Wasn’t that a party! Coady Entertainment entertained the entire Montreal Alouettes organization last night at the Crown Plaza Hotel here in Edmonton. I got the call the day before the Grey Cup that the Al’s needed some entertainment for their after party and I accepted the deal since Montreal is my hometown. It was Grey Cup week here in Edmonton, Alberta and the parties were going strong all week and when the big day came that’s when things started to intensify. I loaded in and set up all the equipment just before Kick-off then it was straight home to watch the first half only to find out that I didn’t have the TV channel so I listened to it on the radio. During half time I headed back to the hotel but not sure if there was going to be much of a celebration because the Als were slightly behind most of the first half. To my surprise the Als came back with a vengeance and beat the Riders. Suddenly the atmosphere changed in the hotel ball room with staff scrambling to set up the table to host the Grey Cup next to my DJ rig. I was searching for the best possible songs to pick for the entrance of the Grey Cup and the Montreal Alouettes entourage. First came the party organizers; to assure all was in place then the Montreal Alouettes Cheerleaders, then the support staff and families then The Grey Cup made it’s appearance! Shortly afterwards the players walked in with smiles and open arms for hugs and hand shakes for everyone. One of the first things that stuck me was how receptive the players were to shake hands and to sign my handy white football I brought along for the occasion.  What a great bunch of guys to have a party with. The cheerleaders kept the dance floor busy and got the crowd into the dance. It was one huge celebration with a dazzling light show and top-of-the-line sound system. Food was fit for a king and everybody had the time of their lives including yours truly. My band; Chain of Fools, played for the Hamilton Tiger Cats Grey Cup party 2 night before at the Citadel Theater here in Edmonton and although that party was a lot of fun it wasn’t the same with out the Grey Cup!

On Dec 1 every year I start playing Christmas music, watch Christmas movies and I participate in as much festive activity as possible. Why not, Christmas only comes once a year! Have you ever had the Swiss Chalet Festive Special Dinner? It’s like Christmas dinner over and over again for a modest fee. What are your favourite Christmas movies? It’s A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, Scrooge, White Christmas, The Muppets Christmas Carol, The Polar Express….so many to choose from. I work hard to capture the magical essence of Christmas every year and try to convey the message of joy peace to all around me. But what is Christmas?

Our evolution from the beginnings of time through the communal development that fostered celebrations and other gatherings like tribal dancing and other forms of expression have always intrigued me. The coming of the sun was a pagan solstice celebration bringing in the longer days and shorter nights and this gave rise to religious celebrations. The coming of the sun was then translated into the Coming of The Son. The good news is you don’t have to be religious to appreciate Christmas; you just have to participate in the celebration of the spirit of Christmas. Christmas is for kids and kids can teach us all about magic and remind us to hold on to our dreams and to be excited about our dreams again.

I’d like to be the first to say…..Merry Christmas Season everybody!

When it comes to hiring the right entertainment, you must keep in mind that it’s only worth what it can do for you, not what you choose to pay for it. Quality is the result of hard work, and effort, it doesn’t come by accident. A very wise man once said “There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper and the people who consider price alone are that person’s lawful prey”.

I’m sure just about everyone who’s been to several celebrations or dances have fallen victim to a “Dud” DJ or band! There’s nothing worst then having to put up with an entertainer or DJ who  knows very little about people skills or how to read a crowd. I’ve seen some DJ’s who should have been a clown or stop sign. One of the reasons I built an entertainment business is because I love dancing, singing and having fun. I knew I had better skills at it than just about anyone I had seen at the dances I went to.

When I started to meet with couples to consult for their wedding, I knew that this is definitely the work for me. I believe that service is the highest purpose, so why not be the best at what you do. I’ve honed my skills with years of practice and hundreds of weddings, dances and countless celebrations, to where I feel I can call myself an expert in the entertainment trade.

John Ruskin once said: “It is unwise to pay too much, but it is also unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money, that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought is incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do.”

At the end of the day, one has to assess if it’s wise to compromise quality for budget, when there’s only one oppportunity to get it right.