tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61426511261638875872024-02-06T18:11:41.581-08:00Straight Ahead, the band blogStraight Ahead, the bandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10553558524929721415noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142651126163887587.post-91765069257554291612014-06-02T03:51:00.002-07:002014-06-02T03:51:28.981-07:00Is Live Music Affordable?<br />
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Buying live music is something that most people do only a few times in their lives—a wedding, a 40th anniversary, a christening or bar mitzvah. It can be a difficult and more complicated process than sorting through the myriad of options when purchasing a new piece of technology like a smart phone device or computer. Many assume that a band is just too expensive, hard to manage, too loud, too much trouble, too daunting to purchase. Not true. Bands can be affordable. The fact is, however, that a band is usually one of the last purchases made, and by the time you get around to music, you are overwhelmed and overspent. Bands do have a large price range. The larger agencies with flashy show-type bands (4 singers up front, large horn section and concert style sound systems) are expensive. They can run $8, 000 to $15, 000. A smaller band, like ourselves, carries a self-contained sound system, with 6 to 8 musicians, giving you great value. You get singers, horns, and a rhythm section (with the same variety of music as the bigger more expensive bands) at a competitive FRACTION OF THE PRICE. You often get better service, too, because you are actually dealing with bandleaders who will be present at your party, instead of a representative or agent which is one layer away from communication between you and musicians. In our case, as bandleaders, we are invested in every part of your event. We help you in the planning, work on musical selections, and with you through the entire event. And the great news is, the price can range from $2000-5000, depending on the number of musicians and hours, (whether there are musicians for cocktail hour or ceremony, on the day of the event.) That price is comparable to the cost of a DJ, and you get all the benefits of having real LIVE musicians playing and singing especially for you. And guess what? WE CAN DJ for you too, if there is club music you want or you just need to hear the original version of a special song. So, if you are interested in live music and concerned about price, give us a call. We are the bandleaders and musicians. There are no middle-men, no agent or sales fees. We are flexible and happy to work with you on a plan that fits you, your tastes, your party, your budget, and gives you GREAT VALUE.</div>
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Like us on Facebook: Straight Ahead the band</div>
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Donna: 201-410-7276 John: 201-795-3907</div>
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Straight Ahead, the bandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10553558524929721415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142651126163887587.post-35105875829235215722014-05-26T12:24:00.001-07:002014-05-26T12:27:28.300-07:00"I Want to Have a Live Band"<br />
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When you are planning a wedding, an anniversary, fundraiser, or any party, the question of music is a central piece of the planning puzzle. Music sets the mood. It sets the tone. It gets people excited, dancing, singing along or just groovin'. It adds so much to any event that the positive effect it has is almost indescribable. So if you’re wondering about having a live band, you can feel confident that nothing is better than live music. When you walk into a catering hall, a restaurant, a nightclub and there is live music (vs. recorded music from an iPod or a DJ), there is a tremendous energy lift; something interesting and fun to see and hear. The sound is not manufactured, auto-tuned, or one-dimensional. Recorded music you only hear. Live music gets inside of you, providing multi-dimensional sensory input: you hear, see, and feel, reaching all your senses, adding incalculable joy to the proceedings. It’s very gratifying for us to hear that our live music creates a totally unique and unforgettable experience for our happy and satisfied clients that their guests will remember long into the future. In our next blog, we'll talk about the great affordability of live music, so stay "tuned..."</div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;">www.straightaheadtheband.com</span></div>
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Like us on Facebook: Straight Ahead the band</div>
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Donna: 201-410-7276 John: 201-795-3907</div>
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Straight Ahead, the bandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10553558524929721415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142651126163887587.post-42348060534428198852014-04-13T20:51:00.003-07:002014-04-13T20:56:49.216-07:00The Night(s) The Lights Went Out<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Being a versatile, professional band means being prepared for any
situation that might arise, including the unanticipated, requiring us to be
even more nimble and flexible.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;">Last year we played a New Jersey Winery on a day with intense
thunderstorms in the area, which were just starting to clear up around our
evening start time. As we set up to play the cocktail hour with our piano trio,
we were unexpectedly unplugged by nature. Down the road a tree limb had fallen,
knocking out power lines. In the meantime, the crowd gathered for cocktails.
What to do? Luckily, our trusty bass player brought his acoustic upright and
small battery-powered amp, our drummer needed no power, and our pianist is our
lead singer—so we began making music: vocals, bass and drums. The crowd loved
the unpredictably fun and innovative approach. The bride and groom wrote to us,
“</span><span style="color: black;">Only
the best of musicians could </span>have pulled that one off.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then came time to play the main tent for the reception of
200+ guests: still no power. So, with drums, acoustic bass, guitar, and
saxophone, we kept it going. Our four excellent singers, while preferring
amplification, belted out tunes with volume and heart. It's amazing what can be
heard when you turn down (or in this case, turn off) the amplifiers. The
bossa-novas, standards, and pop tunes convinced the crowd that the impending
darkness would not ruin their candlelit celebration. As they moved to dance
floor, so did we-- singing, harmonizing, playing and dancing alongside them. As
we waited for the generator's arrival, we continued playing Motown, doo-wop,
and unplugged rock 'n roll. With the generator finally in place, three hours
later, the power came on, the guests were jubilant, and the energy of the crowd
rose along with the lights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Similarly, near Lake Placid in New York, a downed power line near
the historic hotel venue threatened a ruined party, so we quickly rolled in the
vintage upright piano from the lobby, gathered on the dance floor with
vocalists and horn players, and serenaded and danced the crowd for 2+ hours
until power was restored. But the wackiest power outage story of all occurred
at a New Jersey Country Club during</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times-Roman;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a summer thunderstorm several years ago.
Again, we managed to wheel in an on-site piano and were having a ball playing
unplugged in the candlelit dining room when someone approached us announcing he
was a member of Whitney Houston’s road crew. He said he carried a generator in
his truck for “just these types of emergencies.” “Want me to back up the truck
to this door and hook you up with electricity?” he asked. “Of course” we said,
and he did. That party got the best of all blackout situations—a candlelit
dinner dance with a plugged-in band.<span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">It's hard for a client to prepare for such contingencies, but rest
assured, we are, like a troop of Eagle Scouts, always prepared.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.straightaheadtheband.com/">www.straightaheadtheband.com</a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #343434;">like us on facebook: Straight Ahead the band</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #343434;">follow us on twitter @StraightAheadTB</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #343434;">check out our videos: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #343434;">http://www.youtube.com/user/StraightAheadtheband</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #343434;">email us: contact@straightaheadtheband.com</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #343434;">Donna: 201-410-7276 John: 201-795-3907</span></span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Straight Ahead, the bandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10553558524929721415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142651126163887587.post-28309196856516328152014-03-16T18:09:00.001-07:002014-03-21T09:20:38.476-07:00Versatility is Our Specialty Pt. 2<div class="MsoNormal">
So how does this hard earned versatility translate into
gigs?</div>
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In this past year, clients have hired us for a number of
themed events that put our skill and commitment to the test. We played a show
at Greenburgh Public Library where we put together a 90 minute set of songs
from 1963 (to celebrate the library’s 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary) the set
included covers of Martha and the Vandellas, Johnny Cash, The Drifters, Leslie
Gore, The Ronnettes, Bob Dylan, and the Beatles. This was concert presentation
that included some story telling, song histories, and some history of the
period, and great renditions of wonderful classics. <span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; mso-bidi-font-size: 28.0pt;">During
our post-show "meet and greet," our audience members had a chance to
reveal to us some of their own memories we helped evoke. </span></div>
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We played a couple Gatsby themed fundraising events this
year as well. Dolled up in tuxes, gowns, and spats we played music from the
era in the early parts of the evening (beginning with a cocktail hour that
featured some great stride piano renditions of 20’s and 30’s music) and then
morphed into dance music that included Motown, Big Band, contemporary, and some
ballads for the couples. We traveled to Lancaster PA to play a sock hop party,
where we dressed the part again, and gave a rollicking show that included 50’s
and 60’s rock n roll, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, and some of that 1963 material. <br />
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In the summer we were called on to play the Hyatt Dialogue
(for the 12<sup>th</sup> time) where we performed hits from the 70’s for an
international crowd of travel agents and event planners that included tunes
from Fleetwood Mac, Elton John and Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, and,
of course, plenty of Disco. Other themes we have done for the Hyatt have been
1920’s, country, Big Band, and Classic Rock.</div>
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Of course, when we play a wedding or an anniversary, we are
thinking about the whole crowd—the couple, of course, sets the tone with their
taste in music, but there are a lot of people to please, the young crowd, the
extended family, folks from different parts of the country and overseas. We
have our repertoire of ethnic music that includes horas, polkas, and Italian
(Donna sings in several languages). Our New Year’s Eve gig at the Four Seasons
caters to a largely international crowd, and we know how to please them as
well. </div>
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We have traveled this year to Rhode Island, Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania, the Finger Lakes Region in New York, Connecticut, and still do
plenty of playing in New York and New Jersey. When you get around like that,
you better be versatile.</div>
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Straight Ahead, the bandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10553558524929721415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142651126163887587.post-26820122039162137682014-03-10T10:44:00.000-07:002014-03-30T12:45:37.927-07:00Versatility is Our Specialty, Part 1<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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We are, oftentimes, asked by clients and guests at our gigs,
“What is your specialty? What do you really like to play?” This used to be a
difficult question to answer because we felt the answer needed to fill the box
the question posed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we would
try to come up with favorite songs, artists, grooves, styles, etc.</div>
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The fact is we have spent our whole musical lives (and thus,
much of our lives) exploring all genres of music. We got into music because we
fell in love with the sound made by some singer or band or song and we wanted
to know, “How do they do that?” We studied our instruments, sang along with the
radio or the record or CD, put together a band, started recreating recordings
we heard and loved, and began playing for people and, voila! They liked it! </div>
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As we grew as musicians, learned more about our instruments
and voices, we got exposed to all kinds of music; old rock ‘n roll, new hits on
the radio, jazz from some crazy saxophone player’s collection, and dance music
from the parties we attended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
all seeped in and became a part of our musical selves. </div>
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As professionals today, our approach to this wide range of
material is more calculated and efficient—“got a gig coming up, have these song
requests, have these styles to play, learn these tunes, pull out some we have
done for years, and keep the party rolling” but that magic of discovery never
faded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone asks for a new tune
by Jason Mraz, we check it out and say, “cool, we can pull that off, sound good
and add it to our repertoire.” If someone wants to hear an obscure old Louis
Armstrong/Ella Fitzgerald duet, we find our own spin and fall in love with it
all over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hear buzz about
the new dance floor sensation by Pink or Cee Lo or Avicii, learn it, rehearse it,
refine it and reap the rewards when the dance floor fills with folks whooping
and hollering. Sometimes we decide it’s time to run that Motown set, our Prince
medley, ABBA tunes and we see young and old react in the same way…. leave their
seats, run to the dance floor, and become one with the music we play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those experiences are fun for the
crowd, pleasing to the client, and gratifying and exciting for us. </div>
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So, now, when folks ask us “What is your specialty?” we say
“Our specialty is our versatility” because we approach the music with the same
commitment we did when we were slaving over the recordings of our favorite
bands, trying to get that lick or turn of phrase just right. We have studied
and perfected our approach to a wide variety of sounds, styles, and grooves and
we, literally, feel a thrill making all this material sound good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frankly, it amazes our audiences to
hear the variety we play, and how well we do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also cool for us to see and hear the great reaction we
get to the wide variety of material we do. </div>
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Next week we’ll talk about how this approach to versatility
works in different situations, such as a themed event focusing on a certain
style or genre, or at an party where we play the soup to nuts kind of variety
that works so well when you have a wide audience to please, such as at a
wedding or fundraiser.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVhCf7dFrdTD4Q1ep6HQ7bpxj9mNNsaKD8ffvY1j6yRMYle9mkpvbU_afjMg1ZrBMqjwRXvyN7467aSV92OotfdyUKEbvLfcnpPYLnoArHtfF7Wc_D_-wiEKX0LHv4zQWXl8hYnIv9qgi/s1600/Disco+Hyatt+J+and+D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVhCf7dFrdTD4Q1ep6HQ7bpxj9mNNsaKD8ffvY1j6yRMYle9mkpvbU_afjMg1ZrBMqjwRXvyN7467aSV92OotfdyUKEbvLfcnpPYLnoArHtfF7Wc_D_-wiEKX0LHv4zQWXl8hYnIv9qgi/s1600/Disco+Hyatt+J+and+D.jpg" height="320" width="284" /></a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Straight Ahead, the bandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10553558524929721415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6142651126163887587.post-67453150285218355232014-02-17T15:18:00.003-08:002014-03-10T08:15:07.758-07:00On Being a Band<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">When you are searching
for a band for an event, wedding, fundraiser you find yourself scouring through
site after site of groups claiming to be “New York's finest musicians,”</span><span style="color: #343434; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT, serif;">"a really fun band,”
“non stop dancing,” “we have played New York's finest venues,”
"personalized service,,” and, you know,</span><span style="color: #343434; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT, serif;">
</span><span style="color: #343434; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT, serif;">all of that stuff. It makes it hard to distinguish one organization from
the next. Having said that, however, we use some of the same catch phrases in
our own marketing. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #343434; font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">It is true, that we have
played for Kings and dignitaries, at the Waldorf in New York, Castle Hill in
Newport in New England and in many places in Europe, even Africa and Asia. Our
players and singers have done Broadway shows, won Emmy awards, backed famous
musicians at the Grammy's and on Letterman, played for rock stars and grandmas.
We are among the really great bands that come out of the New York scene – a
center of the entertainment business where musicians, entertainers, singers are
abundant and operating at a very high level. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #343434; font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">We are first and
foremost, however, a genuine band, not just a collection of talented
individuals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #343434; font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">We have played together
for many years. We have chemistry and
solid, smooth communication on stage. We support each other and the music and
task at hand. To keep the crowd moving, we all pitch in with our parts,
suggestions, little transitions made seamlessly from tune to tune, so the
dancer never loses the groove. We depend on each other. For example, the aforementioned transition
might be handled by the drummer in one context, or led by Donna in
another. Dave on guitar may take the
lead with his solo or a rhythm, taking the set to a higher level. The horn
players are always at the ready with parts memorized or improvised on the spot,
and background singers jump in with parts to fill out the music. Meanwhile the
MD (musical director) is thinking steps ahead, making sure that all works
smoothly together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="color: #343434; font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">So, while we are a
talented collection of individuals with great credentials (we will cover that in
our next post), we are, first and foremost, a unit, a band… Straight Ahead, the
band. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrLG9QX7igLQzam-EHDenjaOXF_m2BXoRoaB0wmHhSBp_4ZOGoiSVwQyMu_riP0966d65DG4afi6YEig2xgSwkB0-bG5yuZiHL5yz1a5Caxj3MOU621oeoL6938zQRohmDMDTGfRczpZL/s1600/headshot+band.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrLG9QX7igLQzam-EHDenjaOXF_m2BXoRoaB0wmHhSBp_4ZOGoiSVwQyMu_riP0966d65DG4afi6YEig2xgSwkB0-bG5yuZiHL5yz1a5Caxj3MOU621oeoL6938zQRohmDMDTGfRczpZL/s1600/headshot+band.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #343434; font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">check out our website: www.straightaheadtheband.com </span><br />
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">like us on facebook Straight Ahead the band</span><br />
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">follow us on twitter @StraightAheadTB</span><br />
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">check out our videos </span><span style="color: #343434; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT, serif;">http://www.youtube.com/user/StraightAheadtheband</span><br />
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">email us at contact@straightaheadtheband.com</span><br />
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: "TimesNewRomanPSMT","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT;">201-410-7276</span></div>
Straight Ahead, the bandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10553558524929721415noreply@blogger.com0