Category: Fun
This is exciting news!
Hot As A Pepper members John M. Hoyt, Chip McDonald and their spouses Pamela Hoyt and Debra Hoyt attended the big gala event at Huguenot Mill behind The Peace Center in Greenville, SC on Tuesday, July 11th after receiving notification the band was one of two finalists for the BEST MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT category.
Our invitations got us in and a entitled us to a few drinks each and some hour devours, allowing us to mingle and talk with friends.
We were up against stiff competition who has a very large following and is well established, so you can imagine our surprise when they called our name as the winner for Best of the Upstate – Best Musical Entertainment!
We appreciate each of you who supported, nominated and then voted for our band. That means a lot to us! And while an award in and of itself not a direct measurement of who is “best” or who is a success, it is an honor to have the support that we have had from you! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU a million times over.
We didn’t win this – you did!
Need a band for your wedding reception, corporate event, birthday bash, graduation, retirement or any other purpose? We want to talk to you! Contact us and lets make some booty wiggle!
Did you join our mailing list yet? You can do so HERE and we promise not to bombard you with more than a couple emails per month.
Today’s a great day for Hot As A Pepper! You could say we were filled with HAAPiness!
Why? Because new toys arrived and we’re itching to use them for our upcoming shows. We’ve upgraded our audio mixer from the Mackie DL1608 to the Mackie DL32R and put it in a new Gator road rack case with a Furman power distribution system, an Apple AirPort Express Wi-Fi router and a Western Digital 1TB USB hard drive.
The advantages over what we had are more inputs for more players, more outputs for more monitor mixes, additional effect capability and 32 channel record/playback. No, it won’t make us sound or look any better, but who doesn’t love more power!!?!!??
A little history about the evolution of Hot As A Pepper’s audio control system:
A while back we ditched our trusty analog Allen & Heath mixing console in an effort to make life easier on us.
What did the move to digital gain us? By losing the console, we also lost the snake, which presented a health & safety hazard at venues where someone could trip over it. It also meant we no longer had to carry that copper coil of evil around and wrap it up carefully to insure it was not damaged, along with cleaning all the gunk off of it from beer or food spillage, or even worse, the outdoor gigs where there was wet grass and dirt on it.
Another advantage of not having a big console is that the venue does not have to give up a table which could seat 2 to 4 people and make them more money. That comes thanks to wireless connectivity and using a series of tablets to control the mixer.
The audio tech or engineer uses a tablet such as an iPad in our case to sit ANYWHERE in the venue, or to roam around and listen to the sound at various locations. And they no longer control both the FOH (Front Of House) mix AND the monitor mix, they simply control what they hear. The monitor mixing takes place on stage, where the band is.
You can read about our previous transition from analog to the wonderful Mackie DL1608 16 channel digital board here and this is where we found the perfect case to protect the DL1608.
Is the DL32R or any digital mixer system right for YOUR band? Yes? No? Maybe?
If you want to lose the snake, not take up a table in the venue, YES!
If you want to be able to save settings for a venue and recall them and be close to playing without a long sound check the next time you play there, then YES.
If you want to simplify your life, MAYBE!
If you want to save money – no…
Why maybe on simplifying your life? You still need a sound tech out front if you want to sound your best out front. You now need to maintain multiple systems, such as a digital mixer, and a wireless system, and let’s not forget those iPads, which are fragile and MUST be charged and ready to go. Your sound tech may have never worked with a control surface on an iPad, whereas a traditional analog console is a snap to navigate, even if you have never seen that model before! Then there’s the potential for wireless interference which could prohibit you from controlling your audio system! It could come from wireless mics, or heavy 2.4/5GHz spectrum congestion. Oh, and let’s not forget about software updates, which could affect your system’s performance.
Want to save money? Go analog and forget the iPads, and mounts, chargers, racks, etc. Just buy yourself a nice 16-32 channel board and a snake and be done with it!
Nope, it’s not a one-size-fits-all type thing. It might not be right for you, or it may be exactly what you have been missing!
Want to discuss it? Find us out at a gig and we will show you our system and try to answer any questions we can.
You can also find me (John) online and I’ll be happy to tell you all I know.
Rock On!
About John:
John M. Hoyt is the bass player & manager of the Greenville SC based dance, party and event band, Hot As A Pepper. You can reach John at 864-979-1224 or use our CONTACT FORM.
The weekend was a beautiful preview of what spring has in store for us with temps almost touching 70 degrees.
It has some of you thinking about throwing a neighborhood block party or other outdoor event, and what goes perfect with parties? Hot As A Pepper! We’re ready to play for your individual gathering or your multi-neighbor party.
Why book a band for your block party? Because live entertainment builds excitement and energy. It can get people dancing and interacting in ways a boom box can’t!
Bands are fun and dynamic, take requests and help keep the momentum going.
What does a band need from you?
- A level place to setup. Hopefully 10×12 ft or larger.
- Cover for the band and equipment is always nice in case of rain, or to help prevent sun stroke if in the heat of a summer day.
- Reliable power in the form of a 20 Amp outlet nearby, or a couple 15 Amp circuits.
- Neighbors who are understanding that sound actually extends past your property line.
- Food and beverages – don’t forget to feed your entertainment, they perform better!
- Clear communication regarding setup, start and end times.
How much does it cost to hire a band for a block party? That depends on several factors.
How long do you need entertainment for? Are you providing the sound system or is the band? If it is going be at night, are lights going to be desired? Do you want an actual stage?
If you would like to talk about the details, please give us a call at 864.979.1224 or use our CONTACT FORM. We will be happy to give you a quote, and we can also handle every last detail of the entertainment for you, so you don’t even have to think about anything other than what potato salad recipe to use!
We travel within a few hours of the Greenville and Upstate SC area!
Hot As A Pepper enjoyed playing for the Upstate organization “InDwellings” last month! Let’s talk about why…
First of all, InDwellings has a goal to provide housing to those with special needs so that they can experience a HOME environment, not just a HOUSE. This is important because as you may be aware, our area has a large number of people who this will impact! These homes which InDwellings hopes to provide will not be some type of institutional dwelling, it will be a home filled with love. With the smell of baking cookies. Please read more about them on their website to get the latest and to make a contribution.
Back to the bash…. To help achieve their goal, they held an event called “Back to the Bash”, which was a 70s themed gala at the Thornblade Country Club here in Greenville. Hot As A Pepper was booked because we can provide several hours worth of music from just about any style or decade. For this event, we played a huge selection of music that was mostly from the 70s, peppered with a few from the late 60s and even one or two from the early 80s. Rock, Beach, Motown, Disco, Country, nothing was safe from us!
The gala coincided with the acquisition of InDwelling’s first house! It was a real celebration for sure! But it got exciting….
Delvin Choice who competed on “The Voice” was in the house, and him and our emcee, the multi-talented Michael Codgill joined our band on stage for an impromptu rendition of the James Brown classic, “I Got You (I Feel Good)”.
Here’s a clip from that….
This was a fundraiser, so Jake Ohlinger, with Ohlinger Auctions was in charge of auctioning off some outstanding items, such as an African Safari, and food packages, etc… That was a huge success, as I believe every item was sold!
Jake was so kind as to write the band this note:
Good Afternoon John & Hot As A Pepper,
Great Job! First Rate! Enjoyable! Job Well Done!
I want you and your band members to know that the InDwellings Organization was very pleased with your performance for the “Back to the Bash : Destination 1970’s” at Thornblade Club the evening of October 28th. You delivered great music and blended well with the group.
InDwellings and I wish you and your group continued success and fun in you business of entertainment and in your careers as musicians.
Sincerely and I look forward to working with you again.
Jake
Jake Ohlinger, BAS
Auctioneer
Ohlinger Auctions, LLC
200 Del Norte Road
Greenville, SC 29615
2jake@ohlinger.comcell (864) 918-7572
It’s exactly that kind of appreciation that makes our “job” worthwhile! Thanks Jake for believing in us!
If you have an upcoming event where you need fun music entertainment, won’t you please consider Hot As A Pepper? What can we do for you?
1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s themed event? CHECK!
A disco or funk event? CHECK!
Variety – covering several decades and styles? CHECK!
This makes us perfect for your high school or college reunion, your big fundraiser, wedding anniversary or wedding reception.
We play all around The Upstate (Greenville, Anderson, Spartanburg, Seneca, Clemson, Simpsonville) and down to Columbia, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Savannah, also Atlanta, Knoxville, Charlotte, Asheville and beyond!
Let’s talk about how we can work together! CONTACT US…
Hot As A Pepper loves playing wedding receptions and parties! Why? Because we get to hang out with people who want nothing more than to have fun, and more importantly, we get to share in a very special moment in a couple’s lives!
One couple, Todd & Joy, had seen our band perform at one of our favorite venues to play (The Spot on The Alley in Seneca) and decided that we would compliment their wedding day well, so they booked us for the wedding reception.
Their wedding director, Dee, was incredible, tending to every last detail, and making the venue (The Lighthouse) look more beautiful than it ever had for other events we have played there.
My Daughter, Megan Hoyt, played piano for the ceremony music and afterwards, sang and played piano and guitar for the cocktail hour music. I even sat in with Chris Eller to accompany her on a couple songs.
Then, Hot As A Pepper fired up and played a few special songs we had learned for the bride and groom’s first dance and the father/daughter dance, etc…. After which we saw a non-stop dance party until the last chords rang out. During the breaks we kept the crowd going with some popular line dance songs that had been requested.
Mission accomplished! It was an amazing night for the band!
Yesterday, we received this posting from the newlyweds on our Facebook Page:
Todd Scharich > Hot As A Pepper:
Thank you to Hot As A Pepper for providing a memorable night of entertainment at our recent wedding at the Lighthouse! The dance floor was full all-night long, with great selections of all genres from beach music and through every decade including current hits. The band was a pleasure to work with and we look forward to seeing them again soon. Thanks to Chip, John and the rest of the band!
I guess I don’t have to tell you… This is the icing on the cake! When you can do what you love doing, such as your band playing for a wedding, and then get positive feedback that people loved your work, it just doesn’t get better than this!
Thank you to Todd & Joy for trusting in Hot As A Pepper to play for their wedding. We wish you two a long lifetime of happy times and great music! We want to play for your anniversary parties!
– John
John plays bass for Hot As A Pepper and writes nonsense such as this blog post and silly comments on the band’s facebook page. The band is available for your wedding reception, party or other event in the Greenville area and out a few hours. We can provide a smaller “core” band of 4 or 5 people, or we can add our horns and an additional vocalist to cover just about any style of music you may desire!
Need cocktail or dinner hour music? How about ceremony music? We can handle all that. Give us a call, or use this FORM to get info on how to book or hire Hot As A Pepper!
Hot As A Pepper had a blast at the first Simpsonville Bacon Labor Day Festival on September 1, 2014.
It was a scorching hot day, yet the crowds were quite pleasing and the number of cars entered in the car show were higher than one would expect.
Hot As A Pepper had worked up a song to play for a special person, Donna Hughey, who was going to front the band and sing it, but due to the heat and her health, it didn’t happen. Hopefully we will get another chance in the future. You see, Donna only has six months to live. You can find out more about her story HERE.
Here’s one of the tunes we enjoyed playing, the classic rock song, “Magic Carpet Ride”.
If you would like fun and family friendly entertainment for your festival, fair, corporate event or any other occasion, please let us know! You can use this form to reach out to us HERE.
We play within a few hours driving range of Greenville, SC. Including Atlanta GA, Asheville NC, Knoxville TN, Columbia SC, Charleston SC, Augusta GA, Myrtle Beach SC, Savannah GA, etc.
Our horn section, “The Habanero Horns”, made their public debut last Friday to a few thousand of our closest friends at Greenville’s Main Street Friday show.
Ed Wimberly and Ryan Kouvolo did a bang up job and we have had people complimenting them for days!
If you would like to book Hot As A Pepper for your corporate event, or a wedding, or maybe your high school reunion, we can plug in the horns for just a little extra and they will take it to another level!
Here’s our favorite song from the Main Street gig:
Hot As A Pepper is ready, willing and able to book your shindig! Let’s talk about that…
Hot As A Pepper has become a HOT commodity in the fraternity and sorority scene. Seems that students can really get into dance music like disco, beach, funk and rock which is exactly what we bring!
Why not book us for your next college event? We’re fun, we’re funky, and we’re ready to help you dance the night away. Call us today at 864-979-1224 or use the BOOKING link!
Here’s a recent sorority gig down in Clemson… On stage, the crowd was just about the same level when they sang along as our monitors! Seems like they were having a blast!
Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”
The Beatles “Twist & Shout”
We can handle all the entertainment needs so you don’t have to think about that part! From the stage, to the lights to the audio, to the music during breaks – we’ve got this!
Back in May, we posted about our new mixing console, the Mackie DL1608 digital board and after several gigs, we thought it might be a good idea to do a follow up for anyone contemplating this type of mixer..
Let’s go with the bad (or the annoying) first
The Power Supply: This thing uses an external power supply. That means, we have to worry with getting the brick’s input and output cables tangled, and we have to handle it with care. And God forbid we were to break the barrel connector or something, as there is no locally sourced part that will exactly work.
The Wireless Router: Then there is the inconvenience of using a wireless router to connect the DL1608 to our iPads for wireless control. That thing gives us two more cables to worry with, an ethernet cable and a power supply, which takes up a couple spots on a power strip.
A Solution To All Our Problems?
A possible solution might be to mount the DL1608 into a road case, and secure the power brick inside as well as the wireless router and a power strip. That would permit quicker setup, secure everything in one place so nothing can get lost (or easily damaged). We might just do this in the near future.
That’s pretty much it for the bad! Sure, we would like a few more inputs, and the ability to have some sub groups, ability to turn on/off groups of inputs for Phantom (It’s either all on or all off), additional affects, and maybe to record more than two channels at a time – but hey, what do you expect for less than a grand???
The Good
Size: It’s compact! so much better than dragging a full size console out and using the venue’s table.
No Snake Needed: We place it on the stage, and run short cables to it. No health or safety hazard of running cables where people might be walking. No rolling up that heavy snake.
Audio Quality: While the DL1608 does not have the headroom and the low noise of our old ZED, it is still very much acceptable. It’s just not as crisp, it’s more flat sounding. Accept that the preamps are not going to be the same as on your big monsters, but this isn’t a bad thing.
Intuitive Controls: Pamela runs our audio at most shows. While she is not an audio engineer, she has a good ear, and she is there for us and able to accept input from four musicians all wanting something different and the venue personnel, and turn that into a great mix. The DL1608 allows her to do that on the iPad, and it is NOT overwhelming. It doesn’t look like the cockpit of a 747.
Saving A Show: This is one of the best things! There’s not a lot in the way of knobs that can get tweaked (or damaged) during a move of this mixer. So when you show up, if the knobs for input gain have not moved, the mixer settings are exactly like you last saved them. You can set the levels and EQ for your favorite bar or club and save them, then recall them when you play there again. This saves us 10 minutes at setup!
Six Aux Outputs: Hey, if you go with in ear monitors, you could have 6 mono outputs, or 3 stereo for your musicians. We have standard powered monitors, so we have run up to 3 different mixes. Each musician that has an iPhone or iPad can set their own mix. These also save when you save a show.
Cool factor: Trust me when I tell you that people are fascinated by this technology. They see Pamela wandering around with an iPad in hand and watch her. Also, on stage, we leave an iPad docked into the DL1608, so we can record to it, and use it for stage mix.
With Behringer’s new console, and the Presonus out there, would we get the DL1608 if we were to do this all over again? At this point in time, yes. Even though there are more inputs from the competitors, and certainly better preamps, this little unit seems like it is perfect for our four piece group.
When you see us play in the Greenville, SC area, come check it out, we’ll be glad to show you how it works.