Parlor Tricks is the world's first and foremost industrial ragtime band. We scratch that hard to reach itch between Fats Waller and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, late-century covers and originals served with syncopation and stomp. Parlor Tricks features sultry vocals, resonator guitar, ukulele, upright bass and drums.
Our group of 70 ladies absolutely loved the performance! Upbeat and lively with plenty of variety. I highly recommend them for any occasion!
This was for an art gallery event. We wanted an upbeat, fun and talented jazz band. Parlor Tricks delivered big time! Visitors to the gallery loved them. Unique and original takes on 20’s and 30’s music. The musicians are friendly and accommodating - a joy to work with! I highly recommend them.
Response from Parlor Tricks:
Thank you Lori! Great hanging out with you and Craig.
Price Range: $200 and up
Gig Length: 30 - 180 minutes
Languages: English, Spanish
What do people say?
Parlor Tricks went above and beyond my expectations for our wedding. They are each gifted musicians and together they make magic. They played romantic, dreamy, hip swaying tunes for cocktail hour and fun, jazzy, booty shaking music for our barn dance reception. They are the perfect component to a perfect wedding. ~Gabriel Tiradani
Atmospheric, upbeat, euphoric, ragtime. ~Kaiser Permanente
Talented, fun, modern and playful. And I was still able to carry on a conversation with my friends when I wasn’t twirling my beautiful wife on the dance floor. ~David Rothschild
Brilliant! I feel as if I've walked into a smokey Vaudevillian club on a rainy night back in 1880... Parlor Trick's only sleight of hand is to recreate the intimacy and homegrown aspect of intimate live performance, while serving up a Victorian spread of sonic delight in the studio. I love "Sweet Potato" and "Midnight Blue." Melina, the group's vocalist, seduces and thrills with a voice perfectly suited for this genre, yet on "Speed Limit" Melina channels the jazzy vocal style of a bygone era mixed with the sultry tonality of Debbie Harry. Parlor Tricks is pure magic, with only brilliant music up their collective sleeves. ~Paul Enea
I swear, it's downright impossible not to get up and dance at your shows. Your music just brings out the boogie in a person!
~Matthew Sludder
Parlor Tricks is an hot-music trio led with sultry vocals, resonator guitar, upright bass and drums. The music is a mix of early 1900s pop and originals, all distinguished by syncopation and stomp. We call our music "industrial ragtime" because we keep one musical eye on the music of the last century, the other on current blues and rock. We are often booked for Steampunk and other vintage and creative events. And everything we do is firmly under the flag of great entertainment -- lead by our engaging and beautiful lead singer Melina Selverston. The fun and excitement of this music is infectious.
“It’s vaudevillian in its delivery, dark and soaring at once.” - (link hidden)
Parlor Tricks is a great fit for any wedding, party or special event. We bring a roaring '20s feel that will get your guests moving. From an acoustic ragtime processional to swing cocktail and dinner entertainment, to the let-loose dance party, Parlor Tricks brings elegance and energy to your special event.
Parlor Tricks grew out our great love of ragtime music first heard on phonographic cylinders and 78 RPM records, the popular music that came to be blues and jazz. We have captured the immediacy and infectiousness of Louis Armstrong, the fun of early jazz, the foot-tapping melodies and swing that connects deeply with all generations.
What we offer is original and creative, a meeting of the prehistory of pop with the modern. We’re a band that’s together for the love and exploration of this music. We will surprise and delight your guests and bring the authenticity and originality that you demand and deserve.
Parlor Tricks has our own sound equipment and can build a set list of music that many guests will recognize, if not from their own music collections then from movie soundtracks.
Parlor Tricks is professional musical entertainment and we are happy to accommodate specific songs and other requests to best of our ability.
Parlor Tricks is professional and self contained. We can make almost any venue work and provide our own sound reinforcement.
| January 18, 2023 • 12:00pm - 1:30pm | Nonprofit Event |
| October 06, 2018 • 4:00pm - 7:00pm | Personal Occasion |
| May 03, 2015 • 1:00pm - 4:00pm | Cocktail Party |
Our book includes more than 200 pop and jazz songs that largely pre-date the "standards" era. Examples include: Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey, Nobody's Sweetheart, Someday Sweetheart, and I Just Can't Make My Eyes Behave. We also play many swing songs such as Honeysuckle Rose, Ain't Misbehavin', and Mood Indigo.
| Melina Selverston | Singer |
| Eddie Scher | Resonator Guitar and Ukulele |
| Jeff Bruner | Upright Bass |
Louis Armstrong
Billie Holiday
Fats Waller
Amy Winehouse
Parlor Tricks can provide all the equipment we need to play any medium sized venue or event.
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