Julia’s Bat Mitzvah
Cocktail Hour, Dinner Music, and 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
Wedding Ceremony Music, Cocktail Hour, Dinner Music, Dance Reception – Wave Hill - Riverdale, 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 - 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
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
Wedding Ceremony Music, Cocktail Hour, Dinner Music, Dance Reception – MyMoon Restaurant - Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York 7/29/17
Jennie & Joe
Wedding Ceremony Music, Cocktail Hour, Dance Reception – Montauk Club - Park Slope, 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
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.