had become an F-14 fighter jet, and with the Top Gun Anthem playing, they carried him in for a landing.  It was awesome!  What an entrance.

The night went on, the guests dancing non-stop, the band playing special requests … we learned the old 70’s song “ Get Right Back To Where We Started From ” for Beth, and she and her friends all loved it.  We ended the night on a high note, and it was a great way to spend a snowy night in October.  Thanks again to Marc Liss, to everyone at The Racquet Club of Philadelphia, and especially to Beth and Mike!

On March 5th, 2011, The Midnight Hour Band had the distinct pleasure to perform at Aldie Mansion in Doylestown, PA, for the wedding reception of our new friends, Drew & Stacy Twine.

For starters, I have to just share how impressed I was with Aldie Mansion, top to bottom.  This is a very special property, just gorgeous, and their staff are absolutely friendly and professional.  I worked closely with Prudence Van Tilburg, the event manager at Aldie Mansion, and together we coordinated the plan for Drew & Stacy's ceremony and reception.

The ceremony was on-site at Aldie Mansion in the ballroom, and Midnight Hour was happy to provide live ceremony musicians.  Our keyboardist, Vince Dimento, was joined by our trumpeter, Brian Dwyer, and together they played a great selection of songs for the ceremony, including Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", Clarke's "Trumpet Voluntary" for the bridal processional, and Handel's "Hornpipe" for the recessional piece -- all classical pieces, perfect for the ceremony.  They also fit in a section of the main melody of "Don't Stop Believin" by Journey during the prelude at the request of the bride and groom, a very nice touch that the guests all appreciated as the ceremony was getting underway.  Hats off to Brian and Vince for playing another flawless ceremony -- Stacy's father went out of his way to say how much he loved the ceremony music.

Next, it was time for a lovely cocktail hour, and as always, our keyboardist was joined by our sax player, Darren, for an hour of great live melodies as guests wandered through the great rooms of Aldie Mansion.  I had a chance to look around myself, and I just fell in love with the place.  Rich wood appointments, high ceilings, charming hallways, and great views of the lawns were the perfect setting to get the celebration underway.

Finally, it  was time to bring the guests into the ballroom to enjoy the full band, an incredible meal, and a night of dancing.  Drew and Stacy had worked with me in advance to choose some special songs -- they chose Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" for their first dance, and I must say, we really played it beautifully.  It's a great old song, and we'll be keeping it in our regular repertoire ... it's one of those gems you've heard 100 times, and then you learn for a wedding client and you think, "Gee, how come we weren't already playing this one every night?"  We also performed "I Loved Her First" for Stacy's dance with her father, and "I Will" by The Beatles for Drew's dance with his mother.  We covered so many styles of music, and the crowd loved it all.  We ended the night with "Save the Last Dance for Me" by Michael Buble, as requested by the bride and groom.

It was a wonderful night, and we were so glad to meet the Twine and Szymanski families.  Our thanks again to Drew & Stacy, and to Prudence and the entire staff at Aldie for helping to make us look so good up there.  We hope we get to come back again soon!

Here is a picture of Aldie Mansion in Doylestown, PA

For the second straight year, Toll Brothers, Inc. chose Midnight Hour to perform at their annual black tie Monte Carlo Night at the Hyatt Penn's Landing in Philadelphia, PA. This terrific night of fun, casino games and music also featured a list of incredible auction items, and Toll Brothers representatives informed the crowd of about 500 people that they'd raised over $500.000.00 for the American Cancer Society through auctions, contributions and through their work in the past year.

The band was proud to be able to help Toll Brothers to raise money for cancer, a cause for which we play several times a year. We also had tons of fun with the wonderful people from Toll Brothers and their guests, and we thank them for having us back this year. Here's hoping we see you all in 2011!

Midnight Hour had a great time this past weekend at The Paddock in Devon, PA. We had a terrific time playing this new club, and our friends and fans didn't disappoint – you showed up in big numbers! We had so many people come out to see us, it was just awesome. Our thanks especially to all of you former brides and grooms who came out to say hello after getting our email about the appearance there ... it was great to see all of you!

From the first song to the end of the night, The Paddock dance floor was just packed. For anyone who hasn't been to The Paddock, it's a great place to try out. The food is spectacular (try the crab fries or the lobster salad), the bartenders are fast and generous pourers, and the dining room / bar is spacious and open, just ideal for a great night out. Co-owner Joe Carney took great care of us ... and he made sure we stuck around to play some extra songs for the grateful patrons. We were more than happy to oblige ... it's about time we got a hot new place for bands on the main line, long overdue if you ask me.

Look for Midnight Hour to return to The Paddock later this year, and in the meantime look for some of the other great BVT bands over there.