The Smokin' Section

We can not say enough great things about this band... they have a fabulous sound, extentive song list, high-energy, accomodating to last minute requests, easy to work with, and willing to learn a new song for our first dance. Months later, we are still receiving compliments on this band.

My husband and I are both musicians and would settle for nothing but the best- and the Smokin' Section is it! Mike absolutely GOT US and what we were looking for. They learned two new songs for our first dance (which was a slow song with a fakeout into a bust-out Salsa dance) and they totally nailed it!

Mike and the Smokin' Section were spot-on, stuck to our preference list, and Mike checked in with us periodically (but not too much) to make sure things were going they way we had hoped.

The latin unit is fantastic; however I wish the sonero would sing songs more like they are done by the original artists, I felt as though he had butchered our bridal party Salsa song by changing the timing- they couldn't get into a rythm of it. But, it was a song that he had learned for us, and he got the first dance Salsa and all of the songs on their repetoire were fabulous.

They were the best!

The Smokin' Section was amazing! They did a great job providing music for our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. Mike was very helpful in planning all the details and always available during pre-wedding planning. I never stressed over the band! We heard great feedback from our guests after the wedding. Everyone really enjoyed the music. They played all different types of music, learned songs just for our wedding day, and they were accommodating to a special request that we had to let one of our family members perform with them! I highly recommend the Smokin' Section for your wedding day or any other occasion that you need a band for.

Fabulous band. We highly recommend them. We picked songs for our first dance and parent dance that were not on their play list and they quickly learned them (Ray LaMontagne and Sam Cooke). As mentioned by other reviewers in earlier posts, we had the opportunity to review a very long play list and the band stuck to our DO NOT PLAY songs and our MUST PLAY songs, and they used good judgment in playing to the crowd. We had planned to make a play list on our iPod for the band to play during their breaks, but we ran out of time and never did this. To our surprise, on one of the breaks, one of the band members continued to play on his own and did an amazing Sam Cooke medley (they knew we were Sam fans). I'm glad we did not give them songs to play on breaks, because what they did was so much better!

We went and heard a few bands, but I was very excited to hear the difference that the horn section added. They were very responsive to the styles I liked to hear, and offered a great range to choose from. In the end leaving it to the bandleader Mike to follow the crowd was the best choice. My friends, my husband's friends, and both of our families danced all night. I was absolutely thrilled with the whole evening, and received compliments that night and ever since on our great band. Highly recommend...
Kara

The Smokin' Section was amazing! They went above and beyond learning songs for us and then nailed them when they played them! Our guests are still talking about how awesome our band was. We highly recommend them!

I couldn't be more pleased with the band I chose for my wedding. The Smokin' Section Band made our reception so personal, getting a feel for the mood of the guests and running with it. We gave them a general idea of what we wanted to hear and what not to play, and they exceeded our expectations. My friends and family could not stop talking about the band for months after the wedding. I would (and do!) recommend them to anyone!

I first became familiar with the Smokin' Section several years ago when interviewing bands for my sister's wedding. They were, by far, one of the best parts of her wedding. They are a pleasure to work with and very professional, but most of all, their music is incredible. It's very hard not to spend your whole night on the dance floor when the Smokin' Section is playing. From motown to rockn-roll to contemporary - they do it all and very well! Since then, not only has the Smokin' Section performed at weddings for many of our family and friends, but also at my own wedding last summer. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a really outstanding band for their event.

I would highly recommend the Smokin' Section to any bride that wants every guest out on the dance floor. They had everyone from 5 to 95 rockin out. They have a tremendous range of genres they do, and they sound amazing. People are still telling me how amazing the band was!

Smokin Section was WONDERFUL! We held a Spanish-Italian wedding with a family that DEMANDS great music...& Smokin Section did just that. They also learned 2 new Latin songs & allowed my brother (who used to be in a band) to top off the night with Tom Petty's "American Girl". Mike was awesome, he listened to what we did & did not want & stuck to it. I HIGHLY recommend Smokin Section!

We loved the Smokin' Section! And so did all of our guests! They provided a great band for a really competitive price (at least in our market). I had the opportunity to go through hundreds of songs ahead of time and mark "must plays" and "never play", which they stuck to at the actual event. Everyone was up and dancing the whole time!

The Smokin' Section was the perfect band! We had so much fun as did our guests. They provided our ceremony, cocktail hour & reception music. We've been married two & a half years & friends still rave about them! You can't go wrong with The Smokin' Section! My husband & I want to have a big party just so we can have them back!

OUTSTANDING!!! The Smokin' Section were the hit of the reception! We couldn't have asked for a better band! They kept the dance floor packed all night and guests continue to rave about them! They were a pleasure to work with too!

We have used the Smokin Section for several weddings and they always deliver. They appeal to all ages. Very professional. Will do ceremony and reception music. Nice sound level, never too loud, you can actually talk during dinner! Highly recommended

To this day, we still get compliments from the guests at our wedding about how great the band was. People were up dancing almost the whole night (except when they were eating) and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Great music, really soulful, they sound great. Very friendly too.

Here was my only issue: they gave us a 5 page questionaire asking us our likes and dislikes as far as music goes...and what we'd like done as far as announcements and cake time...then they didn't follow it. During our photo time they came running up asking us questions about first dances, etc, that we had just discussed with them the day before. They played "the bride cuts the cake" during cake time even though we'd previously arranged for something different. Go figure!

They were excellent.

The Smoking Section made our wedding an event that people STILL talk about 5 years later. We'd definitely use them again!!

Mike and The Smokin' Section, with the Latin extension, played at our wedding in Upstate NY in 2004. I am Hispanic with a love for Salsa, Merengue, 80s tunes and Motown classics. My husband is Jewish and followed Phish around for years and prefers classic rock. The Smokin' Section went above and beyond to please us and our families. They played some obscure old Spanish song for my dad, and an amazing Hava Nagila that got everyone dancing together. They truly complimented our interfaith ceremony.

We gave Mike a rough outline of what we wanted played and he pretty much went with whatever pleased the party in between (even when the caterer sprung an extra "special" newlywed dance on us, they improvised flawlessly). I can't remember anything but praises for the band even months after, everyone had an awesome time.

I know it's not review related but a little tip for the brides & grooms, feed your band, keeps everyone happy. I still remember Mike coming to me at the end of the party and letting me know they had a great time too.

And can't forget the value! We looked at other bands, even one that played at Tony Soprano's daughter's wedding. They wanted to charge lots of money for their celebrity connection but their sound and versatility...not so great.

Go with The Smokin' Section, your party will thank you!

They were absolutely great to work with and everybody loved the fun music. I look forward to working with the Smokin' Section again.

Smokin Section comes highly recommended by VOW. Their style and talent is hard to find in the wedding band industry. Extremely professional and tailors songs and vibe to the couples needs. A must vendor to book if going the Band route.