Narrow Gauge Had A Fantastic Show at the Taste of Colorado Event

What a show!  Thousands of people turned out to see Narrow Gauge perform at this years Taste of Colorado show in Denver.  Thank you to all who came out to support the band.  We had a TON of fun with you guys.  Here are a few photos from the show.

Narrow Gauge Taste of Colorado 1narrow gauge gene tastenarrow Gauge Genebignarrow gauge jeff tastenarrow gauge taste Jimnarrow gauge jim laney reverendNarrow Gauge is a Colorado Country Rock Dance band.  We are available for concerts, festivals, weddings, corporate events, fundraisers and private parties anywhere in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas and anywhere with an airport!  Visit our website for live demos, video, photos, client reviews, playlist, and to get pricing for your event.

The Perfect Dance Band Playing a Great Mix of Country and Rock: Narrow Gauge

narrow gauge jim in the crowdWe like country BUT…”

We hear this from bride and grooms all the time.  They love all types of country music, but not all of their guests will.  That is what draws them to Narrow Gauge.

Narrow Gauge is a dance band and we know how to pack a dance floor, we do it 60+ times every year.  We do it by reading the crowd and playing a great mix of modern and classic country, modern and classic rock as well as any type of music that will get the crowd dancing.  We play hits everyone will recognize and enjoy,  from AC/DC to the Zac Brown Band and everything in between.

When we go on break, we play the latest club hits or a custom mix that you have chosen, and the party keeps on going.

When you hire Narrow Gauge, you get an award-winning band as well as DJ.

You might think you can not afford us, and you would be wrong.  Visit our website and find out how affordable we can be.

 

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Save Money When You Book Narrow Gauge for ANY Event in March, April or May

Somebody_Getting_Married_Narrow Gauge is a Colorado Cover band that performs a great variety of country and rock dance hits.   We know how to pack the dance floor all night long!

Even though Narrow Gauge is a very affordable band, if your wedding or event is in March, April or May,  we have a deal for you!

For a limited time, Narrow Gauge will throw in our deluxe lighting package for your dance floor and stage, as well as our wireless microphone for toasts AND Master of Ceremony duties for free.  That is a savings of $200!

To get this deal, you have to go to our website at www.NarrowGaugeCountry.com and fill out our “Book Us form”.  In the notes section make sure you type in the words SPRING SPECIAL.

To get this deal, you have to contract with us by March 21st!

Here’s the fine print:  Not valid for contracts that have already been written.  Can not be combined with any other special pricing.

How To Hire a Country Band for Your Denver Colorado Wedding

Denver Wedding BandsCongratulations! You have finally made the decision to go with a live band instead of a DJ for your Denver Colorado wedding reception. Now you face the daunting task of finding the right band. How do you find them? How much should you pay? How long should they play for? What things should I avoid, and what must I have? As a veteran of over 200 weddings, let me offer 5 simple ideas I have learned over the years.

1. Get a Detailed Quote I can’t stress how important this is. Sometimes a vague quote might be a great price, but does it include everything you need and want? Can you choose some of the songs? Will they learn your first dance song? How long will they play for that amount? How long are their breaks? What kind of PA will they use? Will they MC portions of the night? Will they bring dance lights and stage lights? Does the price include a microphone for your toasts and any speeches that might be given? If you don’t ask, and the band doesn’t offer a written detailed quote, you may be in for a big disappointment. So ask for the details.

2. Check The Band Out: It is always preferable if you can see the band perform live at a wedding reception. Most “real” bands have deals with every bride: “I can get you into this wedding to see the band, as long as when your wedding comes around, you let us bring another potential client to your wedding. Every bride I have ever worked with has been fine with that arrangement. (hint: just don’t drink their alcohol or eat the food)

Sometimes you can’t see the band live. I would say that more than 50% of our clients have NOT been able to see the band they hire in person. Don’t worry if you can’t. There are other ways. See if they have any LIVE videos. It is hard to fake a good performance on tape. Also, ask for references and call them. A good band should submit the references with their quote if they have nothing to hide. Ask your wedding planner, she knows who the good bands are.

3. Think About the Type of Music Your Guests Like: This is far more important that you might think at first. If you are hiring a band to get people dancing and keep them dancing, you have to hire a band that plays the kind of music the crowd wants to dance to. Two stories illustrate this truth well:

I will never forget the time Narrow Gauge showed up to perform at a wedding in Breckenridge Colorado. The bride only wanted country music. Her friends and family didn’t like country, and nobody was dancing. The bride was more than a little discouraged. But she wouldn’t let us change-up the music. The result: we played to an empty dance floor for two hours. When the bride left, we broke out into some classic rock and the dance floor immediately filled up for the rest of the night.

One time we got hired to play country music and when we showed up, everyone wanted 80’s heavy metal. The bride and groom hired us because we gave them a great deal. We did our best and pulled it off. It would have made a better party for everyone if they had hired an 80’s metal band that played a little country.

Ask yourself these questions: What kind of music do my parents like to dance to? My husband parents? How about my friends from college? Or my husbands friends. It really is that easy. Hire a band that can play those styles of music and you should have a great reception.

4. Get it In Writing: Yes, you need a contract! This makes everything so much easier. Remember, you will be planning a lot of things. You may hire the band 6 months before the wedding. You are also hiring a caterer, a venue, a minister, a photographer, a florist, ceremony music etc. If you don’t have the details written out in a contract, you will probably forget the details. This is also a recipe for disaster. Every good band will demand a contract, and they will write it up for both of you.

5. Start Your Search Early: If you are having a June or July wedding, you need to start looking for your band 9-12 months ahead of time. The good bands get hired early. If you are getting married in a slower time October-April, you can start your search 6 months before the wedding. Where do you look? There are several places you can look. One of them is Gigmasters. You can search their site for every type of band, and narrow it down to the city and state you are getting married in. You can also do a Google search, for example “Colorado Country Bands” if your wedding is in Colorado. A bunch of bands will show up. I would stay away from bar bands and here’s why: A bar band often plays for free drinks and likes to do their own thing. They play what they want to hear, not necessarily what your guests do. A good wedding band will play what your crowd wants to dance to, even if they don’t like the songs themselves. You’ll never know they don’t like it because they are professionals.

I hope these 5 thoughts help you as you search for the best band for your wedding!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at Colorado Wedding Bands.

Denver Country Band Awarded “Best of 2012” by Gigmasters.com

Award Winning Colorado Country BandNarrow Gauge was recently selected as one of the top country and wedding bands in the Denver and Colorado area by Gigmasters.com.  This follows their 2011 award for being a Five Star Performer.

Narrow Gauge was rated in 5 categories by over 25 clients.  Here’s how they voted

1.  Overall Talent:   5 out of 5 Stars

2.  Professionalism: 5 out of 5 Stars

3. Accomodating: 5 out of 5 Stars

4. Overall Client Satsifaction: 5 out of 5 Stars

5. Clients Would Recommend Us:  5 out of 5 Stars.

As a Denver country band, Narrow Gauge is committed to providing superb entertainment at Colorado weddings, fundraisers,  corporate parties, county fairs and every other type of event.  Find out more information about this great band at http://www.narrowgaugecountry.com, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Narrow Gauge, A Denver Country Band Available for Weddings and Parties

Narrow Gauge A Denver Country BandNarrow Gauge, a Denver based Country band, has been performing at weddings and events in Colorado since 2001 and plays a wide variety of great dance songs from Alan Jackson to ZZ Top, AC/DC to Zac Brown and everything in between!

Whether it is performing for the President of the United States and his family or the owner of The NHL Columbus Blue Jackets, an intimate wedding, corporate event,  fundraiser  or a private party, on national TV or at Mile High Stadium,  Narrow Gauge has the experience and talent it takes to make your event spectacular!

Narrow Gauge is the premier country rock dance band in Denver Colorado and Wyoming and we travel throughout both states.  Whether your Colorado Wedding or event is in Denver, Colorado Springs,  Fort Collins, Longmont, Vail or any of the mountain resorts, Narrow Gauge can perform for your party.   We also travel to New Mexico, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Texas.

We have performed over 500 events in the last 12 years:  hundreds of weddings,  festivals, corporate parties, Rodeo’s, County Fairs and more. Whether your Colorado wedding is in Denver or somewhere else in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska or beyond, Narrow Gauge can provide the entertainment.

See our 2013 Denver Country Band / Colorado Wedding promo video

Want Your Friends to Dance All Night at Your Wedding Reception? Try this…

Dance All Night at Your Wedding with Narrow Gauge, Colorado's Premier Party Band
Dance All Night at Your Wedding with Narrow Gauge, Colorado’s Premier Party Band

Narrow Gauge performs at about 30 weddings every year. We know how to pack a dance floor and keep it packed, but we’re always looking for ways to improve our ability to do this. Recently, while performing at a wedding for Steve and Meggan up in Estes Park, Colorado, we stumbled upon a great idea. So great, that we want to share it with all of our brides.  Here it is in a nutshell:

Get People Dancing During The Cocktail Hour

Rather than playing recorded music or quiet live music during the cocktail hour, Meggan and Steve wanted the band to  play rowdy dance music. We have performed at hundreds of cocktail hours in the past, and our initial thought was that it might not work. The band even had a plan B ready in case it didn’t work.  But it did work, and it worked very, very well.

We introduced Meggan and Steve, and they immediately went into their first dance.  Then we invited everyone to join them on the dance floor.  The wedding party knew all this ahead of time and raced to the dance floor.  The guests all joined them, and danced like crazy for about 30 minutes.

Dinner followed, and after dinner Meggan and Steve’s guests were ready to dance. They danced all night, and even wanted to hire us to keep going.  Unfortunately the noise ordinance at the venue prevented that from happening.

If you want your guests to dance all night, you may want to consider this option.  Keep in mind that Meggan and Steve had almost all their photo’s taken prior to the ceremony.  This allowed them to arrive at the cocktail hour about 30 minutes into it.

Contact Narrow Gauge if you are having a wedding in Colorado Springs, Denver or anywhere in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska or beyond.  We would love to help you celebrate!  Visit us online at www.NarrowGaugeCountry.com

If you are looking for a GREAT wedding planner, check out Sarah over at Ansley Event Design.  She and her team did a tremendous job, going above and beyond, to make the entire wedding a huge success.  We love working with professional wedding planners who know what they are doing and are committed to serving the bride and groom!  Thanks Sarah!

Now Offering PA System Rentals for Weddings

Narrow Gauge is pleased to announce that we now offer complete PA system rentals for wedding ceremonies,  even if you don‘t hire the band to perform at the reception.  We offer great gear at truly affordable rates.  We can customize any set-up so that your ceremony is perfect AND your guests can hear every word.

 

When you hire us to provide sound, you’ll receive:

1.  A professional sound system perfect for your event

2.  A wireless microphone and stand

3.  Delivery, set-up and tear down of the equipment

4.  Ipod/Mp3 player capability.

5.  Professional sound man to run everything for you so your brother doesn’t have to.

6.  Consultation: We will discuss your ceremony in detail with you, or your planner, to make sure
everything happens just the way you dreamed it would.

We can even accommodate live musicians who might need sound at your ceremony.

Our rental rates are very competitive and we travel all over Colorado. We have provided professional PA systems at over 500 events in the past 11 years.  If you would like a quote for your event, please visit our website at www.NarrowGaugeCountry.com,  email us at NarrowGaugeCountry@yahoo.com or call Jim at 719-231-7195.

 

The Reviews Are In: Narrow Gauge Truly Is A Great Country Band for Weddings and Events

We know that hiring a band for your wedding or party can be a difficult task.  We have included several of our clients testimonials to help you evaluate Narrow Gauge.  Whether it is for your wedding, private party, corporate event, street dance, fundraiser or festival, Narrow Gauge has the talent and experience to make it a success!

“Thank You!  You guys are great!” Jenna Bush Hager (daughter of former President George W. Bush)

“Dustin and I want to extend our sincere gratitude to Narrow Gauge for making our wedding celebration the best event ever!! We were very impressed with the repertoire of music selection and were pleased that you guys took the time to learn and play ‘Look At You Girl’ by Chris LeDoux.

A huge thank you for making our wedding absolutely unforgettable and perfect! All of the music from dinner to the reception was incredible. You were an excellent ‘MC’ — you weren’t kidding when you said you know how to read the crowd and choose the right song based on the energy of the crowd! Your selection of songs, combined with the energy on stage, made for a fantastic party! You have a professional approach and I appreciated the time we spent communicating throughout the planning process.

I personally wanted to thank you and your band for an unforgettable performance.  It was the most amazing night and you made it as fun as it could possibly be.  Just wanted to thank you for everything and let you know that people are still asking me about you and your band and raving about how fabulous you all were.  A BIG thank you again for making our wedding the best and most fun night of our lives!!”

Dustin and Sarah, Crested Butte, CO

“This was our first experience with hiring a band for a social event – our daughter’s wedding. They helped walk me through the entire evening, kept our timeline going when I was too busy to notice, and absolutely “made” the evening with their GREAT music and the ability to work with the crowd. Our guests age’s were from 5 to 90 and everyone loved the band and had a great time. They accommodated our special requests in songs, learned 2 new ones for the wedding, and humored our guests that wanted to sing along! Many guests complimented us on our choice of band and told us it was the best wedding they’ve ever been to. We’ll definitely use them again.”

Karen D, Littleton, CO

Hi Jim!

Narrow Gauge is a fantastic band!  Your performance at my daughter’s wedding was a smash!  Everyone enjoyed listening and dancing to your music.  I had several guests come up to me asking who the band is and saying that they so enjoyed your music!

I want to thank you for the phone calls and emails in regard to scheduling, set-up and planning of the music from the cocktail hour through the very last song.  You really took the time to ensure that all the music was carefully selected — along with the music during the breaks.  The combination of country and rock was quite a hit.

Next, I would like to thank you for your professionalism.  It was quite evident during the set-up of the band equipment, the conversations with our family during the event to ensure that “all” was going as planned, and making sure that the the guests were engaged in the music and having a great time.

Most of all, we are most appreciative of the fact that all our guests had a wonderful time due to the atmosphere Narrow Gauge created.  I’ve never seen so many people dancing, laughing and enjoying themselves so much on the dance floor.  Many said that this was the best wedding they have ever attended!

I wish you continued success.

Thanks again Jim, for all you did for us,”

Ahna Steiner  Breckenridge

“We hired Narrow Gauge for our wedding. They showed up early even with a huge Colorado snowstorm. The music was excellent and all of the guests were very happy. They really helped make the night a memorable experience for everyone.”

Pamela D.Sapphire Celebrations Voted Denver’s Top Wedding Coordinator

Dear Jim,

We were very happy with your services.  You took care of all the set up and tear down as well as any issues during the night.  This goes for the cocktail/dinner music as well.  All of your musicians were really friendly and flexible ( i.e. having 6 girls up on stage to sing) and your fun attitude was much appreciated.  You also did an excellent job keeping the wedding on track (i.e. getting the dancing started) without pressuring us to follow a time line exactly.  Most importantly though, the music was great and there was never an empty dance floor….or even a sparsely populated one!  It was by far one of the best parties I’ve been to, and to have it be our wedding too was more that we could have asked for.”

Thanks,

Kyler and Emily Brown Alamosa

“The Kremmling Area Chamber of Commerce hosts several events every year including two Old Fashioned Country Dances for the community as fundraisers for the chamber.  This year we found Narrow Gauge online and were impressed with their vocal and musical talent from the very beginning.  Gene, Jim, Bart and Danny offer a high energy performance that will not disappoint.

Leslie; Kremmling Chamber Director was overheard complimenting Gene for his beautiful rendition of Bob Segar’s, Turn the Page.    We appreciate their timely arrival, professional attitudes and willingness to be flexible with the special requests from our guests.  If you are looking for a responsible multi-talented band for your next event, you won’t go wrong with hiring Narrow Gauge.  Thanks guys, you are always invited and welcome to play in Kremmling anytime.”

Kacey Beres,.  Event Director Member Relations,  Kremmling Area Chamber of Commerce

To Whom it May Concern:

On September 20 and 21 we hired a band of unknown, (to us), quality called Narrow Gauge, for a family get together at my J BAR M Ranch in Ridgway, Colorado. To say the least – they did a magnificent job for us.  Their music and songs gave us two days of enjoyment and friendship.  At one point, during the first evening, I turned to my cousin on my left ( a doctor and musician), and commented, “These guys are very good”.  His answer, “They are not good, they are great!”

That was the opinion of myself and all our guests.  “They were great!”

Sincereley,

John H. McConnel Owner of the Columbus Blue Jackets (A National League Hockey Team)

“Jim and the Band were perfect! Their attention to detail and their ability to work with us was great. This event was a huge success, the guys from Narrow Gauge are flawless and a joy to work with. I would recommend them to any and all!”

Gary M. Hewlett Packard

“Narrow Gauge was the perfect fit. We had looked all over and could not find a band that we thought would fit our guests. We love country music and so did many of our guests, but there were also people who liked a variety of different genres of music. Narrow Gauge played to the crowd and kept the dance floor packed all night. We had so much fun that we even hired them for an extra set! Narrow Gauge was easy to work with! Jim was so helpful in helping us plan our reception. We had all the details worked out weeks before the reception, so I could try to relax! He even MC’d the event for us. They let several of our guest sing on stage with them, and even let Steve, my new husband play bass on one song. He does not even know how to play bass, but somehow it sounded great. During their breaks they had DJ music pumping through the dance floor, so even when they weren’t playing, our guests kept dancing! It was truly a night to remember. Thank you Narrow Gauge for your professionalism and talent. You were so phenomenal! We couldn’t recommend you more highly!

Steve and Alyssa Colorado Springs, CO

‘Narrow Gauge was extremely professional. They worked well with our DJ to make the transition between the two smooth. The music and vocals were very impressive. When Narrow Gauge was finished, the removal and exit of their equipment was hardly noticed. We had several comments from guests wishing we had reserved the band to perform for a longer period of time. We would highly recommend the group. Thank you for a great performance! ”

–Berni S. Issacson Rossenbaum Law Firm Denver, CO

Needs more information?  Check out The Top 10 Reasons People Hire Narrow Gauge, Colorado’s Premier Country Band

Ready to get a detailed quote?  Fill out our Quote Me form

Top Ten Reasons People Hire Narrow Gauge For Their Colorado/Wyoming Wedding

1. Narrow Gauge Has Talent: The guys in the band are all top level pro’s who have been playing and singing for years! We are very good at what we do. You don’t get the opportunity to perform for the President of the USA or country stars like Larry Gatlin if you aren’t at the top of your field.

2. We know that it’s YOUR party! We have a strict no alcohol policy, and no one in the band uses drugs! So, even though your guests may end up drinking a little too much, we won’t be drinking at all. Some bands think that your event is their party and end up drinking more than your guests. By the end of the night, they can’t play very well. That never happens with Narrow Gauge.

3. We are Good, but You Can Afford Us! We have several different packages to choose from that will surely fit your budget.

4. Variety: Narrow Gauge is a country – rock dance band. We pride ourselves on being able to play anything from Alan Jackson to ZZ top or AC/DC to Willie Nelson and everything in-between. We also perform hits from the 90’s, blues, funk and anything that will get the crowd dancing.

5. We’re a Live band AND a DJ! We travel with a full DJ set up. This means that we can play the latest club hits or anything the crowd wants during our breaks. You get the best of both worlds: Phenomenal live music and a DJ mix! You can even prepare the DJ list so that our breaks are filled with the music you know your friends and family will love.

6. Experience: Since 2001 we have performed over 500 shows all over the USA! We know how to get a room full of people dancing and get the party started. Sometimes, the songs chosen by our clients don’t get people onto the dance floor. In that case, we change things up, and find out what they want to dance to. We are never locked into doing things one way. We pride ourselves on being able to figure out the crowd and then keep then on the dance floor all night long!

7. We are Not Rock Stars…and we don’t have their attitude! We are very easy to work with and are committed to making your event everything you imagined it would be. We allow our guests to join the band onstage for a song or three to help out with singing. Other bands won’t allow this because the non-professionals (your guests) will make them look bad! While often your guests are not as good of singers as they think they are, it is always fun when they join us!

8. We keep our Commitments: If you hire Narrow Gauge, we will be there. Period. We have driven through blizzards to get to more than one wedding. Other bands might cancel in severe weather, but not us. We have had more than one client frantically call us weeks before their wedding to tell us their other band cancelled on them. Again, this will never happen with Narrow Gauge. Everyone in the band has daughters. We know how important a wedding is to any family. We will never cancel at the last minute. We even have top-quality, professional fill-in’s on the rare occasion we need them.

9. Quality Equipment: We perform with only the best, top-quality, professional gear. Clients often don’t realize how important this is to the overall performance, but it is often the critical component that other bands leave out. On any given night, Narrow Gauge will have over $25,000 worth of equipment on stage. We spare no expense in order to bring the best sound for your event

10. It’s All About You: When you hire Narrow Gauge, we consider it an honor and a privilege to serve you! When we arrive at your event, that will be our sole focus. We are committed to doing everything possible to make your event happen the way you wanted it. When problems or glitches show up (and they always do) we work with your other professionals to make sure you never even know about it. Other bands, only come to play music. We come to create memories!

If you are looking for a Colorado country band for your wedding reception, consider Narrow Gauge.