Good Questions
What do people ask before booking us?
Straight answers.
What sort of band is Ricky Bobby Band?
We’re a three-piece live cover and party band from Austin, Texas: drums, bass and guitar. Rik Avalos plays bass and Bob Michaels plays guitar. Both front the band and trade lead and harmony vocals. Sonny Sanchez plays drums and sings backing vocals, so every chorus has one lead voice and two backing voices. Every instrument and vocal is live in the room, and the songs stay close to the records people already know.
Which events do you play?
Private parties, weddings, corporate events, nightclubs, galas, fundraisers, holiday parties and festivals. A backyard birthday and a thousand-person ballroom get the same show. If your event has a dance floor, or room for one, we will play it.
Do you perform during the wedding ceremony?
Yes, and we play whatever you pick. There is no set menu of ceremony songs. Tell us the songs and where each one goes: the prelude, the processional, the big moment and the recessional. We learn them and hit every cue. All we need is that list and enough time to practice. If a song matters to you, we play it, on our setlist or not.
Where did the name Ricky Bobby originate?
The name comes from the two frontmen. Rik Avalos is Ricky and Bob Michaels is Bobby. Ricky Bobby is also Will Ferrell’s race car driver in Talladega Nights. So we wear race suits as a nod to the film: Rik in Ricky Bobby’s suit, Bob in Cal Naughton Jr.’s and Sonny in Jean Girard’s. Rik and Bob talk in Southern accents, Sonny uses a French one, and we joke around all night. Shake and bake! But we are not playing those characters. We are our own band, having fun with the theme.
Will you serve as MC and handle announcements?
Yes. Rik and Bob both handle MC duties and trade announcements the way they trade lead vocals. At weddings, they introduce people and cover the first dance, toasts, cake and send-off. At galas, they cover the program and thank-yous. At corporate parties, they announce awards and speakers. At birthdays, they handle the toasts and cake. MC duties come with your booking, with no separate contract. That means announcements, which is a smaller job than hosting a long program. We’ll tell you if your night needs a dedicated host.
Can a single band handle the entire event?
Yes. The same three people can handle the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, announcements and three dance sets, with one load-in and one contact. Choose the parts you need.
Do you provide your own sound and lighting?
Yes. We bring a full PA and lighting rig, self-contained for any size room. If a venue has its own sound and lights, we can plug right in.
What music do you play?
Six decades of music, from 1967 to 2018: soul and Motown, classic rock and funk, ’80s new wave, ’90s grunge and alternative, metal and hard rock, Texas country, Texas blues-rock and reggae-rock. In one night, you can hear music by Jimmy Buffett, Chris Stapleton, Garth Brooks, U2, Foo Fighters, Sublime, Blur, Alanis, Radiohead, Metallica, Nirvana, Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Billy Idol, the Cure, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Prince, Stevie Wonder, the Stones, Otis Redding, and Van Morrison.
Are you a ’90s cover band?
In part. The ’90s are the biggest part of our setlist: Nirvana, Radiohead, Alanis Morissette, Blur, Stone Temple Pilots, Sublime, Foo Fighters and the Refreshments. But we are not a ’90s tribute band.
Do you play rock and metal?
Yes. That sets us apart from most Austin party bands. In the third set, we play straight rock from Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Def Leppard, ZZ Top, Aerosmith, Metallica and Judas Priest.
How many musicians are in the band?
Three. A three-piece fits on stages a ten-piece cannot, and it costs less than a horn band. It still fills a room: all three sing, two of the three take lead, and the vocals carry the songs people came to hear.
Where do you play?
Anywhere, as long as the price makes sense. We are based in Austin, so Round Rock, Georgetown, Dripping Springs and the rest of the Hill Country are easy. So are San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. We will go farther too. Travel just goes into the quote.
How much music do you play?
Up to three sets of about forty-five minutes each, with very little break between them. That is about two and a half hours of live music, plus an encore if the room wants one. We also play a softer set for cocktail hour and dinner.
What is the show like?
High energy from the first song to the last. We’re a dance band. Both frontmen work the crowd all night, Bob rips the guitar leads, and three-part harmonies stack up live over the drums and bass. Every song earns its spot by keeping the floor moving. Picturing a duo on stools playing background jazz? That’s not us. Want a dance floor that stays packed? That’s us.
Do you take requests?
Yes. Give us a heads-up and we’ll work your picks into the night. We know far more songs than the printed setlist.
What does it cost to hire the band?
The price depends on the date, where the venue is and how much of the night you want covered: just the dance sets, or cocktail hour and dinner too.
How far ahead should we book?
Spring and fall Saturdays in Texas go first, and wedding calendars often fill six months to a year ahead. If we are free, we will make it work.
How does payment work?
You pay online and get a real receipt. No tip jar.
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