The Boden Band - Summer Memories by a Wedding Band
05 October, 2017
A wedding party in Val d’Orcia - the Bandita Countryhouse
Being a wedding band is so rewarding! Last summer we gigged a lot all over Italy and in particular in Tuscany. And, it was really amazing for us since we are locals!
Travelling all over Tuscany to play at wedding parties is a wonderful way to discover beautiful landscapes and locations that we would not visit otherwise. Moreover, since we are a Wedding Band we can have the honour to share the most important day of the life of so many brides and grooms, giving them great music and fun!
The Val d’Orcia is one of the most beautiful locations we visited last summer. Sometimes we call this land the very secret place in Tuscany since it is still a lesser-known destination compared to Florence, Siena or Chianti but it can definitely match the beauty of the above world-renewed locations.
Thanks to a jewel in the crown like Pienza and San Quirico which are really full of art and culture as well as ancient and renowned spa centres such as Bagno Vignoni and several wineries producing exquisite wines - although cheaper and less popular than Bolgheri or Brunello -, the Val d'Orcia offers romantic and amazing landscapes permeated by Tuscan vineyards. Furthermore, you can enjoy many gastronomic happenings and in general this area is still quite cheap.
Being UNESCO World Heritage since 2004, the Val d'Orcia has also been defined as the quintessence of authentic Tuscany. Meadows, cypresses, ancient hill towns in which extraordinary movies such as The English Patient or even parts of The Gladiator were made. Nearby, two world-renowned small towns: Montalcino and Montepulciano.
In the heart of this enchanting place, just a few miles from Pienza, you can find the Bandita Countryhouse.
Steve and Fiona, a lovely couple of Americans, hired us to play. They would like to celebrate their wedding among the Tuscan hills.
The owner of La Bandita, John Voigtmann, came from the United States, leaving behind an extraordinary career in the music world in which he worked with artists such as Foo Fighters, Christina Aguilera and The Strokes! After ten years spent with rock stars around the world, Mr. Voigtmann left behind a successful career as a music executive for Sony Music in New York City with the idea of opening a small inn amid the Tuscan countryside and that was eight years ago.
La Bandita has been an abandoned farm for a long time and Mr. Voigtmann converted it into a relaxed and friendly inn, a comfortable place for those who want to rest and enjoy exquisite food and the beauty of Tuscany. Now, La Bandita is an enchanting place with a big pool affording a view of the valley, wide rooms with amazing panoramas and good food made by using ingredients from the region such as Chianina's meat and sheep fresh milk.
Two years ago, Mr. Voigtmann opened also a second location in the heart of Pienza, the Bandita Townhouse, for those who prefer to immerse themselves in the enchanting stone alleys of one of the most beautiful ancient venues in Italy, the ideal Renaissance town.
As you can tell, we immediately liked him. Inside the inn, to evoke John's past business, there are prestigious memorabilia. The whole band gazed in awe the Foo Fighters' One by One platinum disc! It is really the ideal place for a wedding band made up of Rock and Roll enthusiasts!
Such an atmosphere made that day special, thanks to the support and kindness of a very hospitable and professional staff and great persons, including Elena and Simone (who also played the night DJ set).
We should add that for us of the Boden Band that wedding party was a special occasion since we had the opportunity to perform with all the 7 members of the band, with our complete horn section. It does not happen often, since travelling with seven members is more complex and costs are higher, so it was fun for us to give the audience such a total and exciting show!
The event was fun thus we decided to shoot a video, assembling two different moments of that evening. We chose Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder and Rehab of the never-too- much lamented Amy Winehouse. Here we go!
«We aim at discovering small, traditional tasty things and sharing them with our guests. » Mr. Voigtmann said in an interview some time ago. At La Bandita Mr. Voigtmann created his idea of simple life, to share with his guests, amid good food and tales to tell, in the framework of a Tuscan land as beautiful as a picture.
For us from the Boden Band to be part of this enchanting and intense atmosphere has meant diffusing the soul and the passion of our music all over the hills of Val d’Orcia by making that day simply unforgettable: one of those moments inspiring our carrier as wedding band and ultimately inspiring the general essence of life.