Cage and Aquarium in Chicago
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Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, US
Oh man, let me tell you, Cage & Aquarium, and especially DJ Mykol, brought the party to our wedding!We first engaged with Cage & Aquarium when we got engaged way back in 2019 (the Before Times). We went to a wedding Expo and saw DJ Mykol spinning vinyl and just knew he had to be our wedding DJ.Fast forward to December 2021 when we finally were able to host our event. DJ Mykol was one of our favorite wedding vendors. He was extremely responsive and positive throughout the process. And always game to try our goofy ideas (like Rick Rolling our guests). He made sure the dance floor was packed the whole event - and really was an asset to our event. Who knew that Alanis Morissettes Ironic would be such a wedding floor jam???? DJ MYKOL DID!!! Its now going to be my go-to at all events moving forward.I cannot recommend DJ Mykol, and his partner Mario (who DJed our cocktail hour) enough. Couples, hurry up and book DJ Mykol for your wedding. He is a true partner and visionary DJ.
Everyone we worked with with Cage and Aquarium was a true pleasure, from the original contact made with Shelley and Trevor, to dancing to DJ STACK on the floor, to re-watching the livestream that Kevin so expertly filmed from the ceremony. Planning with them was easy, from finalizing the contract, to answering all of the small questions we had along the way. The BeThere Livestream was truly a special treat for family that couldnt travel internationally to be with us. Everyone was polite, punctual, and we didnt have to worry for a second that something could go wrong.
I had the best experience with Cage + Aquarium! Michael visited our venue in advance to ensure everything went off without a hitch the day of. The booking process was a breeze and dance floor was alive the entire night! Highly recommend!!
Michael is hands down the best DJ - definitely worth requesting him to be your DJ for your wedding. Cage and Aquarium were beyond easy to work with, from the initial quote, to their online portal/system, ways to select/rank songs, etc. We also love that you meet your DJ in person leading up to your wedding - this simply helped ensure everything felt streamlined and all set for our wedding day. C + A were NEVER pushy, and we didnt feel they reflected the ugly grind of the wedding industry, which we were desperately avoiding during our wedding planning in Chicago. We LOVE they are members of the Green Wedding Alliance - our goal was to have as many vendors that were members as possible to be mindful of the environment, being sustainable and green. Michael listened to ALL of our requests. Food, booze, and music were our legit top three priorities for our wedding, and Michael met the high bar we expected from him, as everyone raves about him. We noticed our song requests during cocktail hour, as well as dinner, my parents did, his parents, my family and my husbands family LOVED that their song requests were honored during the reception (even the off cuff ones like Spice Girls!). Michael was courteous, fun, and professional. We hope we can find an excuse to hear him DJ again! Use C + A if you want a pain free, budget friendly, amazing music experience - you will not be disappointed.
Would recommend Cage and Aquarium to anyone! We had Drew as our DJ and could not have been happier with his service, music selection, personable style, and general event management skills. We met with Drew three weeks before the wedding and knew then that we were in great hands. Drew has never played at our venue and made sure to get there early enough to understand the setup and communicate with the venue coordinator. Guests were raving about the song choices and he kept the party going all night!!! Thank you, Drew!!
In the Venn diagram that is mine and my wife’s musical taste, there is virtually no overlap. With that in mind, we gave Michael the impossible task of DJing our wedding. And he did an amazing job. My wife is very particular about cuts/transitions, and other things i never even notice and she was very impressed by his technical abilities. Over several meetings he took great care to learn about us as a couple and our personalities. He asked questions that got us thinking about the mood and atmosphere we wanted to create, and on the day of the wedding he did a great job reading the room. Michael is passionate about his work and he truly cares about putting on a performance that will make your wedding day special. We are very grateful for his thoughtfulness, his attentiveness and his warm and caring personality. Michael did an exceptional job at our wedding and many guests complimented us on the music and DJ. He was a essential part of our wedding day and we highly recommend his services.
From each step in the process, C&A was professional, timely and fun to work with. Their process for finding you DJ match was great and we got along with him (Cody) very well. They not only listen to your requests but also make great suggestions when you may not know what is best. On the day of the wedding, Cody was timely and extremely helpful throughout the ceremony and reception. The vibe was great during dinner and he kicked it off when it was time to dance. Before the wedding I was worried because I wasn’t really sure if our guests would be up for dancing but Cody made sure everyone was on the dance floor having a great time. We would definitely recommend C&A to anyone looking for DJ services for their wedding! (Married Oct 2016)
Music is a make or break it for most events,So hire someone that you wont resent.Cage & Aquarium will keep folks on the dance floor all nightIf youre throwing a party, please do it right!Hire someone who is very talentedmake sure that they are multi-facetedThey know the music that will keep the party bumpinsome of your guests will even start fist pumpin.You need a DJ who is also professional,read their reviews so you know they are credible.Tyler, the owner, is very kind and sincere,The company has all the needed gear -to throw an event that is top notch,it definitely will be under C&As watch.
DJ Mykol and the Cage & Aquarium Team are AMAZING!! I knew I wanted DJ Mykol from the first time I met him! He communicated effortlessly with my (now) Husband through the whole process, listened to our requests, and kept our dance floor packed! Thank you so much C&A and Michael for the BEST WEDDING EVER!
We hired Cage & Aquarium for our wedding and they were absolutely wonderful from start to finish.We went to one of C&As DJ Showcase events, where they showcase a bunch of their DJs with 10-minute sets. I honestly went in thinking that all Wedding DJs were essentially the same... but I learned so much! After listening to a few sets we quickly noticed differences in the style and music choices of different DJs! We heard a set from DJ Stack and LOVED her immediately.From the start, our experience with C&A was great. They anticipated all of our questions and needs and were knowledgeable and professional. They anticipated and answered questions before I even knew I had them!Our DJ (Ajoyi - DJ Stack) was amazing. She read the room and kept the party going. She accommodated all requests, and knew when to run questions or requests by the bride and groom first. She paced the events (speeches, cake cutting, etc) perfectly as well.I really cant say enough great things about Cage and Aquarium!
A friend of ours used Cage + Aquarium for her wedding and was really happy with their services so we didn’t hesitate to book them for our day. Best decision we made! At the initial meeting with Tyler it was clear that this was an extremely professional organization. Not only that but they seemed to really “get” weddings and the importance of making the day effortless for us. We attended one of their Date Night events to check out the DJs and we had a blast! It was such a fun way to get a feel for everyone’s different styles. We chose Cody for our wedding and couldn’t have been happier with him. He was incredibly easy to work with – so cool, calm and collected. He made it so easy. On the day of our wedding, he arrived early to get set up. The execution of our ceremony, toasts and first dance was flawless. And, as soon as the dance floor officially opened, it stayed full the whole night! He had such a good feel for the energy and vibe of our guests. We were told by so many people how much fun they had and we attribute so much of that to Cody. We would highly recommend Cage + Aquarium (and specifically Cody!)
I have had the chance to work with C&A on two weddings this year and each time they knock it out the park. They are flexible, attentive to all the details, and just fun to work with. Each time my couple has used them for wedding streaming services and each time my couple has been so very happy. C&A also offer the service that allows couples to connect with their guest virtual which is spectacular during this time when we cant see each other in person.
You wrote a review for Cage and Aquarium Productions3 minutes ago5.0 star rating 4/30/2017Cage & Aquarium is where it is at!! We went with Cody. If you are trying to decide between Cody and someone else, stop wasting your time and go with Cody! You will not find a better DJ in Chicago. We met with him and discussed our music taste and sent him a long list of songs. Unlike other DJs in the area he artistically included everything we could wish for. What else could you want in a DJ but to listen to you and then make it amazing with his talents? I was super impressed with him all night and he even did a few remixes with some of our favorite songs that we will remember for a lifetime! Seriously, the DJ is the backbone of your wedding and you do not want to mess it up. Go with Cody. He did great from the first song of the ceremony all the way through the reception. Bravo and I thank him for helping to make our wedding the best day of our lives.-Brittany and Cem Gem
Even despite our complex ceremony and long list of requests, Daniel Demchuk from C&A did a fantastic job at our wedding. We told him we wanted it to be a party and he certainly did a great job making it just that. Everyone we worked with at C&A was friendly and willing to help make our wedding day exactly what we wanted it to be. We would definitely recommend C&A and Daniel to anyone planning an event or wedding.
Cage and Aquarium impressed us from the very beginning with our first meeting with the manager (his name escapes me). My husband takes pride in his taste in music and wanted to make sure that hed have plenty of say in the music played. During our first meeting, the manager was very accommodating to our musical requests while tactfully inserting his expertise to make the flow even better.Lexi was our DJ and I cannot say enough good things about her. She was very knowledgeable, easy to work with, understood the musical feel we wanted during our cocktail hour, dinner, and reception, and executed flawlessly. Lexi even went above and beyond by putting together a mashup of Lady Gaga songs for the reception. She was very professional and thorough - especially in making sure she knew how to pronounce everyones names in our wedding party. I had a blast with Lexi and definitely recommend her and Cage and Aquarium for your event!
Overall working with Cage and Aquarium was a good experience. The DJ took our tastes into consideration and played every song on our must play list. A few of our guests our age said said it was some of the best dance music they have heard at weddings.My only criticism would be that based on what we saw at the DJ showcase and meeting with our DJ, I thought there would be more mixing/mashups of songs, playing one song into the next, active DJing etc. But, it was really pretty much straightforward one song after another. I also thought he would mix the playlist more. He knew he had to play oldies to satisfy the older guests and we asked him to play a few Nigerian songs for my husbands family. He played these all right in a row instead of mixing it in with other music.We also had them do the music for our ceremony and there were a few hiccups there. The timing was off, but to be fair, we didnt practice anything. When my husband was walking out they had two songs playing at the same time and my husbands brother had to tell him. When the ceremony was over he was supposed to play our exit music and we were standing there for a bit waiting for it. When it finally came on something was wrong with the speakers and it was crackling.In the big picture, these were minor issues so I would still recommend working with them.
Cage and Aquarium is not only an excellent DJ company, but is also a wonderful community supporter as well! They have provided their services to our local Coonley Elementary school fundraising events and are always the hit of the evening! The company is easy to work with. They happily worked with all parties involved to make sure that the sound, mood and atmosphere was on-point for the audience. Every DJ that I have worked with has been professional, down to earth, and extremely knowledgeable in a wide range of music. C and A has everything you are looking for in a DJ company. No Need To Continue Your DJ Search - Go with Cage & Aquarium! - Tiffany Strietelmeier
This review is so overdue as we got married in 2016!But it feels like just yesterday!We used Cage and Aquarium for both photography and as our DJ. The photographers Kristin and Alex really stood out to us as going above and beyond to meet our every need! They captured some really great moments that we will now have forever, they were super professional and so accommodating if we wanted something different or changed. It was definitely a tough obstacle to find both a DJ and photographer across 5 states ( we are in Idaho and the wedding was in Chicago) there were a lot of nights researching reviews and websites and we are so glad that we found this company! Shelley was awesome at email back and forth with my husband and when we got to actually do in-personn consultation we meet with her husband who was very informative and helpful!At our first year anniversary, Kristin sent us a really sweet congratulations card! I would recommend this company and Kristin and Alex as photographers to anyone who is looking!
This review is way too long overdue - Ed from Cage and Aquarium DJd our December wedding and we still have people telling us what a fantastic job he did. In fact, my new brother-in-law who sings with a popular Chicago wedding band, has told us that Ed was one of the best DJs hed ever seen. He read the room perfectly the entire night, from cocktail hour through dinner and then got our dance floor hopping right up till the very end. Even when he finished his set, people were still cheering for more. We also had him DJ our pre-ceremony and ceremony music and he did an awesome job with that, especially since we never rehearsed the timing.Also, Im what you would call a Type A bride if you were being polite. I swear, I must have emailed Ed about 60 times in the weeks leading up to the wedding with music requests, concerns, and timing notes. Not only did Ed respond to every email promptly and professionally, he went out of his way to make sure we had the exact music we were looking for and that all the songs we had requested fit the vibe of our party. He definitely helped make our wedding one of the best nights of our lives and a great night for our guests.Thank you Ed!!
The most difficult vendor to pick for our wedding was the DJ, because we both wanted people packed on the dance floor but its hard to imagine what a DJ will do in the moment with your crowd of people from all ages. When we asked Cage and Aquarium how they keep people dancing, we loved their answer: they are real DJs who blend the songs together perfectly so a song never stops. Its beautiful. We even had one guest who asked how long is this song, not realizing she had danced to about 5 different songs.From our phone call to our wedding, we felt perfectly at ease with Cage and Aquarium. Our DJ, Ajoyi (DJ Stack), was perfect. She came dressed for the occasion (she easily could have been a guest) and absolutely crushed it. She had the entire dance floor packed until midnight and we had multiple people tell us she should come with us to the after party. Not only was she excellent, professional, easy to work with, and just a great human, she genuinely seemed like she was having fun. She had so much energy the entire night. We had her booked for 6 hours but she kept dancing behind her turntables and singing the songs and having a blast. It was truly a joy to see how much fun she was having. Id 100% use her again.We had such a blast and we cant thank Cage and Aquarium and DJ Stack enough. You should absolutely stop searching for DJs and use her.
We used this company for a huge wellness fair for families with over 200 people in attendance. Off the chart amazing! I saw reviews and heard amazing things about their wedding stuff, so I went with them. Ive studied the industry a lot, and know a lot about music and DJing...the best Chicago has hands down! Thank you C and A!!!!
Im blessed to be a DJ for Cage and Aquarium! Such great ownership/management that takes care of both their clients and DJs. Come to one of our date nights and see the DJs in person!
Insightful organization with strong focus on customer happiness.
Premier DJs for premier events!
DJ Michael did an amazing job at our wedding! Everything went seamlessly from the ceremony, cocktail hour, toasts, to the reception. He understood the vibes that we were going for through the night, and had a such a fun, uplifting attitude. Cage and Aquarium has high quality equipment and are real pros. Cannot recommended DJ Michael enough! THANK YOU!
Total reviews rating 4.9
35 Reviews for Cage and Aquarium 2023:
Review №1
2022-05-28We chose Cage & Aquarium for our wedding, and we were paired with Trevor. I cannot begin to explain how much fun he was able to make our day. The dance floor was constantly full throughout the reception, and the music preferences we had for the cocktail hour/dinner were just spot on. People keep talking about how fun the dance floor was, and that was in such a large part to Trevor being able to read the room well and keep things going. Trevor was also great with communication and helpful in all aspects of timeline organization. We cannot thank him enough.
Review №2
2021-11-04The Cage and Aquarium were a breeze to work with for our wedding! You can tell their passion for providing quality deejay and emcee services. Shelley was quick to respond to any inquiries we had and it was very easy having to deal with a wedding date change due to COVID. The team was more than willing to spend any amount of time with us in preparation of our wedding day. Michael (DJ Mykol) was amazing! I could not have asked for a better DJ and emcee. He listened so carefully to everything we mentioned and was very detailed when providing feedback. He even did a mash up of Taylor Swift for me and it made the day so special. He was calm and organized and everything went seamless related to sound/music/emceeing. Our dance floor was packed the entire night - had a great mix of old school, 90s/2000s and new music. All ages were dancing. Also worked great with the other vendors to communicate timeline for the day of. Trevor from his team was also a huge help - he helped us keep everything on track from the speeches to helping find my bouquet for the bouquet toss. I hope to have another event that I can use C+A at - I would give more stars if possible!
Review №3
2022-02-19Chris Banks was an amazing wedding DJ! He listened to what Ben and I wanted for our music and made it happen. Our guests had the BEST time on the dance floor! Thank you so much, Chris, for making our day so fun!!! He played the perfect amount of dance music and the classics! We wouldnt change anything about our music for the day! Thank you again, Chris!
Review №4
2022-02-06As any couple planning their wedding knows, hiring the DJ is one of the most critical choices youll make - the right (or wrong) DJ can really make or break the tone for the entire evening. So happy to say that Cage & Aquarium, specifically DJ Michael Rodriguez (@djmykol) absolutely knocked it out of the park! One thing that was important to us as a couple was balancing the music tastes of our diverse, multicultural, multigenerational wedding guests, with our own tastes as a couple. We still wanted the night to feel seamless between genres, and it absolutely did! Our wedding took place in September 2021 and he did an amazing job of reading the crowd throughout the evening and adjusting to ensure everyone was dancing/vibing the whole night, from cocktail hour to the end of the reception. If youre on the fence - absolutely hire Cage and Aquarium!!
Review №5
2022-03-27During our wedding planning process, my husband and I agreed that hiring the right DJ was essential. Music was one of the most important aspects of our wedding, and we found out about Cage + Aquarium through our wedding reception venue. Were incredibly fortunate to have booked our wedding reception with Cage + Aquarium, and we were matched with DJ Michael Rodriguez (DJ Mykol), and we were absolutely blown away by his performance! DJ Mykol clearly understood our music preferences, and skillfully and seamlessly transitioned the music throughout the entire wedding reception. He was also extremely helpful and supportive, and was accommodating with last-minute changes to our wedding details and announcements, and he was extremely kind and generous - especially when we were stressing out on the big day. DJ Mykol did an outstanding job with the music selection, and the dance floor was just packed the entire night, and he knew exactly how to read the room! We cant say enough how glad we were to have worked with Cage + Aquarium and Michael. From start to finish, everyone was communicative, responsive, friendly, and made sure that every detail was just right. Our guests absolutely loved the music, danced all night, and still talk about how amazing the reception was. Thank you C+A and Michael for EVERYTHING! We would absolutely work with them again in a heartbeat!
Review №6
2021-10-27Cage & Aquarium, and our DJ Kevin, were awesome. We were, unfortunately, one of the many couples who had to plan and replan our Tea Ceremony celebrations several times. Cage & Aquarium was very understanding and professional throughout the entire process. They were great with communication and were very reasonable with expectations.Kevin was fun and very prepared. He took the time to get to know us and our music preferences. We were really looking for somebody who could read the crowd and adjust as needed, which he did well. As always, the evening events did not go according to plan. Kevin was flexible and helpful, which really made the night significantly better.
Review №7
2022-06-21Cage & Aquarium was an excellent company to work with for my wedding. They were organized and professional the whole way. Michael was an incredible DJ!! He always made sure things were running smoothly, took time to get to know us and what we envisioned and made it all happen so perfectly! Everyone loved him and all that he did for us. AJ and Vid were our videographers. They worked great alongside our photographer. They were both patient, so respectful and friendly. Everyone loved hanging out with them. I highly recommend Cage & Aquarium, especially those names mentioned above! THANK YOU!!!
Review №8
2021-09-19We hired Cage and Aquarium to DJ our wedding and we were blown away by how perfectly the music fit with our day. We were paired with Michael and enjoyed working with him from our first meeting. From a very traditional, elegant ceremony to the most active dance floor I have EVER seen at a wedding, he was a fantastic DJ. Additionally, Cage and Aquarium as a company was very flexible and easy to work with through multiple postponements due to the pandemic.
Review №9
2021-09-08Our Cage & Aquarium DJ for our wedding, Luis, was the backbone of an incredible evening. He calmly guided us through the timeline all night and had EVERYONE out on the dance floor; Im getting requests left and right for him! Were a little particular about music and he did a fantastic job of working in the playlists wed built and expanding them to build a great soundtrack for the evening. The whole C&A team was fantastic, communicative, fun, too many good things to say. Dont hesitate, just work with them! We love you Cage & Aquarium and Luis!
Review №10
2022-05-14Cage and Aquarium were a pleasure to work with! The questionnaires and meetings leading up to the day helped tremendously, as we knew the feeling we wanted but not necessarily every song. Tyler worked with us and created playlists that perfectly matched what we wanted our day to sound like, and made sure all the audio went off without a hitch. Thanks again!