FAQs about
The Incognitos 		 ATQs about
The Incognitos
What kind of music do you play?  Dance music. Lots of dance music. Fast and slow dance music. Quiet and loud dance music. The best of the 50's through Today's top hits, which include: Motown, R & B, Soul, Disco, Ballads, Pop, and good old fashioned Rock & Roll!
What kind of events and venues do you play?  You name it, and we've probably performed for a similar venue. We do everything from clubs, festivals, corporate functions, private parties, street dances, and weddings. With the talents of this band, and Nick's ability to act as M.C. and D.J., there's no musical situation we can't handle.
How many members are in the band?  Four hot players that also can sing "lead", which is very rare! Having 4 musicians that can play AND sing gives us the unique ability to sound more like a 6 or 7 piece band ! 
What is the instrumentation?  Nick is founding member and bass player. John plays keyboards and harmonica. Brian plays drums. Leo plays guitar.
How many singers in the band? Every member of The Incognitos is a lead vocalist, and that diversity means we've got the right voice for every style we play. You won't get tired of the "one singer sings everything" dilemma. 
How long have The Incognitos been around?  The Incognitos were founded in 1991 out of the frustration of other band leaders' inabilities to judge what an audience wants to hear. On stage, we decide which song to play right before we play it. This way, we have the ability to "read" the audience and play appropriate material at the RIGHT time. We're almost always on the mark! Other bands use "set lists" with songs in a predetermined order prior to your event. Don't they know that every group is different, and will react differently? We DO! We play the "right" songs at the "right" time, which we know is different for every group! After several line-up changes, we've arrived at what we think is the best incarnation of The Incognitos yet. Don't take our word for it, just ask our many dedicated followers!
How experienced are the band members? Our credentials are much too long to list individually, but collectively, we have over 100 years of performing experience between the four of us. Our members have, in the past, been in top bands in Chicago, Detroit, and Brazil, covering almost every style of music you can think of.
Do you have a demo tape or video? We recently completed a DVD that you can watch on your computer or home DVD player. We also offer a demo CDR that will play in your home or car stereo that contains a computer slide show. Just pop either one into your computer, to watch a "live" movie or slide show of The Incognitos while you listen to our demo! We'll also include a promotional folder, which includes band info, pictures and a set list. We'd be happy to provide you with one. Just contact us.

With our ever-changing repetoire, an expensive "studio" demo video would be impractical. It would soon be out-dated, and we'd be constantly having to re-make them. Quite frankly, a video can't truly capture the energy we put out, and we prefer you see us "Live" in order to feel our full effect.
Can I see you perform? Absolutely. Just click the SCHEDULE button on the left, to see where we're playing on any given day. We perform over 100 shows per year, and since we play all over the city, you're sure to find and event not far from you.
How long is your typical show? We custom tailor our show to fit your venue. Some clubs and private functions expect four hours of music, and some festivals require one hour. If we've got the crowd dancing, it's not unusual for us to play past our break time, just to keep the fun happening. Don't forget, we play this music to see YOU have fun. It's our top priority. 
How do you handle breaks? We try to schedule our breaks to coincide with any other activities that may need to occur during the event. The break time is determined by the timing of the event but usually runs about fifteen or twenty minutes. If you like, you can supply CDs of your choice for us to play during our breaks, or we will play our own carefully "DJ'd" CDs from our collection of over 100.
Can you provide music during a cocktail hour or dinner? Yes, we have a vast collection of CDs that we can play to set the perfect backdrop for cocktail hour or dinner. We prefer to perform "live" when it's time for dancing ! 
What other options do you offer?  Our sound system is the "Top of the Line", and for an additional charge, we will make the system available for any other acts that we share your event with. This relieves you of hiring extra people and provides you with a professional, consistant sound. 
Will the songs sound like the originals?  As close as we possibly can. Obviously, it's impossible to "exactly" recreate the sound of the original artist, but we come amazingly close. We realise that most people want to hear the songs they like the way they remember hearing them, and we try to make everyone feel like they're hearing the music they love, "live". You be the judge. Click the AUDIO button on the left and give us a listen. What you'll hear are cuts from our CD, which is available for sale at all our perfomances.  
Can we make requests? Absolutely. We try to play every request we get, because we're there to make you happy. Understandably, we can't play every song in the world, but if it's possible, we'll give it a shot. Please inform us ahead of time, if there's a special song you'd like to have for your special event. We will be happy to play it for you, from our vast CD collection, during our break. 
During a wedding, who will act as Master of Ceremonies?  Our leader, Nick, wears many hats in this band, and being an M.C. is one of them. His many years onstage have made him prepared for almost any occasion. When booking the band, just tell him what you need, and he'll be happy to discuss it with you. 
Will the band dress appropriately?  Always. Tuxedos at weddings and other formal events and appropriate attire as requested or as the event warrants. We use stage props, and occasionally we wear wacky hats and do other zany things to get the party going! We like to have fun and be entertaining. We want YOU to have fun ! 
How good is your equipment? The best in the business. We have equipment that can cover everything from large outdoor events, if sound is not provided, all the way down to the smallest private party. We bring only what's needed for each specific size event.

Although we take care of our equipment and are make sure it is properly connected and tested, all equipment is subject to certain environmental conditions. If the electric service is weak, poorly grounded or noisy (neon signs or cheap light dimmers) it can affect the sound by introducing buzzes and noise. After many years of working many different situations, we're ready to take on any place that music can be played.
How much room and power does the band need? We'd like a space that is 16 feet wide by 10 feet deep, but we realise this is not always possible. We will try to accomodate what the space dictates. As for power, we typically require 2 seperate power lines of 110 volts with 20 amp service. Please give us a call, and we'll discuss these things. 
When and how will the band set up?  We alway try to set up before the event begins and people arrive. Sometimes the timing of the event prevents this but usually as soon as the room is open, we're there. We move our gear on wheels to prevent damage and never leave a mess behind. If we're required to set up several hours before we actually play, an additional charge may be necessary. Again, please call us to discuss these things
Do we have to feed the band or provide any accomodations? For all private events, the band members will be unable to leave their equipment unattended. For this reason, meals for the band members will be required to be provided. Obviously, if we must travel hundreds of miles away from home, we'll require over-night accomodations.
How far will you travel? We currently play all over Chicagoland area, and occasionally in Wisconsin. We will travel to play, but the details must be discussed with us, and included in the contract. Travel to further parts of the country (or world) can be arranged but of course we would have to include all air fare, lodging, equipment rental and other travel charges in our fee.
Will there be any changes in band personnel by the time of our event? Barring any illness or act of God, no. Should there be any personnel changes (this is very rare) we have substitutes, so the "show can go on". We're not one of those "dial-a-bands". All our members are permanent players, dedicated to improving our sound and show, each performance.
How do we book the band? It's as easy as calling our hotline, 24/7 at 224-238-3864. We will return your call as soon as possible, discuss the arrangements and get a contract right out. Send it back with a deposit and we're all set. Click the CONTACT button on the left, for more details.
How far in advance should we book the band? If you've checked our schedule, you've seen that we are booked up to a year in advance. In order to insure that you get the date and times that you want, contact us as far in advance as possible. Don't let those last minute jitters stop you from trying to book us though. Often dates change, occasionally cancel or sometimes we just have a day that stays open. You won't know unless you contact us.
How much do you charge?  O.K., the bottom line. We are a busy act and are booked well into the year 2012. Like most other businesses, we are subject to market forces, which means some days of the week are more desirable than others. Typically Friday and Saturday night private events have higher rates (other than New Years eve). Remember, a small private party of 100 guests will be priced differently than an outdoor festival expecting 1000 listeners. Every event is different and is quoted accordingly. Overtime can be arranged at anytime before our last song. If you would like to know our rate for YOUR specific event, or have any other questions, please call us at 224-238-3864, or e-mail us at nick@theincognitos.com
Are there any other extra charges?  No. Everything will always be completely documented in a contract for our mutual understanding and protection. If you request additional lighting, sound reinforcement, DJ services or anything that requires additional personnel, rental fees or travel, lodging etc., this must be contracted and arranged in advance. We will never pop any "oh-by-the-way" charges on you ever. Thanks for considering us, and we hope to see you soon!
Do you sell any band merchadise? At all of our performances, we have T-shirts & our professionally recorded CDs for sale, $10 each. Click the PRODUCTS button on the left for more information.