jukebox bingo at the still

It’s been a long spring and summer with the pandemic lingering over head. Many of you have postponed your events until next year and for that, we thank you for not cancelling. But even with the moving of events comes the anxiety of not having any answers to tell our couples that did decide to hold out for their date this year. Many couples are holding off planning their wedding because they do not know when things will get back to normal.

A month ago, we joined the Events Industry Coalition of CT and had a virtual town hall meeting with Governor Lamont. During this call, hundreds upon hundreds of event professionals joined to hear what he had to say and to offer suggestions to the state on how we can re-open safely. We didn’t get all of the answers we had hoped for but we did get a few. Released today, were the new requirements for indoor and outdoor events. Those guidelines can be found here.

The short version is this.

Indoor events up to 25 people (STAFF INCLUDED)
Outdoor events up to 100 people (STAFF INCLUDED) **This number will increase barring there are no increases in COVID cases.
If a tent is used, only one side of the tent can be down. Guests must maintain a social distance of 6ft.
Passed hors devours are allowed but only if the staff passes it directly to the guest while wearing PPE (masks, gloves, etc)
Buffets are allowed but only if the staff serves the guests while wearing PPE (masks, gloves, etc)
During times of food service, guests must wear masks.
DANCING IS ALLOWED however a 6ft space must be maintained between guests that did not arrive together. (Couples are fine, but no large groups)
Audiovisual staff will disinfect shared use equipment such as microphones, stands, etc in between uses.
Your DJ must wear a mask at all times.
Vocalists are not permitted to sing indoors.

Today, July 22nd, 2020,

We have self certified with the State of Connecticut in accordance with the Re-Open CT regulations and standards during the pandemic. This means that we will be maintaining and following safe practices during our events to help slow or eliminate COVID19.

We are also reviewing the new guidelines for events on a daily basis to ensure that we are compliant and that the safety of your friends and family as well as our associates at our events comes first. Stay tuned for more updates.

With Connecticut Re-opening it’s doors slowly but surely, we’ve seen restaurants, salons, gyms, and other businesses open their doors to a limited capacity. But in the events industry, we’re still waiting for the green light from Hartford to tell us when we can get back to hosting events. With this uncertainty overhead, we’ve been receiving emails nearly daily to re-schedule our events. We understand that you’ve taken so much time to research and create the perfect team for your day. It’s important that your team stays intact for your rescheduled event date. Here’s what we’re doing to help our clients to keep their team intact.

1. Contact your venue and get several date options when re-scheduling. This will help give you the best option for nailing down a date with all of your team.

2. Send a group email to all of your vendors with the dates that are available at your venue of choice so that they can check those dates against their future event schedule.

3. Don’t forget about Sundays and weekdays for your event. Often times, these non-conventional days offer big savings to you and double your chances of getting everything you need for the perfect celebration.

4. Follow up follow up follow up! Keeping lines of communication open with your creative team is essential. Especially now.

5. Once you and your team have chosen your new date, pop on social media and let your guests know about the date change so that they can begin making travel arrangements if needed.

Many couples don’t have the luxury of time when booking their DJ and in most cases do so between 8-12 months out. The pandemic is actually a blessing in disguise because you now have more options than ever to plan the event you’ve always wanted!

It’s no secret. If you’re a DJ, you’ve played a Justin Timberlake track at least once in your career. He’s become a staple in the music industry for now nearly 30 years. He’s enjoyed similar success as the king of pop, Michael Jackson as an international superstar. From his time at the mickey mouse club all the way to Madison Square Garden, and appearing in films and doing voice over work, there’s no aspect of the entertainment industry he hasn’t had a hand in.

It is this kind of drive and determination that inspires. He is the driving force behind the music in every song and every stadium he peforms. He is creative, adgile, talented, funny, and from what we see, an all around good guy. This is a great formula for success. But along with all of these amazing attributes that contribute to his global success, it all boils down to the performance.

3 weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending Madison Square Garden for his Man of the Woods tour. Let me tell you, it was by far one of THE BEST shows I have seen in decades. The stage spanned the entire rink at the garden and there was not a bad seat in the house. For 2 and a half hours, he engaged with and performed for 20,000 screaming fans. His energy was infectious. There was not a low point in the show.

One of the highlights that I found to be both unexpected and entertaining was when he stripped his performance down to the basics with a campfire, acoustic guitars, and performances by several of his bandmates singing some of their favorites. This spoke to me especially as a DJ because often times, we always think bigger is better. But in the midst of organized chaos that was probably the event production from hell for the tech crew, this small moment enveloped the audience and gave them a very intimate moment with Justin.

The show spoke to many generations, spanned across several genres, and kept the audience engaged. And THAT is the goal with every event I do. I felt inspired on the ride home and began thinking to myself, how can I push myself even harder to bring the best performance possible to my clients and guests? How can I push the envelope and leave my guests wanting more.

The Man of the Woods gave me a challenge. To work harder, leave no stone unturned, and perform like your life depended on it. That will be the theme for Pryme Tyme moving forward.

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April 8th will be a knock down drag out good time at Connecticut’s favorite country spot, the Cadillac Ranch. April 8th 2017 is SOPHISTICATED SATURDAY at the Caddy. Dress your best and be sure to light it up blue for Autism Awareness. Wear your blue shirts, ties, dresses, hats, and other blue apparel you might have.
Admission is just $5 at the door. Waitstaff will have blue glow items available to support awareness.

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Beginner line dance workshop

As an added bonus, the Cadillac Ranch will be hosting a beginner linedance workshop from 4-6pm. Paula Frohn & Gayle Melonson will be teaching some of the most popular beginner dances that afternoon. So if you’ve always wanted to try line dancing at see what it’s all about, be sure to come to he workshop! Admission for the workshop is just $10 and guests can enjoy Sophisticated Saturday with NO COVER if they take advantage of the beginner class.

While you’re there, be sure to grab a menu and enjoy some mouth watering wings, a juicy burger, or a cold beverage from one of 2 of the bars at the Cadillac Ranch.

DJ Aaron DeMarest from Pryme Tyme Entertainment will be your DJ for the evening playing all of your favorite country and line dance hits from 7pm-2am. We’ll see you at the Cadillac Ranch!

The Voice, Javier Colon, Time after time, Unqouwa Prepatory Theatre, audio services in CT, event production in ct, pryme tyme entertainment, aaron demarest

March 20th 2017 was just hands down, AWESOME. Just a couple short weeks ago, we got a message from Season 1 Winner from The Voice, Javier Colon. Javier was performing for the Unquowa Repatory Theater last night at Penfield Pavillion in Fairfield, CT with their fundraiser and had asked us to help with providing audio services. And OF COURSE, when Javier calls, you go.

But not for the sake of notoriety or fame. Even with all of his success, Javier is still a good person through and through and an absolute pleasure to work for. When your face ends up on the national stage and you perform for millions a TV show, it can change you. It can really get to your head. But with Javier, it was different. He’s still a normal guy. A family man with a house and a dog who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.

That was my first impression of Javier when I met him last year at the CT Community Foundation scholarship awards banquet in Watertown at the Grand Oak Villa. And today, as I write this, that impression still resonates. Watching Javier in an intimate concert in Fairfield changes you as a performer. It makes you want to push yourself to be better. His performance last night was very moving and gave you the chills if you were in the room.

Last night was a special night because Javier will be performing in the Unquowa Repatory Theatre’s production of Big River. In addition to being a phenomenal songwriter and musician, he also has deep roots in the theater. We were treated to a sneak peek of one of the songs from Big River as well as an impromptu performance of “Maria” from West Side Story.

The take away from last night’s performance was something I’ll never forget and I can wait to work with him again.

Check out his performance from last night’s show.

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Grand Oak Villa in Watertown is having their annual open house on Thursday March 23rd from 6-8pm. This is a much more intimate affair than previous shows. Come visit us and enjoy mouth watering cuisine and check out all that Grand Oak Villa has to offer. There will be a wedding band giveaway as well as a limo giveaway that night so you DEFINITELY need to take advantage of this great event!

For more information, visit www.thegrandoakvilla.com

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2016 was a tremendous year for us at Pryme Tyme Entertainment. We were blessed with so many wonderful clients and events this year. It seemed as if the phone wouldn’t stop ringing. And for that, we thank you. But with good fortune comes great responsibility. From the very beginning, we’ve partnered up with some great non-profits both national and local to help our community. For many companies, it’s an opportunity to promote their business, but for us… It’s all about people helping people.

The last 2 weeks have been some of the most rewarding weeks of my career. We followed the REACH FOUNDATION to 4 Target stores in South Windsor, Enfield, Southington, and Milford at the Connecticut Post Mall for their SHOP WITH A COP campaign. We provided photo booth services for the Reach Foundation and their guests of honor and sponsoring officers were treated to a photo with Santa that they could take home to commemorate this wonderful event.

The children that were a part of this are disadvantaged youth that could use a hand and we were happy to answer the call. When it comes to our youth, there is nothing better than putting a smile on a child’s face. Most of these youngsters were completely selfless and weren’t shopping for themselves but looking for presents for their siblings and family. It’s really a humbling experience to see the good in people at work.

So many wonderful people came to these events including Reach Foundation Founder and owner of Crazy Bruce’s liquors, Mark Wilson, Dr. William Petit of the Petit Foundation, Miss Connecticut 2016, Tiffany Teixeira and more!

Check out some of the great photos from this event courtesy of Mike Connolly at www.TheReachFoundation.org

Thank you to the Reach Foundation for giving us the opportunity to serve our communities! We look forward to a continued partnership in the years to come!

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If you thought you needed to have 10,000 employees to have a holiday party, you’d be wrong. Come and join us on Friday December 16th at Hawks Landing Country Club for their annual Small Business Holiday Party! This is a great opportunity for small businesses who may not have the capital to throw a big gala and still want to celebrate the holidays with their team. Guests can expect to enjoy many tasty selections, a full top shelf open bar with dancing to follow. It’s a great night so be sure to tell a friend and head over to Hawks!!! For more information visit www.hawkslandingcc.com

2016 has been a hard year in the entertainment industry. We have lost many legendary talents this year and in the last decade. One of a kind entertainers that will never be replaced. But this one really hurts.

Prince Rogers Nelson was one of a kind. His rock/funk/pop infused music was simply magical. In looking at the current state of music, there is very little quality musicianship to choose from. And with that, it is getting more and more difficult to find music that really packs a punch much like Prince’s did.

My first experience with Prince was in the 90’s. Well after his highest sold record Purple Rain hit the shelves. I was watching MTV (yes, when they actually played music) and heard “Cream” Not only was the music catchy but the video was pretty easy on the eyes as well. I remember the vibrant colors, deep in the pocket drum track, and playful guitar along with his sultry voice as one of the most memorable tracks of all time. It had everything that a song should to move and groove a dancefloor. Not too over the top but very full and tasteful.

But more than just this song, I remember the image ingrained in my head of his anything but watered down style. His signature yellow guitar didn’t just hang between his knees as he strummed along. It was a part of his body and moved with him. Prince had such amazing soul when he rocked out a solo and embellished his vocal parts. His appearance in general was anything but ordinary. He was in a league of his own. A quirky, sexual, creative genius with a hair style that rivaled Little Richard.

It was after my shock and awe Cream experience that I went to a wedding with my family as a child and I remember at 10 years old what the DJ played to get people dancing. It was the time of Def Leppard, Billy Idol, and Stevie B. And even though all 3 of them got people dancing, it wasn’t until Let’s go Crazy came on that the floor erupted. It was the first time I experienced anything like it and one of the things that shed some light on what I wanted to do when I grew up. I enjoyed the reaction so much that I couldn’t help but dance along.

And who could ever forget the BEST Batman movie ever made with Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton? And who better than Prince to provide the sound track. The erie and very torqued soundtrack was right up Prince’s alley and much different than his funk and pop music offerings. This proved once again just how diverse of a musician and producer he really was.

All in all, Prince was a gift to music. We will be honoring his music in the next few events that we do and I am sure that just like the wedding I went to at 10 years old, the floor will once again be moving to the groove of the purple one more time.