Hiring a great band in the Los Angeles area isn’t hard—there are hundreds to choose from. But finding performers who will work within a small budget can be a bit more challenging. Here’s who planners recommend.
For the Puente Learning Center’s annual fund-raiser honoring California first lady California Maria Shriver at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel last February, the nonprofit’s director of development, Susan Stamberger, hired the Susie Hansen Latin Band to entertain guests during the cocktail reception and dinner, as well as to play music as speakers approached the stage. “The quality of Susie’s musicianship is extraordinary, and her musicians are really top-drawer,” says Stamberger. “She was very flexible when it came to responding to our budget, offering to pull three or four musicians out from the band to play for the cocktail reception—all for one price.” A four-piece band is available for $2,600, and an eight-piece dance band starts at $3,900.
Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center’s manager of community outreach Lisa Parks, who oversees all special events for the organization, turned to the Gregg Young Second Street Band to perform at the June 2007 Profiles of Courage fund-raising gala at the Hyatt Regency in Long Beach. “Gregg and his band really worked within our budget,” says Parks. “They were all-inclusive in their pricing for the evening and included stage lighting, the [public address] system, and tech support as part of the deal.” The package also included a seven-piece band that played light steel drum music during a silent auction, jazz selections as people dined, and dance music following the dinner. A trio starts at $1,500, and the band charges an additional $500 per musician.
After seeing Rik Howard and his orchestra perform at a bar mitzvah, Patti Glover, director of special events and travel at the Los Angeles Zoo, booked the band for the zoo’s 2007 and 2008 Beastly Balls. “My budget was a little less than the person who had hosted the bar mitzvah, but Rik worked with me, letting me know he could offer the same quality performance with fewer musicians,” Glover says. “I let him know I wanted a vocalist and the same upbeat tunes, and he was able to accommodate that without compromising the quality.” For $4,500, an eight-piece ensemble played swing, pop, and dance music on the main stage at last year’s ball. Corporate packages start at $1,500, and Howard may offer additional discounts to nonprofit organizations.
