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As one of the hottest dance bands in Chicago, Indigo has been featured on New Year's Eve at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, and has earned repeat performances at premier events in Chicago including the Lyric Opera and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Opening Galas, among others.
Indigo is built upon young veteran talent hand-selected by producer Ken Arlen to bring an exciting presence and youthful energy that our clients have come to expect from an Arlen Music experience.
As the featured bandleader, arranger and saxophonist, Dan Nicholson is well known for his personable and energetic style and his ability to call a great dance party while incorporating a client's vision with a fun and easy flare. He also has instilled a fresh yet authentic sound to the full spectrum of Indigo’s repertoire through his spectacular and exciting arrangements.
Dan Nicholson is an accomplished bandleader and virtuoso musician hailing from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Before making his home in Chicago, Dan attended the University of North Florida where he studied saxophone and flute under the legendary Bunky Green, who called Dan "a musical force to reckon with." Dan developed his bandleading skills on the East coast and in Chicago before he joined the Arlen Music organization four years ago as the lead arranger and music director for Front of House. Dan also serves as the lead saxophonist and soloist to the nationally renowned Chicago Jazz Ensemble. With a Master's Degree in composing and arranging from DePaul University, Dan creates spectacular and exciting arrangements for all of the Arlen Music bands, including the Ken Arlen Orchestra. Dan is well-known for his personable and energetic style, his fun and easy flair, and his ability to call a great dance party while incorporating a client's vision.
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Testimonials
Dianne Thoensen and Zach Arlia Wedding – September 29, 2018
I'm not sure where to begin or where to end. We cannot thank you enough for making Dianne and Zach's wedding such a special event this weekend. We loved having Indigo there. Your play list was perfect and all music and vocals were spot on. Loved the way you kept everyone on the dance floor and made it an incredible party. I can't tell you how many compliments we have received about how amazing Indigo was. As we know, it is the band that makes the party and Indigo certainly did.
Thank you for everything.
Matt Connor and Carly McInerney Wedding (Union League Club) – September 8, 2018
Dan,
We are finally back from our honeymoon and we had plenty of time to discuss and reflect: you guys were absolutely amazing!
From start to finish, the energy that the band brought to the room at Union League was truly a sight. Seeing friends and family literally flood the dance floor and not really leave meant a lot to me - just showed how much fun everyone was having.
Margaret Archibald and Jimmy Borrasso Wedding (Union League Club) – August 25, 2018
Dan,
Thank you for EVERYTHING this past year in preparation for the glorious day that was 8.25.18. YOU GUYS WERE INCREDIBLE!
Thank you so much for learning Jimmy’s Nana’s song (and all the other songs which made the night more than perfect).
Thanks also for letting Dad do his thing - we all think he rocked it (and your drummer did too!!!).
We have gotten so many people gushing about our first dance. Have a fabulous fall and I hope to work together again in the future!
Molly Sutton and Bradley Young Wedding (Hinsdale Golf Club) - Saturday, May 19, 2018
WOW!!!! What a spectacular night-Indigo was out of this world, as I knew you would be. I have never seen a dance floor so full from start to finish and that is exactly what we wanted. Thank you for making our celebration so much fun. Can you tell that we like to dance lol?!?!
These were the comments that we heard through the night and the next morning….
“best band ever”….” “loved walking into a room with the band playing and starting the party-took away the awkwardness of walking into a stuffy room and finding your table” “loved hitting the dance floor right away” “ I had to stop and look if you went to a DJ because I thought this can’t be the band” “musicians and singers were unbelievable” -should I keep going?? 😊
I also really appreciated the way you MC’d the night-your presence was known, everyone listened to you, you kept us moving and on schedule and you didn’t make it about you (I’m sure you know what I am talking about…)
As you can appreciate, planning a wedding is a very expensive and you make choices along the way and adjust accordingly, certainly having Indigo as our wedding band was well worth the investment.
We are so thankful to you and everyone in Indigo sharing their amazing gifts and talents with us-it was truly a fantastic night. Please share my thanks to the band.
Vijay Rao and Dejan Milil Wedding (Art Institute of Chicago) - Saturday, December 30, 2017
Just wanted to say thanks for a lovely evening Saturday. As I already mentioned to Dan, we had an outpouring of compliments about Indigo's performance from all our guests.
Dan was fabulous to work with and helped us create a great timeline for the night which made everything go smoothly. The setlist was so fun, having our first dance and the father/daughter dance performed live was awesome, and I only wish I had a tape of the performances to re-watch it all.
Kathleen Dwyer and Joey Bauer Wedding – Saturday, November 11, 2017
Hi Dan,
Thank you so much for everything on Saturday. The band was AMAZING!!! Everyone was raving about the music and could not believe how packed the dance floor was the whole night. Everything was perfect!
Thanks again!
Kathleen, Bride
Andrea Zynda and Wilhelm Lawrence (Adler Planetarium) – October 28, 2017
Dan, I just wanted to extend the biggest THANK YOU for playing the BEST music I have ever heard at Wil’s and my wedding. You and the band were out of this world and we are STILL having people reach out to us to get your information because everyone had the time of their lives! You read the crowd unbelievably and made Wil’s and my wedding the absolute best day of our life. Every single song was exceptionally executed and Arlen is the number one best vendor we hired, by far. Thank you all so much for everything you do. It means more than we’ll ever be able to express.
Andi and Wilhelm Lawrence, Bride and GroomJeannie Klisiewicz and Nick Stathis Wedding (Hotel Inter-Continental) – Saturday, July 15, 2017
We went into our wedding being a little nervous about if people would dance and if the dance floor would be empty. If only we had known how incredibly talented, fun, energetic and amazing every member of Indigo is--we could have spent our time way less stressed. They were FANTASTIC. Our huge dance floor was packed the entire night with people young and old. Two days later we are still getting texts about how good they were. I cannot rave about them enough. They read a crowd perfectly, and were truly having as much fun as the crowd. Their talent is unreal and I'm so grateful they spent the night entertaining us!
Jeannie, BrideGershman Birthday/Anniversary Celebration (Private Residence in Carmel, IN) – Saturday, June 10, 2017
Wow – way to crash Indianapolis and be the highlight of our birthday/anniversary celebration. I wish you could hear all the fabulous compliments that we continue to receive even after two weeks!
Thanks for the great programming and energy you guys brought to the evening – certainly a performance no one will forget for a very long time.
Jamie Veselik and Mark Walker (Palmer House Hilton) - Saturday, December 10, 2016
I just wanted to thank you for making my wedding the best day ever!
Every single guest has raved about Indigo and said it was the best band they ever heard.
I wish I could do it all over again because you were so great!
Thank you again!
Illana Rifkin and Tyler Hodges (Ritz-Carlton) – Saturday, November 12, 2016
Thank you and Indigo for making our wedding the perfect night! The energy and music that you had and played made the night so much fun. We cannot express enough appreciation. Thank you again!
Illana and Tyler, Bride and GroomCarolyn Chen and John Harbert (Palmer House Hilton) – Saturday, October 22, 2016
Dan,
Thank you so much for such a wonderful party. You did such a good job managing the flow of the party and y’all were just awesome! Our friends and family have been raving about how good y’all were and how much fun they had dancing!
Lauren Rimar and Itamar Latin Wedding (Standard Club) – Saturday, October 8, 2016
Dear Dan and the Indigo band,
I think that the best thing that I can say to sum up the amazing job you did and how amazing you all were is WOW!!!! You were so phenomenal I just can’t begin to describe it. From all the songs at the ceremony (Bach was PERFECT!), to the insane song we picked from a movie that you learned (which was crazy!), to almost making me cry when you told me you learned a Grimes song (which happens to be our favorite!) You really made the whole night magical. Thank you so so much!
Erica Palmer and Travis Ingersol Wedding – Saturday, October 1, 2016
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am still in awe of Indigo! You were all fantastic to say the very least! And we were so proud to have that performance at our daughter’s wedding. I have never ever seen a packed dance floor all night long. Amazing. The VERY BEST!
Thank you for your kindness and your professionalism! It was a pleasure working with you!
Christina Casciato Wedding (Drake Hotel) – Saturday, September 17, 2016
Hi Dan,
I just wanted to email you on behalf of everyone at our wedding last Saturday to tell you how amazing you and indigo were!!! It was absolutely beyond my expectations. You certainly helped make the wedding fun and unforgettable!! Thank you again for making the night magical!!
Elissa Goffman and Brad Stern Wedding (Inter-Continental Hotel, Cleveland) – Sunday, September 4, 2016
Thank you so much for all your hard work and help in making our dream wedding come true! You were absolutely amazing and truly exceeded all of our expectations. We were so lucky to have you on our team to help make the evening so special and memorable. Not only was the music performed beautifully but it was also an absolute pleasure to work with you during the planning process. We are truly grateful – thank you again!
P.S. You guys killed it when performing our first dance, aka “The Dirty Dancing Dance.” It was absolutely perfect and truly made that part of the evening a moment we will never forget!
Eva Ryan Wedding (Bridgeport Art Center) – Saturday, September 3, 2016
Dan, cannot thank you enough for the incredible job you and the band did on Saturday. People have not stopped talking about it. Watching our guests have a ball was everything to us. You all made the night above and beyond!