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Cosmo Alleycats
- San Francisco, CA
- Jazz Band
- Travels up to 3000 miles
- $1000 - $10,000
Overview
The Cosmo Alleycats is a Swing & Vintage Dance band based in San Francisco.
For over a decade Cosmo Alleycats band has been a popular choice for unique and fun weddings, corporate events, and private parties, as well as concerts, dance events, and jazz club dates. The band keeps a typical schedule of over 100 private events each year so they are not only extremely practiced at being reliable, on time, and responsive, but are also highly attuned to specific musical needs and common noise-level sensitivities.
You can trust us with your event.
9 Reviews
The Cosmo Alleycats were great! They were responsive in planning, detailed, organized, and most of all amazing live at our wedding! They played throughout the night, and were really great in playing appropriate music for all of the events and creating a really wonderful musical experience. We loved having them as part of our wedding!
Wedding Band
Cosmo Alleycats are fantastic! I worked directly with Emily Day to coordinate set-up and music for the event. Emily and the band were very professional. They showed up on time at the agreed upon location and they looked and sounded just like I saw online. When they did perform live at our event (Testarossa Winery) it was outstanding. Their blend of classic swing and big band music (at our request), combined with their energetic stage presence, created an great experience. The band’s performance enhanced the winery's beautiful setting. I took a leap of faith and booked Cosmo Alleycats without seeing them live and I was not disappointed!
Big Band, Dance Band, Swing Band
My husband and I saw the Cosmo Alleycats perform at the Black Cat Jazz Club in San Francisco months ago and we were so impressed. Emily has a warm, well-controlled voice perfect for jazz and classic standards. After that evening, we asked them if they were available to provide the music at our wedding in May 2024. Emily was a pleasure to work with in the lead-up, especially when we planned a choreographed first dance and wanted to select a special song. The band also learned the Star Wars Cantina Band song since our wedding was on May the Fourth ("Star Wars Day"). The live music was a highlight of the day, and we wish we'd had even more time with them.
1940s Era Entertainment, 1950s Era Entertainment, 1960s Era Entertainment, Cover Band, Jazz Singer, Motown Group, Wedding Band, Jazz Band
We hired Cosmo Alleycats to play at our wedding and it was an amazing experience. Emily has such a unique and beautiful voice and the band was amazing!
They worked with us and created a once in a lifetime memory during for the ceremony, first dances, and throughout the evening. Specifically - they learned Lean on Me, arranged Little Wing, covered Blackbird, and kept the dance floor going all night.
During my vows I spoke about Paul Simon and a certain lyric in Graceland. Emily paid attention to this and during the dj portion played this song to end the night :)
Truly they were amazing to work with, amazing all evening, and I'd 100% recommend them for anyone looking for a band.
THANKS COSMO ALLEYCATS!
1920s Era Entertainment, 1930s Era Entertainment, 1940s Era Entertainment, 1950s Era Entertainment, 1960s Era Entertainment, Big Band, Cover Band, Jazz Singer, New Orleans Style Entertainment, Party Band, Swing Band, Wedding Band, Jazz Band
Emily and the Cosmo Alleycats are consummate professionals. We had them perform as the main musical act for our wedding and the entire experience was incredibly smooth, from the initial communications to the day of the event. The venue we chose had some stringent noise restrictions, but the band navigated these requirements with ease. The sound mixing was top-notch; one of our guests remarked that he couldn’t believe how much the band sounded like a studio recording performing live. Their repertoire was diverse, creating an elegant and lively atmosphere that our guests thoroughly enjoyed. The Cosmo Alleycats truly elevated our special day, and we couldn't have asked for a better musical accompaniment. We highly recommend them for any event.
Jazz Singer, Jazz Band
We were lucky enough to book Cosmo Alleycats for our wedding this year! They were amazing, and a delight to work with. Emily talked us through the process and confirmed our song choices. The band learned two custom songs for our spotlight dances and did an excellent job. Our guests were so impressed and danced the whole night! Can't recommended them enough!
Big Band, Jazz Singer, New Orleans Style Entertainment, Swing Band
Simply put, the Cosmo Alley Cats, with the superbly gifted Emily Day at the helm, brought down the house at our wedding reception a month back. A trio performed beautifully during the cocktail hour, and the full band presided over dinner and dancing. People young and old were on their feet, and absolutely delighted by the musical selections, the talent, the joy, the FUN! Countless guests came up to us to ask us the band's name and to share their rave reviews. Emily's flawless (and scarily glamorous) stage presence was, lucky for us, matched by her utter professionalism coordinating the event. In the months leading up to the function, Emily ably handled our questions, big and small, and was a stress-buster instead of a stress-booster. (Which, frankly, simply cannot be said for all wedding vendors.) We look forward to seeing the Cosmo Alley Cats around town! Thanks to Emily et al.
Swing Band
The Cosmo Alleycats played at our wedding in June 2021, and couldn't have been more amazing. I can't recommend them highly enough! We had three different combos for the different parts of our wedding, including a keyboard for our ceremony, a trio for the cocktail hour, and the full band for our reception. Although the full band, with its wonderful range of songs and all the amazing musicians, was our favorite part, the ceremony and cocktail hour were perfect as well. Emily was wonderful to work with, and was also kind enough to act as our MC, introducing us and helping keep things moving smoothly. The music itself was great; the band did a wonderful job getting everyone dancing, and the range and mix of music was so much fun. They made an already wonderful day even more special for us. Hire them!
Dance Band, Jazz Singer, Wedding Band, Jazz Band
While I seldom write reviews, I felt compelled, so I hope this helps you decide. I was hosting my 50th Bday with a 1950's theme. I researched Yelp and pop up Cosmo Alley Cats. Emily and I chatted about the theme, we spoke about the details and I literally locked them in 2 days. Best decision EVER. Anyone who's been to a good party knows it's all about the music. So let me start by saying as the birthday girl, I organized everything down to the T but I wanted to enjoy the day. Their whole set-up went without a hitch. They arrived on time, were gracious in every aspect and the sound was amazing. Given the pandemic, I often had lots of questions and Emily always answered without fail. It was also the details I deeply appreciated for example, for my favorite song, she waited until I was outside before playing it. To be honest, it really doesn't matter what type of theme, we had multi-generations attend and everyone loved the music, even my teenagers. I literally could write an essay on how amazing, appreciative and talented Cosmo Alley Cats are, I'd hire them again without fail and my only regret is that I should have had them play for 5 more hours. Lastly, anyone who is a music lover, go see them, support musicians and hire them for your next event.
1950s Era Entertainment, Big Band, Swing Band, Jazz Band
Booking Info
Price Range: $1000 - $10,000
Insurance: $1,000,000 - General Liability Event Insurance
What to Expect
PRIVATE EVENTS:
- Direct communication with the band leader prior to the event
- Band leader is always present/performing at the event
- Coordination with 3rd party AV companies (for larger events)
- Multiple sound systems/instruments for multiple locations
- Early arrival and setup of all locations prior to guest arrival (2 hours in advance of start time for weddings)
- Basic sound system(s) set-up and tear-down included in our base rate.
- Wireless or lapel mics for toasts, announcements, ceremonies, and presentations.
- Light MC services
- Customized arrangements of featured dances
- Volume monitoring
- 10+ years events industry experience
Is it really possible to make everyone happy? We think so! With 10+ years experience setting the right mood for cocktail receptions, dance parties, dinner receptions, concerts and corporate functions, the Cosmo Alleycats are skillful at creating the right musical flow for various types of events.
About
If you pass a San Francisco bar on a Friday night with a great long line of expectant patrons out front, chances are they’re all waiting to be propelled into the sonic time warp of a Cosmo Alleycats performance inside.
Cosmo Alleycats have been a favorite of the San Francisco music scene since the band’s 2010 beginning, bringing to the stage a potent mix of swing and vintage dance music with a dynamic, soulful delivery. Led by vocalist Emily Day (“one of the major singers in her field” – Scott Yanow), Cosmo Alleycats draws from several decades of exhilarating American music, along with inspired originals, to deliver a fun and engaging performance.
With thirteen years’ experience performing together, Cosmo Alleycats is a well-oiled machine. But however polished their performance may be, it’s the sense of playfulness in their improvisation that holds the door open for the unexpected. This dynamic is evident in their 2022 album, Old Sweet Songs, a collection of Tin Pan Alley and American Songbook favorites accompanied by their original compositions, inspired by bygone styles of songwriting.
To see Cosmo Alleycats perform live - visit our website for show dates
Additional Booking Notes
- Access to one standard 3-prong outlet on a dedicated circuit.
- Hard/Flat surface required
- 12' x 18' footprint for full band
For concerts, and events with more than 250 guests in the performance area, we recommend you hire a 3rd party AV company to provide a professional distributed sound system and sound engineers.
Services Offered
Team
Steve Height | Bass (Founder) |
Mike Burns | Drums (Founding Member) |
Pete Cornell | Sax/Clarinet (Founding Member) |
Emily Day | Vocals |
Andrew "Carnegie" Hall | Piano |
Influences & Inspiration
Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole, Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, Etta James, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Jackie Wilson, The Impressions.