Boulevard Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Listed below are the most asked questions we get from the band. You can always contact us with any items at anytime by emailing us at bookings@theboulevardband.com. We're always happy to respond to you. We hope the FAQ proves useful as you evaluate the band!

What is "continuous music" and why does it cost more?

Normally a band contract states musicians play 40-45 minutes an hour with a 15-20 minute break. Boulevard normally plays in this configuration and provides complimentary CD-based dance music during our breaks. However, some customers prefer the band play "continuously". To us, this means we don't stop playing. We honor these requests but there is an additional charge for us to perform in this manner. Continuous to us means no more than two hours contiguously. Normally we would play 2 hours and, take one 15 minute break, and then complete the evening. This essentially turns a "normal" four hour engagement into five complete sets of music.

Can you play cocktail hours and ceremonies?

Absolutely. And we do this on a regular basis. Cocktail hours are configurable from one member playing up to the entire band. Boulevard does cocktail hours in the following configurations:

Solo Piano or Guitar

Piano and Vocal (Duo)

Piano, Drums, and Vocals (Trio)

Piano, Guitar, Bass, Vocals (Quartet)

Piano, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Sax (Quintet)

Piano, Guitar, Bass, Drum, Sax, Vocals (Sextet)

There is a scaled additional charge for us to perform depending on location of the cocktail hour and number of members who you'd like to perform. Let us know your preference and we'll be happy to prepare a quote for an additional cocktail hour for your event.

Should you require live music at your ceremony, Boulevard can accommodate this request as well. Normally music is performed by a pianist/organist or trumpet. Contact us for further details.

Can I add more horns to your band?

Boulevard is a six piece band. Because of the makeup of the band and the arrangements we perform, it is difficult to add additional horn players to the group. For this reason, we generally do not change the make-up of the band. If you should require a larger ensemble, we recommend an excellent ten-piece ensemble Remedy. That band includes Boulevard members Sara, Eric, and Lee. If you are interested in a smaller ensemble, we suggest Sara Bush and Friends. This band regularly performs at local country clubs playing a wonderful mix of cool jazz, rhythm and blues, and traditional standards -- perfect for smaller engagements and cocktail hours!

What is a "pick-up" band and why don't you do it?

A "pick-up" band is comprised of varied musicians who may or may not have played together as a unit before. This is usually done when "normal" members cannot make a job or sometimes, folks masquerade as bands when in all reality, they are "put together" at the last minute. This is generally a recipe for a shoddy performance. In the interest of quality, Boulevard NEVER performs with more than two substitute players who are well-versed in our repertoire. This rarely happens, and if it does you will be notified well in advance of the change.

Can you do walk-up requests?

Yes, we regularly take walk-up requests that deviate from the pre-planned sets provided they are in our extensive playlist. What we will not do is play something on request we've never had the chance to rehearse. It's just not good business, invariably introduces mistakes, and affects the overall quality of your engagement.

Can you tell me more about special requests?

For corporate and private functions, Boulevard will learn and perform up to three special request songs per engagement. This is built into the price and expected for weddings, and other private engagements. Each song beyond that is charged a fee per song as there is a substantial amount of work involved to learn and perfect new music. We do not learn special requests for Club and Casino engagements unless pre-arranged.

Do you have lights and sound equipment?

Absolutely. And all our equipment is state of the art and new. We have two complete sound systems to meet almost any need and a fine light show as well.

Can I use a different sound and lighting company for my engagement?

Yes, with a few caveats.... We must have access to the sound and light engineers and pre-approve the set-up/engineers before we will sign a contract. The end product we produce comes out of speakers and visually through the lights, so the sound and lighting is as important as the music we play. As we will not compromise on the quality of the music, we will not compromise on the overall performance. We are happy to work with your folks though and have successfully done this in the past.

If you have any other questions, please contact us. We'll be happy to answer them!