TESTIMONIALS

"Dear Vinny, Darik and the Funbag crew,
We can’t thank you enough for making our wedding a night to remember forever!
From the wedding logistics, and Vinny ensuring that our Elvis justice of the peace surprise entrance went off without a hitch, to indulging us with our favorite songs and some performance time, to the professionalism and overall energy, the band was the perfect choice to make our wedding the event we were looking for-a fun night of celebration with family and friends! Seeing guests who never typically dance was also a highlight and a testament to the band’s ability to get the crowd excited.
Thank you again for an amazing evening."

Sandy and Mike

"I just wanted to thank you and the band for making the trip up to Vermont for our daughter's wedding on August 17th.  Everybody a fantastic time and the energy you guys brought to the event was great.  This was the third time you've played at an event with us and it keeps getting better every time. 
We'll keep an eye out for when you are playing near us and catch the show.
Thanks again,"
Paul DiSilvestr 2024

"Darik and the Funbags rocked the house for our wedding night and we could not have been happier with the outcome. Vinny and the team were communicative throughout the entire planning process, and they brought the party when they got on stage for the main event. They were engaged throughout the performance and they executed the best set we could imagine. They have a broad set of songs to choose from and they accommodated every request we made, even some last minute requests. Their set up and break down routine was flawless, and they worked seamlessly with our planner and the rest of the wedding team throughout the night. We knew from day one that we made the best possible choice in going with the Funbags. If you are a music lover, the Funbags are for you!" - Seamus and Adriana, August 2024 

"Using Darik and the Funbags for our wedding was easily one of the best decisions we made! These guys are more than just a pun filled name. They listen to what you want, they care about your experience, and they deliver it all with high quality and SO. MUCH. FUN. We have gotten so many compliments on how good they were - my mom tells everyone who will listen about Darik crowd surfing on Vinny's shoulders and how the band never took a break (they really didn't!). It's the perfect variety of music with rock and roll from the 80s, country songs, hip hop, today’s music, and Jackson 5 classics. Our dance floor was filled all night with all generations of our guests, from my grandmother to our cousins and friends. The band even learned our first dance song and played it at the end of the night - it was one of our favorite moments from the wedding! 

As a fan of this band for almost 20 years, the groom was very excited to have Darik and the Funbags at our wedding. We had heard them play at countless bars before, but they exceeded our expectations in so many ways.  From a logistical point of view, Vinny was responsive, helpful, and available to talk through everything we needed prior to the wedding. The Funbags did the sound for our ceremony, which was outside and windy and just a difficult situation, and everything went perfectly. Vinny went above and beyond to give us everything we asked for and make our day perfect, including surprising us with navy and white Funbags hats which we was one of our absolute favorite wedding gifts, and getting the groom to eat his dinner so he could have fun all night long. He was an awesome MC and everything went flawlessly. Thank you Vinny, Darik, and the Funbags!! We can't wait to party with you again soon."

TJ and Meg Petersen 2024

“Dear Darik and the Funbags,

“We couldn’t speak higher about this band and everyone involved in the planning process. From first contact, to willingness to be flexible, and all the communication in between, they made the music part of our wedding planning process painless. Vinny in particular was very accommodating when it came to customizing our wedding song, as well as my song when coming down the aisle. For a band that I’m sure is very busy, they truly made us feel important and heard. When it comes to actually performing and how they sound – they are fantastic. Super lively, people of all ages are up and dancing. Music selection covers multiple decades, it’s the perfect mix. Prior to my wedding I’ve been to two others where they were the wedding band and each time they’ve created such a lively atmosphere. We highly recommend them & hope to use them for future events.
– The newly married Mr. & Mrs. Connaughton” 2023

“Vinny (and the rest of our favorite band)

We can’t thank you guys enough for making our wedding as spectacular as it was. We are getting SO MANY compliments on the music, which we expected but so many people are telling us that it’s the best wedding they’ve ever been to…which is absolutely because of you guys. If weddings weren’t so damn expensive, we’d try to do this every year.

We will be talking about this for years to come so THANK YOU THANK YOU!! Hope you all had fun and got home safe! We’ll see you around CT!

If there’s somewhere you’d like us to write a review/endorsement, we are MORE THAN happy to – just let me know where!!

Cassie & Shawn Bamford “

“There are so many parts of our day that I want to relive but one of them is without a doubt walking into our reception to “Kickstart My Heart” played live by our favorite’s, Darik and the Funbags! 

This was just one of the many requests we had for this group, and you guys more than delivered on every.single.one. Vinny, you answered every question and fulfilled every one of our wants and needs with no questions asked.  And the band… I mean I can’t even count how many of our guests started traveling to see you guys after our wedding. The entertainment level was unreal… which of course my husband and already knew being that we saw you on our first date and haven’t missed a show in our area since that day…

Having you all a part of our big day was really a dream come true and we will never ever be able to talk about our wedding without mentioning the Funbags. “

“Thank you” will never be enough! Love u guys!!!!

Cambell 2022

Hi!!

"I hope all of you are doing well! I just want to share that Kevin and I attended my cousins wedding last weekend and all anyone would talk about was how amazing our band was. My aunt said it’s the best wedding band she has ever seen. It’s our most frequent compliment from our wedding and we are just so eternally grateful for all of you and for making our day perfect. Wishing you all wonderful holidays coming up!"

Thank you forever,
Monica and Kevin McCann
(7/16/22 Villa Bianca wedding)

“Vinny (& Darik and the Funbags),

There was no band on this planet that could have done a better job than you guys! Thanks again for a performance we will never forget. Every time we see you guys you blow our minds and exceed our expectations.

We will definitely be in touch with a testimonial and we will hopefully see you guys on Block Island in September.”

Cheers!
Will & Lauren
2022

“Can’t thank you guys enough for an absolute awesome time on Friday! We had the time of our lives and you had so many fans old and new! You all made it an even more unforgettable experience and we are so grateful to have had you be a part of our big day!

My niece hasn’t taken the fun bag sunglasses off since so you made her week too!

Thank you again!”

Kelly and Ron
2022

Vinny, and Darik and the Funbags,

We just wanted to thank you guys for making our dream wedding come true. My wife was the complete opposite of a “bridezilla”, but the one demand that she had for our wedding was to have you guys play. After watching a couple of your videos, I quickly agreed, and that was the best decision we made for our entire wedding. From the very beginning, Vinny was so awesome to deal with. He made planning this part of our big day so easy. From dealing with a date change due to COVID to taking charge as the MC of the night, Vinny was the absolute best!!

My only big request of the band that night was that they play Ants Marching to end the wedding. Being such a huge Dave Matthews Band fan, I was super excited for this song to be played and it was the best rendition I have ever heard any band play, and I have heard tons of other bands play it.

Ever since our wedding, the one compliment we have gotten from every single guest was how amazing the band was. You guys played such a wide range of music, and you totally captured the mood of the wedding. Every single song you guys played was amazing. From 90s alternative, to 80s hair band, to country, you guys absolutely nailed it! We seriously cannot thank you all enough for truly making our big day the wedding of our dreams. I cannot wait to go see you guys play again as soon as possible. For anyone out there looking for a band to play at their wedding, I cannot recommend Darik and the Funbags enough. They were absolutely, without a doubt, the best band that I or any of our guests had ever heard play at any wedding!!!!!!
Thank you all so much,

Ian Rodrigues, 2021

“Seriously the best! Cannot stress enough how much people enjoyed you guys! you guys are amazing!!! Side note you should charge more because you are worth it and comparable bands are a lot more money. You guys are the life of the party – amazing music, great to work with, can’t say enough good things! Samantha will put a review up – she is better at that than me! Thanks again.”
Samantha Boger, 2021

“Dearest Vinny & Darik and the Funbags,
Thank you so much for helping us have the Best Wedding in 2020! You were so easy to work with and Vinny was very helpful from start to finish!
All of our guests said you were phenomenal and the best band that they had ever seen at a wedding. We all had so much fun! (Some more than others!)
We will never forget you guys, you made our (Melanie’s) dream wedding come true.
Look forward to seeing you all again soon!”
Best,
Andy and Melanie Macierowski, 2020

“Dear Vinny and Darik and the Funbags,

We want to start by saying thank you for playing our wedding and for creating such an incredible memory and experience for both us and our guests.  It has been one month and people are still talking to us about how incredible you were.

Our wedding day had a few mishaps that could have potentially lead to a bad outcome.  Not only did the outdoor ceremony get rained out but the venue coordinator that we had dealt with the entire time apparently wasn’t working that night and things were getting a little chaotic with the last minute decision to move everything inside.  However, Vinny stepped in, took control and put my husband right at ease.  He ensured that everything would go off perfectly and he delivered.  From start to finish you were all nothing but professional, caring and fun.  From the last minute “You and Me” mix, to the organization of introductions and the wedding timeline and we can’t forget the phenomenal “Ants” walk out, you completely exceeded our expectations and they were pretty high since we are such big fans!

My parents got married at 19 and pretty much could only afford a potluck dinner wedding.  However, my dad said they had a live band and at the end of their reception people were chanting “Hell no, we won’t go.”  From the day we heard that story, our mission was to have a live band to provide that same kind of party and celebration to all of the people we love.  Hiring you was the absolute BEST decision we made for our wedding.  And after watching the video of everyone chanting “One more song” I think it is safe to say, mission accomplished.  We can’t thank you enough and hope to see you at a show soon!

Much love,”

Kelsey and Scott Murelli, 2019

“We had an absolute blast at our wedding!!! Everyone that we have talked to/seen since then has said that was the BEST wedding they’ve ever been to!! I don’t know how it’s ever going to be topped😁😁

The whole family is planning on going to Mezzo’s on the 18th to see you guys again.

We can’t thank you enough! See you soon!”

Erin & John Kronenberger, 2019

“Hi guys!!

We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your absolutely epic performance last night. Brian and I had an amazing, amazing night on the dance floor and our guests could not stop talking about how amazing you were. You were the highlight of the evening. You were fabulous.

Thanks again and you all are the best. We would never hesitate to recommend you; please feel free to use us as a reference if you ever need.”

All our best,
Jen and Brian, 2019

Even Mom Friendly!
“Now let me just tell you, my mother was very nervous about the Funbags when I told her about them….Needless to say, she was not disappointed in the least on my wedding day! She even went up to the band herself at the end of the night thanking them for the amazing time we had all had!”

Kori Kollanda

I can’t thank you guys enough for making Olivia’s & Aarons wedding a day we will never forget.  Our guest were telling us that the wedding was off the charts and one of the best weddings they have ever been too. We have you to thank for that.  Everyone was on the dance floor from the second you started with the Tran-Siberian Orchestra and ended with “My Way”.
If couples are fans of yours and love your shows, they must know their wedding will be just as awesome.  You catered to the couple and played to all the guest, regardless of the age. Our guest were from the age of 14-81.   I believe the band/DJ will make or kill a wedding.  The music is something that people will always remember and will talk about.
Everyone will remember my daughters & son-in-laws because of you and again I can not thank you guys enough.
Thank you.. thank you.. thank you!!!!!!

Maria Cambra Bufalini
Olivia and Aaron Ishman
SEP 23, 2017

Vinny, Darik and Funbags family,

Derek and I cannot thank you enough for playing at our wedding. You all have no idea just how happy you made my husband (and myself, of course) by taking to the time to travel and celebrate with us. You all were so unbelievably helpful and accommodating. Having our intro song played live was certainly a highlight for us both. You all were such a huge part in making this “Woodstock Wedding” a success. We were having such a great time we totally forgot to cut our cake! Your professional yet relaxed demeanor was the perfect compliment to the other not-so-traditional components of our big day. Our guests cannot stop talking about your performance. We both hope you enjoyed yourselves too! I am sure we will see you all in the near future!

Thank you all again,

Lisa and Derek
JULY 2017

So, I just woke up (1:15pm) which should tell u a little bit about the night I had… and I just want to make this abundantly clear! To ALL of you folks that work hard ALL week and are looking at that clock on Friday to ring in the weekend… if your looking to be entertained and have not a good night but, a GREAT night? Look no further than a band that calls themselves Darik and The Funbags!
Yes we are friends.. and YES we are dinosaurs (as Darik calls he and I) but, TRULY and HONESTLY I sat and watched how talented EVERY member is.. and how tight as a band they are… that ALONE should be enough… but, they don’t stop there… they’re funny, they play such a variety of songs that can appease young and old… they climb up on the bar, get on shoulders and even put a mic on the center of the floor for ANYONE to go up and sing!
People… As many of you know… I NEVER get out to see other bands because we are ALWAYS playing. (Thank You Paul Pedro for going to Iceland)… I drove home not impressed by the Funbags.. but, BLOWN AWAY!!! Literally, from all things FUN is what Darik Pearson and the boys are all about! Matt Chirsky is a BEAST on Drums… Steve Chams has more talent in his pinky then anyone this side of THE Mississippi (always wanted to spell that)… and Mr. Rock Starr (Freddy) just completes EVERYTHING… what an awesome guitar player… while Vinny lays down MAD raps and gets EVERYONE singing!!
I said it once and I’ll say it thirty more times.. if ANYONE wants to have a GREAT night out… go see Darik and The Funbags!!!
Oh and let’s not forget one of the BEST venues in the state.. HELL, the Tri-State area… The Shamrock in Waterbury… most venues can just have a stage… Michael Shamrock Pronovost goes above and beyond to make sure his clientele has a great experience! Top quality sound equipment, to the amazing light show and kick ass sound engineers!
Look I know it sounds like I’m licking ass right now… but, take a look at my past post’s over the last 7 years! I do NOT do this… (ever)
So again… thank you Mike Shamrock and THANK YOU Funbags!!!
(Side note) to all those peeps that argue about paying a cover charge… We here in the “Cover Industry” (most) work hard to insure you guys are entertained… when I arrived it was so late that they stopped charging! By the end of the night I found the owner and paid my $10 PROUDLY!
Anyway, not looking for bouquets for myself, just saying SUPPORT live music! Anyone can just press a button (hit play) we “Dinosaurs” work really hard and LOVE performing for you! (Mic drop)

Randal (Randy) Buttner – The ZOO
NOV 2016

My husband and I could not have been more satisfied with Darik and the Funbags, they made our wedding day complete. From the minute that we met Vinny and the rest of the band, they were personable and accommodated all of our needs. The entire band was very easy to work with and very open to our ideas. The band is very friendly and took the time to get to know our parents and bridal party.  We even booked the acoustic guitarist for the cocktail hour, which all of our guests enjoyed.  Vinny was extremely efficient in getting back to us on all of our questions and always had amazing suggestions. The band played songs old and new, getting every age group up and dancing. They learned our favorite songs without telling us and we were shocked when we hit the dance floor. Darik and the Funbags kept the crowd moving and the party jumping. Vinny was extremely helpful keeping the reception on schedule from the bridal party announcements, to cutting the cake, and the last song.They helped my sister out, making sure that she had the Prince of Bel Air back beat for her maid of honor speech. I would highly suggest hiring Darik and the Funbags for your next event, they will not disappoint!

We could not be happier with Darik and the Funbags as our wedding band! They truly made our wedding amazing by putting on a great show and getting everyone dancing and energized.  Their energy was contagious and they made our wedding so much fun! Not only are they fun and know how to get people on the dance floor, but they are SO talented! We got so much positive feedback from our guests about the band, everyone loved them. Darik and the Funbags were also so great to work with in terms of preparing for the wedding- they always emailed right back when we had any question and were true professionals. We are confident that we picked the very best band for our wedding. Thanks, Darik and the Funbags! We can’t wait to come to a show soon!

Jeanine and Robert Lambrecht
JULY 2016

Hi Darik and the Funbags!

We just wanted to thank you so much for being the perfect band for our wedding.  You guys went above and beyond for us and we keep hearing from all of our guests how much they loved you!  Your band truly made our wedding the amazing day that it was!

We could not be happier with Darik and the Funbags as our wedding band! They truly made our wedding amazing by putting on a great show and getting everyone dancing and energized.  Their energy was contagious and they made our wedding so much fun! Not only are they fun and know how to get people on the dance floor, but they are SO talented! We got so much positive feedback from our guests about the band, everyone loved them. Darik and the Funbags were also so great to work with in terms of preparing for the wedding- they always emailed right back when we had any question and were true professionals. We are confident that we picked the very best band for our wedding. Thanks, Darik and the Funbags! We can’t wait to come to a show soon!

Jeanine and Rob McCann
JULY 2016

My husband and a lot of his friends were are very familiar with the band. I had not ever been to any concerts but had heard good things from others. When I told my maid of honor that we were considering hiring them she said “oh my gosh don’t even look at anyone else, they are the best and are so much fun, your guests will love them at your wedding!” We went to a concert they were having at a local bar and both Vinny and Darik went out of there way to say hi and see if we needed anything and the music they played was awesome. Needless to say we did hire them!

Thank you to the whole band for making our wedding a night we will never forget!!!

Rebecca and Richard Poggi
JUNE 2016

Our best decision on our wedding day was marrying each other…our second best decision was hiring Darik and the Funbags as our band!! Scott and I woke up the day after our wedding and said, that was not only the best day of our lives but by far the funnest day of our lives. The band had EVERYONE and that means over 200 people on our dance floor for 2 plus hours!! They shortened their break and got right back out there rocking the night away. The band learned our first dance song “I’ll Be” which was SUCH a treat for us! They were gracious enough to allow our family and friends to step in and play/sing our father/daughter dance, “You’ll be in my heart”. My 89 year old grandmother danced the night away, people in our families who we’d never seen dance were jamming on the dance floor!

The band was flexible, with our timing because if you know us…especially me, we are always late. They were extremely responsive to our inquiries and kept things super straightforward and low key for us leading up to and on the day. There wasn’t a moment or circumstance they stressed me out…and as the Bride I will say, contrary to my expectations, many of our vendors stressed me out, leading up to or even on the day. The band was professional and also still brought their own flare to the event.

We loved that Darik and the Funbags paid attention to the crowd and played to them, changing things up based upon how song choices were received. It was a first for us to see a band bring props but our guests loved it! We saw guests from our wedding over the Holidays (3 months later) who were still raving about how much fun they had at our wedding and how fantastic the Funbags were! Scott and I didn’t have to worry AT ALL about our band which was fantastic. We loved the music, we LOVED the energy and couldn’t be more confident when we say that after deciding to say “I Do’ hiring the Funbags to rock our day was the best decision we could have made! We couldn’t have found a more incredible band to play at our wedding!! You won’t go wrong if you pick these guys, better yet it will be one of your best decisions of all!

Kelley & Scott Wilson #wottywedding
SEPT 2015

There is NO chance our wedding gets the rave reviews it did without Darik and the Funbags.  We didn’t leave the dance floor once and most of our guests were right there with us.  It’s one thing to think your own wedding is the best one you’ve ever been to, but when people of all ages are telling you this repeatedly in the days, weeks, and months following the event, you know it was good.  We have no doubt that we have Darik and the Funbags to thank for that.  

Outside of the fact that they 100% brought the house down, they were also great to work with throughout the entire process.  Organized, professional, detail oriented and responsive.  Vinny kept us relaxed as he emceed the event very professionally and wasn’t cheesy at all like some emcees can be.  Even when the photos and bridal party got delayed he never skipped a beat and figured out how to make things work which kept us from getting stressed.

Every member makes you feel like family and you just can’t beat that.  We’ve been to plenty of weddings with live bands and every single one feels like a wedding band.  We had a live concert at our wedding with back stage passes.  The set list they put together had every guest (from 6 year olds, to 20 somethings, 30 somethings all the way up to a 97 year old) rocking out; dancing and singing along whether from the crowd, up on stage or even with a band member on your shoulders!!  If you like fun, you’d be crazy to not have the Funbags play at your wedding and we’d be happy to give a personal reference at anytime.

Cait and Matt Cordaro
SEPT 2015

When John and I began planning our wedding there were a few MUSTS… Great Food, Friends and, of course, Music! Playing our wedding was no easy task; the Funbags had to make quite a road trip, take two ferries and stay overnight to play our venue. For which we are extremely grateful! They worked with us every step of the way and delivered on all the details and special requests. They really catered to our needs and listened to what was important to us, making our day stress-free and how we envisioned it. We could not have asked for a more lively, fun, musically talented and overall amazingly entertaining group of guys!

We Can’t Thank You Enough!”

John and Michele
The Pridwin Hotel & Beach Cottages
Shelter Island, New York
JUNE 28, 2014

If you’re looking for a good wedding band, you should keep searching…if you looking for an EXCEPTIONAL band to make your wedding a party beyond any expectation you could ever muster, stop here and look no further.  Darik and the Funbags blew us and all our guests away.  When they started playing after dinner I look at the room.  People were a bit confused and had a look like, is this really happening?  Within 5 minutes everyone was on the dance floor where they all stayed for the next 3 hours.  My wife and I wanted a party and Darik and the Funbags delivered amazingly.

Steven Y
JULY 2015
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“This is long overdue but we just wanted to tell you how amazing you were at our wedding!  Everyone loved you guys and we’re still hearing how you were the best wedding band ever!  And also how some of our friends would love to have you at their weddings down the road :I saw some testimonials on your website – we’d love to write a raving review for you guys!

Hope you’re having a great summer and you’ll definitely see us at your shows when you’re back in CT!”

“Darik,

Just wanted to thank you again. You made our wedding so incredibly awesome…all of our guests are still raving about you guys and how great you are. Can’t thank you enough!! We’ll definitely be seeing you at your shows around CT and at Paddy’s.”

Carrie and Jesse Linthicum
JUNE 2013

“Me and my ENTIRE staff love every time you’re at Blackstone. We always know were getting a quality show”

Mike -Blackstone
FEB 2015

“I’m a big fan, originally from Rhode Island and see you guys just about every summer. Friends and I plan our trip around your show!..”

“I saw you guys last night in Newport. Had so much fun. I love you guys and am so excited that you do weddings. I live in CT and am getting married…. I have been a fan since highschool and would love to have you at my wedding. You would make my day perfect…..”