Cosmo Alleycats
Overview
The Cosmo Alleycats is a Swing & Vintage Dance band based in San Francisco.
For over a decade Cosmo Alleycats band has been a popular choice for unique and fun weddings, corporate events, and private parties, as well as concerts, dance events, and jazz club dates. The band keeps a typical schedule of over 100 private events each year so they are not only extremely practiced at being reliable, on time, and responsive, but are also highly attuned to specific musical needs and common noise-level sensitivities.
You can trust us with your event.
Reviews
14 reviews
Dominique P.
May 21, 2026The Most Fabulous Jazz Band In Town!
To say that The Cosmo Alleycats was pivotal to creating the magic of our wedding day would be an understatement. From the first time I spoke to Emily (the wonderful band manager and lead vocalist) to the time of load out, they were consummate professionals. I had 3 specific song requests dedicated to the moms, my dad, and my uncle, and the band really delivered. They prepared the songs and performed each so beautifully. It really meant a lot to my family. The wedding day itself was a little unpredictable because we had many (many!) shifting components to the schedule, but Emily and the rest of the band members handled all the changes with ease and grace.
When planning a wedding or other large event with so many different complex elements like ours, you need vendors who are organized, experienced, proactive, empathetic, fabulous at communication, flexible, and completely on top of their game. Emily and The Cosmo Alleycats exceeded all these. Trust me, you’ll be grateful to have someone like Emily on your side as you’re planning your event. If you need it, she’ll hold your hand and walk you through how their music can complete your day and your plans. She’ll provide just the right amount of guidance – as much or as little as you need.
And I haven’t even started talking about the music!! Trust the band’s videos on their website and other samples elsewhere. As I was looking at potential performers for our reception, it was quite difficult to tell whether a band’s video/produced performances would match their live performances. The Cosmo Alleycats sound just as good, if not better, live. Emily has so much stage presence and is wonderful to watch. And the really nice thing about choosing a band that has played together for years is that they already know how to play together to make the best music (some bands are thrown together at the last minute). They can read each other during performances, read the crowd, and quickly adapt. It was really, truly a pleasure to have them perform at our wedding.
Thank you, Emily and The Cosmo Alleycats, for making the music of our wedding day so memorable and beautiful.
Hired as: Jazz Band
J H.
November 3, 2025A Haunted Jazz Club Wedding
Cosmo and the Alleycats all put on an AMAZING show, and really helped us pull everything together with our wedding so seamlessly. Their entire group are consummate professionals, and their experience playing weddings really shone through with all of the small details they brought up during planning that we never would have thought of on our own.
And a special shootout to the pianist Andrew for having jumper cables at the ready for our friends' car that died at the end of the night. Ours were completely buried under decor and he had them ready to go.
We had an incredible time and we couldn't have asked for anything more from our wedding night, in no small part thanks this crew. Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good" at the end of the night was simply fantastic!
We're hoping to catch one of their shows once we're back from our honeymoon. BOOK THIS BAND!
Hired as: 1920s Era Entertainment, 1930s Era Entertainment, 1940s Era Entertainment, 1950s Era Entertainment, Big Band, Jazz Band, Jazz Singer, Wedding Band
Anelisa N.
July 17, 2025A Dream Wedding Band — Can’t Recommend Enough
The Cosmo Alley Cats were everything we hoped for in a wedding band, stylish, professional, and incredibly talented. They set the perfect mood for our evening with music that was romantic, upbeat, and completely in sync. We received so many compliments from guests!
Emily, the lead singer, was a standout. She was highly communicative, incredibly professional, and took initiative in a way that put me totally at ease. With my full go-ahead, she helped guide the flow of the evening and made everything feel seamless.
They brought such a special energy to our day, I highly recommend them!
Hired as: 1920s Era Entertainment, 1930s Era Entertainment, 1940s Era Entertainment, 1950s Era Entertainment, 1960s Era Entertainment, Big Band, Jazz Band, Jazz Singer, Latin Jazz Band, Swing Band, Wedding Band
Emily M.
June 28, 2025We love the Cosmo Alleycats
We hired the Cosmo Alleycats for our wedding and it was by far one of the best choices we made. Working with Emily and the Cosmo Alleycats is a dream. First up, they are obviously very musically talented - their style is fun for everyone of all ages and they are open to working with you for your preferences. They went above and beyond by making a special arrangement of our first dance song. We wanted to practice dancing to their rendition before the big day, so Emily shared a recording of it with us which was extremely helpful. Emily is a true professional, helping us organize all of the details and logistics in addition to emceeing for the evening and bringing her gorgeous singing voice, and each member of the band brings their own talents and flair. I cannot recommend them enough. Live music at a wedding is a top-notch experience for you and your guests and you won’t regret hiring the Cosmo Alleycats for your special day.
Hired as: Jazz Band, Jazz Singer, Wedding Band
Lilly Z.
June 26, 2025Highly Recommend, Wonderful to work with!
The Cosmo Alleycats helped us out for our wedding day, and I have nothing but positive things to say!
They were extremely easy to work with, super professional, and extremely clear in communication. Emily and I started off with a phone call to go over details, and she initially sent out multiple proposals with different quotes. After making a decision, it was followed up by signing the contracts, and a deposit, up until closer to the wedding date.
Closer to the wedding date, we discussed music choices, and any other technicalities. They had the equipment so that our friend could play a song during the ceremony with his acoustic guitar. Our friends and family really enjoyed the live music and it was a highlight of the day for many. I highly recommend hiring The Cosmo Alleycats for any of your events :) They are awesome!
Hired as: Wedding Band
Booking information
Price range: $1000 - $10,000
Insurance: $1,000,000 - General Liability Event Insurance
What to expect
PRIVATE EVENTS:
- Direct communication with the band leader prior to the event
- Band leader is always present/performing at the event
- Coordination with 3rd party AV companies (for larger events)
- Multiple sound systems/instruments for multiple locations
- Early arrival and setup of all locations prior to guest arrival (2 hours in advance of start time for weddings)
- Basic sound system(s) set-up and tear-down included in our base rate.
- Wireless or lapel mics for toasts, announcements, ceremonies, and presentations.
- Light MC services
- Customized arrangements of featured dances
- Volume monitoring
- 10+ years events industry experience
Is it really possible to make everyone happy? We think so! With 10+ years experience setting the right mood for cocktail receptions, dance parties, dinner receptions, concerts and corporate functions, the Cosmo Alleycats are skillful at creating the right musical flow for various types of events.
About
If you pass a San Francisco bar on a Friday night with a great long line of expectant patrons out front, chances are they’re all waiting to be propelled into the sonic time warp of a Cosmo Alleycats performance inside.
Cosmo Alleycats have been a favorite of the San Francisco music scene since the band’s 2010 beginning, bringing to the stage a potent mix of swing and vintage dance music with a dynamic, soulful delivery. Led by vocalist Emily Day (“one of the major singers in her field” – Scott Yanow), Cosmo Alleycats draws from several decades of exhilarating American music, along with inspired originals, to deliver a fun and engaging performance.
With thirteen years’ experience performing together, Cosmo Alleycats is a well-oiled machine. But however polished their performance may be, it’s the sense of playfulness in their improvisation that holds the door open for the unexpected. This dynamic is evident in their 2022 album, Old Sweet Songs, a collection of Tin Pan Alley and American Songbook favorites accompanied by their original compositions, inspired by bygone styles of songwriting.
To see Cosmo Alleycats perform live - visit our website for show dates
Additional booking notes
- Access to one standard 3-prong outlet on a dedicated circuit.
- Hard/Flat surface required
- 12' x 18' footprint for full band
For concerts, and events with more than 250 guests in the performance area, we recommend you hire a 3rd party AV company to provide a professional distributed sound system and sound engineers.
Services offered
Team
Influences and inspiration
Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole, Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, Etta James, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Jackie Wilson, The Impressions.