Whinin' Cheez

• John Lavenia - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
• Bill Quinn - Piano, Organ, Mandolin
• Franny Mae - Vocals

Gigmaster's "Rising Star" Award for "top oldies duo 2009, 2010 and 2011"...maybe the '70's are the new '50's ?

Whinin' Cheez is a three-piece acoustic ensemble consisting of John Lavenia-Vocals and acoustic guitar, Bill Quinn-Piano and Hammond Organ and Franny Mae on vocals. We choose to perform songs that feature John and Franny's dynamic vocal harmonies which can best be described as "ear candy".

Our sound quality is second to none...pure and natural and our setup is also neat and professional. We do not use pre-recorded tracks or drum machines. Our song selection, humble laid-back stage presence and warm sound conveys the comfort of an intimate living room concert. But don't let the name fool you...we can really kick it up when the time is right !

We arrange our set lists to strike a nice balance between the male and female vocals, harmonies and classic duets. We do the same with the instrumentation...mixing the James Taylor and Neil Young guitar driven material with Elton John, Billy Joel and Carole King piano music just to name a few.

We celebrate the great singer/songwriters of our time performing "feel good" music and timeless classics that take us all back to a simpler time. We add a special touch of class to any type of party. Your guests will definitely compliment you on your entertainment selection. After all, a succesful party consists of good people, good food , good drink and great music ! Whinin' Cheez has that "something special" to help make your event a memorable one.

Thank You for taking the time to check out our profile and we hope you'll consider us for your next event.

• (You make me feel like a) Natural Woman - Carole King
• 4 + 20 - Crosby, Stills and Nash
• 50 Ways to Lose Your Lover - Paul Simon
• Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers
• All in love is Fair - Stevie Wonder
• America - Simon and Garfunkel
• Amy - Pure Prairie League
• Angel of Montgomery - John Prine
• At Last - Etta James
• Baby It's Cold Outside - James Taylor/Natalie Cole
• Better man - Pearl Jam
• Black - Pearl jam
• Blossom - James Taylor
• Candle in the Wind - Elton John
• Can't Find My Way Home - Blind Faith
• Can't You See - Marshall Tucker
• Captain Jack - Billy Joel
• Carolina in My Mind - James Taylor
• Changes - Black Sabbath
• Come down in time - Elton John
• Come to my Window - Melissa Etheridge
• Country Road - James Taylor
• Daniel - Elton John
• Danny's Song - Loggins and Messina
• Doctor My Eyes - Jackson Browne
• Elderly Woman in a small town... - Pearl jam
• Everlong - Foofighters
• Eyes of the World - Grateful Dead
• Freefalling - Tom Petty
• Friends - Elton John
• From The Beginning - Emerson, Lake and Palmer
• Going to California - Led Zeppelin
• Good riddance(Time of your life) - Green Day
• Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd
• Guilty - Bonnie Raitt
• Have I Told You Lately - Van Morrison
• Heart of gold - Neil Young
• Here, There and Everywhere - The Beatles
• High Flying Bird - Elton John
• Hope She'll Be Happier - Bill Withers
• How Sweet It Is - James Taylor
• Hurdy Gurdy Man - Donovan
• If You Could Read My Mind - Gordon Lightfoot
• I'll Be There - Jackson 5
• Imagine - John Lennon
• In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
• I've Loved These Days - Billy Joel
• James - Billy Joel
• Julia - Beatles
• Just Breathe - Pearl Jam
• Just the Two of Us - Bill Withers/Grover Washington Jr
• Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel
• Knights in White Satin - The Moody Blues
• Kosmic Blues - Janis Joplin
• Leather and Lace - Stevie Nicks/Don Henley
• Levon - Elton John
• Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
• Love's Divine - Seal
• Main Street - Bob Seger
• Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
• Melissa - Allman Brothers
• Mercedes Benz - Janis Joplin
• Moondance - Van Morrison
• Night Moves - Bob Seger
• Oh ! Darling - The Beatles
• Ohio - Neil Young
• Old Man - Neil Young
• One after 909 - Beatles
• Piece of My Heart - Janis Joplin
• Pink Cadillac - Bruce Springsteen
• Please Come Home for Christmas - The Eagles
• Rocket Man - Elton John
• Ripple - Grateful Dead
• Rocky Mountain High - John Denver
• Shanty - Jonathan Edwards
• She's Got A Way - Billy Joel
• Sixth Avenue Heartache - The Wallflowers
• So Far Away - Carole King
• Southern Man - Neil Young
• Stop Dragging My Heart Around - Stevie Nicks/Tom Petty
• Summer Highland Falls - Billy Joel
• Sweet Baby James - James taylor
• Tangled up in Blue - Bob Dylan
• Thank You - Led Zeppelin
• The Boxer - Simon and Garfunkel
• The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting...) - Nat King Cole
• The Long and Winding Road - The Beatles
• The night they Drove Ol' Dixie down - The Band
• The Reason - Hoobastank
• The weight - The Band
• These Days - Jackson Browne
• This Masquerade - Leon Russel
• Thunder road - Bruce springsteen
• Tiny Dancer - Elton John
• To make You Feel My Love - Bob Dylan
• Tracks of My Tears - Smokey Robinson/Linda Ronstadt
• Use Me up - Bill Withers
• Wasted Time - The Eagles
• We've got Tonight - Bob Seger
• Where you Lead - Carole King
• Whipping Post - Allman Brothers
• Wild Horses - Rolling Stones
• Wild World - Cat Stevens
• Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
• Wonderwall - Oasis
• You Can Close your Eyes - James Taylor
• Your Song - Elton John
• You're So Vain - Carly Simon
• You've Got a Friend - Carole King/James Taylor

Anniversaries, Bachelor Parties, Bachelorette Parties, Banquets, Birthday Parties, Children's Birthday Parties, Celebrations, Christenings, Christmas Parties, Church Services, Clubs, Community Events, Conventions, Corporate Functions, Dinner Dances, Events, Festivals, Fund Raisers, Funerals, Graduation Parties, Grand Openings, Picnic, Private Parties, Proms, Restaurants, Sweet 16 Parties, Weddings, Wedding Ceremonies, Wedding Cocktail Hours, Wedding Receptions...and more.

• Our experience with Whinin' Cheez was fantastic! They are very talented musicians. I was very pleased with their performance as were all of our guests. I will recommend them to everyone I know. They played for us last year and we plan to book them for next year! Great work guys. Frannie was a great addition, she has a wonderful voice. See you next year. -- Renee S, Bernardsville, NJ, 7/10/2010
• This band was the icing-on-the-cake. They were talented, professional, hard-working, friendly etc. It is obvious that they truly enjoy what they do. So many of my guest complimented myself and the band directly, about how wonderful and entertaining the music was. Many guest asked me for their name and phone number so that they could hire Whinin Cheez for their next get-together. I would definately hire them again. -- Susan B, Westbrook, CT, 5/30/2010
• I can't say enough about what a fanastic job they did at our party. All of our guest loved them and quite a few are considering using Whinin' Cheez for their upcoming events. It truely was the perfect complement for our event. They were extremely professional during the booking process, during set up and for the entire party. They absolutely delivered a great experience and were even better than they sounded on line. Thanks Bill and John! -- Christine K, Stony Brook, NY, 3/6/2010
• We loved Whinin' Cheez, and thought they did a fantastic job! They rehearsed the requested songs, and even made a recording of a song that I had requested that there was no time to play, so I can have it! I would highly recommend them. -- Lisa G, Centerport, NY, 9/26/2010
• what a fantastic job Whinin' Cheez with Franny Mae did at my daughters graduation party. I have used them before they just keep getting better...if that's at all possible. My guests and neighbors are still raving. The music selection was incredible...satisfying all from age seven through seventy. You can tell they put a lot of thought into their sets and arrangements.I will be calling them again.They started early and played late. They even took the trouble to learn to play "daddy's little girl" on one days notice. and they were smart enough to suggest I don't sing it, but let them handle it. wise minstrels indeed. -- Bob C, Wantagh, NY, 6/26/2010
• They were great!! Fun guys and very accomodating. Stayed late and really got the crowd going. We are using them for our annual party next year!!!! Deb -- Glenn L, Carle Place, NY, 7/3/2009
• We had a positive experience with Whinin' Cheez. They sounded great and everyone loved them! We will definitely use them again. -- Renee S, Bernardsville, NJ, 7/12/2009
• They did a terrific job! Everyone enjoyed their performances:) Thank you:) -- Anastassia N, Islandia, NY, 9/24/2009
• This duo was both spectacular and "real". Real as in all natural. no pre-recorded sounds. the real deal. great tune selection. Not sure which one is Whine or Cheese but they both have such complementary talents. They show up early to set up. Total pro's. Can't want to hire them again for the next event I host. The guests they entertained were thrilled to hear live great music. keep up the good work John & Billy Goat. -- Bob C, Wantagh, NY, 9/19/2009
• A pleasure to deal with in setting up the event. Very talented guys who play/sing a variety of great songs and they take requests. We were very pleased with them and so were our guests. -- Marty C, New York, NY, 9/12/2009
• Whinin' Cheez did a great job at our recent party. They were very cooperative when asked to do or play something. They were very accommodating throughout the night. There music selections were great and their talent even better. -- Tony T, Glen Cove, NY, 9/18/2010
• Fun time, great music for the event...not too mellow, not to heavy..Very talented with terrific voices and yet we still had the opportunity for my guests to talk and hang without having to shout over a band...These guys gave the "extra" effort that you hope for from your entertainment -- Drew P, Hauppauge, NY, 8/29/2010

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