Planning a private party usually starts with the guest list, the food and the location.
Then comes a question that can completely change the feel of the event:
What are we going to do for entertainment?
If you’re searching for live entertainment for a private party in New Jersey, the answer isn’t necessarily “hire a band.” Depending on the party, a DJ, magician, comedian, acoustic musician, interactive entertainer – or even a combination of several ideas – might make more sense.
The trick is figuring out what fits your crowd, your space and the kind of party you want to have.
For private events throughout Northern New Jersey, Bergen County, Rockland County and the Hudson Valley, there are more entertainment choices than ever. Here’s how we would think about it.
Start With the Party – Not the Entertainment
A 50th birthday party at a Bergen County restaurant is different from an anniversary dinner at home in Ridgewood. A backyard party in Montvale is different from a cocktail reception in Nyack.
Before choosing entertainment, ask yourself what you want guests to actually do.
If you want people dancing for several hours, a DJ or full band may be the obvious choice.
If the event is built around conversation, dinner and drinks, a magician who works the room can be terrific. A comedian can work well when everyone will be seated and paying attention. Casino tables, photo booths and other interactive activities can give guests something to do without making entertainment the center of the evening.
And sometimes music works best precisely because it doesn’t require everyone to stop what they’re doing.
That’s one reason we approach private party entertainment in NJ differently. Live music can be part of the atmosphere during cocktails and dinner and then become much more energetic as the night progresses.
Birthday Parties, Anniversaries and Milestone Celebrations
For birthdays, anniversaries, retirements and other milestone events, think about the age range in the room.
Will there be people in their 20s and 70s at the same party?
That’s when versatility becomes especially important.
A specialty act can be memorable, but its appeal may be relatively narrow. Music offers the ability to move between generations – Sinatra, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, Bon Jovi, Madonna, 80s and 90s favorites, current pop and requests from the room.
That’s also why it’s worth looking beyond simply live band vs DJ. There are formats that fall somewhere in between.
Liza & Josh combine live singers with professional sound, tracks and a repertoire of more than 1,000 songs. It gives a party much of the flexibility people associate with a DJ while still having actual performers interacting with the room.
Cocktail Parties and Dinner Parties
Not every private event needs a dance floor.
At a dinner party, engagement party, anniversary dinner or upscale cocktail reception, entertainment often works better when it complements the room instead of taking it over.
For a cocktail party in Northern New Jersey, that might mean Sinatra, standards, jazz-influenced pop, acoustic-style selections and familiar songs performed at a volume where people can still talk.
Then, if the evening becomes livelier, the music can change with it.
This is one of the advantages of singers over a fixed-format specialty act: the entertainment can follow the party.
Backyard and Outdoor Parties
Outdoor events create a completely different set of considerations.
You need power. Musicians need a protected performance area. Neighbors may matter. Weather definitely matters.
New Jersey municipalities can enact local noise requirements, so homeowners planning amplified entertainment should check the rules that apply to their town. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection provides information about the state’s noise-control framework, while Bergen County also publishes requirements for certain permitted gatherings and special events.
For more ideas about planning outdoor party entertainment, we generally recommend having access to power, shade or overhead protection and a legitimate rain plan.
And a tent isn’t a lightning shelter. The National Weather Service recommends that outdoor-event organizers establish a weather safety plan and identify a substantial building or other safe shelter if thunderstorms develop.
Holiday Parties
Christmas parties, Halloween parties, New Year’s celebrations, St. Patrick’s Day gatherings and summer holiday parties all have their own energy.
Music is particularly useful here because it can acknowledge the theme without forcing guests to experience three hours of themed entertainment.
A Christmas party can include holiday music during cocktails and move into dance music later. A Halloween party can have spooky favorites mixed into a completely normal party playlist.
The theme becomes part of the night – not the entire night.
Can You Have More Than One Kind of Entertainment?
Absolutely.
In fact, some of the best parties do.
You could have a magician working the cocktail hour and live singers after dinner. You might have live music early and a DJ later. A photo booth, casino tables or games can operate while musicians perform.
The question isn’t whether two forms of entertainment are “too much.” It’s whether they compete for your guests’ attention.
Good entertainment should create a natural flow.
How Much Space Does Live Entertainment Need?
This depends enormously on the act.
A large band may require a stage, multiple electrical circuits, monitors, drums, amplifiers and significant floor space.
A compact live act can require considerably less.
That matters in private homes, restaurant party rooms and smaller venues where sacrificing 150 square feet to entertainment may not make sense.
Rockland County’s official tourism site highlights everything from intimate event spaces to country clubs, waterfront venues and larger reception facilities, which is a good reminder that the physical setting should influence the entertainment you choose.
Do Musicians Bring Their Own Sound System?
They should tell you exactly what they provide before you book.
Liza & Josh bring our own professional sound equipment for most private events, which means the host doesn’t need to rent a separate PA system.
The bigger question is how loud the entertainment needs to be.
A good performer shouldn’t have one volume.
Dinner music, cocktails, singing along and dancing are four completely different situations. We adjust accordingly.
Can Guests Request Songs?
For us, absolutely.
Requests are one of the reasons we maintain such a large repertoire.
Rather than locking the evening into one genre or a predetermined set list, we can react to what guests are enjoying. Many of our clients refer to us as the band with the biggest live song list in NJ. We know well over 1000 songs and can sing most of them upon request. That gives us a lot of options and keeps your guests rolling in the music that they enjoy.
That versatility is particularly helpful at private parties because you usually aren’t entertaining one demographic.
You’re entertaining a family.
So What Kind of Entertainment Is Right for Your Party?
Don’t start by asking, “Do I need a DJ or a band?”
Start with:
Who is coming? What will they enjoy? How much room do we have? Do we want dancing? Do we want interaction? Should the entertainment command attention – or enhance everything else happening around it?
Then choose accordingly.
Sometimes the answer really is a magician.
Sometimes it’s a DJ.
Sometimes it’s a five-piece band.
And sometimes the right answer is something in between.
If you’re exploring live music for hire in New Jersey, tell us about the party you’re planning. We perform throughout Northern New Jersey, Bergen County, Rockland County and the Hudson Valley, and we’re happy to help you determine whether our format makes sense for your event.
Because choosing entertainment shouldn’t begin with what the entertainer wants to sell you.
It should begin with the kind of party you want your guests to remember.
