On Valentine’s day of 2025, the Cape Cod-based party and wedding band, Slightly Tooned, played an alumni performance at the ‘Sco that shook the foundation of Oberlin College’s Wilder Hall. From start to finish, the dance floor was pushed to capacity by an impassioned crowd of Obies. For over two and a half hours, the band played through nearly fifty original pop, funk, and EDM (Electronic Dance Music) arrangements, featuring some fifteen musicians.
Image from Slightly Tooned’s Website
Nick Beltramini, Founding member of Slightly Tooned, once said in an interview: “I really want to change how wedding music is played… Why can’t we prioritize musicianship and artistry?” Slightly Tooned’s performance would call attention to this ideal throughout the night.
The music started promptly at 10:00 PM with the dry snap of Max Grossman’s snare pad. Alumni Mitchell Galligan and Nathaniel Coben helped warm up the audience with a 30-minute set featuring several EDM arrangements written by Coben himself. While they contrasted with Slightly Tooned’s standard pop and funk centric setlist, they were still well received. With each song, the trio wove concise musical patterns into repeated motifs, inventing tasteful elaborations with each repetition. The variety of samples that Grossman shuffled into the texture also contributed a sophisticated rhythmic palette to the music. By 10:30 the dance floor was already packed body-to-body and the full ensemble had yet to take the stage.
The first few songs with the full band called attention to the group’s phenomenal musical arranging. Many wedding bands tend to fall into a cycle of regurgitating pop songs that the audience will recognize. While Slightly Tooned is known for their affinity for 2010s pop music, their thoughtfully crafted transitions and mashups add much needed nuance to this otherwise overused cliché. Zedd’s “Clarity” and Justin Bieber’s “Baby” were tied together by esoteric vamps decorated with fluid keyboard arpeggios and triumphant interjections by the horn section that filled the room with a lush, brassy blend. The cohesive fluctuation between low and high energy helped to create a natural flow between songs.
Every member of the band was capable of playing a wide variety of musical styles and the group did a wonderful job of capitalizing on this. In an especially memorable moment during the breakdown on “You Know You Make Me Want To Shout” by the Isley Brothers, trombonist Melvin Nimtz transported the room to the heart of New Orleans with his weepy, muddy musings over the blues. This was followed by a gospel-inspired shout led by pianist Mitchell Galligan, which seamlessly pulled the band back into the chorus.
The group’s musical versatility was also highlighted by the contributions of percussionist Ben Bosler. During Estelle’s “American Boy” and Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe,” Bosler’s conga and cowbell grooves provided a flavorful rhythmic layer, breathing new life into otherwise predictable pop songs.
While the band did a great job of energizing their audience, the resulting background noise in the ‘Sco often detracted from the listening experience. After the chorus of well known pop songs like “American Boy” a swell of conversation often muffled the band, making it difficult to appreciate the ingenuity of certain transitions. Though it can be argued that a rambunctious audience goes with performing party music, adding more breaks between songs would have given the audience and the band alike a moment to react.
Each semester Oberlin brings dozens of talented musical groups to campus. Judging from the response of the audience, it was clear that Oberlin was more than ready for Slightly Tooned to return. This feeling went both ways. As Beltramini said, “It feels so grounding to be back in a place where everyone treats me like family.” When asked why he tackled the logistical complications of bringing alumni from across the country to perform, he said: “I wanted to bring everybody to where it all started.”
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