LIFE OF THE PARTY: Superstar wedding band Liquid Pleasure keeps loosening up crowds in its fifth decade.

• Author: Smith, Katherine Snow

Kenny Mann thought he and his Liquid Pleasure bandmates had a real shot at a music career when the group landed a contract with the Hit Attractions booking agency in 1981.

More than 40 years later, Mann debated which Raleigh restaurant to choose for dinner with a top executive of Richmond-based East Coast Entertainment, which has represented the group since 1990. The agent wanted to schmooze the veteran musician, who chose Perry's Steakhouse & Grille in northwest Raleigh.

From choosing venues to negotiating contracts, Mann, 68, is in the driver's seat now that Liquid Pleasure is one of the best-known U.S. wedding bands. The group also entertains at events sponsored by Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, professional sports teams and at presidential inaugurations.

"When Barack Obama got elected, we got that call to pack our bags and come to D.C. I was overwhelmed with emotions," says Mann. "I got up the next day and looked at every major headline around the world, and it had Obama's inauguration schedule. Seeing Liquid Pleasure's name even in the Moscow newspaper, it didn't get much better than that."

At an official Obama ball, the band shared top billing with fellow North Carolina native James Taylor. That followed similar performances at inaugural events for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. They've also played at Mar-a-Lago, the Florida resort owned by Donald Trump.

The group formed in 1966 when the original members were in middle school in Chapel Hill. Now, they fly to Florence, Italy, and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for weddings a few times a year. An overseas wedding reception with all 14 performers can run about $75,000, which covers as much as $40,000 in travel and other costs.

High-end domestic performances are closer to $30,000, while the band fills in its calendar of 110 shows a year with lower-ticket appearances such as the recent 75th Anniversary Gala for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP or the free North Hills summer concert series in Raleigh.

"We have a version of Liquid Pleasure for every price range," Mann says. "We do charity events for much less."

ACADEMIC ROOTS

In the '80s, the band's main clientele was fraternities and sororities, first at southern schools and eventually at some Ivy League campuses. Mann quickly realized that the partying college kids would become brides and grooms seeking wedding entertainment in a few years.

"They're a loss-leader. You get so much business from those parties that turns into wedding...