Keep an eye on the tour schedule, and keep in mind, it’s always growing. If we’ve got a stop at your campus, watch for posters or the Facebook event for school-specific ticketing info. If not, ask your friends about guest policies at their schools (if we’re going there). Or better yet, read on, and pass this site on to the people that handle concerts and programs at your school.
How far do you travel?
As far as we need to. Don’t let the “Boston” element fool you; that’s to tell you where we’re from — not where we’re going. With over 50 colleges in the Boston area, it has been the perfect spot to develop a college-focused product. We’ve worked on both coasts, and even internationally; we’ll travel just about anywhere — as long as there’s a huge dance party at the end of the day.
How far in advance should I call to book a show?
Call as early as possible. Dates book up quickly, especially towards the beginning and end of the semester, when EVERYONE wants to party extra hard. If you can get in touch before the date is locked down, we’ll tell you what our availability looks like. If the date’s open, we can pull a show together with as little as one week’s notice.
How much does a Legendary Dance Party cost?
We design each tour build to have certain common elements, and customize others to suit each venue and budget. In each case, our mission is to make sure that every appearance meets GrooveBoston standards. The pricing varies for each show, based on factors like crowd size and what’s available in-house. Things like power and staging can help get the costs down. We’ve also been known to offer BIG upgrades and discounts for first-timers. Shoot us an email with some info about your event, and we’ll get some numbers together for you. If you want to party, so do we.
On average, the cost is between $10 and $20 per person, based on the capacity of the venue and design. That includes all artist and production costs.
Do you charge for tickets?
No. But YOU can. Some schools like to make the event free for students, and others charge for tickets, to keep the cost of the event down. Ticket sales can often cover the ENTIRE cost of a GrooveBoston show.
Some schools offer free or low-priced tickets for students, then allow guest tickets at a higher cost.
I’ve got a series of events back-to-back-to-back. Can you do all of them? Will I get a discount?
Yes! We love the “backwards tour” concept, and it’s a GREAT way to get the most out of your dance party experience. We’ll offer half price for the cost of the gear for every additional day, plus the cost of the crew per event will drop, since we don’t need to be there for 20+ hours for each show.
Our school doesn’t have a big enough venue for this. Is that a deal-breaker?
Not at all. We’ve been known to get creative with venues (that’s a big part of what we do), and we’ve got the resources to literally build the party from scratch, if that’s what it takes. Give us a parking lot or a quad, and we’ll take it from there.
We’d like to bring in a big-name artist. Is that cool?
Absolutely. Celebrity guest DJs and big-name bands can be a great way to jump-start the buzz on campus, especially when it’s a new event. We can get you in touch with the right booking agents to make it happen, too. We’ll also connect with the artist to take care of their technical needs.
Can I book you guys for a non-college event?
Maybe. Legendary dance party builds are ALL we do. We’re not an “all-occasions” mobile DJ outfit — in fact, we’re not the right choice for most occasions. But when it comes to massive-scale, epic dance parties, we’ve pretty much got that figured out. If you’re looking for the GrooveBoston Experience, we’ll bring the dance party to you.
Can we book just the GrooveBoston resident DJs?
If you’re renting out a club or other venue that’s up to GB party standards, we’d be happy to rock it.
What kind of music do your DJs play?
The best way to describe a GrooveBoston set is intense, FUN music. Read up on how our music team creates the sets here. The GrooveBoston experience is a fine-tuned version of what you’d get at a full-scale superclub, or the closing set at an EDM festival. We tend to keep it relatively up-tempo once we get things going, and we bring in a lot of AWESOME remixes. You’ll hear everything from aggressive EDM to top-of-your-lungs singalongs, all fused together for a hand-crafted face-rocking experience. The set is crafted in a way that really flows; it’s not just about playing one good track after another. It’s designed to be a single, deliberate, overwhelming, 90-minute musical experience, and after five college tours, we’ve gotten really, really good at it.
Who are your DJs?
GrooveBoston resident DJs are certifiably awesome party rockers, ready to take massive crowds wherever they need to go. After the first few tracks, you’ll say “OK, these guys know what they’re doing.” After the next few, you’ll say “Oh HELL yes. I didn’t see that coming.” And a few after that, you’ll say “AAAAHHHHHHHH!!” because everyone will be screaming so loud, there wouldn’t be much point in saying anything else.
Do your DJs take requests?
Sure: If we can hear you over the pounding bass, we’re open to ideas. Keep in mind, the goal is to play the music that’s best for the crowd as a whole, so if three people are dying to hear some Foghat, well… it’s probably not gonna work.
How long does a Legendary Dance Party event last?
One night. We don’t charge extra by the hour, because most of the work is in the setup — the show is the fun part. We recommend a three-hour set for the best experience. Any longer, and people usually start overheating from intense craziness.
How can I get the word out about this event?
The good news about touring events is that you can show students what they’re in for. We’re always posting videos and updates on our site, and our Facebook page, so leverage that. We’ll make a Facebook page for the event too, with pics, graphics, videos, and links to help make sure students get the right impression.
We also provide a GrooveBoston Treat Box filled with tour-branded resources like posters and credentials to catch peoples’ attention on campus.
We’ll connect you with our Communications team to get you the support you need. You’ll have access to graphics, videos, and lots more.
Will you need student volunteers to help with the build?
Any extra hands are always a big help, and could save you money by cutting down on the amount of crew we need to bring. These Legendary Dance Party builds are also a VERY cool learning experience for people who are into that sort of thing, or looking to get into the events industry. If you’ve got people willing to help, let us know, and we’ll include that in the production time line.
How long do you need to set up? What about breaking down?
Most builds take up the full day leading up to the event. Occasionally, we’ll start the day or the night before, for particularly complex builds. Similarly, we usually load-out immediately after the show, but at times a next-day load-out works best.
What’s in your talent rider? Do you need a dressing room?
We’ve seen the riders of a lot of performing acts. Some are hilariously complicated and elaborate. Check out a few on the web if you ever have the chance. Our rider is very basic: hotel, green room, and maybe a few snacks. No stretch SUV limos stocked with Fiji water and blue M&Ms — unless you have one just laying around.
Did I see the DJs doing pushups between mixes?!
Haha, busted. A GB show is all about energy. We jump around on the mix… a whole lot. Sometimes we’ll do pushups to stay pumped and energized.
What mix gear do you use?
We’re currently piloting a custom, extended version of the “half-pipe” mix configuration, which we developed to supercharge the connection between the DJ and the crowd. It’s based on a Serato SL-4 interface, but we’ve pulled the screens off to the sides, so that we don’t space out watching the pretty colors zip by. We use (4) Pioneer CDJ-2000 decks and DJM-900-nexus mixers, along with RMX-1000 effectors and M-Audio trigger fingers for custom MIDI control. We’re also experimenting with iPads for wireless control, but so far that’s mainly for our own entertainment
What about the hot new video-DJ trend. Can you scratch music videos?
Video elements are a huge part of GB builds, but when it comes to vinyl-style control of video content, we’re underwhelmed. Our approach is to build dedicated battle stations for music, audio, and lighting control, man each one with a virtuoso in their craft, and then have the synchronization come from three parallel, expert performances.
Wait, so crazy parties are your JOB?! Can I work for you?
That depends. Check out our jobs page to see if you have what it takes, or shoot an email to jobs@grooveboston.com. Don’t be offended if we don’t respond right away; we get two or three applications each week, so we usually go through them in batches.
Where can I get one of those sweet GB t-shirts?
Fan us up on Facebook, or shoot us an email, and maybe you’ll get lucky. We’ve also been known to launch t-shirts and goodies into the crowd when we get excited on stage.