Review Centre: Party Bands

"March 26, 2017 Last night (March 25, 2017) the legendary Presley & Cash Highway Road Show pulled into Windsor for a night of fun, frolics and fundraising through the experience and dedication of two skilled local tribute artists. Paying Cash – The Johnny Cash Show and a Elvis brought the music of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley to the Olde Walkerville Theatre for a fundraising event for the Miracle League of Amherstburg. The show began with Harrow, Ontario tribute artist who brought the post-war Elvis to life in a vibrant and highly entertaining set. The music selection was unique, as was his leg-shaking performance. This was a true tribute and not really an over-the-top impersonation as we so often see. There were no jumpsuits, no giant belts and no overweight wig-wearing phonies – this was the cool suit-jacket wearing Elvis that the world loved in 1956 and 1957. He had enough looks and moves to pull it off and present a believable reproduction of the way Elvis moved, sang and even interacted at the peak of his musical return. The song selection resembled the King’s 1957 performance at the PNE in Vancouver with such non-traditional tracks like Blueberry Hill, That’s When Your Heartaches Begin and Peace in the Valley. In many ways the lead singer reminded me of an early Michael Buble, with just enough Elvis in the mix to make it plausible and entertaining, but also enough of himself to keep it fresh and lively. He nailed Elvis’ voice from the early years, as well as the swagger and personality we would expect in an early Elvis tribute. The Silvertones mastered the musical presentation and were the perfect band to backup the energetic Elvis show. After a lengthy set, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of incredible music could bring to the table if he decided to record some original music. It took a leap of faith to bring Buble his first recording contract, let’s hope someone does the same for him. Headliners Paying Cash captured the essence of 1968 Johnny Cash in both attitude and skill, pairing perfectly with 57-58 Elvis – these were the “attitude” years for both superstars, and although a decade apart, they seemed musically aligned at these specific intervals. The lead singers 12-year old daughter joined him on stage for three June Carter duets, and later when he acoustically took on Cash’s death-bed hit Hurt with guitar and piano accompaniment. The singer looked exactly like Cash at various times when he was at the mic, but he was always perfect when it came to the movements and nuances that Cash had on stage. You could actually see the fire in his eyes during such attitude anthems as Cocaine Blues, Folsom Prison Blues and Cry, Cry, Cry. That fire and his voice were right on par with Joaquin Phoenix’s movie adaptation of Cash, The band itself was so close to the original backup band that they should change their name to The Windsor Three. The guitarist handled the lead guitar as if he invented those licks himself, bassist injected some humour when he wasn’t playing his stand-up bass and drummer provided a solid drum beat throughout. The only thing missing was that they weren’t dressed in full black suits like The Tennesee Three probably would have been.The superstar of the show was his daughter, who charmed the audience with her stunning voice and light-hearted personality – a combination that played out in a fun and charming take on June Carter Cash for three songs, including the infamous relationship-song Jackson. Her personality and voice matched well with her fathers and the duets were a standout moment, much as they were in the movie Walk The Line. Paying Cash is a well put together band that captures the young and rebellious Johnny Cash like none other. This was the era of Johnny Cash that fans love the most and rarely get to see on its own in a tribute show. Should The lead singer and Paying Cash ever decide to hit the studio, I wouldn’t be surprised if the results sounded much like early Blue Rodeo, mixed with some good old Johnny Cash.If these two bands do play together again, the Presley-Cash combination is a sure fire knock-out not to be missed."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Being in the Wedding industry myself, I met JBMAC at a Wedding Fair and i loved their whole vibe so i booked them for my 40th Party which was yesterday. They were sensational! Absolutely brilliant and all my guests were commenting too on how great they were. Thank you so much for making my party so much fun! ❤️🙏"

Reply by Jbmac
Thank you so much 🙏🏼

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Flamenco Folks put on an excellent show. Gonzalo sings in an intense and powerful way that held our attention throughout even ifcwe didn't understand the lyrics. Ben followed his inflections on guitar sensitively with great technical skill. Faridah the dancer is a compelling sight, beguiling all in read with story-telling expressive hand movements improvising in response to the voice. Their rhythmic seasonal numbers had us all dancing with the cahon in play. Definitely an act to book."

Rating: 8 / 10 Share this review:

"We wanted to say a massive thank you for the Brogues’ amazing music and entertainment at our wedding - we had a fantastic night! We particularly loved the ceilidh but it was all so brilliant. Thank you for incorporating the afrobeats tunes into the disco too - it definitely kept the (very warm) dance floor full and the party in full swing! We had so many compliments from guests on how great you all were and so many people who had never done ceilidh dancing before found that you made it so easy for them with the calling etc. We loved partying with you and think you are all great at what you do!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The Tigers DJ and Pam met our every requirement and more! Right from the get go Pam ensured that every aspect of our event was covered. The team went that extra mile that our event went without a hitch. The band and DJ read the crowd perfectly and honestly bought such a great atmosphere to the event. We have since used them for 5 other Events and will be using them again this year! They are all incredibly talented. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Booked The Elevators for our wedding, very proffesional and had everyone dancing. Great evening had by all."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We just wanted to say thanks so much for playing at our wedding! You guys did a superb job and we loved the Orcadian Strip The Willow idea for our first dance, you were great at calling it and it was brilliant to see all our best friends and family up dancing with us. We all loved your fun mix of music too, you were very accommodating. We have the best memories from our very special day."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Simply amazing, We were super happy and full satisfied with their service. Look no further. Thank you for everything C C"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Krystal Live Band delivered an outstanding performance at our wedding. Julien was available and attentive throughout the planning process, taking all our expectations into account. The musicians were excellent, communication was effortless, and their performance truly set the dance floor alight."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Amazing!! Highly Recommend! We had The Spectrum perform at our wedding July 2021. The were utterly professional in the lead up - always answering our questions promptly, let us choose set lists and learned our first dance song. On the day they arrived early and set up quickly and quietly. They played 2 sets with a DJ in between them. The whole night they fantastic. They were very skilled and were fantastic at crowd interactions.The perfect band for getting everyone on the dancefloor going wild! Would highly recommend. Our guests said they were the best wedding band they had seen and we completely agree!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The process of acquiring Sass Monkey for my event went pretty flawlessly. Don kept in contact with me on what to expect and it was coordinated with no concerns on my end. The band sounded great and the young gal singing had a voice that was terrific. Great experience. Thanks to the whole crew."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Amazing Band! Outstanding musicians and performers. Will definitely hire again. "

Reply by Orquesta Afinke
Thank you very much for the review. Please count on us for any future events. — Tito Planas / Orquesta Afinke

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"10 out of 10. The Southern Sons were soooooo good! Thank you to all the guys who made our day! We had a marquee wedding and this band was just what we were looking for! A special thank you to them for learning our first dance and putting their spin on it- it was amazing.” Sam and Claire"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Courtney was an absolute highlight of an open house event for my client! His professionalism, punctuality, and incredible talent elevated the entire atmosphere, creating a truly sophisticated and enjoyable experience for the guests. His performance was top-notch, seamlessly blending into the ambiance while also captivating everyone in attendance. Courtney’s music added the perfect touch of elegance, and we couldn’t have asked for a better musician to enhance the event. Highly recommend his services for anyone looking to create a memorable and refined experience! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We were honestly blown away by Joline. Her voice sounded even better live than in the videos on her profile. She has an incredible talent and brought so much emotion and passion to her performance that she truly touched everyone there. On top of being a fantastic singer, Joline is such a lovely person. She arrived right on time, was warm, friendly, and easy to work with from start to finish. We would book her again in a heartbeat and can highly recommend her to anyone looking for an amazing vocalist who is also genuinely kind and professional. Thanks again, Joline, for making our event so special!"

Reply by Joline esalo
Hi Monika, it truly means the world to me that my performance touched you and your guests! Performing at your event was an absolute pleasure, and I'm so grateful for how warmly I was welcomed. Thank you for trusting me, I would be delighted to sing for you again anytime. Wishing you all the very best and thank you again. God Bless you!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: