Hosting a private party in Houston, Texas can bring a great deal of pressure. Whether it’s a corporate event or a personal occasion, finding the right entertainment will make it a success no matter what else goes wrong. The two keys to 
getting the best entertainment for your occasion is to
- Start music booking early and
- Use a Houston, Texas music booking agency.
Here are some basic tips to ensuring the music entertainment booked for your private party is talked about for years to come!
3 Things to know before contacting a Houston Music Booking Agency
Date, Time and City
You need to tie down the date and time the entertainment is needed before starting to work with a Houston music booking agency. Location is also important, but the city may be enough to get started, depending on how long it is before the event. Don’t bother contacting a music booking agency without knowing the date, time and city. The venue can be selected later, as long as it can accommodate your party and the entertainment you select. Since travel is part of the band’s expenses, the location city is an important part of selecting a band within your budget.
Size is also key to selecting a venue whether it be an event center, dance hall, hotel ballroom, community center, stately home, or restaurant. You want a venue that will accommodate everyone and, at the same time, not leave your guests scattered.
The date will determine which bands are available. Those hosting a private party typically will chose a weekend date since most people don’t work weekends. Nevertheless, you know your guests best! Choose a date that will work for the better part of them. For smaller parties, try to have your location and date selected at least 3 months out. Larger events, i.e., bigger budget functions, should start working with a music booking agency at least 6 to 9 months before the event. The more time you leave yourself and your Houston music booking agent for planning, the more options you will have.
Why is time important? Well, while the exact time may not be necessary in the beginning, the length of time is. How long you want the entertainment to play will determine which bands are willing to play your requested duration and at what price. Some bands only will play 90 minutes while others are willing to play up to 4 hours.
Budget
Determine what amount of money you can spend on booking music entertainment as early as possible. Knowing your bottom line before contacting a Houston music booking agency will help them narrow their search for artists for your occasion.
Be realistic. Don’t expect to get a more than you can pay for. Some bands can vary their number of members that play a gig based on the budget. They can slim down their full band to less members, from leaving out the horn section to doing an acoustic solo. Most can offer a few different versions of their band. Don’t have unrealistic expectations about what you can get for your budget. We recently had a request for a Beatles Tribute in a rural location. The budget was $500. Music booking agencies in Houston and elsewhere are good at what they do, but they are not miracle workers.
Audience
Those hosting and planning a private party usually already know their target audience. By target audience we mean the makeup of the invitees. The attendees at a college graduation party are going to be very different than the attendees of a retirement party. Knowing the makeup of those expected to attend is going to determine the genre of music you choose to book with a Houston, Texas music booking agency. Will they likely enjoy country, classic rock, 80’s rock, hip hop, pop, punk, jazz, blues, etc.? A good party cover band can play a variety of music, but don’t expect to hear jazz, country and hip hop from the same cover band.
Other Things to consider before contacting a Houston Music Booking Agency
Artist/Genre for Your Event
Knowing the above items is crucial for working with a Houston, Texas based music booking agency. Most people may also have some idea of the genre or band they want for their private party. That can be very helpful if it’s realistic. Some of those planning a special occasion may already have a specific artist in mind, but others may just have a general idea of what they are looking for. Here are the different categories you can choose from with TSE Entertainment.
- Any & All Nationally Renowned Artists
- Up and Coming Original Artists
- Cover – Function – Party Bands
- Tribute Bands
- Latin American – Tejano Music Artists
Staging, Lighting, & Sound
Does your venue have a stage, lighting and a PA system? Venues that routinely host live music events will typically be able to provide these systems. Other venues, like your back yard, will not. Someone will need to provide the critical things necessary for your band to perform. It comes down to one of 3 ways to have them in place.
- Band provides as part of its performance fee
- Venue already has these items
- You will need to rent them from a sound or staging company (or have TSE handle the concert support services for an additional fee)
Of course, it it’s a daylight party for 20 people in your backyard, you may not need any of these things. If the band needs to travel to perform for a party, they will need more equipment than if it’s a local event for them. If they need to travel far via flight, they will travel light. That means more equipment will be needed. In this case they may even want you to provide what is called a backline.
You may be asking yourself, “What does the term backline mean?” It is important you know this. Wikipedia’s definition is quite detailed. A more basic meaning is as follows: backline is easily remembered as the equipment that is placed in back of the band, typically this means instrument amps and drums and can also include other instruments. The type of backline varies depending on the style of music played.
The Perfect Band for Your Private Party Made Easy
Keeping your guests well fed with a well-stocked bar is half the battle, but how you keep them entertained will be the one thing that sets your private party apart from all others. The more prepared you are when you contact a Houston music booking agency, the better they can serve your wants and needs.
TSE Entertainment takes pride in being the best at what we do. You may be thinking “This is a big town with lots of easily-found talent, so why use a Houston music booking agency?” Is doesn’t cost anything for us to look for a band for your occasion. If we find one that you want to book, the total cost of the entertainer will be within the budget you set. We do the heavy lifting and you get the glory!
Call us now to book music entertainment for your private party 1-800-765-8203!
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