Honing Our Skills

by Kris Bayne June 9, 2011

Band of Gold Trio

Tuesday nights 7:00 - 10:00pm@Local Republic

One of the perks of being a professional musician is the occasional ability to break away from the "everyday" cover songs and play something bold and exciting. I can't think of a better way to hone a musician's skills than to throw him in a new environment with songs he has never even thought of playing before. The performance becomes a learning situation where musicians become better players and more importantly, better communicators with each other. Spontaneous, live performances create an excitement for the musician and, at the same time, the guests are uniquely entertained. I am fortunate to have this opportunity every Tuesday night with 2 of the greatest musicians I've ever performed with.

Local Republic, a new cool restaurant, bar, hang out spot in Historic Downtown Lawrenceville has brought something different to the Square. Locally crafted beers, incredible wines and great food are teamed with a laid back, friendly atmosphere and a top notch crew to create an excellent dining experience. The Band of Gold Trio (1/2 of the popular Atlanta wedding and special event band, Band of Gold) is there entertaining an enthusiastic audience on Tuesday nights from 7:00 - 10:00pm.

Band of Gold Trio
photo by Orpheus and Aphrodite

I can't think of a more appropriate place to showcase our trio. We are given absolute creative freedom to perform what we want - with only a couple of exceptions that are on the "banned forever" list. For example, Local Republic is not the kind of place to play Margaritaville and, as a rule, we don't play the overplayed. Instead, we choose to create nice classy jazz mixed with non-classy rock and pop. Guests never know what we'll play next. And neither do we.

We take requests. We play them if we know them, we fake it if we don't and most of the time, we get away with it. There's an amazing reward for that. It makes you feel like you can do anything. It also makes guests feel included. By communicating with the band and yelling requests through the open air THEY become the show. Afterall, in a restaurant that prides itself on being for the people, by the people, it IS about them. That's magic.

Band of Gold Trio at Local Republic in Lawrenceville

photo by Dave Morrison

We would love for you to stop by and try one of their tasty menu items and drinks. It's a great way to support your local community! Local Republic is at 225 W. Crogan St, Lawrenceville, GA 30046.

Check out this great review by Gwen Morrison at http://goo.gl/qTsMM.

Beautiful e-session at Tribble Mill Park in Lawrenceville/Grayson with Alexa & Corey. They were aweseom in front of the camera--a joy to work with!

A spring afternoon at Vines

Had a great afternoon with Ashley & Marcus in the beautiful Vines Gardens in Loganville (pollen was uninvited, but necessary for the lovely flowers)!

   

        

  

Cara and Chris - The Atrium, March 4, 2011

The Atrium wedding  March 4, 2011.  Great easy-going couple, Cara & Chris had so many fun elements in their wedding, including: a 6-boy security posse for the rings, complete with sunglasses & walkie-talkies, a groom who took my joke to get in weird positions like a headstand seriously, a photo booth with props for kids & guests and a matron of honor toast that culminated in 3 bridesmaids lifting their dresses to reveal soccer shorts in honor of the bride!

Spring Portraits

Spring is a beautiful time for engagement, family, or senior portraits!

Visually striking new youtube commercial from O and A!

Check out our latest youtube ad. Orpheus and Aphrodite captures those magic moments with beautiful and romantic images that make your wedding so special. Take a look and let your dreams begin with Orpheus and Aphrodite!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhA4zhHEgBw&fmt=37

Tell us what you think!

Add your favorite song to our playlist and receive $200 credit for any BOG package over $1800! 

You tell us your song choice and if we like it the most, you win! 

Send your request to: kris@atlantabandofgold.com with the subject “Add A Song”. 

The winner(s) will be chosen on April 1, 2011

Click the link here to make sure it's not already on our playlist.

Abernathy Wedding 1-28-11

Orpheus and Aphrodite Official Press Release

Atlanta, GA – February 1, 2011 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Orpheus and Aphrodite Music and Photography has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire  Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Photography and Music Services! Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation. Orpheus and Aphrodite stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year. “WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Orpheus and Aphrodite for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.” We are happy to announce that Orpheus and Aphrodite is among the very best photography, DJ, and band within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011. For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/reviews/orpheus-and-aphrodite-music-and-photography-lawrenceville/1d058c959ccabc48.html. For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com. About WeddingWire, Inc. WeddingWire.com, the nation's leading technology company serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding  venues to wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting -edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives local businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. Businesses that join the WeddingWire Network appear on WeddingWire.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), ProjectWedding.com and Weddingbee.com (both part of eHarmony), and Celebrations.com (part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands, NASDAQ: FLWS).

Something Borrowed, Something Saved

I know you probably already know this: weddings are expensive! There are so many details and nearly all of them cost money. The dress, the venue, the flowers, the pictures, the music, the lighting, the food - it can all add up to thousands of dollars. After the wedding, the money is gone but hopefully the memories carry on for a lifetime. I still look back on my wedding day with great affection. Of course, I wasn't the one footing the bill!

Saving money is always nice. It makes us feel good when we know we got a great deal. We already have an idea of where to spend the money we are saving! Maybe it's a trip to Hawaii or a down payment on a first home. Maybe it's a car or concert tickets.

No one wants their wedding day to appear thrifty. So how do you plan a wedding and cut costs without cheapening the biggest day of your life thus far? Here are 3 rules that can help you save a lot of cash:

Rule #1 - Write down your ideas. Come up with your theme and imagine the day in your mind. It's not hard especially for the bride who has been day dreaming her whole life about getting married! After writing down your thoughts, don't stray from them. Instead, find ways to make it happen. A little imagination goes a long way!

Rule #2 - Spend money in the right places. Know your capabilities and leave the rest to professionals. Make sure you get the pros for the projects you can't accomplish on your own. Sometimes you have to spend money for peace of mind and to free up time for your other tasks. Do you really think you can prepare the meal for 250 guests and create the bouquets for your bridesmaids the day before your wedding?

Friends can really come in handy too. If you have talented friends or family members, use them! Okay, that sounds bad. But they'll want you to return the favor on their big day! Be careful though to insure that your friends can deliver a quality product. Yes, Uncle Bob was a great DJ in the 70's but will he embarrass you by making it cheesy? If you want dancing, is your IPOD capable of reading the crowd and going with the flow? Is your little brother's band varied enough to entertain all of your guests?

There are many other do it yourself ways to save money. Choose a cheaper (or even used) dress. Rent the tuxedos. Use your dad's car as the going away vehicle. Have Aunt Mabel bake the cake. Elope!

Rule #3 - Pick your date wisely. The most expensive days for a wedding are holidays. If you have to have your wedding on New Year's Eve or the 4th of July, be prepared to pay for it! For non-holidays, the most costly days are Saturdays. The demand is just too high in most cases to get a price break on a Saturday. However, sometimes procrastination can save you big time! If your wedding is in the very near future (and the vendor is available) you can get a good deal. All vendors would rather be working and making money than not. Most businesses offer discounts for Fridays, Sundays, and especially weekdays. Don't be afraid to ask.

Your wedding can be the greatest day of your life but it doesn't have to be the most expensive. Follow these money saving ideas so you can spend it on each other and live happily ever after!

Kris Bayne

Band Of Gold - Band Leader

http://atlantabandofgold.com

Orpheus and Aphrodite Music and Photography - Owner/DJ

http://orpheusandaphrodite.com

Deminchina Wedding

Pop/Rock Artists That Define Your Generation

Every generation has songs that take them back in an instant with even stronger emotion than a movie an conjure. We have compiled a list of 175 influential artists to be added to our repertoire. WE NEED YOUR HELP! Have we missed anything? What artists/songs have a special place in your heart? Let us know and Band of Gold might add it to their play list!

Here's our list:

AC/DC

Aerosmith

Alice In Chains

Allman Brothers Band

The Animals

Aretha Franklin

The B-52's

The Beach Boys

The Beatles

The Bee Gees

Bill Haley and The Comets

Billy Idol

Billy Joel

The Black Crowes

Black Eyed Peas

Blondie

Bo Diddley

Bob Dylan

Bob Marley

Bob Seger

Bon Jovi

Britney Spears

Bruce Springsteen

Bryan Adams

The Byrds

Buddy Holly

Carl Perkins

Carole King

The Carpenters

The Cars

The Coasters

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Cheap Trick

Chicago

The Chiffons

Chubby Checker

Chuck Berry

Cindi Lauper

The Clash

The Coasters

Coldplay

The Commodores

Crosby, Stills, and Nash

The Crystals

Daryl Hall and John Oats

Dave Matthews Band

David Bowie

Def Leppard

Doc Watson

Doobie Brothers

The Doors

The Drifters

Duran Duran

The Eagles

Earth, Wind and Fire

Eddie Cochran

Elton John

Elvis Presley

Eric Clapton

Everly Borthers

Fats Domino

The Flamingos

Fleetwood Mac

The Four Tops

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons

Gene Vincent

Genesis

Gladys Knight and The Pips

The Grateful Dead

Green Day

The Guess Who

Guns N Roses

Howlin' Wolf

Huey Lewis

INXS

Jackson 5

James Brown

James Taylor

Janis Joplin

Jason Mraz

Jelly Roll Morton

Jefferson Airplane

Jerry Lee Lewis

Jim Croce

Jimi Hendrix

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts

Joe Cocker

John Mayer

Johnny Cash

Journey

KC and The Sunshine Band

Kenny Loggins

The Kingsmen

The Kinks

Kiss

Kool and The Gang

Led Zeppelin

Lenny Kravitz

Lesley Gore

Lionel Richie

Little Eva

Little Richard

Lynard Skynard

Madonna

The Mamas and The Papas

Marvin Gaye

Martha and The Vandelles

Metallica

Michael Jackson

The Monkees

Motley Crue

Muddy Waters

Neil Diamond

Neil Young

Nirvana

Norman Greenbaum

Otis Redding

Patsy Cline

Paul Simon

Pearl Jam

Percy Sledge

Peter Gabriel

Phil Collins

Pink Floyd

The Platters

Poison

The Police

Prince

Queen

R.E.M.

The Ramones

Ray Charles

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Ritchie Valenz

Rick James

Rick Springfield

The Righteous Brothers

Robert Palmer

Rod Stewart

The Rolling Stones

Roy Orbison

Rush

The Safaris

Sam Cooke

Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs

Santana

Sex Pistols

Simon and Garfunkel

Simple Minds

Sister Sledge

Sly and The Family Stone

Smashing Pumpkins

Smokey Robinson

Sonny and Cher

Steppenwolf

Steve Miller Band

Stevie Wonder

Stray Cats

Styx

The Supremes

Talking Heads

The Temptations

Tears For Fears

Three Dog Night

The Throggs

Tina Turner

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Tommy James and The Shondells

Twisted Sister

U2

Van Halen

Van Morrison

The Violent Femmes

The Who

ZZ Top

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Kris Bayne

Owner/DJ

Orpheus and Aphrodite Music and Photography

http://orpheusandaphrodite.com

kbayne@orpheusandaphrodite.com

Band of Gold

Band Leader

http://atlantabandofgold.com

kris@atlantabandofgold.com