- Boston, MA
- Jazz Band
- $300-20,000
Gary D. said
“Music was great, consistent, and professionally executed. ”
The Third Rails
Overview
The Third Rails is your band for rock-solid, high-energy live music!
We play party anthems, rock and blues classics, all with a jam band spirit that keeps the vibes up for hours. Looking for vocal harmonies? We got'em. Epic guitar solos? Check! Maybe a bit of stand up comedy? Ehhh, we'll do our best.
We're professional, reliable, and seriously flexible: whether you have gear, or not, need two, four or ten (ten is a lot) hours, we can easily custom-tailor our set to fit your event perfectly. We have a massive repertoire of covers that always packs the house. Book us for a fun, polished performance and zero booking stress!
Reviews
7 reviews
Seema K.
June 6, 2026Amazing amazing Band !
The Band was simply outstanding!
Hired as: Party Band
Ty B.
February 2, 2026Great Cover Band
Asked them to cover a bunch of 70s and 80s rock tunes for a party with very little hassle. Totally worth it as these guys killed it and brought a great vibe along with them.
Hired as: Cover Band, Party Band
Elina L.
January 30, 2026Unforgettable
The Third Rails absolutely crushed it at my party, bringing an incredible live energy that kept the dance floor packed all night. They are total professionals who turned a great night into an unforgettable experience.
Hired as: Party Band
Austin P.
January 30, 2026They truly rock!
The third are awesome. They do not disappoint, great energy great vibe great music a great evening.
Hired as: Cover Band
David N.
January 28, 2026Wedding
These guys played at my wedding and it was awesome. They do an excellent rendition of the pop classics I love. On the blues side they have some impressive repertoire as well. Overall the dance floor was popping!
Communication was great, they are very professional. I highly recommend them.
Hired as: Party Band
Booking information
Price range: $200 and up
Languages: English, Spanish
Gig length: 30 - 660 minutes
What to expect
You and your guests will hear all the new hits and old classics you love, played live and in person by professional musicians with authentic energy. Here is exactly what we offer to make your event perfect.
We know event planning is stressful, and we pride ourselves on being the easiest vendor you work with.
We offer you complete control over the size and feel of the music throughout the night. We are by default a versatile 4-piece core band (Dave and Andre singing/playing piano and guitar, plus bass and drums), but we can scale up or down to fit your needs. In addition to our 4 pieces core group we also offer
- Solo Sets - Solo guitar or piano perfect cocktail hours, intimate dinners, emotional moments.
- An addition female singer for more accurate performances of hits originally sung by female artists.
- Up to 2 saxophone players (alto and tenor) to really get the party rockin
We can even start the evening with a solo set for a classy, background vibe and then bring in the full band (or some of the band) for the main event—we match our performance to your night’s desired flow and budget.
Hiring The Third Rails means securing a guaranteed party and a stress-free experience, driven by musicians dedicated to making your event sound and feel spectacular.
We also offer:
Worry-Free Setlists: If picking songs feels overwhelming, don't worry! We are experts at reading a room. Simply provide us with a few key songs or a general "vibe" you're looking for, and we’ll craft the perfect setlist to keep the celebration going all night long.
Event Support: We are happy to handle announcements for you, adjust set structures within reason, and can even offer karaoke sessions to get your guests involved later in the evening.
Custom Pricing: We understand every event has a budget. We are always open to working out a deal with our pricing—just send us a message!
When you choose The Third Rails, you're not just booking a band; you're securing a highly adaptable, professional, and authentic New York City music experience curated by our founders, Dave Gould (Piano) and Andre Wakkerman (Guitar). We are here to make the music planning easy and your event unforgettable.
About
The Third Rails is a band that started with a simple, shared passion between two people: pianist Dave Gould and guitarist Andre Wakkerman. Studying at The New School in 2021, and coming out of the strangeness of the pandemic, they found themselves facing a city where traditional venues were slow to open up. For them, there was only one choice for playing music: the parks.
The band’s true origin story is a tale of shelping gear to Washington Square Park, where they began busking just for the pure joy of it. Those early sessions were beautiful—a raw, immediate connection with crowds who were just as eager to gather, listen, and feel alive again. That energy is woven into the DNA of The Third Rails. It's why our sound is often described as a “giant melting pot,” that perfectly mirrors the complexity and excitement of the city we love and represent.
Dave and Andre's music is deeply rooted in this experience. Our originals, which we sometimes perform at local venues, shed light on the many faults and issues of the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority and the persistent realities of living in a big city.
However, it was our versatility honed on the street that quickly translated into private event work. The magnetic, high-energy performances we delivered in the park proved to be the perfect fit for weddings, corporate functions, and private parties throughout the NYC area.
This transition from busking duo to professional event band led to the development of our greatest strength: our network. As New School graduates and musicians active in the broader NYC scene, Dave and Andre have spent years fostering relationships with incredible, professional musicians— in addition to our dedicated drummer and bassist, we know horn players, vocalists, and more. The Third Rails is built around this collaborative spirit.
When you book us, you are booking the two people who started it all, with the power to custom-build the perfect band for your specific event. Dave and Andre act as your musical directors, ensuring you get the exact right instrumentation and size. Whether you need an intimate trio playing cocktail hour covers or a full-scale, seven-piece party band to keep the dance floor packed all night, we can deliver. We specialize in mastering covers across decades and genres, pop, rock, blues, soul, jazz, you name it. We are dedicated to making your celebration an unforgettable night.
Additional booking notes
We are generally self-sufficient for gear, but the need to transport and provide a full sound system (PA, speakers, etc.) may incur an additional charge, particularly for events outside the NYC area. To ensure maximum efficiency and cost-savings, please provide a list of all house audio equipment currently available at your venue.
Services offered
Past booked events
June 2026
05
Friday
Dinner Party
7:00pm - 9:00pm
•
New York City, NY
Set list
A - Z
• Ain't No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
• Ain't No Sunshine – Bill Withers
• All of Me – John Legend—---
• Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
• At Last – Etta James—--
• Baby I Need Your Lovin’ – Four Tops—-
• Beggin’ – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons / Måneskin—-
• Black Magic Woman – Santana
• Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison—-
• Can't Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley—--
• Cissy Strut – The Meters
• Come On In My Kitchen – Robert Johnson
- Country Roads - John Denver
• Crossroads – Cream
• Do You Love Me – The Contours—--
• Don't Let Me Down – The Beatles
• Don't Stop Believin' – Journey—-
• Feeling Good - Nina Simone
• Fire – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
• Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Have Love Will Travel – The Sonics
• Have You Ever Loved a Woman – Freddie King / Eric Clapton
• Here I Go Again – Whitesnake—-
• Hey Jude – The Beatles
• Higher Ground – Stevie Wonder—--
• House of the Rising Sun – The Animals—--
• I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) – Four Tops—--
• I Got You (I Feel Good) – James Brown—-
• I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas—--
• I Want You Back – The Jackson 5—---
• I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) – Whitney Houston—--
• I’m a Man – Bo Diddley
• I’m Down – The Beatles
• Imagine – John Lennon
• Isn't She Lovely – Stevie Wonder—---
• Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
• Just the Two of Us – Grover Washington Jr. & Bill Withers
• Kansas City – The Beatles
• Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door – Bob Dylan
• Let It Be – The Beatles
• Louie Louie – The Kingsmen
• Love Me Do – The Beatles
• Low Rider – War
• Make Love To You – Muddy Waters
• Marry You – Bruno Mars—-
• Matchbox – The Beatles
• Money for Nothing – Dire Straits
• My Girl – The Temptations
• Old Time Rock & Roll – Bob Seger
• One After 909 – The Beatles
• Party All The Time – Eddie Murphy
• Perfect – Ed Sheeran—
• Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry—--
• Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
• Purple Haze – The Jimi Hendrix Experience—--
• Rehab – Amy Winehouse—-
• Respect – Aretha Franklin—-
• Right Place Wrong Time – Dr. John
• Roll Over Beethoven – Chuck Berry
Rolling In My Sweet Baby’s Arms
• Sanitaria – Sublime
• Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles
• September – Earth, Wind & Fire—-
• Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash
• Shout – The Isley Brothers
• Shut Up and Dance – Walk the Moon—-
• Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours) – Stevie Wonder—---
• Slow Sipper – The Dip
• Smokestack Lightning – Howlin' Wolf—-
- Sound of Silence
• Stand By Me – Ben E. King
• Summer in the City – The Lovin’ Spoonful
• Superstition – Stevie Wonder
• Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond====
• Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd—--
• Texas Flood – Stevie Ray Vaughan
• The Power of Love – Huey Lewis & The News
• Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran—-
• Twist and Shout – The Beatles
• Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
• Uptown Girl – Billy Joel—--
• Use Somebody – Kings of Leon—--
• Valerie – Amy Winehouse
Walk Right In - Rooftop Singers
• What You Won't Do For Love – Bobby Caldwell—--
• What'd I Say – Ray Charles
• When I'm Kissing My Love – Bill Withers
• Wipe Out – The Surfaris
• With A Little Help From My Friends – The Beatles
• Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
• You Really Got a Hold on Me – The Miracles
Classic Rock/Party Anthems
• Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
• Black Magic Woman – Santana
• Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
• Country Roads - John Denver
• Don't Let Me Down – The Beatles
• Don't Stop Believin' – Journey
• Fire – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
• Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Here I Go Again – Whitesnake
• Hey Jude – The Beatles
• House of the Rising Sun – The Animals
• Imagine – John Lennon
• I’m Down – The Beatles
• Kansas City – The Beatles
• Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door – Bob Dylan
• Let It Be – The Beatles
• Louie Louie – The Kingsmen
• Low Rider – War • Party All The Time – Eddie Murphy
• Money for Nothing – Dire Straits
• Old Time Rock & Roll – Bob Seger
• One After 909 – The Beatles
• Psycho Killer – Talking Heads
• Purple Haze – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
• Santeria – Sublime
• Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles
• Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash
• Shout – The Isley Brothers
• Summer in the City – The Lovin’ Spoonful
• Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond
• Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
• The Power of Love – Huey Lewis & The News
• Twist and Shout – The Beatles
• Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
• Use Somebody – Kings of Leon
• With A Little Help From My Friends – The Beatles
Motown/Funk
• Ain't No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
• Baby I Need Your Lovin’ – Four Tops
• Do You Love Me – The Contours
• I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) – Four Tops
• I Want You Back – The Jackson 5 • My Girl – The Temptations
• Respect – Aretha Franklin
• Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours) – Stevie Wonder
• You Really Got a Hold on Me – The Miracles
• Cissy Strut – The Meters —---
• Higher Ground – Stevie Wonder
• I Got You (I Feel Good) – James Brown
• Isn't She Lovely – Stevie Wonder
• Just the Two of Us – Grover Washington Jr. & Bill Withers
• Right Place Wrong Time – Dr. John • September – Earth, Wind & Fire
• Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry
• When I'm Kissing My Love – Bill Withers
R&B/Pop Hits
• Ain't No Sunshine – Bill Withers
• Beggin’ – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons / Måneskin
• I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas
• I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) – Whitney Houston
•Marry You – Bruno Mars
• Rehab – Amy Winehouse
• Shut Up and Dance – Walk the Moon
• Slow Sipper – The Dip • Superstition – Stevie Wonder
• Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
• Valerie – Amy Winehouse
• What You Won't Do For Love – Bobby Caldwell
First Dance/Romantic Songs
• All of Me – John Legend
• At Last – Etta James
• Can't Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
• Perfect – Ed Sheeran
• Stand By Me – Ben E. King
• Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
• Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
Blues/Oldies
• Come On In My Kitchen – Robert Johnson
• Crossroads – Cream
• Have Love Will Travel – The Sonics
• Have You Ever Loved a Woman – Freddie King / Eric Clapton
• I’m a Man – Bo Diddley
• Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
• Love Me Do – The Beatles
• Make Love To You – Muddy Waters
• Matchbox – The Beatles
• Roll Over Beethoven – Chuck Berry
• Smokestack Lightning – Howlin' Wolf
• Sound of Silence
• Texas Flood – Stevie Ray Vaughan
• What'd I Say – Ray Charles
• Wipe Out – The Surfaris
Influences and inspiration
The Beatles
Stevie Wonder
Amy Winehouse
Aretha Franklin
Marvin Gaye
The Rolling Stones
Earth, Wind & Fire
B.B. King
Setup requirements
none, but, the more gear you have, the larger your discount
Report The Third Rails
Party Band
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