Usually, it's the couple that picks the band and venue for their wedding, but in the case of Friday's so-called Forever Eva party at First Avenue it happened the other way around.
Lucky spouses-to-be Katy Armstrong and Kyle Corrigan were picked by the club out of numerous entrants to get married on stage Friday night at the venue, where the last public wedding was Lucinda Williams' post-gig nuptials in 2009. After the ceremony, the newlyweds and 100 of their guests — plus hundreds more "wedding crashers" who buy the $10-$12 tickets — will be treated to a free concert by a band of local all-stars including Al Church, Jeremy Ylvisaker (Suburbs), Sarah Perbix (Cloud Cult), Jeremy Hanson (Tapes N' Tapes) and singers such as Julius Collins, Mark Mallman and Mina Moore.
The whole idea came from Church, known from his own records as well as the bands BB Gun and Private Oates, the latter a cheeky Hall & Oates tribute band. He has assembled group lineups similar to Friday's crew to play friends' weddings over the years, and he has heard many requests for a public gig.
"We are kind of the 'Stranger Things' of wedding bands," said Church, promising lots of '80s-era love songs and sexy jams by the likes of Prince and Tears for Fears. "Now we've turned it into a real-deal wedding band."
According to First Ave staff, Armstrong's and Corrigan's submitted story won them the contest. "Music has been an important part of our relationship since go," Armstrong wrote to the club. "It would be a dream come true to be married at First Ave."
