Best of Columbus Weddings Winner: The Conspiracy Band

Over his decades-long career making music for couples on their wedding day, Rodney Sutton has developed an obvious ear for music. In fact, he says, the most important part of his job is listening.

“Our process is listening to the couple—what they’ve been through in their lives, which events were special to them,” says Sutton, leader of The Conspiracy Band, which once again took first place in the Band category. “We’re putting together music for those parts of their lives that are really important and helping them honor their family and their friends.” 

The Conspiracy Band, a versatile ensemble of musical teams that number from nine to 14members, is part of the Sutton Entertainment Group, which was founded more than 30 years ago. Personalization, polish and professionalism keep the band relevant and in demand.  Sutton, himself a lead vocalist and emcee, says reception music is far more personalized today than when he first got into the business. “We tend to develop more relationships, as you sit down with families,” he notes.  Sometimes the listening process reveals that a family member or close friend is musically inclined, giving them an opportunity to play with the band.

Sutton says the band’s versality is one of its greatest assets; the group is able to entertain with everything from country and rock to jazz and hip-hop. “It’s important to stay relevant,” he says. When serving up celebration music, the band relies on perennial favorites like Earth Wind & Fire and Whitney Houston, as well as current crowd-pleasers like Lizzo, to get people up on their feet. “We hit ’em with this, and we hit ’em with that,” Sutton says of the musical mix.

The band is busier than ever, honoring previous engagements that were postponed during COVID-19 while also accommodating new bookings, says Sutton, who helps couples find other groups if The Conspiracy Band is booked.