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Press Play’s 2017 Year In Review

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With 2018 right around the corner, we wanted to share our some of our top lists and things from 2017.  Here is Press Play’s 2017 Year in Review:

 

Top Requested Songs from 2017

10. That’s What I Like – Bruno Mars

9.   There’s Nothing Holding Me Back – Shawn Mendes

8.   Rockabye – Clean Bandit f. Sean Paul & Anne Marie

7.   Feel It Still – Portugal The Man

6.   Juju on that Beat – Zay ilfigger & Zayion McCall

5.   I’m the One – DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, Lil Wayne

4.  24K Magic – Bruno Mars

3.   Closer – The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey

2.   Shape of You – Ed Sheeran

1.   Despacito – Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, & Justin Bieber

 

Top Requested Wedding Songs in 2017

10. All of Me – John Legend

9.   Body Like a Back Road – Sam Hunt

8.   Meant to Be – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line

7.   Don’t Stop Believin – Journey

6.   Perfect – Ed Sheeran

5.   At Last – Etta James

4.  24K Magic – Bruno Mars

3.   Uptown Funk – Bruno Mars

2.   Shape of You – Ed Sheeran

1.   Despacito – Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, & Justin Bieber

 

Favorite Artists of 2017

10. Greta Van Fleet – if you like Robert Plant/Led Zepplin, you will love this band!

9.   Halsey

8.   Kendrick Lamar

7.   Khalid

6.   Migos

5.   Portugal. The Man

4.   Dua Lipa

3.   Imagine Dragons

2.   Bruno Mars

1.   Ed Sheeran

 

Favorite Albums from 2017

10. Dua Lipa – Dua Lipa

9.   Taylor Swift – Reputation

8.   Calvin Harris – Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1

7.   Halsey – Hopeless Fountain Kingdom

6.   Bright – The Album

5.   Portugal. The Man – Woodstock

4.   Imagine Dragons – Evolve

3.   Kendrick Lamar – Damn

2.   Ed Sheeran – Divide

1.   Bruno Mars – 24K Magic

 

Keith’s Favorite Things from 2017 music

  • Emergence of Portugal. The Man and Great Van Fleet as artists – getting back to some rock n’ roll!
  • Dua Lipa & Initial Talks remix of New Rules – probably one of the BEST remixes we have heard in years!  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoDmXOjwrK0)
  • Bright The Album – The Netflix movie isnt the greatest, but the soundtrack is LEGIT. Check out these tracks
    • Home by Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors  Bebe Rexha (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IumYMCllMsM)
    • Darkside by Ty Dolla $ign, Future & Kiiara (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3T3K2MHNjM)
    • Crown by Camila Cabello & Grey (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYHuVBcxmhc)
  • Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic World Tour – this was one of the Best concerts I have seen in a long time.  Not only can Bruno sing and dance tremendously, he was funny and engaging.  For my son’s 1st concert ever, it was a BIG HIT!
  • Pearl Jam @ Fenway Park – Another great show by one of our all-time favorite bands.
  • The Latin-pop/Reggaeton movement into the mainstream – With the major success of Despacito, mainstream listeners are finally beginning to appreciate the wonderful artistry and musicality of artists like Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Nicky Jam, CNCO, and J Balvin.  Some of our favorites from 2017
    • Mayores by Becky G & Bad Bunny (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMFewiplIbw)
    • Mi Gente – J Balvin, Willy William (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnJ6LuUFpMo)
    • Reggaeton Lento – CNCO (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jpqqBX-Myw)
    • Havana – Camila Cabello & Daddy Yankee (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qooQd8AA7_M)
  • Live reuniting with lead singer Ed Kowalczyk – This was a dream come true for me, as Live is my favorite band.  I cannot wait for them to come back to Boston on tour, so I can bring my son.
  • While definitely NOT a favorite, I did want to send some love to the artists we lost in 2017.  We certainly played many of their hits in remembrance of the joy they brought to us over the years.
    • Malcolm Young – AC/DC
    • Fats Domino
    • Tom Petty
    • Glen Campbell
    • Chester Bennington – Linkin Park
    • Greg Allman
    • Chris Cornell
    • Chuck Berry

Boston Voyager Magazine Interview

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Recently, I was interviewed by Boston Voyager Magazine to discuss Press Play Entertainment for their “Inspiring Stories” section that highlights local entrepreneurs. I’m excited to share the newly published interview from their website.

Much love to Jodi and Dylan who continue to support me, even when I have had to miss special events, baseball games, and other family time. Please know, this is all done to support our family.

A big shout out to my crew over the years (Alan, Evan, Russ, Rob G, Rob W, Sean, Eli) and especially Jay, my partner in crime, who continue to be the best folks to work with and know how to throw a party and put smiles on clients’ faces!

And, finally, a special thank you to Jeff Glassman for being a great mentor and like a big brother to me for over 20 years. Without you, Press Play would not be what it is today.

Contact us today to book your next special event.  Great summer rates available for graduation parties, summer BBQ’s, and other events.

Meet Keith Levine of Press Play Entertainment in Needham

CONTACT US!

Thank You for a Great Year!

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All of us at Press Play would like to wish our families, friends, partners and clients a very Happy Holiday season!!  Thanks for a great year!

We, especially, want to thank all of our current, and past clients, for an amazing 2016!  We truly enjoyed helping you celebrate your wonderful events; whether it was your son or daughter’s Mitzvah, your wedding day, corporate holiday parties, Sweet 16s or many other special events.  Thanks again for choosing us!

We want to send a big shout out to our vendor friends and partners who have helped us create spectacular experiences for all of our clients.  They continue to go above and beyond and we appreciate all of the support they have provided us.  We would highly recommend any and all of these wonderful and passionate folks!  Thank you all!

Photographers: Elin Photography & Ken Berman Photography

Photo Booth Providers: (Scott & Sean) Boston Photo Booth Rentals, (Juliette & Ali) Snapshot Entertainment, (Marc) Memories in an Instant

Event Planners: (Deb & Jen) S and H Events; (Rachel) Rachel G Events; (Wendy) Radius Events; and (Michelle) MH Productions

Venues: (Ashley) Needham Sheraton

Press Play had the pleasure of DJing many events/fundraisers, for some of Boston’s local organizations; including The Jimmy Fund, The Sean D Biggs Memorial Foundation, A Kid’s Brain Tumor Cure Foundation, and The Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.  It was an honor being a small part of these important events.

Special Thank You’s to the town of Needham, MA, our home base, the Needham Business Association, Temple Beth Shalom and all of the elementary schools and businesses for welcoming us and choosing us to help entertain our local community.  We are big proponents of “local supporting local” and could not have asked for a better community to be a part of!

And, of course, I cannot thank my outstanding team of SuperStar DJs enough for their amazing effort, dedication and passion for providing the soundtracks for all of these great events.  Alan, Russ, Rob, Ekko, Evan, and, especially, my right-hand man Jay, I could not do this without you.  You guys are the best!

Finally, I want to share with you a recent article from the Boston Globe, about a recent Bat Mitzvah.  Jay, Evan and I had the privilege of DJing this Bat Mitzvah for a family friend.  With all of the craziness of 2016, from the election to the global terror attacks and more, it was great to end 2016 with this amazing story of strength, perseverance, inclusion, family and community support.  We were extremely proud of Zoe and her entire family.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/12/19/interfaith-leaders-strive-include-people-all-abilities/jVe2vw7LkeImiAtyRSsgzM/story.html

Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year!  We hope to see you, and meet you, in 2017 and beyond!

-Keith

 

Mitzvah Chachkies

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Bar/Bat Mitzvah Chachkies

For many families, ordering prizes (give-aways or chachkies) can be a daunting task and comes with many questions. What should I get? How many should I get? Do I have enough? Am I wasting my money? Do these kids really need another top hat?

With over 25 years of DJing Mitzvahs, of various themes and sizes, I would like to share some of Press Play’s tips for ordering these chachkies.

• First and foremost, YES, you should purchase give-aways for your child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah. We find that they help keep the kids interested and engaged. Even those who do not want to participate in the games and dancing get excited when we are handing out free stuff. With all of our Mitzvah packages, you will receive CDs and Mardi Gras beads.

• It is recommended that you purchase 2-3 other chachkies for the event. There are great places, both online and in-store, where you can find hundreds of choices. Our favorite shops include Oriental Trading Co. (online), Rhode Island Novelty (online), and Dart Sales (in Norwood). You can also go to Party City, but I find the selection to be limited and they are a little more expensive.

• We also suggest that you purchase one of each give away for each kid. It can be very difficult for DJs to remember who got what and how many. Sometimes we encounter the “puppy dog eye” from guests who never got one, or anything for that matter, because we did not have enough to go around. Any extras will be handed out to adults and sometimes even the wait staff (who are always extremely appreciative).

• What to buy is ultimately and entirely up to you and your Mitzvah girl or boy. However, here is a list of both good and bad options, based on our experience.

The Good – Kids and adults love them, there are tons of styles, and most of them last
1. Beads
2. Glow sticks or necklaces (keep in the freezer after the party and they may last longer)
3. Hats
4. Sunglasses
5. Anything LED that lights up or blinks (rings, earrings, balls, key rings, etc.)

The Bad – They break easily, can be destructive, and usually get left on the floor
1. Blow-up guitars, microphones, etc
2. Maracas
3. Hawaiian leis

We hope some of these tips will help as you begin planning your Bar/Bat Mitzvah! As always, if you have any questions, we are here to help. Our goal is to make your Mitzvah a fun, exciting, and memorable event for your family and all of your guests.

Happy Holidays!

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HAPPYHOLIDAYS

Thanks again to all of our clients, past and present, for choosing Press Play Entertainment to help you celebrate your special events and occasions.  It was truly an honor!

Thank you to the great vendors we had the pleasure of working beside to create memorable experiences for our guests; including Elin Photography, Snapshot Entertainment, Boston Photo Booth Rentals, Memories in An Instant, the Needham Sheraton, Ken Berman Photography, and Creative Celebrations, to name a few.

A very big shout-out to my family of superstar DJs and Emcees who make my job fun, exciting, and extremely enjoyable.  Jay, Russ, Kevin, Alan, Eli, and Rob, you guys are the best!

To the loves of my life, Jodi and Dylan (aka Team Levine), thank you for your continuous and unconditional love and support.  You are my best friends and I couldn’t do any of this without you!

We hope that you have a very Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!  Here’s to an exciting 2016.  We can’t wait to see what the New Year brings!

-Keith