The Smokin’ Section took a road trip to Merion, Pa to help Anand and Erika celebrate their big day. The couple resides in Hoboken, NJ and saw us at a showcase in North Jersey the year before.
It had been quite a hot day, but some of the sizzle and high temperature was out of the air by the time the band arrived at the Merion Tribute House that evening. The classic Gothic stone structure (built immediately after World War I) proved to be a memorable and unique setting for a great party. The guests enjoyed hors d’oevres from Feastivities Events during cocktail hour, while our trumpet/piano duo set the mood. The evening was well-run throughout by Feastivities’ maitre’d, Ed and the food was superb. The day’s events from ceremony to closing were captured in an expert, low-key fashion by area photojouranalist Brenda Carpenter.
Anand is a musician himself and his band rehearses at the same studio in West Paterson that the Smokin’ Section often does its private showcases at. He and Erika chose a unique (but very fitting) piece of music to serve as the backdrop for the bridal party announcements, Pete Townshend’s “Let My Love Open The Door”. This special request immediately set an upbeat and festive mood for the reception. Our singer Tommie Knight then handled the lead vocals for Anand and Erika’s first dance, Lionel Richie’s “You Are” (which the band also learned especially for this party).
Early in the evening a medley of “The Way You Look Tonight”, “L-O-V-E” and “It Had To Be You” eased most of the crowd onto the dance floor. Later on, the rockers in the crowd really enjoyed our take on “Hard To Handle”. The bride and groom requested disco beforehand and their guests really got down to a “Saturday Night Fever” medley by the band featuring “You Should Be Dancing”, “Disco Inferno” and“Night Fever”.
In the last set, Anand and his band got up and played their own “Hard To Handle” (assisted by our keyboardist Ted and the Smokin’ horn section), which certainly got the guests whipped up. After that, the Smokin’ Section got into a hardcore funk groove, featuring James Brown’s “Cold Sweat” and “Sex Machine”. At 11:58pm the band reprised and did a full version of “Let My Love Open The Door” with many in the dance crowd pogo-sticking up and down to it. The dancers were so fired up they didn’t want to leave, so we closed a very exciting party with our high energy version of the Romantics’ “What I Like About You”.
Reception site: Merion Tribute House, Merion, Pa www.tributehouse.com
Caterer: Feastivities Events/Caterers www.feastivitiescatering.com
Photographer: Brenda Carpenter Photography www.brendacarpenter.com
