From: Clayton DeConte
Date: November 21st, 2024
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Summer McGee
Hi Summer!
Sorry for the late response. The Dickens Band was fantastic! All of the members were great, fun and talented. They had everybody on the dance floor and kept the party going! They even coordinated a last song and dance that I surprised Colleen with at the end of the night. We were very happy with our experience.
Cheers,
Clay
From: Morgan Bigler
Date: Wed, Nov 13, 2024 at 12:26 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
Mike,
I cannot have had a better band! They were AMAZING! Everyone at the wedding keeps talking about how good they were. I really appreciate them seeing what I wanted to play as well as being so fun. If we ever need a band we will always use them. I will be recommending them to all my friends and family as well. They made our wedding spectacular.
Haley
From: Ashley Swan
To: Katie Merritt
Subject: You received a new review on The Knot!
We hired The Dickens from Sam Hill Entertainment as our wedding reception band. They did an amazing job learning our first dance and gave us a killer live intro. They knew exactly what songs to play to keep us dancing all night long!
From: Tom Noonan
Date: Mon, May 20, 2024 at 11:25 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
Hi Mike,
We were all very happy with the band and how our event turned out. The portal was helpful to see songs lists and the videos helped us gauge performances beforehand. Working with the band leading up to the event was easy and connecting with the manager was helpful to get the details and timing of the event ironed out.
They did a great job throughout the evening playing the kind of music we liked and varying the styles too. We had a lot of people compliment them that night and the following days saying they loved the live band. Pulling Eva and me up onto the stage to sing our favorite and final song and then letting the wedding party join us was a really awesome experience and very memorable for all the guests there too.
Best,
Tom
From: John GoForth
To: Summer McGee
Date: Mar 5, 2024, 1:59 PM
Subject: The Dickens
Summer,
It has been a pleasure working with you guys! As always, the Dickens knocked it out of the park, they're soooo good. The dance floor stayed packed, can't wait to party with them again, my feet still hurt!
Thanks!
John
From: Lizzie Cozens
Date: Sun, Feb 4, 2024 at 7:43 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
Hi Mike!!
We were very happy with The Dickens! They were excellent! We loved how everything was smooth and they transitioned the night perfectly. Such a great experience!
Lizzie
From: Brittany Luther
Date: Tue, Dec 19, 2023 at 3:04 PM
Subject: Re: [External] The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
Hi Mike,
Thank you so much for everything! The Dickens band was absolutely wonderful to work with and we all really, really enjoyed their performance! They were amazing!!
Thank you and Happy Holidays to you!
Brittany
From: Sondra Komada
Date: Tue, Oct 17, 2023 at 9:08 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
Hi Andrew!
The Dickens Band was phenomenal…truly!! The dance floor was full all night with ages 1281!! The night ended with a full dance floor wanting more and they were nice enough to play a few more songs!!!
We gave your info to several that night as Im sure we will be doing in the future as well:).
Please tell them Thank you again from the Komadas!!
Sondra:)
From: Beth Ann Wilson
Date: Wed, Aug 16, 2023 at 6:45 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
Hi Mike
I did reach out to the band directly to tell them how fantastic they were. We got so many great comments from our guests. They kept the energy high and were always professional and engaging. As the mother of the bride and having no wedding planner, I could tell they were very interested in doing all they could to help me with the special dances, announcements, etc. Prior to the wedding, Steve was responsive, communicated clearly with what they needed from me and was a pleasure to work with. I felt very comfortable that they would be ready to go without outside supervision while I was at the ceremony.
It was also a pleasure booking with Sam Hill. The website and band page was very helpful and added to my reassurance that all would be to my satisfaction. As the wedding planner, I appreciated that Sam Hill and the Dickens initiated communication and I didn't have to follow up, confirm and remind the band like I had to do with other vendors and professionals working with us that day.
Sincerely,
Beth Ann
From: Amanda McCabe
Date: Wed, Jul 5, 2023 at 2:48 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
Hi, Mike.
Everything went REALLY well for The Dickens. The band's performance was just as we had hoped. All of our guests, and more importantly, the bride and groom, had an amazing time. We were really pleased by The Dickens music selections, talent, energy and engagement with the crowd. It was just a wonderful evening and they were a vitally important piece of the festivities. I liked the booking platform and communication with the band was easy peasy. Thank you so much!
Wishing you the best,
Amanda McCabe
From: JP SchnapperCasteras
Date: Tue, Jun 27, 2023 at 11:48 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
Hi Mike,
The Dickens were extraordinary, as expected. It was a special treat for us to be able to work together again.
And we appreciate them making the trip to NYC and all you did to make that possible. Hope the trip back went smoothly!
Thanks again,
JP
From: Cameron Gould
Date: Thu, Jun 1, 2023 at 6:20 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
Hi Mike!
Everything was incredible!!!! We have only gotten the best compliments. We all just wish we had more time for them to play because they were so fun! They even did a special song requested by my Husband to end the night because it was not played during the ceremony and everyone talked about how great it was. We have seen them play since we were both in college at East Carolina and we so enjoyed having them as a part of our wedding and all coming full circle.
Hope we find a reason to be able to use them again :)
Thanks so much!!
Cameron
From: Sarah Brewer
Date: Thu, Jun 1, 2023 at 8:58 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Katie Merritt
Hi Katie!
The Dickens were absolutely incredible. We could not have chosen a better band for our crowd. They were so entertaining, interactive, and they brought the party! We have zero complaints!
I do have several engaged friends who got their business card, so that’s exciting news! Thank you so much for all of your help during this process!
Sarah Brewer
From: Jonnie Petree
Date: Fri, Feb 3, 2023 at 5:42 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Katie Merritt
Hello!
WOW. We were truly blown away by The Dickens. They were absolutely amazing. We cannot thank you all enough! We will recommend The Dickens AGAIN AND AGAIN.
Thank you all,
Jonnie
From: Milena Aumüller, Proske
Date: Mon, Jan 23, 2023 at 12:04 PM
Subject: AW: The Dickens
To: Lauren Gaudet
Dear Lauren,
Our evening with the Dickens went super great. I would definitely recommend them together with their great team!
In addition, I wanted to give you the feedback that your portal to send through details about the gig, etc. is great. was super straightforward and what is needed to make such an organization comfortable for all involved parties.
Kind regards,
Milena
From: jon marc Winchester
Date: Thu, Dec 15, 2022 at 6:26 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
Hey Andrew,
Thanks for following up! The band was amazing and so great to work with. We had a blast with them and they were all such nice guys. I will be recommending them to anyone I know who has a wedding or party coming up in the future. Great to work with you as well! Thank you for all of your help with getting it setup.
Thank you,
Jon Winchester
From: Amanda Cole
Date: Fri, Dec 9, 2022 at 4:26 PM
Subject: Re: Wedding Music Follow up (The Dickens)
To: Andy Jaspen
Hey Andy,
Everyone loved the Dickens! We have had a few friends tell us it was the best wedding band they’ve seen! When our dinner service got delayed about 40 mins, they ended up playing through the rest of the night without breaks, which was so nice! The dance floor was packed the entire time.
We hope we can see the guys again at future weddings!
Amanda & Danny
Many of our guests literally said it was the best wedding they’ve ever been to and the guys in The Dickens were a huge part of that. They were exactly what we hoped for. We hope they had a good night, too. Thanks to you and Sam Hill Entertainment for your help throughout the process!
Kevin D. O’Neill (groom 11/19/22)
From: melissa petrovich
Date: Tue, Nov 29, 2022 at 4:17 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy Jaspen
Hi Andy
Thanks for checking in! We absolutely loved The Dickens and have gotten endless feedback from our guests about the band. They really seemed to understand our music taste and the vibe of our guests and the dance floor was never empty, which was exactly what we wanted! We could not have enjoyed them more!
All the best,
Melissa
From: Betsy Coleman
Date: Wed, Oct 26, 2022 at 9:37 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
Hi Andrew,
Thank you for the congratulations, we had the absolute perfect day and The Dickens was a huge part of that. From our initial call with Steve, we knew we were in the right hands. He understood our tastes immediately and the band did a fabulous job of incorporating our music preferences while also making all of our guests happy. We got so many compliments from our guests of all ages and the dance floor was packed the whole night.
I will absolutely recommend Sam Hill and The Dickens to anyone who is in need of a live band.
Betsy
We had a total blast with The DIckens. The guys crushed it! Thank you, thank you! Please tell all the guys how truly grateful we are!
Sarah & John Van Der Hyde
10/22/22
From: Smeeton, Tim
Date: Tue, Sep 27, 2022 at 9:23 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
Andrew!!!
THEY WERE UNREAL! Percy was a rock star! Thank you again.
R,
Tim Smeeton
From: Wellesley Cardwell
Date: Tue, Sep 13, 2022 at 9:36 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
Hi Andrew,
Ulrich and I cannot say enough positive things about The Dickens! They brought so much energy to the wedding. Every song they performed sounded INCREDIBLE, and they kept our guests engaged the whole evening. Their playlist ensured that ALL our guests, regardless of age or music preferences, stayed out on the dance floor. After the wedding, so many of our guests reached out to rave about The Dickens. We are so happy they performed at our wedding and will recommend The Dickens to everyone looking to book a band for an event. We are happy to serve as a referral for them in the future.
It was a pleasure working with you, The Dickens, and Sam Hill!
Thanks,
Wellesley & Ulrich
From: Valerie Bedsole
Date: Tue, Aug 16, 2022 at 12:45 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
Hi Mike,
The Dickens were fantastic!!! They were easy to work with and very kind to my family. The dance floor was packed from the first to the last song and I mean packed. All of the band members were great to work with and Percy was in full swing. We loved their entire performance!!! I promise to put a review on The Knot and anywhere else that would be helpful.
Thank you so much for coordinating.
Valerie
From: Will Jernigan
Date: Wed, Jun 29, 2022 at 11:13 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
Andrew
The Dickens were nothing shy of amazing. Everything from the music quality (and gear quality wow) to the song selection to the experience working with the band directly was incredible. They were so accommodating for us to play a song with them. Absolutely loved it. The frontman was so kind to us (as were the rest of them). Sam Hill was fantastic to work with as well.
Will
From: Jessie Mehrhoff
Date: Tue, Jun 21, 2022 at 8:47 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
Andrew,
Thank you so much for reaching out— THE GUYS WERE AMAZING! Our #1 priority was music and oh my goodness they delivered.
Please let us know what platforms we can leave 5star reviews on.
They made the night, seriously!
Big love,
Jessie & Jake
From: Corey Costella
Date: Mon, May 9, 2022 at 12:40 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
Hello!
We LOVED the band. They were so much fun and played back to back songs that our group loved.
Thank you so much for everything!
Corey
From: Jessica Sawyer
Date: Wed, Apr 6, 2022 at 2:33 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Justin Paciocco
Hi Justin,
Thank you for your patience! We just got back from our honeymoon and are catching up on everything.
Everything was just truly spectacular. The band exceeded our expectations and were such a hit with our guests. I also really enjoyed working with Steve and yourself and cannot say enough good things.
We will absolutely pass along yours and the bands name to any friends and family and you will find our review on The Knot as well as Wedding Wire.
Please be in touch if there is anything else we can do and please share our strong appreciation with the band.
Thanks again,
Jessica
From: Dani Lee
Date: Tue, Mar 22, 2022 at 4:54 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
The Dickens were the BEST! I mean every single person was on the dance floor and it was jumping all night long! They knew how to read a crowd and played so many crowd pleasers (that were not the typical wedding dance floor songs that are so overdone...). In fact, on our wedding night, Virginia Tech won the ACC championship. And one of the songs associated with VT is enter sandman. I requested the band play it, and although they had not played it in a long while, they still played it for us and it was one of the highlights of my night!
The lead singer was so great at introductions and keeping the party moving. They also looked awesome! I have nothing but amazing things to say about these guys! My only regret is not having them play longer (lol)!
best,
Dani
From: Ashley Freeman
Date: Tue, Dec 7, 2021 at 1:57 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
Hi Mike,
Everything was amazing and I have not one bad thing to say!! So many of our friends commented on how amazing the band was and that our wedding was the most epic wedding they had ever been to. Lol, Andrew and I loved being on stage with them (probably longer than we should have been haha) Andrew said he felt like a rockstar!
I loved that they were able to add in our song requests and the cover for our first dance song was so amazing! The Dickens truly made our wedding night special and I have already recommended yall to so many people!
Can't guarantee I will get to it today but I would be happy to leave a 5 star review on the knot for yall!
Thank you and the band again for making it an unforgettable night!
Ashley
From: Eleanor Wade
Date: Tue, Nov 30, 2021 at 8:34 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
Oh my gosh, they were one of the highlights of the whole reception! I couldn’t be happier. Tell them thank you x100000!!! I know my dad will have even more to say but I was blown away by how perfect they were for us.
Andy, I cannot say enough good things about The Dickens they were fantastic. People kept telling me both during and after the wedding how great they were and asking where we found them! Thank you for everything!
Abby Keogh
10/2/21 bride
From: Charlotte Kettler
Date: Sun, Oct 10, 2021 at 9:55 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
Hi Andrew,
Everything went really well with the Dickens. They were super easy to communicate with leading up to the event, and we really enjoyed their performance at the wedding. Our whole wedding party was up and dancing the entire night.
I have had multiple friends ask about booking them for their upcoming weddings and have passed along the info for Sam Hill Entertainment.
Thanks also for all of your help leading up to the event! Was a pleasure working with you.
Best,
Charlotte
From: Gary Easterling
Date: Tue, Sep 14, 2021 at 11:07 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
I can give you a one word summary of our experience. Phenomenal! The Dickens were amazing as was our experience with Sam Hill. So many or our guests asked the name of the band and gave us the highest of compliments. My only complaint is they didn’t take enough breaks so we could sit down!😂😂😂
Thank you for helping make our daughters wedding the best day of her life!
Amy and Gary Easterling
From: Katie Gray
Date: Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 6:19 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
Hi Andrew,
Rob and I are finally coming down from the high of how absolutely amazing Saturday night was and much of that is attributed to The Dickens. I’ve watched our first dance over and over and am just blown away with how the song turned out it was everything to me the band learned the song and crushed it. Not to mention the most epic ending to the night (Robs voice is still recovering haha)! From the bottom of our hearts THANK YOU for giving us the party of a lifetime and making all the dreams and visions of our wedding day come true with your incredible energy and performance!
Cheers!
Katie
From: Mason Wood
Date: Tue, Jul 13, 2021 at 10:15 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
Hi Mike,
We had the best experience with The Dickens! I can’t speak highly enough.
They were great and so easy to work with. People were on the dance floor the whole night….I actually don’t think I ever got off of it. The 100% exceeded expectations!
Thanks for hanging in there with us during Covid19!
All the best,
Mason
From: Anna Huffman
Date: Tue, Mar 16, 2021 at 10:04 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andrew,
The band was amazing!! We absolutely loved them. I had numerous people ask me their name because they wanted to keep them in mind for future events. Please pass on our thanks to them!!
Best,
Anna
From: Kem McAllister
Date: Tue, Feb 23, 2021 at 12:15 PM
Subject: RE: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andrew,
The Dickens Band was fantastic. They started playing right on time, and only took one short break. They really connected with the crowd. Our guests of all ages enjoyed their high energy show. There was a great mix of music. They were so fun! Most of our guests danced the entire time.We would definitely hire them again. They gave us at least 110%! We were thrilled to have them at our wedding and reception!
Kem McAllister
From: Whitney Kinlaw
Date: Wed, Oct 21, 2020 at 3:39 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hey Mike,
Sorry just getting back to you!!! Everything was perfect! As always The Dickens were amazing and did a phenomenal job!!!!!
Whitney
From: AnaMaria Nae
Date: Thu, Jul 16, 2020 at 2:16 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andrew,
Thanks so much. We loved The Dickens! They were lots of fun and really knew how to read the room. A lot of our guests commented on how good the band was. I also think their last set was one of the longest sets from a band I've ever seen. They just kept on going and it was great!
They were very professional. I don't really have any complaints!
AnaMaria
From: Rachel Marks
Date: Thu, Mar 19, 2020 at 10:33 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Beth @ Sam Hill
The band was AMAZING! Two guests who are getting married even asked for their information. I’m hoping they use the Dickens because truly my only regret for the whole wedding was that I couldn’t dance the entire time. Sam Hill was great to work with. Seamless.
From: Andrew McKeel
Date: Thu, Feb 6, 2020 at 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hey Andrew
We had a fantastic time and much of that was due to The Dickens showing out. They got everyone up and moving around almost immediately after dinner and it didn't stop. Their post break performance was next level and it was obvious that everyone was enjoying themselves. With so many different variables in play on the day of our wedding, it was comforting to know that The Dickens were going to be up on stage one less thing for us to worry about!
Really appreciate your help in getting them booked for us. Couldn't have asked for a better night.
Thank you!
Andrew + Amy
5star review on TheKnot.com
posted 01/21/2020
We had THE BEST time with The Dickens at our wedding. There was not a song played that the crowd did not like, and they kept everyone dancing the entire night. From start to finish, each part of the night went seamlessly with them. I had heard The Dickens several times before , so it truly felt full circle to have them play at our wedding, which is what I had wanted since we got engaged. It was everything that I hoped it would be and more, and we could not have had a better or more perfect band for our big day. I cannot say thank you enough to the entire band and Sam Hill Entertainment. We had SO much fun!
From: Margot Clark
Date: Thu, Jan 2, 2020 at 10:33 AM
Subject: RE: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
Hi Andrew!
Happy New Year! We LOVED having The Dickens celebrate the New Year with us. They were easy to work with, very engaging with the crowd and the lineup of songs was perfect for an energetic evening with approximately 2.500 people. We will definitely be in contact soon as we will start planning how we are going to ring in 2021.
Thank you so much for everything.
Margot L. Clark
From: Evan Cowart
Date: Tue, Nov 26, 2019 at 11:40 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike Miglino
MikeThey were amazing. Please thank them again for everything. This was a challenging one and they were incredible and so gracious!
Cheers,
Evan
From: Janet Walker
Date: Tue, Nov 19, 2019 at 6:25 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Mike!
Thank you so much for everything. The Dickens were absolutely incredible. We were beyond impressed. To put it simply, they blew us away. We are so thankful for their time and attention to making our day run super smoothly. We would recommend them to everyone.
Overall, our experience was great, from working directly with you and the rest of the Sam Hill crew to working with the band the day of the wedding. We never felt unsure throughout the whole process. And everyone perfectly executed our vision.
Thank you again!
Jan and Dan
From: Mike Gerber
Date: Tue, Nov 12, 2019 at 3:13 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Mike,
What an amazing event. They did a great job. They were super engaged, very entertaining and very appreciative. They read the crowd instantly. We lost several people at the break which always drives me crazy but the ones that stayed really enjoyed the show. I especially appreciated their last song which allowed Sarah and Dalton to get on stage and sing. Perfect ending for a perfect night!
Mike
From: Mac Brockmyre
Date: Wed, Nov 6, 2019 at 6:11 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andrew,
They were freaking awesome. Us, as well as people at our reception, have been to a lot of weddings and we consistently heard throughout the night and the next day that The Dickens were the best band they've heard. They were awesome with the crowd, the music was fantastic, they kept things moving and knew how to manage the party. They were communicative and really easy to work with up to the wedding. We're definitely going to recommend Sam Hill and The Dickens to anybody in the future.
Thanks for everything.
Mac
From: Katharine Saul
Date: Tue, Oct 8, 2019 at 9:07 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Justin @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Justin,
Thank you so much for the congrats and for reaching out!!! I was about to email you so you beat me to it!!! I can not tell you in words how AMAZINGLY AWESOME The Dickens were!!!
I sent Steve this email on Sunday:Steve,
I don’t even know where to begin but you all were absolutely amazing!!! I can not have pictured a more perfect wedding band! We have received so many comments on how great y’all were and I can’t thank you enough for making our wedding so perfect. Thank you all so so much!!!! You guys are amazing at what you do!!!! Thank YOU!!!!
The Dickens made my wedding absolutely amazingly perfect and I can not thank you or them enough!! Steve was excellent to work with and especially with someone like me who is a music junkie, they exceeded my expectations in so many ways. I also posted a favorable review on their website....they played all the genre's I requested, as well as songs I requested and their entertainment is top notch...they know how to engage a crowd, keep them engaged and their mash ups and continuation of songs is freaking UNREAL!!! I could have not been happier and have received so many comments from attendees on how awesome they were and would write a review anywhere for them I will do it on the knot as well because I appreciate all the time that was taken to allow me to select them and Steve was stellar to work with!!
You all were great to work with as well and I can't thank you all enough and Steve, Percy and the band for being the best wedding band I have ever heard!!!! THEY made my day PERFECT!!!
Thank you so much!!Kate
From: Gary Scibetta
Date: Thu, Jul 25, 2019 at 9:06 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andy,
The Dickens stole the show! They were amazing and definitely the talk of the wedding! We asked for a party atmosphere and they gave it to us! The band was super easy to work with and very interactive with all our guests, even getting Nana on the dance floor. I will 100% recommend them to any future weddings or parties. Thanks for all of your help booking them.
Kind regards,
Gary & Maddie
From: Hannah Kontoulas
Date: Wed, Jul 3, 2019 at 4:02 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Justin @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Justin!
Wanted to get back to you on our feelings about The Dickens at our wedding on June22!!! First of all, wish we could do it ALL OVER AGAIN! Because we had the absolute best time! The band got everyone on the dance floor and kept them there all night! They were so friendly, and loved how Percy greeted all of us (wedding party) as we arrived to Cadillac Service Garage. The band executed everything perfectly and was a huge part in making our night go seamlessly. The music selection was perfect and we got multiple compliments on what great songs they played. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with The Dickens and will definitely be recommending them to all of our friends!
Thank you again for making this process so easy for us as wedding planning can get very stressful!
Hannah Kontoulas
From: John Sullivan
Date: Thu, Jun 20, 2019 at 8:04 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for reaching out. The Dickens could not have been better. Caitlin and I had an absolute blast and the feedback we've gotten from guests is the same. The band skipped their break because there was so much energy on the dance floor and played from start to finish. They let Caitlin and I come up on stage several times as well, which is awesome. Overall we're extremely pleased with them and would hire them again in a heartbeat.
Best,
John
From: Sarah Whitley
Date: Tue, May 21, 2019 at 10:26 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andrew
Thanks for checking in we had the absolute BEST time on Friday night and The Dickens were a major part of it. They were great fun, professional and fulfilled the last minute request from my groom to play Bulls on Parade as our last song ;) They learned our first song and nailed it. Our whole experience with booking and the band was positive. Percy is a great lead singer and was very interactive with the crowd. Wish we could do it again this weekend.
Sarah Whitley
From: Holly Maillet
Date: Sat, May 18, 2019 at 1:19 PM
Subject: RE: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andrew,
Everything went so well at my daughter’s wedding at our farm. It was PERFECT.
Everyone was on the dance floor the entire evening! The Dickens had so much energy and their music was so good, it was impossible NOT to have a good time with them. We are so thankful we booked them for the wedding. It was epic!
Working with Sam Hill was also a positive experience. Since we were having the event in a tent, and we were concerned about power supply, I was thankful for SH’s help in getting the infrastructure organized, down to sending photos for my electrician and the tent vendor of the kind of outlets the band needed.
Thank you all the way around! I will wholeheartedly recommend Sam Hill and The Dickens to anyone planning a big event where live music is needed.
Best,
Holly Maillet
From: Alex Cuff
Date: Mon, May 6, 2019 at 1:24 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andy,
Thanks for the congratulations and follow up. We had THE BEST time with The Dickens at our wedding. There was not a song played that the crowd did not like, and they kept everyone dancing the entire night. From start to finish, each part of the night went seamlessly with them. I had heard The Dickens several times before , so it truly felt full circle to have them play at our wedding, which is what I had wanted since we got engaged (which I told Percy in the middle of the wedding). It was everything that I hoped it would be and more, and we could not have had a better or more perfect band for our big day. I cannot say thank you enough to the entire band. We had SO much fun!
I will be sure to put my review on The Knot! Thanks again for everything you did to make our big day such a success! We will continue to sing your praises.
All the best,
Alex and Cam
From: nicole dunleavey
Date: Fri, Mar 29, 2019 at 10:45 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andrew,
The Dickens band was absolutely amazing! We could not have asked for better live music at our wedding. We have had multiple guests emphasize to us how much fun our wedding was and it had everything to do with The Dickens! They had every single guest up and dancing, it was incredible! Working with Sam Hill entertainment was a breeze. Professional and prompt! Thank you for making our wedding reception such a success !!
Nicole & Luke Snead
From: Simple Creations Team Building LLC
Date: Tue, Dec 4, 2018 at 1:04 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
Hi Andrew,
I am an official The Dickens Groupie and HUGE FAN!! OMG they were AMAZING. What talent and entertainment. Not the typical Karoake type band playing the exact same cover songs. LOVED how they added their signature and energy to each and every song. SICK talent with every band member. Percy blew me away...keyboard Joey had such a sultry voice and shut up about the drummer Im calling Debbie Harry...what a range and voice. Professional, down to earth and absolute pleasure to work with.. They electrified the room, got people on the dance floor and had contagious energy to connect with the guests! Totally impressed. They even allowed me to come up for couple songs and play tambourine. I'm a closet wanna be to be in a band! It was my birthday and they certainly added to making it special for me! I can't tell you how much it meant to me they followed my wishes to do our tradition before each and every event...we dance to a fav song to get our mojo and energy up and ask anyone and everyone working with us to join us to help set the mood. All of our entertainers and some venue staff came into the ballroom before we let everyone in and the band played Fireball for me and we ALL let loose to celebrate getting things ready and done for this party! Everyone commented no one had ever done something like that let alone invite them to join....they all LOVED IT. I'm officially blown away and highly recommend this band! If they EVER need a tambourine player...CALL ME IM IN!!!! I just loved their energy and have such appreciation for their incredible talent! I felt so bad they had such a long drive home.
Thank you for all of your help and making this process super easy! I really hope we can work together again in 2019!!!!
Most kindly,
Mary Ann
From: Cheryl Kingman
Date: Tue, Nov 13, 2018 at 9:35 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
Hey Andrew!
It was great! The band played such a wide variety of tunes and kept it moving, no breaks in between the songs. The sound crew was great too! Played great stuff during the breaks and had people dancing to that as well
Katie was very pleased!!!
I look forward to working with them again!!
Best
Cheryl Kingman
From: Charles Royal
Date: Tue, Oct 30, 2018 at 11:10 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Mike,
The Dickens Band was awesome. They clearly exceeded our expectations with their performance and quality of music. The band members were extremely accommodating and very interactive with our wedding party and guests.
All our wedding guests raved about them and had wonderful time constantly dancing and singing to the music.
We will definitely recommend to any friends and family needing a great band.
Thanks so much for help arranging and booking.
Charles Royal
Father of the Bride
From: Virginia Marchetti F
Date: Tue, Oct 16, 2018 at 10:09 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens and Jay and Morwenna
To: Andrew Juge
Hi Andrew,
The Dickens did not disappoint. They were amazing! It takes a special band to keep all generations on the dance floor all night and they did just that! Percy did a great job with introductions and was very charming and entertaining all night. People are still calling us to tell us how much they enjoyed the band and I hope we’re able to use them again.
We look forward to working with you all in the future. Thanks for providing us with such professional and talented musicians all night.
Virginia
From: Kathryn Smith
Date: Wed, May 9, 2018 at 8:46 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hey Andy,
The Dickens were awesome! They were so much fun and kept us dancing for 4 hours. They played very diverse music so everyone was engaged. Everyone from the wedding talked about how much fun the band was. I would definitely book them again!. If you send me the link for the best place to comment, I am happy to do so!
Kate
From: Beth Wojcik
Date: Wed, May 9, 2018 at 8:48 AM
Subject: RE: The Dickens
To: Justin @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Justin,
Sarah should be able to do The Knot feedback, but I want to let you and the band members know that we enjoyed The Dickens so much!! There were guests (from 2 to 90 years old) on the dance floor the entire night, and I attribute that to the enthusiasm of The Dickens and their song choices!! We will certainly pass their name and your contact information on to friends & family, and we will call on them if we need a live band in the future!
Thank you,
Beth
From: Andrew Geuss
Date: Tue, May 1, 2018 at 9:58 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andy,
The Dickens really capped off the wedding! The band was amazing and literally everyone loved every single song. Percy is always great to talk with and is such a nice, down to earth guy. I will make sure we leave a nice review on The Knot!
Sarah and I appreciate you all at Sam Hill being so professional throughout our time working together
Andrew Geuss
From: Beth Wojcik
Date: Tue, Apr 24, 2018 at 9:00 AM
Subject: RE: The Dickens
To: Justin @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Justin,
Thank you for touching base—it was a wonderful evening, and we are thrilled for Sarah & John! The Dickens did a fantastic jobthey really set the tone of everyone having fun & lots of dancing, that Sarah & John were looking for. The dance floor was full nearly the entire night, with guests of all ages, from 2 years old to 90 years old!!! And I attribute that to The Dickens music selections. We will certainly pass along your information to friends & family, and if we need a band in the future, we will reach back out!
Thank you,
Beth Wojcik
Mother of the Bride
5star review on The Knot
Reviewed on 2/6/18
We worked with The Dickens for our wedding in January, and they were a blast! Professional but a ton of fun, they made everyone feel included and had an awesome mix of music. We didn't have to dictate the song list at all they know what people enjoy! Would absolutely recommend working with Sam Hill and The Dickens to anyone else.
Hannah & Todd M.
From: Todd Morecraft
Date: Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 9:36 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hey Andy!
We were blown away by working with The Dickens. They exceeded all of our (already high) expectations! We got a ton of comments about how fun they were and how the music varied enough to get everybody out on the dance floor.
They made a special day even better, and we are happy to recommend them to anyone else. I'll head over to the Knot and leave feedback as well!
Thanks again.
Todd & Hannah
From: Lynn Scott
Date: Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 4:49 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens at HarrillMorecraft Wedding
To: Andy Jaspen
Andy,
The Dickens band was wonderful and very professional. They were great to work with from start to finish and my bride and groom (as well as their families and friends) were very pleased!!!!
Lynn Scott
Happily Ever After Raleigh
From: Josie Rathburn
Date: Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 9:34 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andy!
First off, thank you from he bottom of our hearts!! We had an absolute BLAST! We have heard nothing but good things from literally everyone that attended the wedding. Our planners had never seen The Dickens and were obviously blown away. They said “we will be recommending The Dickens to every client we bring on.” A band truly does make or break an event and the way The Dickens interact with the crowd, play songs that are perfect for the moment and pull people in is priceless. Their energy is second to none and made our night one that we will never forget.
We’ve been going to see The Dickens play in Raleigh for so many years now so it made it very special to have them with us on our wedding night.
Thank you so much again!
Josie & Max
From: Cindy Marshall
Date: Tue, Oct 17, 2017 at 10:26 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew Juge
Oh my gosh, they were awesome!!!! We've had so many compliments. I don't think anybody stopped dancing all night. No complaints whatsoever. We were blessed to have a gorgeous day all the way around.
We have enjoyed working with your company as well and will surely pass it along!!!
Thanks,
Cindy
From: Adam Dormuth
Date: Wed, Oct 11, 2017 at 8:47 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike@Sam Hill Entertainment
Mike,
Thanks for following up with us. They were very professional to work with leading up to the event and put on a professional show last Saturday night!
I can't say enough good things about The Dickens! They were great. I brought money for a tip, but I wish I could have tipped more; if I knew how great they were going to be for us I would have found a way to tip more.
The music was great, they kept everyone up and dancing the entire night. People were talking to us about how good they were throughout the night. They learned Duke of Earl for us even though that was a little outside their normal genre and it sounded great! When they called us up on stage for American Girl they gave us a memory and a story to always remember!
Really, I can't say enough good things about them so if you guys ever need another endorsement for them, don't hesitate to reach out to us.
I'll make sure Laura leaves some good feedback on The Knot.
Thanks so much for booking them up in Richmond and please thank them for making our wedding night a great experience, it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without them!
Adam & Laura Dormuth
Review on TheKnot.com posted 6/21/17
There really are no words to describe how AMAZING The Dickens were at our wedding. They literally MADE the party. A month later and we still have friends and family talking about how we had the most fun wedding they had ever been to, mostly thanks to The Dickens. From the second our reception started, until after the lights came on the Dickens ROCKED! There's simply no other way to say it. Our entire crowd was up and dancing the whole night the music always seemed to be the exact song you wanted to hear and our guests of all ages enjoyed the mix and variety. I wish we had a reason to throw another party and have them play. My husband and I both love music and we see a ton of live music, so many of our guests also love and see a ton of live music. They were blown away at how much fun The Dickens were. My best memory from the whole day/night was at the end when the band got my husband and I on stage to sing with them and we looked out into the crowd and saw all of our friends and family singing and dancing along with us. I will have that memory forever. If you are looking for a super fun, talented band for your wedding with a diverse catalog of music that will have you and your guests dancing all night, HIRE THE DICKENS! And please, invite us to come :)
From: Samantha White
Date: Mon, May 15, 2017 at 3:54 PM
Subject: Re: booking The Dickens 5/13/17
To: Andy Jaspen
Hey Andy!
We just got back from Charleston. I had to reach out to let you know how AMAZING the band was Saturday night. I cannot tell you how many people said it was the best wedding they had every been to, a major thanks in part to the Dickens band and I cannot praise them enough. I will definitely be writing reviews on the wedding blogs and we will get you pics video if you'd like, but just had to reach out to you personally to let you know how happy we are with how great they were!!
Samantha
From: Roger Fleming
Date: Sun, May 14, 2017 at 10:30 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andrew The Dickens band made our whole reception. They are an awesome band with great sound and vocals and timing. They are also a great group of guys. We couldn't have chosen a better band for that night. Our guests who were literally from every corner of the country and the globe loved them. They didn't want them to quit playing.
The are a great dance band and an enthusiastic group that picks up on the energy in the room. We couldn't have been happier.
Thanks Roger
From: Alice Thomas
Subject: Thank you!
Date: May 6, 2017 at 2:34:24 PM EDT
To: Steve Graham
Steve,
In case it wasn't obvious, you, Percy, and the rest of the band were a HUGE hit at our wedding! My family and friends loved you guys, and so did we! The music was great your new drummer is excellent and Percy did an amazing job of connecting with the crowd. We loved the tunes you played. We went crazy when you guys played American Girl as the encore. I wish you could have played longer. Even my 81yearold mom was on the dance floor until the very end. She especially loved that Percy sang Oh what a night! for her.
Thanks again for making our wedding celebration so fabulous! Many people told us it was the best wedding they'd ever been to and you guys were a big part of it!
Warm regards,
Alice & Roger
From: Ben Brennan
Date: Thu, Apr 6, 2017 at 4:09 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
The Dickens band was amazing. Everyone was talking about how good they were and the dance floor was packed. I couldn't be happier about hiring them. I'll leave feedback on The Knot, as well. Thanks for having confidence in the choice you did not lead me astray!
Thanks,
BB
From: Daniel Sibor
Date: Tue, Apr 4, 2017 at 4:57 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment ; Steve Graham; Lorna Meehan
Steve and Andy,
Thank you for checking in. We had such a great time all weekend it was truly a fantastic couple of days. There were so many highlights of the weekend, but The Dickens might have blown them all away. You guys were outstanding and rocked it out to perfection. One of my best friends put it perfectly: I couldn't leave the dance floor...it was just fire jam after fire jam! Besides just being immensely talented musicians (and impeccably dressed, I might add), the four of you and your crew could not have been nicer or more professional in your approach to the entire evening. From the minute I introduced myself, I knew we were in capable hands. Our guests have raved about every aspect of the performance and we agree with it all. Could not have asked for a better band or group of guys.
Steve I hope you guys had half as much fun as we and our guests did, and that you enjoyed your first trip down to Amelia Island. I certainly expect Lorna will make sure it's not your last! Please also pass along our best wishes and most sincere thanks to the rest of the band (feel free to forward this message to them). We hope to cross paths again in the future.
Andy we certainly won't hesitate to recommend Sam Hill and appreciate all of your efforts stretching way back into last year. The unfortunate circumstances of the hurricane allowed us to ultimately have an absolutely perfect weekend six months later.
Hope you all have a great spring/summer season and into the future.
Our Best,
Dan & Beth
5star rating on TheKnot.com
posted 03/15/2017
We booked The Dickens through Sam Hill Entertainment for our wedding this March and couldn't have been happier with the entire process. Andy and the rest of the Sam Hill team were super helpful in finding a band that met our needs and were communicative from beginning to end with regard to site logistics, song preferences, payments, etc. I gave Andy a brief description of the kind of music/atmosphere we wanted at our wedding, and he provided me with 10 potential bands. My wife and I looked at each band's profile via the easily navigated Sam Hill website and quickly narrowed our list down to 34 bands. After talking with Andy about each of those bands' performance styles, musical repertoire, and costs, I was able to make a confident decision to hire The Dickens. They were the perfect band for our event, and Andy et al. made what could have been an overwhelming decision making process quite simple. After we selected the band, Andy worked as an intermediary between us and the band to make sure they had enough time to set up and we had additional AV equipment for various wedding announcements and speeches. This all helped the wedding go smoothly. My wife and I found Sam Hill to be professional, communicative, knowledgeable, and generally helpful and available. I'll add that they offer connections to a great assortment of bands. We would have been thrilled to have any of 45 bands off their list perform at our ceremony. Aplus job by Sam Hill and Aplus job by The Dickens!
From: Graylyn Loomis
To: Steve Graham
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Date: February 6, 2017
Hi Steve,
I just wanted to send a quick note on behalf of Lucy and myself thanking you and the Dickens band for a great performance. I can't tell you how many people have complimented you guys... Everything was perfect!! The ending of the night bringing everyone on stage couldn't have been better and you all were so nice.
Thank you again for everything and we will be spreading the word about you guys to any friends and family who need a band in the future.
Best,
Graylyn
From: Gary Curry
Date: Mon, Nov 28, 2016 at 8:05 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens band follow up fundraiser for Merci Clinic
To: Andy Jaspen
Andy,
The fundraiser was a complete success and The Dickens rocked the house. Everyone was thrilled with their performance. Not only where they very entertaining, they also happen to be very nice guys. I am still getting positive comments from our many friends who attended the event.
I will recommend both The Dickens and Sam Hill to my contacts. Both The Dickens and Sam Hill are true professionals and we enjoyed working with you. Have a great day!
Regards,
Gary Curry
Merci Clinic, New Bern NC
From: Brooks, Nicole
Date: Sun, Nov 27, 2016 at 12:32 PM
Subject: RE: The Dickens and Sam Hill Entertainment
To: Taylor Lyn Tyler
Taylor,
Thanks for the opportunity to let you know that The Dickens was a fabulous band. They had a good sense of the event attendees “music to dance to” needs and played covers from a variety of eras to appeal to the wide demographic. I’m glad I had the chance to hear them perform for this event and will recommend them, and Sam Hill Entertainment, to future clients when they are seeking suggestions for bands to play for their events.
Regards,
Nicole Brooks
Tryon Palace, The North Carolina History Center
The Dickens are amazing. I LOVE working with them. They are just the best.
Dickie Morris
event planner, Just A Little Ditty
From: Paula Deacy
Date: Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 12:50 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andrew,
We must tell you, The Dickens performance was absolutely fabulous. Percy’s vocals were terrific, as well as his ability to magnetize the crowd. Our guests were constantly up and dancing, the music was infectious!
My husband Brian and I spoke to each band member, to thank them. What a great group of guys!!! I have a son who will eventually marry and you can be sure you will be first choice.
Thank you again for putting the icing on a magical event!
Regards,
Paula Deacy
From: Brandon Wright
Date: Thu, Nov 3, 2016 at 4:42 PM
Subject: RE: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Good afternoon, Andy,
Would you please do me the favor of letting the band know that our wedding was everything we hoped that it would be and much more! Because of The Dickens, our reception is still talked about today because of how much dancing and how awesome the music was!
My wife and I were truly blessed to have the band play for us. I have attached two photos that my wife absolutely will not let me forgot. Thanks again to the band for an amazing party.
Thanks!
Brandon Wright
From: Laura Thomas
Date: Tue, Oct 25, 2016 at 8:45 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andy,
Katy and Karl are on their muchdeserved honeymoon, but I can speak for them and say that The Dickens was a joy to work with and got rave reviews from everyone, young and old, at the wedding. They played great music nonstop and kept the dance floor. Packed until the party ended it was really fantastic. I did write a review on The Knot in Katy's absence as we had a deadline on getting it in. I know she and Karl had a fabulous time and the band really made that happen. She has told me for years that she wanted The Dickens for her wedding and it was nice to see that her choice was so perfect! Thank you!
Laura Thomas
5star rating on TheKnot.com
posted 10/25/2016
We booked our favorite band, The Dickens, for our wedding at The Dairy Barn in Fort Mill and were thrilled with their nonstop entertainment. They did a fabulous job of keeping the dance floor hopping with their crowdembracing style. They are excellent musicians with a style that keeps everyone, both dancers and nondancers, involved in the party. I have loved The Dickens for years and always planned for them to play at my wedding and they turned a beautiful evening into a memorable event for all. It was so much fun!
From: Turnburke, Lauren
Date: Mon, Oct 3, 2016 at 10:36 AM
Subject: RE: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andrew:
The Dickens were absolutely AMAZING, as I knew they would be! I think I danced on stage with Percy all night long (sorry husband!). It was seriously one of the best nights of my life…we had a BLAST. They are incredible!!!!
Thank you so much for following up. Happy to give them raving reviews anytime and will certainly be passing along your info to friends!
Cheers,
Lauren
From: Priscilla Erwin <
Date: Thu, Sep 15, 2016 at 3:00 PM
Subject: Re: McCallKidd Wedding (9/4) w/ the DICKENS
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andy,
Everything went great with the Dickens band! They were wonderful to work with and we enjoyed the reception. The guests were begging for one more song at the end of the night.
Pleasure working with you, as always!
Priscilla Erwin
Wedding & Event Planner
Orangerie Events
From: Devon
Date: Tue, Aug 30, 2016 at 10:08 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Beth @ Sam Hill
Hi Beth!
The band was AMAZING!! It's all everyone could talk about! They were so lively and energetic! I couldn't have asked for a better band! I was told they skipped their last 15 minute break just for us to keep partying! Percy was extremely kind to everyone especially Max's mentally challenged brother. He let him sing and was so interactive with him! We absolutely loved The Dickens and will definitely be passing on their information!
Thank you again!
Devon
From: Paula Kaplan
Date: Sat, Aug 27, 2016 at 11:04 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi, Andy,
Sorry it took me so long to respond but I'm still recovering from wedding planning and the big weekend.
The Dickens were wonderful! They were definitely every bit as good as they were at Jeff's and my wedding four years ago. As I told Percy, I want them to play at any wedding I host. Percy graciously agreed that they would, so you may well be hearing from me again. (I still have four unmarried kids/step kids!).
Many, many thanks for providing us with such great music for Rachel's wedding. Please pass our thanks and compliments along to the Dickens and rest assured we'll sing their praises on The a Knot and recommend them to anyone who asks.
Paula
From: Sarah Higgins
Date: Wed, Jun 15, 2016 at 7:16 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
We enjoyed The Dickens tremendously as did our guests. The band was good to work with and accommodated all of our requests. I received many compliments on the band from our guests.
Sarah Higgins
Sent from my iPad
From: Isley, Jonathan
Date: Tue, Jun 14, 2016 at 3:41 PM
Subject: RE: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hey Andy,
Everything was great with The Dickens! The music was fantastic, and the band was super friendly. We are still getting comments about them.
Sam Hill Entertainment was also very easy to work with. I will definitely recommend you guys to anyone who asks.
Take care,
Jonathan Isley
From: JF Legault
Date: Wed, Jun 1, 2016 at 8:08 AM
Subject: RE: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andy,
The Dickens .... Awesome and Epic! Accommodating and real pros!
JF Legault
the AV company
From: Naomi Meyer
Date: Wed, Jun 1, 2016 at 3:00 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens band follow up AndersonKirby Wedding
To: Andy Jaspen
Hi Andy,
The band The Dickens band was very accommodating and so easy to communicate with throughout the entire evening. Laura and Nicolas were thrilled and the guests enjoyed them with all of the song selections.
I am looking forward to working with the band from your company in the near future.
Thanks so much!
Naomi Meyer
Bridal Consulting by Naomi
From: Stephen Kouba
Date: Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 9:18 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andy,
The Dickens band was absolutely incredible. Our hope was that people has such a good time they're talking about it 20 years later, and the boys provided every opportunity for that to happen and then some. Thanks for getting it set up!
Stephen
From: Austin Shinall
Date: Wed, Mar 23, 2016 at 2:45 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andy,
The Dickens were AMAZING! Their performance was wonderful and we hope they had as much fun as we did! We'll definitely leave a great review on the Knot.
Thank you for all your help in the beginning. You were wonderful to work with!
Already marking my calendar to see them at Veritas winery this summer!
Kind regards,
Austin
From: Frankie Kemp
Date: Sat, Jan 2, 2016 at 9:09 AM
Subject: Dickens
To: mike@samhillbands.com
Hello Dickens,
I'm Harley Kemp's mom and I have one major criticism: It simply didn't last long enough, I could have danced all night, literally. Honestly, I was nervous since we had never heard them but, from the first song to the last I was hooked. They played for the young as well as the old and the floor was never for a lack of those displaying their dancing abilities.
Employing the group to get on stage and sing was a delight to watch. When Harley and Jacob were band members I thought to myself, this was worth all the time and effort this wedding took. And then I turned around and watched as my 4 year old granddaughter was dancing with her father. 3 generations singing, dancing and having good,old fashion fun.
Without The Dickens our night wouldn't have been the same. Their music and personalities were just perfect. They made it magically and I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. Also, so easy to deal with.
Thank you very much,
Frankie Kemp
From: Harley Kemp
Date: Wed, Dec 23, 2015 at 3:28 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Mike! Thanks for checking in about the band. We ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE DICKENS!!!! They more than exceeded our expectations. They were SO MUCH FUN, had insane energy and had the crowd going very early in the night and up until the very end. I asked them to crank it up a little more during the 2nd set than what I feel like normally happens at weddings, and they listened and did just that. They played all the songs we asked for and none we didn't want. I'm a firm believer that a wedding band can make or break a wedding reception, and The Dickens made our reception the most fun wedding ever. I may be a little biased b/c it was my wedding; however, all of my friends and family have raved about the band and we've gotten nothing but compliments about them.
We will definitely recommend them to all of our friends and family!! Thanks so much!
Harley
From: Anne Bone Events
Date: Wed, Nov 25, 2015 at 4:10 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens at GreeneGeorge Wedding, follow up
To: Andy Jaspen
Andy,
The Dickens band was awesome and really the easiest band to work with. Everyone was super cooperative and very appreciative of everything we did for them.
They did a fabulous job in a venue with difficult acoustics and again, they very easy to work with!
I hope I have the opportunity of booking them again!!
Many thanks,
Anne
Anne Bone Events
Savannah, GA
From: Brianna Sumey
Date: Wed, Nov 25, 2015 at 4:52 PM
Subject: Re: following up
To: Andy Jaspen
Andy,
The Dickens were amaaaaaaazing! The Singer family could not have been happier. I think they might have been our happiest couple to date.
Thank you so very much for sending us great bands to work with and also the ongoing support.
Brianna Sumey
Pippin Hill Vineyards
From: Emmy Singer
Date: Mon, Nov 16, 2015 at 9:13 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hey Andy!
Oh my goodness we had the BEST time EVER! Our wedding was absolute perfection and it wouldn't have been so wonderful if it wasn't for The Dickens. They seriously brought the house down. Every single one of our guests were moving and grooving the entire night. They were kind, entertaining and so very professional. They truly were fabulous. We loved every minute of it. Please pass that along to them and let them know they seriously killed it. .
Thank you SO much!
Emmy
From: Eleanor Cameron
Date: Mon, Oct 26, 2015 at 2:48 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andy,
We absolutely loved The Dickens! They were not only great musicians, but they were so much fun and extremely sweet to everyone. In particular, they let my eleven year old cousins come do a few songs on the guitar and drums on stage (they're in a band as well and know that we love to hear them play); they were able to use the drum set that was up there and The Dickens drummer even gave his drumsticks to them! I can't tell you how special that was to us, and best of all, The Dickens seemed to really get a kick out of it and then came back up on stage and finished their amazing set.
We also had a number of guests comment on how good The Dickens were. Everyone was really impressed, and they put together both a lovely chill set for dinner and then a great dance set. Despite the dance floor being a little hot, people kept coming back! It was a blast and exactly what we wanted.
We really appreciate all of your hard work and would definitely recommend y'all to anyone looking to get married in that area.
Thanks again!
Best, Eleanor and Steve
From: Nashold, Blaine
Date: Thu, Oct 15, 2015 at 10:53 AM
Subject: RE: The Dickens
To: Andy at Sam Hill Entertainment
Andy,
Hope all is well and thanks for the note. The Dickens were absolutely incredible! Had a chance to chat with them briefly before the reception and not only were they the most down to earth, accommodating guys but they completely rocked the stage! From the first song until the end of the night, no one left the dance floor and that includes the kids to the grandparents and all in between.
They tailored their set list exactly as we had requested / envisioned and had everyone singing at the top of their lungs. At the end of the night and since we’ve been back, the resounding comment we continue to hear is “That band was unbelievable! Where did you find them? I can’t believe we didn’t have them at our wedding!!!” They came highly recommended by our wedding planner Katrina at Come+Together Events and she did not disappoint – we cannot recommend them highly enough!
I know my wife Danielle will echo my sentiment – if you’re looking for a musthave incredible band that puts on an unbelievable show, look no further than The Dickens!!!
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thanks, Andy!
Blaine Nashold, Jr.
From: Linda Austin
Date: Wed, Sep 23, 2015 at 2:14 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andy,
The Dickens band was so AWESOME. They were great interacting with the crowd and made by daughter’s (bride) day letting her play the drums with them. Dickens is her favorite band and that experience with them will never be forgotten. They also let the groom sing with them and that was so special too. We enjoyed all the music and the crowd was rocking till the end. Thank them for a wonderful wedding reception and will always recommend them to everyone we know.
Thanks again,
Linda Austin
From: Elizabeth Eckert
Date: Wed, Sep 9, 2015 at 10:16 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andy ,
Thanks for the note. The Dickens band was amazing! Everyone loved them. They were great to work with and always responded to all my requests in a timely manner.
Thank you!!
Elizabeth
From: Kara Heubi
Date: Tue, Sep 1, 2015 at 12:09 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andy,
The Dickens band was amazing! Percy, especially, put on a great show he is quite a performer. Look forward to recommending them to future friends who are getting married!
Best,
Kara
From: Kelley Ann Ward
Date: Mon, Aug 24, 2015 at 2:00 PM
Subject: Re: Carta Wright Wedding with The Dickens
To: Andy Jaspen
Andy,
To say The Dickens were amazing would be the understatement of the year! The band was not only great to work with leading up to the wedding, but they certainly also were on the day of, as well! They are professional, courteous and go above and beyond to please their clients. Guests were begging for an encore and the Bride & Groom couldn't have been happier!
Thanks so much, Andy! I will absolutely continue to recommend the Dickens to my clients!
Kelley Ann Ward
A Southern Soiree
From: Sarah Taylor
Date: Thu, Aug 13, 2015 at 6:09 PM
Subject: RE: LindseyRoberts Wedding with The Dickens
To: Andy Jaspen
Hi Andy,
The Dickens band did a great job! They got guests on the dance floor and kept them there, which of course is always the goal! They also were very helpful when toasts and dinner went long and they were asked to amend the schedule of the reception slightly. We would certainly love to have them back!
Thanks,
Sarah Taylor
Assistant Director of Special Events
Country Club of Virginia
From: Dillon Kayser
Date: Wed, Aug 12, 2015 at 1:17 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andrew,
In short, The Dickens was awesome! They were everything Samantha and I hoped for, and much more. We've had tons of people tell us it was the best wedding they've ever been to, and the Dickens was a major part of that. The dance floor was packed the entire night, and no one wanted to leave when they were done playing. Percy's awesome... super nice guy and did a great job on the mic the entire night. Couldn't be happier about our choice of bands, and will definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a band. Big thanks to Sam Hill and The Dickens!
Dillon
From: Will Moore
Date: Mon, Aug 3, 2015 at 11:07 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hey Andy,
Thanks for the email, Lyall and I are just getting back from our honeymoon so sorry for the delay. The Dickens were awesome! I know everyone had a great time, and I've heard over and over how good they thought the band was. They were very accommodating, and played what we wanted to hear as well so we really appreciated that. I would definitely recommend them to anyone in the future. Thanks for all of your help.
Best,
Will
From: Katy Benton
Date: Mon, Jul 13, 2015 at 4:01 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andy,
We had the absolute best time at our wedding reception, and the Dickens band was unbelievable.! We couldn't have asked for a better band to keep the crowd going and all of us entertained. We are so happy with our choice to have them at our wedding. Thank you for all of your help!
Katy and J.D.
From: Jackie Duvall
Date: Thu, Jul 9, 2015 at 9:58 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens follow up
To: Andy at Sam Hill
Andy,
We just returned from our honeymoon and have been trying to settle in!
The Dickens were incredible! We were very fortunate to have them be a part of our day. The band was exactly what my husband and I were looking for in a band they were energetic, funny, talented, engaging and personable. They set an upbeat tone for the entire reception. When looking for the band my husband typed up a letter explaining why The Dickens was the best and why we had to have them on our big day. The band definitely fulfilled all of our expectations! Thank you so much!
Best,
Jackie
From: Ellen Benton
Date: Mon, Jun 29, 2015 at 9:40 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andy,
The Dickens was wonderful at Katy's wedding!! Not only did they provide fun for the whole evening, the band members were so friendly and personable.
We will definitely recommend them in the future!
Thank you for everything.
Ellen
From: Megan Cloutier
Date: Wed, Jun 3, 2015 at 1:01 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andy!
We can't say enough about how amazing it was to work with The Dickens! It was a party people are still talking about a week and a half later! They were incredible and I think the only reason anyone left the dance floor was for drink breaks. They are a talented group and played and incredible variety of music including the crowd finishing the night singing Wagon Wheel on stage.
Again, the music really makes the event and in this case, the party would not have been the same without them.
Thank you again,
Megan
From: Alicia Tonione
Date: Fri, May 29, 2015 at 12:04 PM
Subject: RE: CloutierHenn Wedding with THE DICKENS
To: Andy Jaspen
Hi Andy,
Thank you for reaching out! The Dickens....what an impressive band, from the band members to the crew, I really enjoyed working with them from a behind the scenes standpoint. Any band that gets the group on the dance floor and keeps them there the entire night I believe has done their job well! It’s always nice to see all the wedding guests truly enjoying themselves. As always, I look forward to working with Sam Hill Bands throughout the wedding season!
Warmest Regards,
Alicia Tonione
The Sanderling Resort
From: Kay Cloutier
Date: Thu, May 28, 2015 at 10:32 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andy,
The Dickens were incredible! The lead singer is very professional and looked as if he was having as much fun as the guests at our reception. People were dancing that said they never dance. We have 2 younger children and will definitely see if they can play at their weddings. We were very pleased and thank you for your part in the perfect wedding for our daughter.
Kay and Al Cloutier
From: Gwen Hussey
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Date: Mon, Apr 27, 2015 at 8:07 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hey Andy!
The band was EPIC! Everything was great! We had around 400 guests at the wedding/reception and the dance floor was crowded to the very end! The band talked to everyone after and people are still talking about how amazing they were!!! It couldn't have gone better. Thanks again for all your help. I'll send a picture when I get a chance! Bryan and I are off to Italy for two weeks today!!
Thanks again for everything. The Dickens did not disappoint and they were better than I could have ever imagined!!!
Thanks again
Gwen Hussey
From: Margaret Blaeser
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Date: Mon, Apr 13, 2015 at 4:14 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Andy,
Thank you so much! The Dickens band was awesome! All of our guests had such a great time and loved the band. They were super nice and extremely gracious. I have already given their name to our cake vendor she met them while delivering the cake and wanted to be able to recommend them to her brides.
My only regret of the evening was that the night flew by all too quickly. We could have danced all night long!
Thanks for everything and hopefully I will be invited to another event featuring The Dickens!
Margaret Blaeser
From: Allen Starrett
To: Andy Jaspen
Date: Sun, Feb 15, 2015 at 8:14 PM
Subject: 2nd Annual Ballantyne Ball
Andy we had such a great night Saturday.
And Percy, Frank, the Dickens band you all were amazing!
We'd love to rebook THE DICKENS for our 2nd annual charity gala on Sat, Feb 13, 2016. Please let me know how we should proceed.
Thank you everyone for supporting our inaugural event and looking forward to doing it all over again!
Allen R. Starrett
CoChair, Inaugural Ballantyne Ball
From: Lauren Trollinger
Date: Fri, Dec 26, 2014 at 5:02 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Mike!
I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to get back to you. I wanted to let you know that the Dickens were incredible. Every single person that came to our wedding will not stop talking about them. They were incredible MC's and made our wedding the wedding of the century!!! They brought us up on stage at the end of the night and it was something out of a dream! We are still beaming from the fun and having them was the best wedding choice that we made out of all of them. They are incredible and were the kindest people as well. My cousin has a daughter that suffers from Williams syndrome and they had her onstage and it was beautiful. A moment that I know that we will cherish forever. All the way around they were amazing!
Thanks again for everything!
Lauren
On Mon, Nov 24, 2014 at 6:41 PM, Katie Swicegood (Bride)
Hi Frank,
Thank you so much! You guys were simply amazing! We could not have had a better time a lot of that was thanks to you and the rest of the band. We got so many complements on how awesome y'all are and how great you guys were that night! I know I had a few friends come up to check with y'all on wedding dates and I'm sure I will have plenty more reaching out.
Thank you again for all your help throughout the process! We cannot thank you all enough!
Katie
From: Katie Swicegood (Bride)
Date: Mon, Nov 24, 2014 at 5:41 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Frank @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Frank,
Thank you so much! You guys were simply amazing! We could not have had a better time and a lot of that was thanks to you and the rest of the band. We got so many complements on how awesome y'all are and how great you guys were that night! I know I had a few friends come up to check with y'all on wedding dates and I'm sure I will have plenty more reaching out.
Thank you again for all your help throughout the process! We cannot thank you all enough!
Katie
From: Hannah Kellam
To: Andy Jaspen
Date: Wed, Oct 22, 2014 at 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens band follow up
Andy,
It was THE MOST FUN NIGHT EVER!!! And The Dickens were such a big part of that! It was like a big reunion for all of us (NC State alumni and the band), and they definitely played that up. They were very interactive with the crowd, and pulled my Andy and me onto stage multiple times, which we loved. I even rapped Forgot about Dre... hahaha. Once we get the video from the videographer, I’ll send it along! I know the photographer got some great pictures of the band too.
Thanks again for helping us set this up, they truly were wonderful!
Hannah Kellam Kloch
From: Kailey Branham
To: Andy Jaspen at Sam Hill Entertainment
Date: Mon, Oct 20, 2014 at 9:25 AM
Subject: RE: follow up on Oct. 11 WhitedDrier Wedding w/ THE DICKENS
Hi Andy,
I hope you're doing well! Thank you so much for reaching out regarding the Whited wedding that used the Dickens they were AMAZING!! The entire wedding was perfect and the Dickens helped to contribute to that very, very professional, easy to get along with and always willing to do anything to make it a perfect night for the couple. Thank you for always being great to work with yourself!
Thank you again!
Kailey Branham
A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Consulting
From: Kathryn Meadows
To: Andy Jaspen
Date: Tue, Sep 30, 2014 at 10:18 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens band follow up
Hi Andy
The Dickens Band was AMAZING :) Matt and I, along with most of our guests danced for the majority of the wedding. They tailored their performance to Matt and I am it made the wedding so fun!
Thank you does not cover it! We will never forget dancing and singing with our friends and family all night at our wedding :)
Katy and Matt
From: Alex Miller
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Date: Sun, Sep 21, 2014 at 8:53 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hey Andy,
Thank you so much for reaching out and checking in after the wedding !
We LOVED the Dickens ! Not sure if you heard but the AC was not working properly in the venue the day of the wedding and it was very warm. I truly believe the dickens saved the wedding ... They distracted the heat! I am so grateful for their awesome performance , my guest had a blast. I personally danced the entire wedding unless I was in the photobooth! I actually forgot it was hot because I was having so much fun with dancing !
They were beyond fabulous and I was so very happy to have the Dickens play at the wedding! I changed my wedding date to have the Dickens and it was for sure worth the change :) Frank and the band were so nice and friendly! Sally Rock and Kathleen Pearson who are high school friends also had the Dickens at their wedding (Sally is who introduced us all!) and we all had fun together as our 3rd wedding with the Dickens !
I look forward to hearing them play around Raleigh or at a future wedding. I will for sure recommend the dickens but also your company for any music at events !!!
Thanks again for the great customer service !
Sincerely,
Alex
From: Casey Barger
Date: Sun, Sep 7, 2014 at 7:06 PM
Subject: Re: 9614 wedding info
To: Frank Pyrtle
Hi Frank!
Thank you SO much for an awesome performance last night! Clay and I could not be happier with our choice to have The Dickens as our band. You guys rocked! Everyone has commented on your awesome selection of songs and overall level of energy/fun. I can't believe we were pulled on stage to sing with you guys that was so fun!!
Thanks again, and we hope to see you guys again soon!
Casey & Clay
From: Ann Miller
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Date: Sun, Sep 7, 2014 at 12:16 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Andy,
I will let Alex and Ian respond but I just wanted to say (as mother of the bride), how much I loved the Dickens band. They were such a pleasure to work with and more important to listen and dance to! Everyone had so much fun with the band. My daughter's wedding was one of the most important events in hers (and my) life! And The Dickens made it happen! Thank you so much and we will recommend The Dickens to all who want great live music.
Ann Miller
From: Codi Phelps
Date: Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 10:51 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Andy,
Hey there! Our reception with the Dickens was amazing! We loved every moment of it. The lead singer Percy did great with all the events we had. It was just down right crazy fun! We love them. They did awesome with everything. They are really the best. Love how they switch up songs. So great. Thank your again everything was perfect!
Codi
From: Roni Kauffman
Date: Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 10:55 AM
Subject: RE: The Dickens
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Hi Andy,
There are no words for me to begin to describe how amazing The Dickens were for my daughter's wedding. They so far exceeded my expectations. Each and every one of them were warm, personable and so willing to make sure that we had exactly the kind of experience that we wanted. The dance floor was always crowded. It did not matter what age you were everyone was up there dancing all of the time. Their choice of music was right on the mark. They were so great at reading the crowd and kept all of us moving. I was invited on stage to dance one of my favorite songs and that was a moment I will always remember. I can't wait to see the video. I don't know how to thank them enough for allowing my daughter to have a wedding of a lifetime. After the wedding I went up to each and everyone of them to thank them for helping to make this wedding an event of a lifetime.
With warm regards,
Roni
From: Blair Brown
Date: Mon, Aug 11, 2014 at 2:23 PM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
The Dickens absolutely MADE our reception! Sam and I heard from multiple people that our wedding was the best they had ever been to and The Dickens were a huge part of that! We had people age 8 to 80 on the dance floor. Out of 100 guests I would guess that at least 85% danced.
Percy and Frank were incredible to work with. Frank was great on the front end and Percy was so wonderful the day of! The band was worth every penny. We could not have asked for more from you, from Sam Hill, and from The Dickens! Thank you thank you thank you! I can't wait for my friends to get married so we can have another wedding that will rock everyone's socks off with The Dickens!
Blair
From: Carmen Huffman
Date: Thu, Jun 19, 2014 at 12:46 PM
Subject: RE: The Dickens for the MohrEmerson Wedding
To: Andy Jaspen
Andy,
Thank you for checking in and following up. We had such a great time with The Dickens! Not only were the clients SO happy with their performance, but I too thoroughly enjoyed working with them. Percy and the guys are phenomenal. He could tell I had a lot to manage that day and really worked to make things easier on me. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated his positive attitude and willingness to help. Please extend my thanks to him again! I just hope I have the pleasure of working with them again in the future.
Thanks again,
Carmen Huffman
Shay Brown Event Design
From: Jenny Erickson
Date: Wed, Jun 11, 2014 at 11:26 AM
Subject: Re: The Dickens
To: Andrew @ Sam Hill Entertainment
The Dickens were exactly what we were looking for! We decided to book them for our wedding reception based on their promo video and awesome reviews and they lived up to all the hype! They kept everyone on the dance floor, while engaging with the crowd! We would highly recommend them to anyone looking for an all around variety band to keep the party going all night long. The four guys are all genuinely nice and a pleasure to work with. Our family and friends raved about how much fun our wedding band was and uncle who is a musician was very impressed with their talent! We plan to try and make one of their shows around NC sooner than later! Don't hesitate to book the Dickens, you will not be disappointed!
Patrick & Jenny King
To: Frank Pyrtle ; Andy Jaspen
From: Samuel Greenberg
Date: Tue, Jun 3, 2014 at 10:16 AM
Subject: The Dickens follow up
We just got back from the honeymoon and wanted to write you all a thank you. The music was AMAZING!. I kept saying the whole night that everything was perfect and you all were a very big part of that. You made the experience all the more memorable and we cannot thank you enough. Everyone kept saying how much you all rock and how everyone had so much fun. As a musician for the past 15 years i can only say how much i appreciated how amazing you guys are as a band and your ability to pull off everything you do. This is our third event with you all and I can say we had several people ask how and when they could book you all because of how much fun they had.
Again, thank you!
Sam and Amanda Greenberg
From: Nancy Padgett
Sent: Monday, May 26, 2014 6:27 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: Dickens band follow up
Hey Andy,
Sorry for the delay in response no sooner was that wedding over than I headed to south florida for a wedding back home now to recover !
The Dickens are an awesome band! Now I see why this group is always booked up when my clients have tried to book them in the past. They were a truly wonderful to work with flexible and agreeable to make it happen for this very special bride. Must say that to watch this bride on the dance floor when things got rocking with such pure joy on her face was a testament to why I do what I do . Frank and the band just understood the magic of the evening and took it to the max. I will not forget their effort and their enthusiasm .
Please share with the entire band my personal and professional thanks for a job that went above and beyond.
Nancy Padgett
Soirees
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
From: Kollmann, Andrea
Sent: Monday, May 05, 2014 6:40 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens band follow up
Andy,
Thanks so much for checking on our experience with the Dickens! We had such an amazing time at our reception! Everyone enjoyed the music and had such a blast! We couldn't have chosen a better band for us! Thank you so much to The Dickens for helping make our day so special!
Thanks!
Andrea Fullmer
From: Katie Nelson
Sent: Monday, April 07, 2014 10:49 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Andy,
Thanks for checking in with us! We absolutely loved The Dickens Band!! They were super fun and energetic plus they interacted great with the crowd! Each member seemed just as happy to be there as we were to have them! They were wonderful and made the reception!! Multiple guests even told us they were the best wedding band they'd heard and we agree!
Please let them know how much we enjoyed it!
Thanks again,
Katie & Brett
From: Ali Fisher
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2014 2:55 PM
To: 'Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: NelsonHinkley Wedding follow up
Hey Andy!!
Thank you so much for the followup! I’ve totally been meaning to email you but it’s just been nuts around here! Anyway, THE DICKENS DID AWESEOME!!! Truly great guys to work with and the client was so happy! Frank and Percy and the other guys were great to work with and I really hope that we get to work together again.
Please pass along the kind words to them they were great!
Thanks Andy!
Ali
Alexandra Caldwell Fisher | Owner
A Caldwell Events
From: David Balderson
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2014 4:58 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Cc: Anna Balderson
Subject: Re: The Dickens band follow up
Hey Andy,
The Dickens were absolutely AMAZING! There is nothing negative we can say about this band, only great things!! They are hands down one of the best bands I have ever seen perform and I have seen many! We found the Dickens through Sam Hill Entertainment – which was a great resource for researching bands. They were really easy to work with and made the whole process at smooth and easy to understand!
Family and friends that attended the wedding are still talking about the Dickens. My father received so many phone calls from family telling him that it was the best band they have ever seen and they have never been to such a fun wedding. My dad was a little skeptical about a band and how much they cost, so I told him to trust me. After the wedding he said he was wrong and that was the best decision we made! We have the Dickens to thank for this!! I actually had a friend mention we had the best band ever, just last week and its been over 6 months! Nobody has forgotten about the INCREDIBLE performance!
I tried to pick out the setlist in the beginning, but realized I should just trust them!! They know what they are doing and picked EXACTLY what we wanted them to play! They do not play any specific genre of music, they literally play EVERYTHING! Nonetheless they know all the hit music, old and new. They even performed our father/daughter and mother/son songs that weren't on their setlist, which really meant a lot and made our wedding day even more special.
They were extremely accommodating and helpful! They really know what they are doing and are VERY talented musicians/entertainers/performers. I loved how the entire band, especially the lead singer (Percy) interacted with the crowd. They were so much fun and would let people come on stage sing in microphone and what not! Percy was also a big hit when would go onto the dance floor with everyone!
I would HIGHLY recommend the Dickens. If I could watch them perform weekly, I would definitely do so. THANK YOU for everything and for making our wedding the best wedding we could have asked for!!
Best,
Anna and Dave
From: amy margolis
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2013 8:58 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy!
The Dickens were AMAZING...I can't say enough good things! Everyone kept commenting (during the reception and days later) about how great the band was!
Our wedding planner mentioned that sometimes the band pulls the couple on stage at the end of the night but we didn't think anything of it. When they did pull us on stage and Luke sang his heart out, everyone thought Luke and The Dickens had it planned!
From that first song I heard to the last song of the night, everything The Dickens did was insane! They seem like a great group of guys with an extreme amount of talent!
We will definitely recommend The Dickens and Sam Hill Entertainment to everyone we know!
Thanks,
Amy Korta
From: Matias Stella
Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2013 8:32 AM
To: candace@samhillbands.com
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Good morning Candace,
Thank you very much, we had a fantastic time at our wedding and The Dickens were a big part of it. Francis was genuinely excited for us and we could immediately tell he loves what he does. :) Many people commented on what a great job they did. I think some of their strengths were reading the crowd and getting everyone on the dance floor. It really was a blast.
We would definitely recommend The Dickens again!
Have a great week,
Matias and Kate
From: Ashley Mott
Date: Thu, Oct 31, 2013 at 8:42 PM
Subject: RE: Thank You From the dickens!
To: Frank Pyrtle
Hey Frank!
Thank you so much for your email and thank you so much for helping us to execute our dream wedding! It was a magical night and I have to thank you and The Dickens for being apart of it! They did an excellent job! :)
Can't wait to see our video from the videographer!
Thank you again,
Ashley & Sean
From: Pearson, Chris
Sent: Friday, November 01, 2013 11:32 AM
To: 'Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: The Dickens
hey Andy,
The Dickens were awesome! Everyone had the best time ever. They were professional, prompt, and kept the dance floor jammed the entire night (someone said they felt like it was a rock concert as opposed to a wedding reception). Love the way they go in and out of songs. Kept everyone engaged (excuse the pun) and dancing.
When it is all said and done we could not imagine the night without the Dickens. If we had to do it over we would book them again and again. They truly made the night special and we can't thank them enough.
Chris
From: Kristin Pappas
Sent: Wednesday, August 07, 2013 11:39 AM
To: Mike Miglino
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Mike,
The Dickens were great. Everyone loved them. I think everyone really liked that they didn't play the normal weddingband type music and instead played more like they were a great cover band at a show, ya know? Which is definitely what we were going for. Drew and I sent them a long list of artists/types of music we liked, and they definitely payed attention to that (the look on the guitarist's face was priceless when the entire crowed sang along to every word of a Sublime song....). They also got my dad on stage to sing along to some oldies, which was really funny.
They were, of course, very professional the whole way through. Everyone was commenting on Percy's voice and his range it was amazing. He sounded like an entirely different person from song to song.
They also seemed like they were having fun during their sets, which I think made everyone else have more fun. Booking them was definitely a good decision and they were well worth the money. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who is looking for a nonweddingy band. I can't tell you how many people asked me where we found them, or told me how much fun they were.
Thanks for all of your help!
Kristin
From: Gerald and Becky Parker
Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 5:04 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
Our experience with the Dickens Band was wonderful. They were very easy to work with, pleasant to talk with, and fun! I think they did most or all of the songs Magan wanted and got the group up and dancing. They played a good range of music for the over 60 crowd and the younger group. We will certainly recommend the band to anyone we know who is looking for a fun band.
Becky
From: Graham Harrelson
Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 1:22 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
The Dickens absolutely exceeded all of our expectations. I've been to a lot of weddings and seen a lot of great, fun, interactive bands. The Dickens were the icing on the cakeEVERYONE at our wedding is still talking about how great they were and I'm sure will continue to do so for years. Percy was great with our guests. He and the band knew how to read the crowd every minute. It also felt like they were having as much fun as we all wereespecially when we broke out the glo necklaces and began using them in a game of hook 'em on the massive antlers on the wall! I would recommend The Dickens over and over and over and over again and want to come up with a reason to have a party so I can hire them again! I even suggested to a family member getting married in Colorado that I think we should pay to fly them out to their wedding! I knew there was a positive energy in the online videos we watched when we booked The Dickens. I knew that there was just that 'something' about Percy I couldn't put my finger on. I even told Percy when he was setting up that afternoon that while I didn't know him, I already loved him from all the videos we watched. Well, we were all simply blown away. I love this band so much and seriously wish we could do it all over again. #EPIC and #AWESOME is all I have to say.
Graham
PS. Please feel free to post this on any and every Dickens web site. I will even accept personal phone calls if someone wants a verbal recommendation!
From: Becca Stefan Knuth
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 11:44 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: double wedding follow ups
Andy,
You know The Dickens are one of my favorites and they did not disapoint!
I got the following text from the bride yesterday;
The Dickens were freaking unbelievable. I want to be their spokesperson!
They are consumate professionals, easy to work with and just the nicest guys around. Couldn't have been happier!
Thanks!
Becca Knuth
Asheville Event Company
From: Nicole Manna
Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2013 10:20 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi there Andy,
The Dickens band was amazing! There isn't a single person that we've talked to that came to our wedding that hasn't said something great about them. They played wonderful music, they were so upbeat and fun, and they appealed to such a huge range of ages.
Please thank them for a fabulous day, and thank you as well. I will certainly pass the band's information along.
All the best,
Nicole Manna
From: Jessica Roelofs
Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2013 6:18 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment; Frank Pyrtle
Subject: Re: The Dickens follow up
Hi Andy! The band was AMAZING! They made our night such an awesome party! Here's a part of the review that I posted on wedding wire It pretty much says it all!
The Dickens were out of this world AMAZING! They really made our wedding night the fun dance party that we were hoping it would be! The dance floor was packed all night long! These guys don't even pause in between songs, they just mash the song up and blend one right into the next! It's really cool and keeps the momentum on the dance floor going. Wow, they rocked:) I highly recommend them! I would book them again in a heartbeat and you should do the same! Also of note, they really take care of you on the wedding day. They were so nice and attentive to the groom and I! They made the evening run extremely smoothly. Well done guys! I highly recommend them!
Thanks Andy, for putting me in touch with them! I'm so glad they were a part of our team:)
Best,
Jessica
From: Lindsey
Sent: Monday, April 29, 2013 9:08 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Andy,
The Dickens were in a word ….. Amazing!. I couldn't have imagined better! Frank was so wonderful & easy to work with. They helped contribute to the best night of my life!!!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
Best,
Lindsey Medlin
From: Singleton, Lindsey
Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 4:49 PM
To: Andy Jaspen
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Hey Andy,
Thanks for the follow up!! The Dickens were AMAZING!!! They immediately got the party started and continued to keep it going all night. I cannot say enough positive things about them. They were fun and friendly with our guests, I wish we had another excuse to throw a party and have them again!
I had several people ask me about them and I hope it will generate some buzz for them in the upstate of SC. I'll certainly pass along your contact info to anyone who should ask. You've been SO great to work with as well, so thank you all for making this process so easy.
Many Thanks!!
Lindsey
From: David Gram
Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2013 10:05 AM
To: andy@samhillbands.com
Subject: The Dickens Testimonial
We had The Dickens perform for our wedding on March 30, 2013, and they were AMAZING!!!! We are both avid music fans and getting a great band for our wedding was a tiptop priority. When looking for a band, we were looking for someone who could play both oldschool classic wedding songs and newschool dance/party songs. Once we heard The Dickens and reviewed their playlist, we were sold. And on our big day, they did not disappoint. Everyone from our grandparents to our hiphop loving friends to our two year old niece and nephew were on the dance floor having the time of their lives. The band eased into the night with classics from the likes of Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, but by the end of the night, the place was a giant dance party while the band played hits from Justin Timberlake, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, and Ludacris. Not to mention at some point inbetween there was a dance contest to Michael Jackson's greatest hits. The band even let me (the groom) get on stage and sing You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC to Brooke (the bride) and rap In Da Club by 50 Cent with Percy. It was an experience that we will never forget.
Not only was the party itself unbelievable, the band was WONDERFUL to work with. Frank was super easy to talk to and incredibly receptive to all of our requests leading up to the big day. It is a great feeling to know that you are working directly with the band and band members and not through a third party. The band learned Seal's Kiss From a Rose for our first dance, and they KILLED it! Not only did they learn our first dance song for us, but they played pretty much everything that we requested, and maybe even more importantly, they did not play the songs we respectfully requested that they stay away from. Not only was Frank awesome, Percy was the man! As a frontman, he is everything you could ask for. Percy got the crowd involved and did everything with a giant smile. The Dickens were the utmost professionals. I wouldn't recommend anyone else for their big day!!!
David Gram
From: Lacy Rehe
Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2013 7:17 PM
To: Andy Jaspen
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Andy!
We LOVED The Dickens! It was one of the highlights of our wedding reception! We were married on March 2nd in Savannah and it happened to be really cold...especially since a lot of our reception was outside. Once the band started playing, the guests coats came off and no one remembered the chilly temps! They were amazing! I was very vague when the band consulted me on the playlist. We had requested to play songs that were less weddingish and more like a college party. That's exactly what they did! I had gotten too busy to make a don't play list to give to the band, but it wasn't needed! All of our friends and family continue to talk about how it felt like they were at a concert instead of a wedding and that is exactly what we were looking for. Bob and I both ended up on stage singing! They even learned Country Roads to play for us at the end of the night (I'm from WV and Bob went to WVU.) The band was professional as well as fun and I can't tell you enough how thrilled we were to have chosen them for our event! We have some great pics from our photographer that I will send along!
Thank you so much!
Lacy
From: Meaghan Wingard
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2013 10:37 AM
To: Mike Miglino
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the well wishes! We are just getting back into the swing of things got back from the honeymoon on Sunday and back to work yesterday. It's rough coming back to reality!!
We absolutely loved having The Dickens play our wedding! We received a lot of compliments from friends and family all night and couldn't have hoped for a more fun band. They were exactly what we had hoped to find a great cover band who could play a wide range of music. We appreciate that they were willing to learn a few tunes for us, and they kept the dance floor packed all night!
I would absolutely recommend The Dickens to any bride and groom looking for a fun band. They were very expensive, yes, but you get what you pay for and we had an absolute blast with them! Feel free to add me to your list of referrals if anyone has any questions about hiring them!
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thanks,
Meaghan and Will
From: Amanda Benton
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2012 6:52 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens band follow up
Hi Andy,
The Dickens were amazing. We've personally gotten to know the band over the past 4 years and have a special relationship with them, so it made the night very real. Percy even spoke on behalf of us as a couple since seeing them perform was our first date! We try to see them everytime they come to Raleigh and really try to get our friends out and promote them as well. (We're planning on seeing them Saturday!)
But as always they are so professional and really allow everyone to have an amazing time. We could not have pictured our reception better and it was a GREAT time. We really love the guys and are so honored they could be there for our special day. I think everything went well as far as I know in regards to all the hidden things you don't know about on the dayof being a bride and considering we didn't have an official wedding planner.
The music was superb and our guests were saying Best wedding ever!, Not your typical reception, etc. Even our grandmother was up dancing and singing with Percy! It was fabulous. My husband is a drummer and Frank even let him come up and jam for a song and that was an incredible moment for me as the bride to see him up there jamming out for me! We love the guys and definitely would pass on the information to anyone.
Thanks so much for everything!
Sincerely,
Amanda Dillman
From: Leigh Thelen
Sent: Monday, December 03, 2012 9:31 AM
To: Mike Miglino
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Mike,
Thanks for touching base with us. We loved The Dickens ... they were fabulous! I would definitely recommend them and Sam Hill Entertainment to any friends planning a wedding in Virginia. Thanks for all of your help! We really had a great time at the wedding and keep hearing from our guests that they had a lot of fun as well.
Best,
Leigh
From: Tyler Harding
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 3:32 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Andy,
Thanks for the note and congratulations. We had an absolute blast with The Dickens and our guests loved them! We kept hearing so many comment this was the best band they ever heard at a wedding or other event. The dance floor was packed from the minute they started playing. One of my husband's uncles is the lead singer in a Rolling Stones cover band based out of Florida. The Dickens played two songs with him. This was really fun for us and our family and it was awesome of The Dickens to be so open to it.
We really couldn't have been happier with the choice! We will definitely recommend them and Sam Hill to anyone looking for a band :)
Thanks, Tyler
From: Taylor Mizelle
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 7:19 PM
To: Andrew Juge @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hello Andrew,
We could not have had a better wedding reception experience, or asked for a better band. Not only was their performance amazing but so was their thanks and gratitude for us having them be a part of our big day. They truely are a great band, and great group of people.
People who came to the wedding had nothing but awesome things to say about them. Even people who didnt come to the wedding heard how great they were.
My towns local fire department puts on a fundraiser and even they heard how great the band was, and would like to see if they are available for their event! Thanks again for all of your help!
Taylor Mizelle
From: Jessica Glickman
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2012 7:57 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens band follow up
Hi Andy,
Thank you we absolutely loved the Dickens band! Percy and everyone were so nice and talented and a pleasure to have as part of our special day. We knew we had to have them when they played at our friends Becky and Kevin Carters wedding and they brought the same amazing time to our event. Cannot say enough good things about them. Everyone attending was blown away and asking how to get them for events. Thank you and the band for everything we will always remember how special our wedding was and the big part the Dickens band played in it!
Love,
Jessica and Jason McClure
From: J Akers
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 9:47 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment; Dorie Mayne
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Andy:
The Dickens were the best wedding reception band I have ever heard! They were awesome! They kept everyone on the dance floor all night long. They also responded to requests but did a wonderful job “reading the crowd” and playing what people wanted to dance to. The best testimony is that the dance floor was full to the very end which culminated in a chant for “one more song” which the Dickens obliged.
We would definitely recommend them!
Best regards,
Jake Akers
From: Heather Leonard
Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2012 11:30 PM
To: Mike Miglino
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Thanks so much! They were fantastic. Everybody loved them and people were dancing all night long. Would definitely recommend them and use them again. They were considerate, professional and fun.
From: Rachel Boteach
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2012 1:34 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens band follow up
Hi Andy,
The Dickens were wonderful! We heard from several guests that they were the best wedding band they had ever heard! The whole band was so pleasant and personable and we were so happy to have them!
Thanks,
Rachel
From: Margaret Rakes
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2012 2:43 PM
To: Andrew Juge @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andrew,
The Dickens band was incredible! Everyone loved the music and has been asking where we found them. I know a few people asked the band at the reception where they played because they were interested in hearing them play again. Both the groom and I were extremely happy with their performance and their professionalism. I would highly recommend them to anyone and will pass along your name to anyone who is looking for a band. I am glad to have chosen you to work with and if I ever have any future needs will definitely go through you again.
Thank you again,
Margaret Rakes
From: Ashwin Corattiyil
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 8:47 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
Thanks for the congrats! The reception was AWESOME! Everyone, even my grandparents, were saying how great the Dickens band was...definitely the life of the party and worth every penny. Please pass that on to Percy...he had the crowd engaged and up the entire night, and I think people were sad when it was over. I will no doubt recommend them to anyone who asksactually already have to a couple people!
Anyway, I appreciate you following up, and again, tremendous job to the band for their performance.
Ashwin
From: Ashley Marshall
Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2012 6:21 PM
To: Mike Miglino
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Mike,
We couldn't have been more pleased with our choice to go with The Dickens. We had seen them before a few times in college and they've only gotten better with time! They were wonderful and accommodating. Frank called me the week of the wedding and ran through the timeline so we were on the same page for the big night. I had made a request to have them facilitate a first dance for my mother and father since they didn't get to have one (their wedding reception was in the church social hall.) Percy made sure we were all around for it and actually moved my parents to tears as he read the speech I put together for them. There was a slight confusion later in the night (the venue actually made a mistake with the ending time) and Percy stepped up right away and took care of it for us. They were absolutely amazing in getting the crowd involved and we had such an wonderful time. We couldn't be happier and we want to get married every weekend so we can party with them again!
Thanks so much!
Ashley
From: Anna Brown
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2012 2:00 PM
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hey Mike,
Thanks for the email. The reception ended up being great and the music wonderful. The band was a joy to work with and we got many great compliments about them. So, thanks to you and to the Dickens for making it so fun. My only wish is that the reception did not have to end at 10pm. Thanks!
Best,
Anna
From: c.m richardson
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 12:14 PM
To: Andy Jaspen
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Andy,
Thanks so much for checking in. The Dickens band was wonderful! We received so many comments from people saying they were the best band they had ever heard at a wedding. They really made it a night that we will never forget! Thanks for all of your help on everything!
Best,
Kate
From: Stephanie Smith
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2012 1:46 PM
To: 'Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Andy,
We thought the Dickens band was fabulous and everyone from the wedding is still
talking about how great they were. They were so easy to work with and
really did a great job getting the reception going. We loved The Dickens !
Stephanie Smith (mother of the bride)
From: Michelle Makinen
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 11:50 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
I just wanted you to know that The Dickens is THE BEST wedding band EVER. They made my wedding the most memorable event and my friends absolutely had the best time because of them. Besides being super talented they are also complete professionals and are the nicest guys. If I could get married every year I would only have The Dickens play every time!
Thank you for everything!
Michelle Panek
From: Jacki Petrozelli
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2012 4:48 PM
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hey Mike,
Thanks for your note (and congratulatory wishes)!
So, feedback on the Dickens . . . in one word, they were amazing! First, it was such a pleasure working/speaking with Frank leading up to the wedding. He had great suggestions, just a nice and easy going nature, and it was really wonderful that they learned the fatherdaughter dance song (Carolina In My Mind, James Taylor) with really only about two weeks' notice. In terms of the music/performances at the reception the energy, interaction, sound quality and overall experience exceeded my expectations. Loved how they went into Live DJ Mode. They definitely had the crowd on its feet, which was exactly what my nowhusband and I wanted. I would not hesitate to recommend the Dickens or Sam Hill for friends/family in the future. Everything was professional and topnotch. A big thanks all around!
All best,
Jacki
From: Scott Quarforth
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 11:36 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens follow up
Andy
We had a GREAT time at the wedding. The Dickens were fantastic and everyone at the wedding had nothing but nice things to say about them. The band was great about learning our first dance song and a second song I surprised Leigh with. They really played well to the crowd and I don't think they would have stopped if the museum didn't kick us out at the end of the night! It really made our night. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for more of a rock and roll feel to their wedding.
Thanks,
Scott and Leigh
From: Peter White
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 10:24 AM
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hello Mike,
Thank you for the greeting. We had a great time on December 3rd and The Dickens were nothing short of spectacular! They did a great job, a very talented and proffesional group. I already wrote the band an email last week telling them how pleased we and all the guest were with their performance. We are happy to provide a reference for the future.
Best,
Peter
From: Lambatos, Stacy
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 3:42 PM
To: Hank Wells @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Cc: Payton, Karina; thedickens
Subject: You guys ROCKED it!!
Hi Hank and Frank,
Thank you SOOOOO much for your help with the Dulles holiday party last night. Hank, you were so wonderful and easy to work with and Frank, you and the group were awesome!!! We are getting so many emails today about how great the band was! :) I think the party poopers who didn't come last night are disappointed today!
It was a pleasure working with you both, I look forward to the next event together!
Thanks again for everything!
Stacy
STACY LAMBATOS
Corporate Events | AOL
From: Shannon Huntzberry
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 1:43 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens band follow up
Hi Andy
Thanks so much for getting in touch and it would be a true understatement to say that we had a FABULOUS time with The Dickens at our wedding. They were just incredible and the compliments from our guests continue to pour in. Matter of fact, I don't think I left the dance floor once when Percy and the guys were playing ;)
I know it is often a splurge when couples choose to hire a band but, honestly, for us it was worth every bit and it was the part of our party that we were most excited about. Thanks so much for putting us in touch with the band, you folks made the coordination a snap and you certainly have our highest recommendation.
Thanks again and hope you have a nice holiday season :)
Shannon and Mike
From: Jeannie Huntzberry
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 2:02 PM
To: Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: The Dickens
I'm not sure how to write a review for this wonderful band so I am trying to do it through this email. In a few words, The Dickens rock! They played this past weekend, Nov. 12 at our daughter, Shannon's wedding,at the Veritas Vineyard and they were all amazing! No one had to be coaxed to the dance floor...the music was so awesome that everyone wanted to dance and dance some more! Percy has an amazing voice...and the variety of music was perfect!
This was one of the best investments we made for our daughter's wedding; so glad she picked he Dickens...it was worth every penny! The guys were professional but also very friendly and approachable...WE LOVE PERCY!!!
My husband and I are so happy that Shannon will have such wonderful memories of her wedding, in large part, to the Dickens making her day so special! I could go on and on..thanks so much guys!
I just can't say it enough...everyone there at the wedding had a great time..because the Dickens are FANTASTIC!!
Sincerely,
Jeannie Huntzberry
From: Courtney Carlson
Sent: Monday, November 07, 2011 3:37 PM
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
In short, the Dickens ROCKED. We have gotten the best feedback about them. I loved it all and I'm so glad they were there! I danced the entire time and that's always how I pictured my wedding would be!
Thanks, Mike!
Courtney
From: Sarah Gentry
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2011 1:02 PM
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Mike,
Thanks for followingup. The Dickens did a tremendous job at our wedding. We had an absolute blast and all of our friends and family have since commented on how much they loved the band. I danced the entire night and I cannot thank them enough for making our wedding so memorable.
Please send our appreciation to the band!
Thanks!
Sarah
From: Lederer, JR
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2011 1:17 PM
To: Andy Jaspen
Cc: Jessica Calagione
Subject: RE: The Dickens and the Plum Blossom strings
Andy,
We got the most positive feedback (rave reviews!) about the Dickens. When these guys came on after dinner, they were ready to rock. The entire place was dancing, the song selection was great and they did a great job of getting and keeping the vibe upbeat and everyone on the dance floor.
We would be willing to serve as a very positive endorsement of the Dickens for any wedding you are booking in the future.
Thanks again for all of your help. Regards,
J.R. and Jess
From: Katelin Sensibaugh
Sent: Friday, October 07, 2011 8:40 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hello Andy!
I plan on reviewing them on Wedding Wire (where I am reviewing all of my vendors), but wanted to shoot you an email to include on your website as well. These types of reviews from previous brides were very helpful for me during my planning process!
The Dickens band. Wow where do I even begin??? The Dickens helped make our wedding reception absolutely perfect. Thank you for this fantastic recommendation, Andy! Percy and the gang showed up with PLENTY of time to set up and were so flexible with us having to move our ceremony indoors (where they were playing for the reception). We didn't have to worry about a thing with them they were so professional and did everything we asked and more.
Besides all of the logistics (which they executed flawlessly), they were SO MUCH FUN! All of our guests were amazed by their talent, and Percy's amazing voice. They played absolutely everything we asked, and even involved the crowd (especially at the end of the night). He got my husband and I up on stage to sing one of our favorite songs (luckily they cut out our mic and sung for us we aren't known for our singing skills:) and had the dance floor packed the ENTIRE night. Their amazing sound and energy even got people out dancing before dinner.
Thank you so much for providing us with this amazing band. Thank you to the Dickens Band for being such a huge part of our wedding we love you and absolutely plan on seeing you play whenever you are in the area again!
Thanks again Andy. Let me know if there is anything else you need from me! :)
Katelin
From: Erin Shelton
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 8:05 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Andy
Thanks so much for reaching out! The Dickens were absolutely fabulous!!! Jon and I were blown away by how talented they were. They listened to what was important to us, especially our love of 80's music, and knocked it out of the park! Jon was especially happy that he had the chance to do an air guitar solo, haha!
Our wedding planners actually said they've never seen wedding guests dance so much! And we're still getting comments from our guests saying they were the best wedding band they've ever seen! Percy and the guys kept the energy up the entire night and definitely made our wedding memorable!
I can't thank them enough for their professionalism and positive energy! Hiring the Dickens was the best decision we made!! If you ever need a reference or anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask us! We'd love to help!!
Thanks so much!
Erin & Jon
There is not much more I can say beyond, The Dickens was THE BEST BAND we have ever worked with!! Would definitely love to book them again in the future for our clients!
Kaite Dowens
The Charmed Event
From: Judi Greenberg
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 7:17 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens follow up
Hi! The Dickens were SPECTACULAR!!!!!! I am so sorry I did not write to you last week to let you and the band know how much we appreciated their performance. They were incredible..., every one of our guests came up to us and raved about the band. They took the energy of the party and ran with it and showcased the bride and groom. They understood Kevin and Becky and really set the tone with fun, laughter and great talent!!
I looked around at one point and there was NO ONE sitting at the tables, if they were not dancing (which most were) they were enjoying watching the dancing and the band. They are the ultimate professionals and if ever they need or your company needs a reference or a personal endorsement you have it from the Greenberg/Carters. Please let the band know how thrilled we all were with them and the quality of music and the vitality they brought to the wedding. It was such as joy and priveldge to have them at the wedding.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Judi Greenberg (mother of the bride)
From: Brian Budnick
Sent: Monday, September 05, 2011 11:36 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
I think I speak on behalf of both our families: The Dickens were absolutely incredibly terrific. In short, they were worth every penny and were superlative in every way. Everything we asked was done, they were the consummate professionals throughout, and the dance floor was packed the entire night.
It was the best live performance we've ever seen or been a part of. Everything went exactly perfectly awesome: our first dance, the parents dances, dinner, the end of the night and everything in between. So many people came up to us during or after the wedding saying things like I've never been to a wedding with so much energy These guys guys are incredible or I've never seen the dance floor packed the whole time.
I gave your info to a bunch of other people who are getting married soon. Hopefully we get to be a part of the Dickens experience again...and again...and again....
There are few things in life I would recommend as unabashedly as I would The Dickens. I hope I have the chance to hire them again or hear them at a friends wedding or event in the near future. In short, we give them an A+++. Thank You Thank You Thank You.
Brian
From: Patee Farley
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2011 8:46 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
I could never say enough wonderful things about how great the Dickens were at our reception. We were expecting them to be awesome, but everything exceeded even that! The song they learned for us (Forever Young) was for the father/daughter dance and made my dad cry. Percy sounded just like Dylan, but of course, but a spin on it that was just awesome. And that was just the beginning of the night! Everything there after was equally as incredible and I know that the Dickens played a big part in making our night one that we will never forget.
Please know that we will certainly be recommending you and the Dickens to all friends, family, acquaintances, etc. who are looking for a band for any occasion. The Dickens were great, but Andy, you were very helpful and easy to work with as well.
Thanks so much,
Patee Farley Tomsic
From: jklousia
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011 2:25 PM
To: mike@ sam hill entertainmnet
Subject: The Dickens
Hello Mike,
Just wanted to say that The Dickens, who performed at my daughter's wedding this past weekend were FABULOUS! They played the greatest mix of music and the lead singer was brilliant at getting the crowd up and moving. Granted that they were an enthusiastic bunch to begin with but he upped the level of fun, to say the least.
Would happily recommend them to anyone. Please pass along our thanks and praise.
Cheers,
Lee Klousia
Klousia/Marquis wedding Masonic Temple, Alexandria, VA 7/30
From: Robin
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 4:13 PM
To: mike@samhillbands.com
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Our event was amazing with The Dickens . They were very in tune to the outline and music request that I emailed them the week prior to the wedding. The band was also very attentive to our guests. What a blast...what a reception...what a great band!!!
Robin Covington
From: Lori Monetti
Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 5:26 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Andy,
I have to start by thanking you for helping us make the absolute BEST decision we could have made when selecting a band. I honestly can't say enough about The Dickens. Working with Frank Pyrtle in the planning stages was awesome. He gave us tons of ideas and support. As far as the night of our reception, the band was absolutely amazing honestly, the best cover band I have ever heard. (And that says a lot since I worked in a night club with live music for 5 years.) Our guests had such a great time, and the dance floor was packed the entire evening.
The members of the band interacted with our guests and really made our reception perfect. So many people (that night and since the reception) have told us that The Dickens was the best band they have ever heard at a wedding. I would recommend The Dickens to anyone. Sean and I are already planning on coming down to NC to see them play for our 1 year anniversary. I'm afraid that this letter does not even come close to expressing how incredibly impressed we were with the band's talent and professionalism. And to top it off, they are just an amazing group of really nice guys. Thanks again for all your help. It was a pleasure working with your company and with The Dickens.
Sincerely,
Lori Monetti
From: Julie Ferguson
Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2011 3:59 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Andy,
We're on honeymoon for a while but I have frequent access to email. The Dickens were AMAZING!!! I can't tell you how many compliments we received concerning the music. Because we had a short reception they played almost the entire time, were very involved with the guests, and created a great set based on the song list I provided. I am very pleased with the services provided by Sam Hill and will be happy to refer your business, and especially The Dickens, to anyone. Thanks so much!
Julie
From: Barbara Orders
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 9:59 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: The Dickens band follow up
OMG!! The Dickens were absolutely wonderful....coming from a 53 year old! Young and old loved them....Wachesaw venue personnel were equally in love with them! They made the reception exactly what Kendall and Peter wanted. Just this morning Peter said he wished he could go back to the same reception and be a guest so he could really relax and enjoy himself. Same is true for us....wish we could do it over!
We hope to see them again soon!
Barbara Ordrers
mother of the bride (4/16/11 at Wachesaw Plantation, Murrell's Inlet, SC)
From: Charlene Sitas
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2011 5:21 PM
To: 'Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: The Dickens band for OrdersBemisderfer Wedding on 4/16/2011
I sent the Dickens band a note letting them know that they were the best band that I
have ever hosted here. 99% of the time the entertainment just performs and
1% of the time they make the event. The Dickens made the event a huge success and
were absolutely wonderful as well as a very nice group of guys to work with.
I would love to work with your company but most preferably The Dickens band.
I have added you to our vendor list and hopefully will be able to work
together in the future.
Kindest regards,
Charlene Sitas
Food & Beverage Director
WACHESAW PLANTATION CLUB
From: Charles Madsen
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 9:15 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Cc: justinsdavis@gmail.com
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
The Dickens band did a fantastic job. All the guys were real pros and you could tell they knew what they were doing. Not a single glitch. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend The Dickens Band to anyone. All my daughter really wanted out of her wedding was a kickass reception where her guests had a memorable time. The Dickens Band came through and delivered and absolutely made the evening one of the best reception/parties I've attended. We were all thrilled. Give my thanks to the guys!
Charlie Madsen
Hi Beth!
I can't thank you enough for the recommendation to use the Dickens. I'm already trying to think of an excuse to have them back!
They were so amazing. Frank was so organized and a true pleasure to work with before the event. Responsive, and delightful, and full of great ideas to make sure the night would go off without a hitch!
Percy was nothing short of amazing. He was full of energy, he was a phenomenal entertainer, between his and my 5 minute air guitar display, Percy and my husband rapping tupac together on the mic, to him dancing with my mom on the stage area, the night was unforgettable.
I stood in the back of my reception to take it all in, and I could not believe how beautiful it all was, and not a single person was in their seats.....by the way, this was before the entree was even served! I'm talking about the dance floor being packed, and people were only at the salad portion of dinner! The Dickens made our reception! We have fun family and friends, but this was different. I've never seen anything quite like it. All night people kept coming up to Brian and I saying, where did you find these guys? and about Percy this guy is freakin amazing! I heard comments about the musicians that back Percy up too. phenomenal band, the guts behind that rockin front dude are extremely talented. Did y'all really find them on the Internet?!
You were 100% right. They were worth every penny, and if I'd had the money, I would've paid them twice as much.
I don't know what else to say. I'll never forget that night, and the Dickens played a monster role in making that happen for Brian and I. Our first dance was magical. Percy had such a range of true class and grace to absolute rock n roll. I wish they played somewhere every weekend in Atlanta.
Thanks so much, Brian and I are forever grateful for your help and guidance to make a choice that made one of the most important nights of our lives unforgettable, and a true success.
Best Wishes!
Jess
Jessica Robinson
From: Kantakevich, Maura
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 1:52 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Hi Andy!
The BEST decision we made during wedding planning was hands down booking The Dickens! We had never seen them in person, but just knew from their website they would 100% ensure that our wedding would be a blast! And we were correct. We have NEVER seen guests dance the entire time at a reception. The dance floor was always packed. Another thing we noticed was, while everyone was dancing, they were facing the band on the stage as if they were at a concert! The band's energy is so contagious!!
The Dickens sent us a very detailed questionnaire with everything from timelines to song preferences to pronunciations of wedding party names. I was so impressed with how thorough, responsive, and professional the band was. Frank was an absolute pleasure to work with eased any fears we had. Frank and I spoke for about 45 minutes about our music preferences, the type of guests that would be there, and anything else to perfectly fit their performance to our preferences and our wedding guests. Frank even texted the bride several times the night before the wedding and the day of to tell her how excited they were and where they were en route. Before the reception, Frank and Percy were gracious enough to come and meet us. We think we may have scared them a little with our enthusiasm about their band, but they were so humble and warm and excited to be there.
The band did an excellent job MC'ing for the evening. They stayed exactly on schedule (something we were worried about) and did an awesome job announcing the wedding party and keeping each announcement (cake, father/daughter, mother/son, etc.) exciting.
Most importantly, the band played EXACTLY what we had preferred on the questionnaire and in my conversation with Frank. The Dickens are true professionals who listen to the bride and groom, play what's appropriate for the crowd, and definitely keep the dance party going the entire night. I explained to Frank that in the beginning they should play more conservative songs that are appropriate for all age groups and then gradually play more contemporary songs, with Hip Hop and Rap being played long enough for our mostly young crowd. We wanted to include everyone and also not offend anyone, but at the same time, the majority of our guests were young so we wanted to hear music we dance to at bars. They did exactly that. We had a small dance set (34 songs) before the dinner. EVERYONE got on the dance floor and danced the entire set. So many guests came up to me and said they'd never seen a wedding with a small dance set before the dinner, and that they couldn't believe everyone joined in since most guests take a while to warm up and start dancing. But The Dickens got everyone off their feet and it perfectly set the tone that this reception would be different and extremely fun, and that this band was extraordinary.
So many people have said they were the best wedding band they have ever heard! Our parents and their friends adored them, and our friends couldn't get enough. About a week or two after the wedding, our friend's husband was telling his friend about our wedding and said, The band was like none other I've ever seen. They played Tupac at a black tie wedding! (Tupac was the bride's request). My mom's friend said she could definitely see The Dickens being the new It wedding band for the DC area after this wedding.
My mom was so blown away by the band's attentiveness during the toasts. We know The Dickens have played hundreds of weddings and must have heard and seen it all, but their attentiveness during the toasts was above and beyond. They listened and laughed during the toasts with the same enthusiasm as our guests.
The talent of The Dickens is unmatched. They sound even better in person than they do on their website. Percy's vocals sound exactly like whichever artist they are covering it's truly amazing. The band played this medley of 80s songs, where the band would play the tune of one 80s song, and then Percy would sing the tune of another one. And then they would switch to another 80s song. It kept everyone in AWE and guessing which awesome 80s song they were going to play next. It really showed their talent! During this medley, one guest kept saying Oh this is my favorite song!! (the band would switch to another one), Oh, no this is my favorite and so forth til he finally said, This is my favorite! I cant take this anymore! and then proceeded to fall to the ground, lay on his side in fetal position, and then on his side run around in a circle. It was hysterical.
One of our favorite parts of the reception was when Percy asked the groom to sing Bob Marley's Is This Love. We had casually told Percy before that we absolutely loved how well he sings Bob Marley songs, and how much the groom loves Marley. So Percy asked the groom to come up and serenade the bride and helped the groom out when he didn't know the words. Later, as the crowd was getting extremely wild, the band asked the bride and groom to come up and sing AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long. It was so fun interacting with the guests and the band, and feeling like rock stars on our wedding day!! Our guests were also saying they've never seen a bride and groom have more fun at their wedding. That is all thanks to The Dickens! The groom also asked Percy to start chanting Prep! (his and several guests' high school alma mater) over and over again a couple times throughout the night. Without hesitation or even knowing why he was chanting Prep, Percy did just that, and led the entire dance floor to chant it as well. In a good way, it felt like a high school dance all over again, which was fitting since the bride and groom are high school sweethearts, and many of our guests attended those high school dances together. The band were just great sports.
At the end of the night, after they played for over 2 straight hours, the guests started chanting one more song! Even though it was midnight and they had to drive 6 ? hours back home that night, they indulged the guests and played their request, Shout. It was an incredible feeling during that last encore song, and we couldn't believe how many people were still at our reception at midnight and dancing their hearts out. After Shout, the bride asked them to play one more song on their IPOD, which they did so graciously. It was the perfect way to end the night on a high note, and our friends keep talking about the end of the night!
I never thought I would see my conservative father dance to Usher, but The Dickens made it happen. The Dickens helped even more bring out the love in the room. We couldn't not be happier with our reception, and it's all because of The Dickens!
Thank you so much!
Maura and Joey Kantakevich
Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 9:24 PM
To: andy@samhillbands.com
Subject: Re: The Dickens follow up
Andy,
I also want to thank you and THE DICKENS for making our reception fantastic! We wanted to have a fun and energetic evening, and they couldn't have done a better job of engaging the audience, celebrating the bride and groom, and playing some incredible music. As my wife said, we had so many people come up to us during the evening and afterward to tell us how great the band was and how much fun they had at the reception, and celebrating the Roosevelt Island group and having Brad and Whitney on stage at the end were very special touches that made the evening even better!
After the wedding, I went back into their room and thanked the band for a great evening, but please pass along my sincere thanks again to THE DICKENS for making our daughter's wedding reception a night to remember.
Sincerely,
Jeff Luce (Father of the Bride)
Sent: Monday, December 20, 2010 9:29 PM
To: andy@samhillbands.com
Subject: Re: The Dickens follow up
Andy,
Thanks for the follow up! I really cannot say enough about The Dickens. They were incredible. We heard from so many people best wedding (reception) ever! Everyone was dancing and having a great time. The song they prepared for the bride and groom's dance was perfect; and, last but certainly not least, they called the bride and groom to the stage at the end of our party, prompting an amazing finale to our evening. We would recommend them to anyone, and several people asked us where they were from. I feel certain that anyone in this general area with an upcoming event would love to book them.
Thanks so much for your assistance in making this happen!
Rhonda Luce
Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 9:11 AM
To: andy@samhillbands.com
Subject: Fwd: setren wedding dec 4, 2010
dear andy,
i couldn't let another day go by before sharing our immense satisfaction and gratitude for the dickens band and the entire sam hill band management teams. as we all know, the success of a band can make or break a wedding. well, the dickens band did not let us down.
prior to the big event december 4, 2010 at the engineers club in baltimore, frank pyrtle was extremely accommodating and patient with our requests. from the moment that the dickens band showed up on the big day, they extended themselves to make sure that everything went smoothly, and to coordinate with me and the onsite manager.
as to the performance of the band, we could not have asked for more. percy knocked each song out of the park. frank, fran, and steve were equally masterful. no one would have ever guessed that neither percy nor frank were feeling under the weather that night.
they were most cooperative about playing the taped renditions of the traditional jewish music that i provided. i would be happy to recommend their services for other jewish weddings and assure the hosts that those segments will be enjoyable.
once again, we thank everyone for helping to make our daughter's wedding a huge success. friends and family expressed great admiration for the band. as the guys will attest, we have a fun crowd so their job was that much easier and more enjoyable. but without the talent and sincere desire to please us, the evening would not have been the success that it was.
we hope that the band arrived home safely and did not encounter too much snow. we wish sam hill bands and the dickens band a very happy, healthy holiday season.
sincerely,
merle setren
From: John Ogburn
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 5:30 PM
To: andy@samhillbands.com; Frank Pyrtle
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Andy,
Thanks for the followup email! The wedding was everything we had envisioned, and in many ways it exceeded our expectations, most notably in the performance given by The Dickens!
Hmmm, where to start...We honestly could not be more pleased with our decision to book The Dickens for our wedding! The entire experience, from initially working with you and Sam Hill Entertainment to the last note played during our reception, was a pleasure. Andy, I cannot thank you enough in your recommendation of The Dickens; you listened to our wants and hit the mark perfectly with these guys. It was nice to be able to speak with a professional in the industry, especially someone with such an obvious enthusiasm for music that could help select the perfect fit for our needs. We were moving in a slightly different direction with our band selection at the onset; however, through conversations with you, we arrived at the perfect fit for our musical tastes and the mood we wanted to create for our reception. A million thanks to you and your team!
The Dickens could not be a more professional, entertaining, talented, and charismatic group. Frank was great to work with as the band’s primary point of contact prior to the BIG DAY. From the first communication from Frank, I could tell these guys were pros. He sent a collection of band information and questionnaires that made planning with the band a breeze. It was obvious that they have been developing and perfecting their process for years, which was reassuring. After we had squared away some of the details via email and as the wedding day approached, Frank and I had a few phone conversations to firm everything up. In these conversations, we of course talked business; however, and I think more importantly, we started talking about common music interests we shared. I’m a music lover, especially live music, and this more than anything really established a comfort level for me with the band. I knew that Frank had a good sense of what I was looking for, and I felt at ease about Frank arranging The Dickens setlists and the prerecorded music for the reception, which he did superbly. This was great, because for anyone who has planned/is planning a wedding knows – confidence in your vendors is great peace of mind. My confidence in The Dickens was affirmed the day of our wedding. It was great to finally get to meet the band in person and converse a bit preceremony & reception. Percy was great; he came up to me and jokingly explained that he liked to pay extra attention to the groom because typically the bride gets all of the attention on wedding day. The Dickens are just very attentive and down to earth…and then there is the main reason we booked them – they’re an incredible band.
They’re performance was topnotch, from the musicianship, to the vocals (Percy truly has a gift I’ve never heard someone so accurately cover such a broad range of vocal styles), to the equipment, lighting, and crew. I’ve been to a number of weddings where there is a lot of deadtime on the dance floor, but that was absolutely not the case with The Dickens; they had our guests dancing the entire night. Their song catalogue is perfect for this type of event, having a broad age group, and they know exactly how to formulate their setlists to accommodate everyone. I saw everything from the Shag to a Michael Jackson danceoff. The Dickens also have great crowd interaction...Percy is a great lead man and the initiator of the Michael Jackson dance off. What I didn’t anticipate when initially booking the band was how much more they provide than simply just a great musical performance. Percy is a great MC, announcing the various planned activities of the reception perfectly and Frank did a great job with the various prerecorded music that was played when the band was offstage.
I have to say that I was met with a little skepticism in booking The Dickens from a cost standpoint; however, all of those concerns were put to rest once they saw The Dickens perform. I knew going in that one of my top priorities was going to be the band, because it is such an integral part of the reception celebration. I could not be happier with our selection of The Dickens. Practically half of our guests, if not more, came up to tell us how much they were enjoying the band and wanted to know how we found out about them. We made sure to let people know how to find out more about Sam Hill Entertainment & The Dickens, and we will continue to spread the word.
Lastly, one of the highlights came when Frank and Percy conspired to bring Sarabeth and I onstage so that I could serenade my new bride. This was a complete surprise to us, but it made for one of the most memorable moments of the night. Now, I’m not a singer, but I was on my wedding night. The band made it very comfortable, and between the band’s talent, backup vocals, and Percy’s guidance, they helped me give the best possible AC/DC You Shook Me All Night Long performance I was capable of. It was great and something that we’ll remember forever.
We had so much fun on our wedding and reception night, largely in part to the Dickens, and we wish we could relive it all over again. Maybe an anniversary party! Thanks again to all involved in making this such great and memorable celebration!
Sincerely,
John & Sarabeth Ogburn
From: Melissa Manson
Sent: Mon, November 1, 2010 11:18:40 PM
Subject: Thank You
Frank,
My husband, Adam, and I got married in Washington, DC on Saturday, October 9, and you guys performed at our wedding. We've been meaning to write to thank you for providing what has been referred to by our friends and family as the best music at a wedding ever! We couldn't agree more. Honestly, we wish we could celebrate with The Dickens every weekend! The array of music, the pace of the evening, the energy of the band, the lighting, the volume, the quality of the music and vocals . . . it was all perfect! I know that Adam was beyond excited to sing Sweet Caroline with the band, as were my girlfriends who have been dubbed the Mic Bandits for trying to take over Percy's role. :) I never thought I'd have such a cool, professional, talented, amazing band at my wedding! Thank you for working with our schedule and learning One for our first dance. The whole experience was amazing!
Thank you for being a huge reason our wedding was the best night of our lives!
Melissa & Adam Manson
From: Sarah Burris
Sent: Sunday, October 24, 2010 9:53 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hello Andy,
Thanks for the nice email. Things are finally starting to slow down a little.
The Dickens, wow where do I begin?!! They played their hearts out and could not have done a better job. At one point I honestly thought the floor was going to crash in to the first floor of the building. I already have some recently engaged friends asking for their info so they can book them for their weddings. (I pointed them in the direction of Sam Hill).
They were so easy to deal with and that really helped since I did not have a wedding planner. They had to do everything through me and I was busy running around all night so they had to do what they thought was best and they did it perfectly.
They even joined in with a salute to some of our friends that are in Afghanistan right now and could not make the wedding. Ted (my husband) is a marine and we had 10 good friends that are overseas so we made cut outs of their faces and put them on sticks so they could all be in the pictures and be a part of the fun that night. The Dickens held up these signs while they played and everyone really appreciated it.
They are a real class act. Even my older aunts, uncles etc were all out on the dance floor the entire night. I feel extremely lucky to have found and booked them. Thank you for checking in and I hope all is well with you. Pass along my sincerely appreciation to guys!
Sarah Burris
From: N Coby
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 5:36 PM
To: andy@samhillbands.com
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
Everything was awesome with the Dickens. We could not have had a better band. Percy and crew were fabulous. They absolutely made the wedding a really off the charts fun time!
It was the perfect band for our crowd. I think The Dickens would concur. Hope we get to party with them again. We would certainly recommend them.
Best regards,
Nance Coby
rom: Hirsch, Jamie
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 1:31 PM
To: 'Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Hello Andy,
Thank you for the followup. The Dickens were absolutely wonderful and exceeded our expectations. We received numerous compliments on the band from both friends and family. The performance was excellent and they were extremely professional I would recommend them to any new and potential clients. We could not have been more pleased. Thank you for your help!
Warm regards,
Jamie
From: Claire Duggal
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2010 4:09 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
Thank you for your email! We had an absolutely fantastic night, in large part because of the Dickens. They were phenomenal. We've never been to a wedding before where the guests all stood on the dance floor and chanted the name of the band at the end of the night and called for an encore!
We have received multiple compliments from all age ranges at our wedding about the Dickens and how they were the best wedding band they'd ever heard. We really appreciated how much effort they put into preparing for our wedding even learning a song for my new husband to perform for me at the reception. They kept everyone on the dance floor ALL NIGHT! They were professional and charismatic, and Percy is a great MC not intrusive, but entertaining. All in all, we had the time of our lives, and please thank the band from us for helping to make our wedding perfect.
Please feel free to post this email under the comments section for the Dickens on the website we chose them in large part because of what other people had said about them, and they exceeded our every expectation. We'd like to reserve them for our 10 year anniversary!
Thank you so much for everything take care,
Claire & Praveen
From: Kevin Saunders
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2010 12:22 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Andy,
Everything was amazing the Dickens band exceeded all of our expectations! They made the wedding what it was. Loved the guys they where very professional and just outstanding! The music was fabulous and if there is anything Rebecca and I can do in the future for a reference please let us know. We will definitely pass your information along wherever we can and will always keep you in mind for our next big event.
Thank you again,
Kevin E. Saunders
From: Tina Gray
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 3:19 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
The Dickens were FANTASTIC! Really, they were among the top highlights of the wedding. The lead singer Percy sounded amazing like we hoped he would from listening to the demos. Everyone complimented us on the band. I feel like we are still hearing from our guests about how great they were!
Hope this helps...and thanks for all of your help with the logistics. This was a smooth process from the beginning to the end!
Thanks again!
Tina
From: Meade Bradshaw
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 1:14 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
Thanks for your note. I can't say enough about the Dickens! The weather was terrible and the wedding started a little late. The Dickens were scheduled to play from 711. Well the wedding party didn't get to the reception until around 8 and after talking with Frank, he said they would play an extra hour because we paid them for 4 hours. This was very generous and made the evening later for them. Everyone at the reception kept telling me how great the band was and as always the Dickens were a hit. They did a great job getting the crowd involved. Emily and I went through the play list that was sent to us and they played all the songs we highlighted, not to mention the fact they learned 2 new songs for the father/daughter dance and the mother/son dance. That took dedication and a sense of respect for Emily and me. Frank was always there for me when I needed to talk to him via phone call about the reception. The Dickens are first class! Thank you for putting everything together for me.
Meade Bradshaw
From: Greene, Sarah R.
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 11:47 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Andy,
The Dickens band was awesome! Everyone had a blast at the reception and the band played a huge role in the success of the party. Several people said The Dickens was by far the best band they had ever seen at a wedding and I feel the same way. Thanks for you help in selecting them!
Best,
Sarah
From: Thomas Hughes
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 9:10 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Andy,
The Dickens was everything and more than we expected! They were absolutely awesome! We have gotten so many compliments on the band and how good they were. We would love to see more of the Dickens in the Columbia area. They are great! Tell the guys we loved them and so did all of our guests.
Thanks,
Thomas Hughes
From: Kristie Smith
Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2010 2:23 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Dear Andy,
The Dickens were just amazing! I cannot even recall how many people had compliments for the band both during the evening itself and in the weeks that followed. We know how important the band is in setting the tone for a fun reception and I can tell you without hesitation that The Dickens came through on such a high level! The dance floor was filled from the very first song to the ending notes. They were just fantastic.
Percy was a great MC for the evening and did a wonderful job of keeping the party energized. He sang You are so Beautiful for the dance with dad and everyone just loved how he changed his voices and style during that number!
Please feel free to give me and my daughter as references to others. I know I talked to one MOB and one bride about their experiences with The Dickens and those conversations were what convinced me that we had found the right band. I'll be happy to pass along my compliments in person to others who are making the decision about which band to book.
Best,
Kristie Smith
From: Tara Henrickson
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2010 11:36 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
The Dickens were AMAZING! So awesome! We had guests ranging in age from 5 through 70 and they were all on the dance floor! I cant even tell you how many guests came up to us to let us know that The Dickens were the best band they have ever heard at a wedding, we even had some guys tell us they were going to book them when the time came for their own weddings!
They made our night absolutely wonderful! thank you so much!
Tara and Chris
From: Beth Clarke
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 4:48 PM
To: andy@samhillbands.com
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Hi Andy,
Thanks for your email. In the planning process, I had a very hard time making a decision about the band. I loved the variety of music that The Dickens play, and they were my first choice. While they were a stretch for my budget, it was just so really hard to find a band who plays such a broad spectrum of musicwe wanted some motown, some 80's, but current songs too. Finally we bit the bullet and decided that The Dickens Band plays the type of music that we really wanted to dance to on our wedding day, and we signed them up. I couldn't be happier with our decision...The Dickens Band was incredible!
Aside from their much appreciated flexibility and professionalism throughout the day of the wedding, The Dickens nailed every song right on! The band sounded great. People repeatedly commented that there were times when they thought that the band had taken a break, but when they looked, the band was actually playing and sounded like the originally recorded song. The band had the perfect level of energy for our event (no cheesy emcee stuff!) they played the oldies but goodies during dinner, and then kicked it up a notch and had everyone dancing after dinner. People kept commenting on how much my family clearly loves to danceand it made me laugh because I have never before seen my family get down like that! It was SOOOOO much fun! All ages were out there for the entire eveningit really was incredible. Percy had an amazing rapport with the guests, and everyone was singing along with him. Our son, Sam (age 7), was pulling out all if his dance moves, and towards the end of the night, Percy picked Sam up on his shoulder and they and the crowd went nuts singing Living on a Prayer. We really appreciated how great Percy was with Sam and everyone. After all of the stress of the day (with the uncertainty about the venue, the flooding, etc), The Dickens helped set the tone of the wedding and the great music helped all of our earlier worries melt away. Really, it did. I know that I said it before, but having The Dickens at the wedding was definitely the best decision we made!
We feel very fortunate that we were still able to have our wedding, despite the terrible weather and flooding in Nashville. Everyone who played a part in that day was truly amazing. Including Frank, Percy and all of the guys in The Dickens!
Leading up to the event, Frank was great and very funny to talk to. I am a little bit of a micromanager, and I think he sensed it and tried to give me more frequent updates as the date grew near. I really cant say enough good things, and I would be more than happy to be a reference for the band any time. Also, thanks so much for Sam Hill's helpI dealt mostly with Leah and she was great. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Best regards, Beth
From: Rock Baty
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 4:44 PM
To: andy@samhillbands.com
Subject: The Dickens
Andy
I will let my daughter Laura respond separately but let me say that the Dickens band was FANTASTIC. The reception was so much fun and the band was incredible. People were out on the dance floor until the end of the reception. All of our friends (old and young alike) have commented on the band and what great musicians they were. Of course the lead singer Percy was just superb as a vocalist and entertainer. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone, which I will in the future.
Thank you so much,
Rock Baty (Father of the Bride)
From: Alexis Macias
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2010 10:07 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens follow up
Andy,
Thanks for the follow up email. I cannot say enough about Sam Hill and the Dickens! That band is AWESOME! We had an absolute blast with them at the reception. Percy may be the new light of my life. The band played every song we wanted to hear, they brought the house down, and brought up the groom up on stage for a crowd pleasing closing song. Such a great night!
I will absolutely pass along my praises on Sam Hill and the Dickens to others in need of entertainment. I have appreciated all of your help. I would be happy to serve as a reference if needed.
All the best,
Alexis
From: Beverly Rouser
Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2010 9:08 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: Dickens on friday night
Hi Andy,
In a word, AWESOME! The Dickens is truly one of the best bands I have ever heard (and I really have heard a lot of bands having been in radio for 18 years). As always, professional, worked the crowd, and just plain entertaining.
See you guys next year!
Beverly Rouser
Montessori School of Raleigh
From: Filer, Jeff
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2010 11:06 AM
To: Frank Pyrtle & Andy Jaspen
Subject: RE: 2/20/2010 wedding
Frank and Andy,
Now that things have finally settled down after our wedding, I wanted to drop you a line to thank you (and the whole Dickens band) for everything. You all put on an incredible show! Everyone is still talking about how much fun they had, mainly because the music was so incredible. Even Rachel’s 86 yearold grandmother said yesterday that you all were the best band she has ever heard.
If you all ever need a recommendation, please do not hesitate to ask. Any Bride and Groom would be lucky to have you at their wedding. The Dickens Band was extremely easy to work with, very professional, organized, communicative, accommodating and, most importantly, you kept the dance floor hoppin! I hope you all had as much fun as we did.
Thanks again and Rachel and I hope to see you soon at one of your shows.
Jeff Filer
From: Ashleigh MarionYoung
Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 3:12 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
Thank you for following up with me. Everything was amazing at the surprise party this past Friday. She was so surprised and the Dickens band was PHENOMENAL!!! Everyone keeps calling / emailing me that they had the best time and that the band was the best band that they have ever heard at a private occasion! The guys were so AWESOME and really made the night memorable for my sister as well as the other guests. I will definitely book them again when I need live music and I will pass along your info and you and the Dickens will be highly recommended to my friends/family! Thanks again to you and the guys for making this party a huge success!
Thanks,
Ashleigh
From: Nathan Wells
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 5:47 PM
To: andy@samhillbands.com
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Hey Andy,
Thanks for the congrats! Everything went great with the Dickens for our wedding. We were very pleased with their level of energy and professionalism. For a small intimate wedding, they played to us like we were an audience of a thousand, and that's all we could ask for. I think my hamstring is still feeling the after effects from dancing so much and trying to jump with Percy during his rendition of Jump Around. The added bonus of getting the opportunity to sing at the end was a memory me and my wife will never forget. Our first dance song was spot on, and by the end of the night, everyone was coming up and commenting on how great the band was. One of our friends is a wedding planner and I believe she will be interested in contacting you in the future about booking the band. I believe that sums up everyone's attitude about the Dickens band and words can't express how happy I was that we booked them. If we ever put together anything in the future, I would love to book them again.
I appreciate all your help and we hope the band enjoyed playing the venue as much as we enjoyed having them. Hope you can see this attached below because it captures everyone's mood by the end of the night.
Take care and thanks again,
Nathan Wells
Charlie,
I can't thank you enough for suggesting the Dickens to us for the reception. I have heard a lot of live cover bands and to this point none have blown me away like the Dickens did. Their set list was spot on for the diverse group that we had and they had just about everyone on the dance floor having a good time from start to finish.
Everyone that I have talked to had an outstanding time and wanted to know where the band was playing so they could go see them again.
This band helped make a special day for my wife and I even better and again I am very thankful for both the band for doing a knock out job and you for letting us know about them.
Thanks,
Dwayne and Amanda Jorgensen
From: Ryan Eves [mailto:ryanjeves@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 10:19 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
Thanks for checkingin with us. The Dickens were incredible. I appreciated very much that Frank and Percy came out to talk to Katie and I before we were introduced. Though I'm sure they do this for every couple they truly made me feel at ease with them, as if I'd known them forever.
The music was amazing. So many people came up to me (and the band themselves!) to say how awesome they sounded. A few friends commented on the Louis ArmstrongRay CharlesWillie Nelson vocal stylings during What a Wonderful World and I was sorry that I didn't pick up on it. The guys are such great entertainers and they added a great deal of personality that we would have missed with a DJ or another band. They weren't overpowering or stealing the show, they complemented the evening perfectly.
I'm sure Katie will speak more to this but I am very happy that they learned a song and allowed her to sing to me. That was perhaps the highlight of my night and a memory I will always have. Katie will also tell you, I hope, that another highlight was when the guys pulled me up on stage to sing You Shook Me All Night Long. I enjoyed it a great deal and I only wish I'd known it was coming so we could have planned something.
When we first saw them at Tir Na Nog in Raleigh, they were so good and so full of personality that I worried they would overshadow our night. I was, of course, completely wrong in that assumption. They were gracious and thankful and made the entire night about us in a way we never anticipated. And they were so much fun to be around!
Frank was great with all the details before the event. I felt much more at ease when I spoke with him. It was clear that they were professional and took their events seriously.
I think I've gone on long enough but they were just that good. I would love to serve as a reference for them through your company or for them personally. Thanks again for followingup with us!
Ryan Eves (the groom)
From: Lisa Dolfi
Subject: Bell/Eves wedding
Sent: Oct 17, 2009 6:52 PM
Dear Dickens band,
Thank you so much for the amazing music that you provided for my daughter's wedding last week at the Cardinal Club. You are all such wonderful musicians. I received rave reviews about the band all evening and the comments continue to come in!! Bless you all and good luck in your future! I hope I am at another event where you all are playing!
Lisa Dolfi
From: Spillane, Caitlin
Sent: Monday, October 12, 2009 7:04 PM
To: 'Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Hi Andy,
Thanks so much for your email. We thought the Dickens band was absolutely fantastic!! They were so much fun and our dance floor was overflowing the whole night thanks to their tremendous talent! I couldn't have hoped for anything better. The lead singer even got all of my bridesmaids up on stage singing RESPECT and my new husband was crowd surfing! The band's energy was so contagious and their momentum kept our party going until the wee hours of the morning. Everyone at the wedding had such fantastic things to say about the band as well. Please pass along our compliments to all the band members.
I will most certainly recommend the band to many people my sister and my cousins are hoping they travel so they can hire the Dickens for their future weddings!
Best regards,
Caitlin
From: 'Grace L.P. Beason'
Sent: Monday, September 28, 2009 4:47 PM
To: 'Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Cc: 'Frank Pyrtle'
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Good Morning Andy,
Let me tell you just how much I love The Dickens. I LOVE them! They are fabulous to work with and of course, the music and energy they create could not get any better. This was a pretty conservative crowd on Saturday and at certain points, they literally had EVERYONE on the dance floor. People were dancing on the carpet because there was no room! All of the guys are so nice and so pleasant and so amenable to any situation, and that makes my job way, way easier. I will continue to recommend them because I know how much people love their music and from my end, the experience is a million times more enjoyable and successful than with other bands.
Thank you, thank you to you and to all of them they are stars and I hope to work with them all again very, very soon.
Yours sincerely,
Grace Leisure Peck Beason
Grace Leisure Events
From: Christina Maloney
Sent: Tuesday, September 08, 2009 9:25 PM
To: willidrill@aol.com; Hank Wells @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Hank
The Dickens were a complete hit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, we had 2 other friends who are getting married next year and want to use them! I'll refer them to you if that's what I should do!?!? Can we get a referral??
We couldn't have been more satisfied...we heard from guests they were the best band they had ever seen at a wedding!
Thank you so much!
Christina
From: J Clayton Krum
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 11:59 AM
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Mike,
Sorry for the late response. Sarah and I are trying to ease back into reality after all the craziness.
I know I speak for the both of us when I say The Dickens exceeded expectations. We had seen them previously, and knew what a fun band they were, but I don’t think either of us expected them to be as great as they actually were. I think the night played out exactly as we had hoped and I can tell you how many people complimented us on our choice. If it was up to our guests I think they would have partied all night long, that’s how much energy the band brought to stage. As for the songs, it was a perfect selection, one of my friends actually thought I had picked out all the songs for them to play. All I could do was laugh and say I only made one request!
Finally, they are just a great group of guys to work with. Frank was a big help prior to the day making sure everything was in order and we called and talked through some of the smaller details. On the day of they were always checking in with me to see how things were going and Percy was getting everyone fired up for the introductions when the wedding party entered.
I just can’t say enough about how great they are. Let us know if you need anything else.
Thanks!
Clayton
From: Thigpen
Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2009 2:27 PM
To: andy@samhillbands.com
Subject: Fw: The Dickens
Hi Andy,
The Dickens Band was awesome! Everybody young and old had a great time. I kept hearing comments all night of how much they liked the music and how well they liked the singer. The band was very easy to deal with and Frank is definately on top of things. Christina and I went back and forth on what song would be our first dance and we chose Into the Mystic . It was great. My mother and I danced to Carolina Girls, this is not a regular song for them and they learned it and performed it wonderfully. I know that my cousin is suppose to be hiring them for a function in Winston Salem and The Ballantyne Hotel has hired them for December. I think that pretty much speaks for itself. If you need additional information let me know.
Thank you,
Mark Thigpen
From: Brewer, Livi
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 11:44 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: The Dickens
Hey Andy!
Sorry I am just now getting back to you. The Dickens completely rocked! We had so many compliments and so many people wanted information on the band. They really gave a great performance and played such an awesome setlist. We couldn't have been more excited and pleased with having them entertain our guests at our party! I will be highly recommending them to my friends for future events!
Thanks so much!
Livi
From: Merle Stables
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 10:56 AM
To: 'Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: The Dickens
The Dickens Band was a huge hit at the wedding reception. Our daughter said it was the best day of her life. The Dickens Band contributed to this wonderful occasion. We have had numerous people tell us the band was fantastic and the reception was one of the best they have ever attended. The dance floor stayed full all night.
Thanks!
Merle Stables (mother of the bride)
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 9:50 PM
To: andy@samhillbands.com
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
Christina and Mark are still on their honeymoon and I'm sure they will contact you when they return. I can tell you that we all just loved The Dickens. My 87 year old aunt was up dancing!!! The band was the besteveryone said so! We all had a great time! To give you an idea of the fun we had, I am including a link to Christina and Mark's last dance. The compressed file doesn't do justice to the groom's spontaneous performance with the band and how many guests were crowded on the dance floor! What a way to close the celebration!
Everyone in the band was wonderful, both on and off stage. I just can't say enough about themI'm sure Christina and Mark will fill you in when they get back.
Thank you so much!
Jeanne and Dana Argeris
From: Susan Sajadi
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 8:09 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Cc: Thad Glowacki
Subject: Re: wedding music follow up
Andy,
Thanks so much for your email and for checking in with us. As I've said continually throughout this process, you and Sam Hill made planning our wedding so much easier. Your responses were always prompt and you and your crew answered all of our questions. There are so many moving parts in a wedding you made the music a breeze. Thank you!
We also can't thank you enough for your incredible music recommendations. The Dickens were absolutely awesome! They had the whole crowd on the dance floor the entire night. Some of our guests commented that they had never been to a wedding with so much dancing. Utterly professional but also incredibly fun, the Dickens worked the crowd and knew what to play at the right moments. They were perfect all around! I remember asking you who your favorite band was and you said The Dickens were the way to go you were right!
All of your recommendations were spot on. Thank you for your help! If there is anything I can ever do to help you or speak to anyone who is on the fence about any of these bands, let me know. They can't go wrong with any of these guys!
Thanks again!
Susan
From: Maren Bramhall
Sent: Monday, June 29, 2009 3:04 PM
To: Hank Wells @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Hank,
Sorry it took so long to get back to you. We were out of the country on our honeymoon! I definitely wanted to let you know how very, very happy we were with The Dickens! They are an amazing band and so much fun too! We had the best time possible! I even sang with them at the end of the night! I only wish they could have stayed and played longer! Perhaps we will have to book them for something else in the future. I know that some of our friends we just got engaged were asking for their so perhaps we will see them sooner than later. Thank you for helping me select the right band for our wedding. They really were perfect!
Thanks,
Maren Bramhall
From: mollie anderson
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 3:41 PM
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: follow up on The Dickens
Hey Mike,
The wedding was amazing, it was such a perfect day, I wouldn't have changed a thing. A HUGE thank you to you guys and the Dickens Band they were absolutely incredible! Not only did we dance the entire night and everyone LOVED the music, the band members were unbelievably friendly to all lof us! They felt like great friends doing us a favor and playing at our wedding! Percy is a sweetheart one of my friends just last night told me that HE had a man crush on Percy! Hilarious. They were so easy to work with and played the most perfect music Percy even came up to me midway through the evening and said that they had a song in their last setlist that was on my do not play list and if it was OK if they just played about 1520 sec of it... it was definitely OK and I was so impressed that he asked my permission first! He was so thoughtful.
Some of my friends who are single want to book them for their wedding! They were the best. Seriously. And thank YOU for suggesting them when I was looking for a band last year you are a awesome salesman!
Please give my best to the band I will send a couple pictures as well! And I will for sure pass on their info!! Thanks again, Mollie
From: O'Keefe, Emily
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 1:41 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: The Dickens follow up
Andy,
The Dickens were wonderful! In fact, I just got an email from one of my members asking for their website and more information as she is part of another volunteer organization and would like to recommend them for that organization's upcoming event.
The band did a great job of reading our group and keeping them moving and on the dance floor. Thanks for all your help with our event. I hope we have an opportunity to work together again in the future.
Thanks!
Emily O'Keefe
Meetings & CLE Manager Section of Litigation
American Bar Association
I just finished playing in Williamsburg, Virginia, for the Michelob Ultra Open. On Tuesday night, the tournament celebrated Cinco De Mayo. There was an amazing live mariachi band, and then a rock and roll band called The Dickens that was pretty incredible. The lead singer was one of the best performers I have ever seen. He had the Bob Marley dread lock look and could pull off Michael Jackson's Bad. The band played everything from Credence Clearwater Revival to Frank Sinatra. Everyone was jamming to the music including my sister, Kelly, who was visiting from Florida. She and Sandra Gal are good friends from the University of Florida, so when the music started playing, they were the first ones on the dance floor. While I was enjoying my delicious cinnamon churros, not wanting to be bothered, Kelly and Sandra kept pointing at me and calling me over. I was not planning on dancing at all that night I was still in my golf shoes and hat! Who really wants to see that? But I started to get lonely at my table. After a few more churros and all those great songs being played, I got up there with my sister and all the other girls. That was a fun night!
Vicky Hurst
LPGA Golf Pro
From: Kueser, John
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 6:17 PM
To: Hank Wells @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: thanks
Thanks Hank! The Dickens were incredible and you have made a great impression here. I think that you will be back many times over.
Great seeing you and I hope all is well.
Take care,
John Kueser
Michelob Ultra Open LPGA Tournament
From: Weddings By Windy
Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 8:35 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: mailing address
Hey Andy
Wanted to let you know I worked with The Dickens this weekend and they could NOT have been any nicer and easier to work with!! Percy was SO sweet, an excellent MC as well as a rockin' lead singer, and Frank was great to work with as the initial contact as well. . They worked with our schedule, put on a great party and were happy with their room and food. I've worked with many a band in the past that were a bit divaish, but nothing could be further from the truth for these guys. I really liked them and will definitely recommend them to the couple I'm working with for a date next May. My only regret is that I was outta there by 10:30, so didn't get to listen to them until the end of the night!
Thanks so much for the mailer and please pass on my comments to the band. Makes my life so much easier to have bands that are customer service friendly!
Best,
Windy M. Jennings
Weddings By Windy
From: Leslie Tobin
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 4:01 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hi Andy
Thank you for your email. We were thrilled with The Dickens! Not only were they a great band but they were also great people. They really went above and beyond to make our reception amazing! So many guests commented to us that The Dickens was the best wedding band they had ever heard. We had a dream wedding and The Dickens were fantastic. Thank you for all of your help!
Best,
Leslie and Nathan
From: Maureen E. Burnham
To: Frank Pyrtle
Cc: Geoffrey Basye
Sent: Sunday, May 10, 2009 11:21:33 PM
Subject: Re: April 18th 2009 and the dickens :)
Frank (and company) :)
HELLO THERE! OH MY GOODNESS Geoff and I still can't stop talking about what an incredible night ya'll gave us just 3 weeks ago! We've been back from our honeymoon for about a week now and are slowing starting to readjust to life in the real world. I must tell you, people still cannot stop talking about that night and THE BAND we had such a ball, and you guys just made it perfect! We plan on sharing our feelings with Hank, etc, but in the meantime, please let us know if there is anything we can do on your behalf to share with the world how amazing ya'll are! We are starting to get some pics in from our friends and they are just unreal so we will send those along to you guys and feel free to use them as you please if they can be of any help to you. Also, we should be getting the link from our photographer any day now of his pics, so I'll send that along when I receive it.
Question for you, I know Percy was recording clips of the night.... anyways we can get a copy of that for us? We didn't have a videographer and I'm sure some of the footage of Geoff and I singing & dancing would be just awesome to have to show our kids someday. Let me know your thoughts on this! Again, please please please give the band our best and DO NOT BE SURPRISED if you see Geoff and I on the road someday at one of your shows? Keep us posted where you'll be playing in the future or add me to your email list if you get the chance! Thanks so much again for everything Frank you all really made the day!
Best,
Maureen & Geoff :)
From: Andrea Steiner
Sent: Monday, April 27, 2009 10:51 AM
To: 'Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: The Dickens on Friday
Hi Andy,
Friday night was a BLAST!!! Everyone was in love with the Dickens by night’s end and I even had a few people mention wanting to book them in the future. Frank and I will be touching base regarding the editorial and photography soon.
Thank you for everything. I love those guys and it was truly a special night!
Andrea Steiner
Owner/Editor in Chief
TriadWeddings Magazine, a division of triad media, inc.
From: Danielle Phipps
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 1:18 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: Dickens band follow up
Andy,
The Dickens were INCREDIBLE! We had a blast and our friends and family are still talking about what an amazing band we had. I will always refer them:)
Thanks,
Danielle
From: Beth Ike
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 10:27 AM
To: Hank Wells @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: Dickens
Hi Hank dude, we LOVE the Dickens. I have already sent two
people their link from your SH website and your contact info, so
hopefully you will get some more bookings. They are far and away my
favorite party band OF ALL TIME! Thanks so much for hooking us up as
soon as I get a date for next year's GIG, I will let you know, as we
want to have them again, FO SHO!
Hope all is groovy with you and thanks again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Ike
Director of Marketing and Events, Boys & Girls Club
From: Robert Lingler
Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2009 11:01 AM
To: Mike @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: follow up on The Dickens
Mike
I must say it was much more than what we expected, they were more than amazing. Everyone was overly impressed with the band and the music. It made the night, and is still what everyone is talking about. In fact, people will talk about it for more than a few months. The guys were really easy to work with and a pleasure to have. Thanks again for everything. We are off to England, but will pass on your information to all our friends that are still here.
Rob
From: Todd Schuman
Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 4:05 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Cc: Lindsay Howarth
Subject: Re: The Dickens follow up
Andy,
The Dickens band was AMAZING! They far surpassed what we were expecting. Everyone at the wedding complemented us on how good they were.
I also worked with Frank a few weeks before to go over all the details and found him to be very easy to work with and he did a great job catering the band's performance to what we wanted.
We will be sure to pass along any friends or family in need of a band.
Thanks again!
Todd and Lindsay
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 8:56 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: Dickens
Hey Andy!! Happy New Year to you, too!!!
Everything went great with the Dickens this year. I have one word.........AMAZING!!!!! I have been in charge of the Gala for 5 years now, and this was the best one yet. Everybody is saying how great they performed, how diverse their music selection was, and how professional they looked. And the thing that really made them a hit...there were a few couples that wanted some salsa/merengue played. Frank was able to pull a few songs off the iPod to make them happy. THEY LOVED IT!!! I don't think I've ever seen so many guys dance at a Gala before. They were almost beating every girl to the floor. Hahaha!
Thanks again, Andy, for all your help. Take care.
Tiffany Murillo
Events Committee
From: Brenda Cain
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 1:01 PM
To: hank@samhillbands.com
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hank,
The Dickens couldn't have been a better choice. They were great and did not take long breaks which was so nice for a change. You may be getting a call from Ann Mason who is planning a wedding in Richmond inJuly and heard what a great band the Dickens was because of our party. So, thanks so much for your help. If we have another party we will def call you!
Sincerely,
Brenda Cain
From: Brad and Teri Clark
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 7:57 PM
To: Hank Wells @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
The band was great, we've gotten wonderful feedback. We had more people on
the floor at the end than we've ever had (it usually empties out well before
the end due to mass transportation commitments), which was a great sign.
We'll be in touch soon to book something for next year's event as soon as we
secure a date.
It was a pleasure working with your company.
Brad and Teri
Fredericksburg Assembly
Andy, everything was UNBELIEVABLE with the Dickens! Everybody was so excited about them and we had a fantastic time. I really want to express my gratitude and say how great everything was. I also wanted to let you know that I am passing on your information to a colleague of mine who wants to book the dickens for his daughters wedding. As you can tell they were a huge hit!!
West Cerrudo
Lacoste USA
From: Wendy Browning
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 9:31 AM
To: hank@samhillbands.com
Subject: WOW!
Frank,
Thank you so much for the amazing time Saturday night! You guys did a
tremendous job and definitely had everybody on their feet the entire night.
Good thing I wore comfortable shoes :). We had so many people come up to
us after the wedding and tell us that you all were the best wedding band
they've ever heard (and I couldn't agree more). You did a phenomenal job
of knowing the crowd and playing songs that catered to a wide audience and
then really hitting it home with that last set for us and our friends.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything. You made our wedding such
a blast. And while I currently have no voice from singing at the top of my
lungs all night, it's a night we will recount for years to come.
Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and please thank the entire band for
us.
Wendy and Randy
From: Barbara Van Osten
To: The Dickens
Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 8:45:18 PM
Subject: thanks
Hi Frank,
Thanks to you and all the band members for your great performance at Elyssa's & Gene's wedding 11/8 at King Family Vineyards. You kept the guests rocking all night...it was so much fun! Percy's showmanship was perfect. Thanks again for helping to make it a perfect wedding.
Barbara Van Osten
From: Brian Rooks
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 9:53 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: The Dickens follow up
Andy,
The Dickens was insane! We had nothing but positive feedback about them. Their energy and sound made our wedding feel like a show, I caught people watching them as much as they were dancing. The lead singer Percy was a welloiled professional showman that made our wedding legitimate. I would pay to see them anytime. The band was perfect and Percy has this huge heart and energy that we miss already. Thank you so much!
Brian Rooks
From: Brook Wharton
Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 8:48 PM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy
We LOVED the Dickens!!! Honestly, I couldn't of asked for a more perfect band. Based on a few very brief emails and one phone conversation they nailed our music selection on the head. My mom, who is not typically easy to please and knows nothing about music, even spontaneously commented on how much she enjoyed the dinner music they played. The lead singer really got my friends going despite a smaller than anticipated crowd. It was really fun to see some of my friends who are new moms singing into the microphone and sweating on the dance floor! Not once did I think can't wait til this song is over which is what i usually find myself thinking at some weddings. Our friends made several rave remarks that night and since. I am so very thankful for your recommendation and the talent of the Dickens. Our big day would have been way different without you all!!
My sincere thank you & best wishes,
Brook
From: Matt McCourt
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 3:08 PM
To: juge@samhillbands.com
Cc: 'Pitzer, Alison
Subject: RE: Dickens feedback
Andrew,
Thanks so much for setting everything up with the Dickens! They were AWESOME! The dance floor was busting at the seams all night (and this is after we ordered an extra large dance floor) and there were even a few impromptu duets as some of our more excitable guests jumped on stage. The guys brought a ton of energy without losing site of the fact that this was an important/serious day for us (and they learned our first dance song perfectly).
We will definitely recommend the Dickens and Sam Hill to anyone holding events.
Thanks again,
Matt & Ali
From: Molly Shaughnessy
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2008 1:51 PM
To: Andrew Juge @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: Dickens
Andrew,
The Dickens played for our wedding in Arlington, Virginia on October 4, 2008 and they were OUTSTANDING! Brandon and I had the most AMAZING time at the reception thanks to them.
We had a huge dance party with all of our friends and family for about 5 hours and it was exactly what we dreamed of. I just remember looking out at the crowd and all of the seats were empty. They knew exactly what songs to play and how to keep the party going. Brandon and I have received so many compliments about our wedding, The Dickens, and how much fun the party was. I only wish we could do it all over again! If we ever have to throw another party, The Dickens will be our choice! Thank you also, Andrew, for your outstanding assistance and organization with our wedding planning. You and Sam Hill have been phenomenal. You made the process of booking a band painless! THANK YOU!
Molly Shaughnessy Hammond
From: Sheila Motley
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:34 AM
To: Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: sunday follow up
The Dickens were great crowd loved them, dancefloor packed the entire time. Cant say enough good things about them. Probably best band to crowd energy we’ve had ever.
Sheila Motley
the event company, the x lounge
From: Adrienne Ratliff
Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 12:00 PM
To: Hank Wells @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Hank everything was GREAT! Thank you for all your help. The Dickens were amazing.
Adrienne Ratliff
From: Bindy Reuben
Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2008 11:21 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Fwd: Thank you!
Hey Andy, and Frank,
Thanks for the email! We had a great time at the wedding and the Dickens were perfect! Thank you so much for suggesting them. Everyone on your team was great and easy to work with and the band was so friendly and flexible. The guys in the band are just genuinely nice and really fun people. Even when they put on Hava Nagila (per Jason's request) and everyone lifted Jason and me in the chairs, Percy ran out and was helping to lift my chair I would never have expected that (especially when he could have been taking a break), but it is just a tribute to the kind of people they are.
I think they made Jason's year when you let us come up and sing AC/DC at the end of the evening. And thank you for letting my sisters do their toast by coming up and singing Super Freak. It is something I will never in my life forget and definitely added a unique element to our wedding reception, to say the least! You all were so professional, courteous, and fun we couldn't have found a better band to play at our wedding. So thank you for making the trip to Richmond and for being so awesome :) Your sound was perfectly suited to the funky and modern feel of our wedding, but it was impressive to see (and hear) how you eased effortlessly from the more classic oldies and slower songs during dinner into the lively dance music at the end of the evening. Everyone was amazed with how well Percy and the rest of you were able to alter your sound to adapt to whatever genre of music you were singing/playing.
I loved working with them, and wish that I had the money to throw another party just so that we could hire them again! Please let me know if you have any questions or need anything else.
Thanks again!!
Bindy
From: KELLY ARMSTRONG
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 2:24 PM
To: 'Andy @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: fundraiser & Dickens band follow up
Andy,
We loved the Dickens band! They were professional, courteous and played great music. I would definitely recommend them for future events.
Thanks for the great suggestion,
Kelly Armstrong
Virginia Home for Boys & Girls fundraiser, fall 2008
From: Singer, Brooks
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 5:04 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: The Dickens band follow up
Andy
We absolutely loved the Dickens and they truly did an amazing job! We got so many compliments from our guests in the days following the wedding. They were fun and kept the crowd on the dance floor all night long.
Frank was wonderful to work with, along with the whole crew. They learned Lenny Kravitz's new song I'll Be Waiting for our first dance, people thought Lenny himself was singing the song. It was awesome!
Our wedding was spectacular and the Dickens was a huge part of it!!!
Thanks again so much!
Brooks and Natalie Singer
From: Leslie Maloney
To: Frank Pyrtle w/ The Dickens
Date: Monday, September 1, 2008, 8:21 PM
Frank,
You guys were AWESOME on Saturday at Natalie and Brooks' wedding. I am excited to work with you again next June. Thanks to you and Percy for your flexibility to the schedule, as you know there are always changes! Thanks again for your assistance and amazing performance. And thanks for the shout out to me at the end of the event:)! Looking forward to working with you in June, I'll be in touch!
Leslie Maloney
Lead Consultant, Wedding Savvy
From: Kevin Burcham
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 5:14 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: The Dickens follow up
Andy,
Just wanted to let you know that the Dickens Band was unbelievable...we're so glad we booked them! We had heard great things about them but they exceeded our expectations by a long shot. Everyone at our wedding was asking who they were and where we found them. Many people have already said they want to book them for future events, including their own weddings. They were definitely the talk of the whole evening and they really made our reception unforgetable. The music was all amazing and Percy does an amazing job with any type of music he choses to do...he works the crowd so well too. From the first time we contacted them until the very end of the reception Percy an Frank were awesome to work with. They were so friendly and responded back to us immediately any time we contacted them. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to have a great time and have their whole party dancing from start to finish...our crowd didn't want it to end and kept chanting for encores, which the band did a couple of times. I can't count the number of times we have been told that our reception was the best that people had ever been to and that the band was the best they have ever heard at an event like this...they really were the reason people had such an amazing time. We're already planning a trip to go see them play again soon. Thanks for all your help and especially for the suggestion to book The Dickens Band.
Sincerely,
Kevin and Erin
From: Jenny McClister
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 2:38 PM
To: Hank Wells @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
OH MY GOD, the Dickens were awesome!!! You were so right about them, fabulous beyond belief. EVERYONE danced all night. We got so many compliments on the band. They were the hit of the event. Exceeded our expectations, which were pretty high to begin with.
Anyway, thank you so much for the recommendations. We couldn't have been happier with the whole event; it was truly one of the best times of my life.
Jenny
From: Neal, Matthew Thomas
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2008 8:34 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: The Dickens follow up
Andy,
We really enjoyed the Dickens band. They played songs we requested from our song list and were polite and sounded excellent. We got many compliments on how good they sounded. I would certainly recommend them. We will be happy to pass your info along to anyone who has needs for live music.
Thanks,
Matt Neal
From: Adam Carvalho
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 10:03 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Cc: Frank Pyrtle
Subject: RE: The Dickens band follow up
Andy/Frank,
I want to give a special thanks to The Dickens Band for helping our wedding become such a memorable night. You guys had the place rockin’ from start to finish! Everything from the transitions between songs to the wide variety of music. I love how you started off with more of the oldies and then later in the evening turned a bunch of good hip hop into rock. I had friends that I’ve never seen dance before at clubs or parties, and they were even getting crazy on the dance floor all night! All types of guests, young and old, were complementing me on the choice of bands and they all wanted to know The Dickens Band info for future booking.
Tino, who is the general manger at the Cavalier Hotel, has seen hundreds of weddings in his time. He said that this is the first time that he has ever seen over a hundred people still on the dance floor when the reception ended! I mean, you know we weren’t going to let you get away without an encore (as the crowd chants “one more song!”). The proof is in the pudding.
Thanks again for a wedding that will be talked about for a long time. Frank, I would love to see you and Percy play again whenever you are in VB or the Hampton Roads area. Please shoot me an email next time you come out here.
Take care fellas,
Adam C
From: Jon Czyszczon
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 7:55 PM
To: 'Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: Dickens wedding follow up
Andy,
Thanks for the email. The Dickens were awesome! Hands down. Everyone loved them and we got a lot of questions like “how did you find these guys?” Very accommodating too and easy to work with (we had some last minute changes to the venue because of all the rain leading up to the wedding). The sets were great. One of my buddies was amazed they mixed Sweet Caroline with that Outkast song that starts with “Caroline…” It blew his mind.
Thanks again for your help in lining these guys up for us. It really was a large part of what was important to us and what made our day that much more memorable. Take care and hopefully we’ll see you up in Cville soon.
Thanks,
Jon
From: Joshua McBrayer
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 11:45 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens follow up
Hey Andy The Dickens exceeded expectations! They rocked. We were interested in them mainly because of there play list (they play a lot of modern music like Beastie boys, Jay Z, The Roots, etc) but little did we know how great they would be. And Percy (the lead singer) is not only a great show man but such a great guy. He was very warm and complimentary and so easy going about letting people get up on stage and dance. It was an amazing time. We could not be happier with our choice of bands!
We will highly recommend them and Sam Hill.
Josh
From: sean rielly
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2008 7:56 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens follow up
Hey Andy,
I cannot begin to tell you what an absolute pleasure it was to work with Frank and to have the Dickens play at our wedding. Frank was extremely open to all of our requests, and did everything possible to make sure we were getting what we wanted. The music was unbelievable, they are an extremely talented band and exactly what we were looking for. All night long, people were commenting on how awesome they were. Really, we couldn't be happier.
Thank you so much for all of your help....
Sean
From: Harry M.
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 8:11 PM
To: 'Andrew Juge @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: Dickens
Andrew,
It was absolutely awesome. I spoke with the guys before the show, but I never got a chance to tell them thanks afterwards. If you could, let them know that the party was amazing. Everyone I spoke to asked me about the band after and said how awesome they were. We definitely want them back next year. I'll keep in contact with you guys over the summer to see if we can work something out. Thanks for all your help in booking the band.
Best,
Harry M.
From: Parent, Elena C.
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 2:57 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: Jackass Flats and The Dickens follow ups
Hi Andy,
Everything went great with the Dickens. We got tons of compliments on the band and they made the party wonderful. Several people said the Dickens was the best band they had ever heard at a wedding! And others said the band was fabulous! They were both easy to work with and I would definitely use them again, as well as Sam Hill.
Thanks, Elena
From: jeanne fisher
Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 9:45 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens follow up
hey Andy! its great to hear from you. the wedding went very well and the reception was amazing!!! the Dickens band were perfect! the music was great and they played music everyone could dance too and then cranked it up at the end when everyone was ready to party!!!!! hahahahah my parents and all of their friends cant stop talking about how great the band was! everyone said it was the best reception they have ever been to!
Barrett and i had the time of our lives, and it wouldn't have been the same without the dickens band! we have always been fans of them but now we are even BIGGER fans! i would recommend them to anyone and everyone who wants a band that appeals to all types of music and can get the crowd going. thank you for all your help in booking them for us! you and the team at Sam Hill were great!
thanks again
Jeanne and Barrett Twitty
From: Beth Ike
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:17 AM
To: 'Hank Wells @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: Dickens followup
Hi Hank the Dickens are my favorite party band EVER!!!!
They rocked the house, and were nice and easy to work with to boot.
They have my super seal of approval and I want to know where they're
playing next locally so I can go see em again! Or even not so locally
I'll drive for the dickens!!
Thanks for hooking us up they were truly the perfect BIG GIG band.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Ike
Director of Marketing and Events
Boys & Girls Club of Charlottesville/Albemarle
From: DANA KOWALCZYK
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2008 6:50 PM
To: 'Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: The Dickens follow up
Hey Andy, my name is Troy (groom). The Dickens band was great! They covered all bases and were very professional in doing so. A very nice dinner set followed by some lively dance tunes, and capped the evening off with some kick butt rock! Very talented group and we received nothing but compliments from the guests. I would also like to personally thank them for letting me throw down a couple tunes. That was special for us. Anyway, thanks a lot and we will recommend The Dickens for any occasion!
Troy and Dana
From: Brena Moglovkin
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 5:43 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Moglovkin/Mintz wedding
Hi Andy,
Thanks for touching base. We loved the Dickens! Emily had a lot of special requests of them and they were totally open and accommodating. The guests were on the dance floor all night long and having a great time! I am still being asked about who, where, etc. with regards to the band. Emily and Josh planned the music for the evening with Frank and so the evening started with some older and more familiar songs (for my generation) and then the music got crazier (but in a good way) as the evening progressed. I would definitely recommend Frank, Percy (what a sweet guy!) and the Dickens to anyone wanting to throw a fabulous party with a suretoplease band!
I would love to refer you and/or the Dickens anytime!
Again, thanks,
Brena Moglovkin
Dear Dickens Band
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! You guys are absolutely awesome and all our guests are raving about “the fabulous band”. You had everyone up and dancing the entire night. You are extremely talented and so professional! Thank you for making Emily and Josh’s wedding just as they had dreamed!!
I would recommend you to any host wanting to have a fun, exciting and memorable event! It would be my honor to provide a reference for you should you ever need one!
Please check out the photographer’s blog she is raving about you guys! And Donma sees a lot of weddings.
I wish you all the best and thank you again and again!
Fondly,
Brena Moglovkin
From: Jeannie Green
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 3:56 PM
To: 'Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: The Dickens band at MoglovkinMintz Wedding
Hi Andy,
Thank you for your email. The band was amazing they were one of the most professional bands that have ever played at the hotel and I can assure you that we will promote them to all of our brides!!! This is a huge compliment to this band as we tend to be very critical.
Please send my regards to the band!!
Thank you,
Jeannie Green
Director, Exceptional Events
Mansion on Forsyth Park
From: Tricia Huddas
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 9:10 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: The Dickens follow up
Hello Andy,
The Dickens were great, professional and followed the timeline to a fault which on the wedding planning end, we could not ask for anything more!!! They were the best band that we have had there in a long time, so no doubt you will be hearing from us soon!!
Best,
Tricia Huddas
Planner/Designer
JustMarry!Savannah
Dear Frank and Dickens Band,
We want to thank you gentlemen for the topflight performance. It was obvious to us and to all the guests that the Dickens band is synonymous with excellence. Stephanie, Parker, Evelyn, and I expected a wonderful performance and you most certainly exceeded those expectations. Your mixture of the various musical genre with your own special signature touch was loved by everyone. Your kindness of heart and spontaneity were clear to see and we won't forget your classy party spirit. You guys really got that crowd up and on the dance floor.
We had many people tell us that you were the best band that they had ever seen at a venue like ours. We couldn't agree more. The crowd kept begging you for one more song!. Several of the guests told us that they had never been to a reception that no one wanted the band to stop playing. There was a whole lot of love in that place and you guys were amazing. Thank you for that and thank you for doing a great job on the special requests.
Thank you again, my friends. You really made us beam with gratitude and pride. We would be happy to recommend your band to any venue. Thank you for your attention to detail and your musical excellence.
Sincerely,
Hal and Evelyn Matthews, December 2007
Hi Frank,
Let me start by saying, y'all were ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!! If
you only knew how much we (and the guests) loved you... but obviously
you don't because we haven't told you. I know my dad has been meaning
to email you and I guess he hasnt' yet. FYI He called me during the
honeymoon to read the email you wrote us after the wedding it meant
a lot to my dad (and me!!).
We keep saying... on our 1st anniversary we want to have a big party
in Ft. Lauderdale and have you play! I doubt our budget will allow
for it, but I really hope so!! We just absolutely loved you guys and
can't wait to hear you again. Thank you so much for everything the
long trek you made, you dependability, your dynamite rendition of
YELLOW, the attention to special requests, the special attention you
gave my dad, your amazing talent EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!
Tell the band hello for me and hopefully, we can track y'all down and
see you soon. Thank you so much again for everything. Will talk to you soon!
Stephanie Eastin :)
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 9:15 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: The Dickens
Andy,
I meant to call you yesterday...but my phone was ringing off the hook!!! The accolades for the band was overwhelming. They did not disappoint, and definitely exceeded the expectations of the Committee, myself included. They were THE BEST band we've heard in about 5 years. The entire event was a huge success (we hadn't had a smooth, successful event in a while LOL), but The Dickens put it over the top. Each set was orchestrated perfectly. They begin with the oldies for the older crowd, then brought it right on up to 2008 for the younger crowd who stayed until the end. They took requests (which scored major points), and they really connected with the audience (I saw Percy out on the floor a few times!).
They appealed to every genre, every age group, every race and ethnicity. THEY WERE AMAZING!!! Anytime they have a gig anywhere near Richmond, you better let me know. I have to be there!!!
Thanks again, Andy, for your help in making our event a huge success!
Tiffany Murillo
ALSTOM Power Co.
From: Zachman, Melanie
Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 11:43 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Cc: Frank Pyrtle
Subject: RE: The Dickens follow up
Hi Andy,
I wanted to let you know that The Dickens band was hands down the best choice in music we could have possibly made for our wedding reception. They played the crowd perfectly, the songs they chose were right on point, and everyone (both young and old and even the waitstaff) had an absolute blast!!! The dancefloor was packed at all times from start to the finish, and I've received compliments on the music from literally everyone I've spoken with since the wedding. Plus, Frank and the other band members were such a pleasure to work with they really made the whole experience a positive one, and completely stressfree. I have nothing but kudos to offer these guys, and would thrilled to serve as a reference for them should they ever need one and you can bet that the Keswick Hunt Club has their name down as a fantastic band choice for future events!
I've attached several pictures for you and the guys to see how much fun we all had it was definitely a night to remember!!!
Have a very Happy New Year!
Melanie Brittingham
From: Alina L. Heindel
Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2007 5:39 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: Dickens follow up
Andy,
I wanted to let you know that we absolutlely loved the Dickens band! They were the hit of the night and were enjoyed by all ages. People could not stop talking about how much they loved the band! My boss even wanted to have them play at our Christmas party! Unfortuntely our company had already booked the band for this year's party, but I put in a word for them for next year. They have a great sound and can play such a wide variety that we had no doubt they would be love by all.
Also, Frank, the manager was great to work with, he was very patient and undestanding with all of our requests. Everyone loved Percy too, as he so personable. Overall, we could not have asked for a better experience.
Thank you for all your help and wish our best to The Dickens!
Alina Soroka
From: Jenn Stahl
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 4:07 PM
To: 'The Dickens; 'Hank Wells @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: AOL Holiday Party Thank You
A great big THANK YOU from the AOL events team for doing such a kick a** job last night. I’ve had countless emails and phone calls this morning from guests gushing about how wonderful the party was.
I couldn’t have done it without you!
Thanks again and Happy Holidays,
Jen
Jenny Stahl
AOL, LLC.
Corporate Events
Hi, Andy
The Dickens were a total blast of a success. Everyone loved them, including the folks at the Birchmere. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about them. I also found them to be very personable and professional. What a group of talented musicians!
Judith A. Barbee
Gilbert Randolph LLP
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 10:15 AM
To: andy@samhillbands.com
Subject: Re: Dickens Band follow up
The Dickens band is amazing. Absolutely. People are still talking about them. They know how to gage the crowd, old, young, etc. They are pleasant to the drunks and really fun.
They were the highlight of the night. I think they'll get some followers from this.
thanks again!
Terri Cooke
From: Jon Judah
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 9:53 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: Two Dudes and Dickens follow ups
Andy
Hope all is well we're back from our honeymoon and slowly adjusting to the married life;)
Dickens were absolutlely amazing you rock, bud. ...what can I say, you were right on the money they showed up and completely rocked our reception great mix of songs, awesome MC job by Percy, and by the end of the night folks were going nuts, dancing everywhere (including my cousin Sarah who danced so much she broke her ankle and had to have surgery she's ok). Everyone was groovin and having a blast!
Dickens were first class showed up on time, were polite and courteous, and accomodated as much as possible given the time and setting. Couldn't have been better.
Again, thank you for everything, it was your insight and advice that led to such a great result, and I appreciate all your responses to my many emails and phone calls. You made me look cool....people were coming up time and time again asking Where did you find these guys? and I dropped Sam Hill and your name at least 10 times. In fact, my best man just got engaged and I've already passed your info on to him, so you may get a call or two in the coming months.
Thanks again bud, and if there is anything I can do to further show my support for your efforts (send me your supervisor's name and/or any feedback info you guys have, if possible) please let me know!
Cheers,
Jon
Charlie,
The Dickens were great. Although the turnout was lower than I had
expected, the Dickens rocked and everyone who was there had an awesome time.
Thanks,
Garrett
From: Will Vannoy
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 2:23 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Dickens
ANDY,
JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE DICKENS WERE FREAKING AWESOME THIS PAST SATURDAY!! THANKS FOR HOOKING US UP WITH THEM!! SEVERAL PEOPLE COMMENTED THEY WERE THE BEST LIVE BAND THEY HAD EVER HEARD!! THANKS AGAIN!!
WILL VANNOY
From: Chris Hornung
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 2:49 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: Dickens follow up
Andy,
Our reception was absolutely perfect and the Dickens Band exceeded our already heightened expectations after talking with you. These guys were phenomenal. Every song they sang sounded like we had the original artist at our reception and their range of music is amazing. At one point during Otis Redding’s Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay I thought I was listening to the DJ before I realized it was live. I was asked by at least 50 people Where did you find these guys? They appealed to guests in their 70s, as much as those in their 20s. Initially I thought that the band was a little pricy as far as wedding bands go, but after their performance, I would say without a doubt they were a bargain. Frank and the other band members were completely in sync with the crowd, they allowed my brother in law to lead sing Baby Got Back for them, and they were willing modify their song list during the evening to play guest requests. If you want a band to get your guests out of their chairs and onto the dance floor, the Dickens will make it happen. They made our reception. I was most impressed that when the DJ left at 9:00, the Dickens Band played for the final 2 hours without a break. Because of that, more people stayed longer.
One of my biggest concerns was that the owner of the reception hall would be difficult to coordinate with. He’s not the most flexible person I’ve met and he has an edge to his personality that makes you want to hit him. Despite this, the band members remained professional and setup without responding to his antagonizing comments. On at least 2 occasions during their performance, Frank asked the audience to give the owner and the staff at the hall a round of applause for hosting the reception. That is professionalism. If the owner got under their skin, they didn’t show it. I could not be more thankful because I believe they swallowed their pride for us. Thank you guys.
I also wanted to thank you and Sam Hill for your professionalism. You took all the worry and stress out of our decision and we will pass on your information to anyone we think might someday consider needing a band. We could not be happier with you guys. I also wanted to say thanks to the third party sound guys who accompanied the band. They were personable, friendly, and helpful. Take care and thanks again.
Chris Hornung
From: Melanie Laycock
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 3:45 PM
To: Justin @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Cc: dickens
Subject: Re: 6/9 The Dickens
Hey Justin,
Oh my god...The Dickens were fantastic! They were so much fun and a perfect combination of traditional wedding music and more modern stuff. They did a wonderful job! Everyone kept asking about them and where we found them, don't worry I passed along all of your info. Even my parents and grandparents loved the music. I couldn't have been happier with The Dickens. Thank you so much for all of your help and advice!
Melanie
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 4:08 PM
To: charlie@samhillbands.com
Cc: andy@samhillbands.com;
Subject: RE: Dickens for Saturday
Hey guys,
I can not begin to tell you how GREAT the Dickens band was for our wedding. They were so much fun, the dance floor was absolutely packed all night and every guest seemed to say that they were the best band they have seen. They made an already unforgettable night more fun for Susan and I than we thought possible. The Dickens are incredible musicians and even better guys, hopefully some of our friends can come through and have them play their weddings as they’ve said they would like to. I know we would love to see the band again.
Thanks,
Chris
From: Greg Hamil
Sent: Monday, May 28, 2007 2:07 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: Dickens band follow up
Andy,
Everything went great with the Dickens! The guys adapted to what the crowd wanted and everyone thought they were excellent! They moved the sets well towards the wedding reception thing to keep everyone dancing. The dance floor stayed busy at all times. Also, those guys were complete gentlemen.... I don't think anyone took me up on having drinks etc. 3 of my friends expressed interest in booking them... Thanks for all your help and I will advise my colleagues on your excellent service.
Regards,
Greg Hamil
From: Janet Rose
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 3:00 PM
To: 'Hank Wells @ Sam Hill Entertainment'
Subject: RE: the Dickens
It was cold and yucky Friday and we only had 1,300 but the band was unbelievable! I think they are the best variety band I have ever booked, ever!
They were the nicest guys and tremendous talents. I can honestly say EVERYONE loved them and that is saying something for the eclectic group we get at Cheers.
Janet
Events Director
Lynch's Landing
Lynchburg's Leader for Downtown Revitalization
Lynchburg VA
From: Yu, Julie
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 10:37 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment; Whitlock, Justin
Subject: RE: Dickens band follow up
Thanks, Andy!
We were extremely pleased with the Dickens band. And we received tons of compliments on them from our wedding guests!
Julie
From: Sarah Trotta
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2007 10:10 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Cc: Matt Trotta
Subject: The Dickens Band
Hi Andy,
Just wanted to drop you a note letting you know how fantastic The Dickens were last Saturday night. I can't tell you how many of my wedding guests were raving about them and asking how we found them. Thank you for the recommendation.
My reception site was difficult to work with but they handled it with class and put on a fantastic show. I would recommend them to anyone and I won't be surprised if they get a few calls from our guests. My dad, who was skeptical about a band to start with and then concerned about appealing to the older crowd at the wedding, was certainly silenced. The dance floor was packed all night long! We would both be happy to serve as references.
Thanks again,
Sarah Trotta
From: Malarie Lynn Kenney
Sent: Monday, September 04, 2006 11:13 PM
To: Andrew Juge
Subject: Re: August 23rd
Andrew,
I meant to give you my personal feedback regarding the Dickens Band's performance at UVA on August 23rd. Not only was their music fantastic, but the band members were extremely pleasant to work with (what great personalities!) Considering the heat and the timidness of the new students, they did a great job keeping them involved. Please make sure they are highly recommended to future customers!
Thanks for all your help,
Malarie
UVA
From: Trey Jackson
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2006 11:50 AM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: Dickens Band follow up
Andy
Thank you for the congrats! The wedding was an absolute blast and the
band blew everyone away. I spent more time fielding questions on
where we found them than anything else all evening. I have several
friends getting married in the next year and they all want the band,
so I'll have to put them in touch with you at some point. I gave out
so many Sam Hill cards from the band that it was insane.
Thanks for the great recommendation and really making our wedding the
party that we wanted it to be. If there is anywhere that I can leave
a review or feedback for the band, please let me know because anyone
who is thinking of a band with this song catalogue would be blown away
by these guys!
That being said, theres nothing quite like watching mothers dance to
Snoop Dogg and loving it!
thanks again
Trey and Georgana
Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2006 3:48 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: Re: NovingerJackson Wedding follow up (DICKENS BAND)
Andy,
Thanks so much for the follow up. The Dickens band was amazing! Everyone had such a great time. They were definitely the most talented band we have had out here. I think they had a good time as well. Thanks so much for all you all did.
Take care, Mandy Whitley, facility coordinator at Butterfly Gap
From: Dunnaway, Gretchen
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 5:37 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: May 20 wedding AFTERPARTY
Hi Andy
I just want to let you know that the Dickens band ROCKED the house on
Saturday night. Our friends can not stop talking about them. We are
really glad for your help in choosing our band. I would certainly
recommend them to anyone that asks. Our wedding is going to be featured
in a couple local magazines. I plan to mention the band if that is ok
with you. The publications are Chapel Hill Magazine and Southern
Bride and Groom magazine.
Thanks,
Gretchen
Sent: Monday, May 22, 2006 4:43 PM
To: Andy Jaspen @ Sam Hill Entertainment
Subject: RE: the Dickens
YOU GUYS ROCK !!
Thanks for you playing at Alpha Xi Delta formal. I had a blast and couldnt stop dancin. Cant wait to watch u all play again.
You really made the formal and we wouldn't have had as much fun if you didn't play!! You guys are great!!
Ericka Lynn
From: John Sanderson Wedding Photographer
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 2:57 PM
To: Hank Wells
Subject: RE: the Dickens
I think the band was one of the best I have ever heard at a reception. I honestly wanted to dance. The lead singer was very good and kept people moving. Transitions between songs were ideal. Song choices were creative and most of all fun and not clich?. Tell them to keep up the good work and come back to Charlottesville.
I'll be in touch.
Cheers,
John Sanderson
Sanderson Images Photography
From: laura doster
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 3:45 PM
To: The Dickens Band
Frank,
The party was amazing many thanks to you and the band for making the trek up here. I have passed your info along to all of the partygoers. Don't be surprised if a few of them contact you for other events in the future, including me.
I know I said this at the end of the party, but it bears repeating: You guys far surpass any of the bands currently playing the bar scene in D.C. My friends and I would love to see you play in Northern Va. and D.C. regularly. Next time you are in the neighborhood, let me know, and I'll spread the word that the Dickens are back in town.
I am attaching some photos of the band from the party just in case we captured something your photographer didn't. Enjoy!
Cheers!
Laura Doster
From: BrandeeMartin00@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2006 9:28 AM
To: hank@samhillbands.com
Subject: Re: sat nite
Hey Hank!
I meant to call you yesterday but time got away from me. Things were stellar on Saturday. Everyone was on time, pleasant to work with, and super professional. The Dickens went over well They are so great to work with as well they called me at every rest stop on the way up to update me I think...
Give me a call on my cell today if you'd like :)
If I don't talk to you have a happy holiday and talk to you in 07!
Thanks,
B
Brandee Martin
America Online Brand Promotions and Events
Andrew,
I was planning on writing you anyway to follow up. The band was awesome! Everyone loved them! I can't tell you how many people came up to me and said how unbelievable they were. Seriously. One of my friend's boyfriends insisted on buying me a beer because of them. No joke! I'm sorry you missed it just because they were really great. The dickens got amazing feedback from every single person (and people definitely don't hesitate to point out the bad stuff so that says a whole lot).
Thanks again!
Margaret
Theta Sorority @ UVA
From: cynthia moxley
Sent: Friday, October 27, 2006 9:08 AM
To: andy@samhillbands.com
Subject: RE: Dickens Band follow up
Hi Andy,
The Dickens were Great!!! They are such a fun group and they did a great job.I hope they had a good time too! Will you ask them to keep me informed if they come to the Wilmington or surrounding area would love to see them again.
Thanks so much
Cynthia MoxleyFinch
From: Whitney Moore
Sent: Sunday, October 22, 2006
To: Andrew Juge
Subject: Re: Dickens
We had the best reaction from everyone concerning the Dickens for our
college event. Everyone said this was the best band in recent years and
they were awesome. We really appreciate your concern and take care!
Thanks again!
Whitney
