It's wedding season, and once again, much of our energy is spent trying to avoid the clichés that often accompany this holy ceremony. Like it or not, the reception climaxes on the dance floor, which is where some of the greatest offenses are committed by DJs and guests alike.

Luckily, there's Dexter Lake Club Band-– the indie supergroup out to save the world, one wedding at a time. Their enthusiasm for kicking out jams at weddings, matrimony style, is matched only by their experience within the music industry, split between the French Kicks, The Walkmen, The Exit, Asobi Seksu, and even playing with Willie Nelson. With a song roster that ranges from the Human League to Journey, this band merits crashing the party. psychoPEDIA joined members Jamie Krents, Tim Ruedeman, and Matt Stinchcomb to find out more:

Why form a "wedding band," and when did it start?
JK: Matt and I grew up together and played in a cover band in high school. We met Tim at an overpriced liberal-arts college in rural Ohio and started an '80s band in 1995 out of sheer boredom. We all ended up in New York, and Matt and I were playing in French Kicks and making no money. A few friends asked if we'd play their weddings, so we started doing it to make extra money to fund things-- like our van, rehearsal space, etc. It became a word-of-mouth thing for a while, and then we got a bit more serious about it in the last couple of years.

What do you have to offer as a professional wedding band?
JK: For people who don't want the standard, Long Island, bad-tuxedo with a conga player wedding band, we're a good choice. And we have really good musicians, so it isn't sloppy.

A couple of you recently got married-- what sort of entertainment did you have at your own reception?
JK: I got married first and looked everywhere for a wedding band, but they were all horrible, corny, "YMCA"-playing and really expensive. I finally decided to just play at my own wedding, which worked out OK, since my wife plays drums and she did a couple of songs with us.
MS: A German oom-pa band. I got married near Munich.
TR: I hired a group called Guignol, that features Franz Nikolai and Peter Hess of The Hold Steady. Guignol is a quartet of clarinet, accordion, tuba, and drums; they played all the traditional Jewish music including "Hava Nagila" and also some of their Eastern European, Balkan-inspired music.

How do you dress for the events?
MS: It depends on the wedding. We have outfits for all occasions and every theme. We have played nautical-themed weddings, Latin- themed weddings-- we even played a hair-salon-themed wedding.

Three best and worst songs for a wedding?
JK: My current favorites are Tom Petty's "American Girl," Journey's "Don't Stop Believin," and "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen. I get very irritable if I hear a wedding band play "My Girl," "To Be Real," or anything by Billy Joel.

Most requested or unusual song request?
MS: Stevie Wonder or any hip-hop.
JK: I think our most bizarre request occurred when a very intoxicated sixty-year-old wedding guest lumbered up to the stage with a five dollar bill, and asked if we could "take him down to Margaritaville." Luckily, we didn't know that one, even for five bucks.

How much would you need to get paid to sing a Robbie Williams or Celine Dion song?
TR: I think Celine is much more our vibe than Robbie. He's so fake, but Celine keeps it real.
JK: Robbie Williams would be pricey, especially since I don't think anyone in the US has any business requesting his music. We have so much bad American music, why import his from the UK? Celine Dion would totally depend. Tim likes doing songs with gratuitous high notes, so if it were that Titanic song, we'd probably do it for free.

Most unusual gig yet?
TR: We played in Queens at a huge Chinese buffet restaurant. There were over six-hundred people at the event, half of which were not English-speakers. The highlight was having each member of the bridal party and extensive family enter to "Eye of the Tiger." The names were read off in both English and Mandarin, so it lasted over 30 minutes.
JK: I think it gave me carpal tunnel.

Dream gig?
JK: Definitely Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. When are those two going to finally tie the knot? The suspense is killing me. We'd do that one for free.
MS: Sharing the stage with John Stamos, Mike Love, and Al Jardine playing "Kokomo" in Kokomo for Alyssa Milano and whichever lucky fella she ends up marrying.

Have you ever picked up a good date or made out with a bride on the job?
JK: Well, I did play my own wedding, but that doesn't count, right?
TR: We have played a couple of weddings where a band member was an old flame of the bride's. I think that's how we booked most of our early gigs.

Are you into this for big bucks, free booze, or to get laid?
TR: The money's good, and free booze is never a bad thing. I'm married, so I'm definitely not looking to get laid.
MS: Tim's wife knows how to use the Internet.
TR: The reason I think we do it is that I get to be in a great band, playing songs that we love, and be with some of my best friends from college.
JK: If you want to play guitar for the money, you're in the right business. It sure beats playing the Mercury Lounge on a Wednesday night for $65. We sometimes comment that it would probably be a lot more fun if we were all single, but we all live vicariously through our drummer, Gunnar–- who is available, ladies.

~Abbey Braden


Second photo via digitalprotalk
Third photo via baronesstapuzina
Fourth photo, courtesy of Guignol
Fifth photo by John Bamber via Flickr
Sixth photo by DBlakeman via Flickr
All other photos courtesy of Dexter Lake Club Band