The 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, 90's/2000's 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!

We 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.

During 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. We're 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 can't 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!

Everyone hire Michael as the DJ for your wedding!! He was incredible! We had a great experience working with him before the big day -- he asked tons of helpful questions to be sure he got the music right for our day. Our wedding was at a family home -- not a typical venue -- but he set up without any issues and got music playing throughout the property. Michael completely understood the vibes for our dance floor & our guests loved him. Truly cannot recommend him enough!!

Chris 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 wouldn't change anything about our music for the day! Thank you again, Chris!

Premier DJs for premier events!

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. I've studied the industry a lot, and know a lot about music and DJ'ing...the best Chicago has hands down! Thank you C and A!!!!

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!

We hired Cage & Aquarium for our wedding in August and DJ Mykol was fantastic! He provided music for the ceremony, cocktail hour and the reception. He was super helpful throughout the planning period up until & including the day of our wedding. Our nerves were all over the place and he remained so calm and collected. The dance floor was packed all night and he made sure to play all of our must play songs. We are still receiving compliments from family and friends about how much they enjoyed the party and how great the music was. I would DEFINITELY recommend Cage & Aquarium / DJ Mykol for your special event!

Michael DJ’d our wedding and we couldn’t have asked for someone better! He was so friendly and accommodating, as we had a few quirky requests like having a friend emcee and working with my dad to surprise me by singing our father/daughter dance. He worked closely with us to make sure the music was tailored to what we and our guests like and there were people dancing all night long!

From the very first meeting with Kevin, we knew we were in incredible hands. He asked thoughtful questions about our song selections, took the time to understand our vision for the event and the day of the event went above and beyond. He nailed every important song and our dance floor was PACKED the whole night. With a crowd with mixed ages, he handled it well giving different music that spanned generations as well as honoring our request to cater to our musical tastes later in the evening. We received so many compliments on Kevin's great music selection and his high energy the entire event. He even took a treasured behind the scenes video of us of our family lining up before we walked down the aisle. He captured all of our nervous energy while cheering us all on. Beyond his skills, Kevin is just an incredibly kind, thoughtful and caring human being. He truly understands the power that music can have to create a moment in time at an event and we never once worried about music or audio since we knew Kevin was the utmost professional and had every single detail covered. Cannot thank the Cage + Aquarium team and Kevin (DJ K. Sity) for playing such a BIG part in our BIG day.

Incredible DJ service. We had Ajoyi DJ our wedding this past weekend and we cannot say enough great things. She kept the dance floor alive, played all our requests, and made sure everything from ceremony to reception flowed smoothly. She was also incredibly kind and the type of good energy you want around on your special day. I’d give 10 stars if I could. Trevor and everyone at Cage and Aquarium are super responsive, helpful and organized. From start to finish we had a great experience.

Nathan (DJ Ligo) was incredible!! He DJ'd our wedding and so many people came up to us saying how great the DJ was - his music choices, transitions between songs, and ability to read the vibe of the room were all impeccable. There was never a moment where the dance floor was empty or awkward - not even exaggerating. My husband and I are both musicians and most of our guests were, as well, so music was super important to us and he nailed it. Nathan even recorded some important moments throughout the night that we didn't have recordings for from anyone else, and having those videos is so precious for us. Communicating with C&A before Nathan was assigned to our wedding was all super smooth, as well. Thank you for everything, DJ Ligo & C&A!!

The Perfect Beat to Our Perfect Day in San Diego From our very first meeting, Michael exuded professionalism and organization, paired with a passion for his craft that was both inspiring and reassuring. He wasn't just there to play music; he was there to create an experience. And that, he did with flying colors. His meticulous attention to detail ensured that the music seamlessly matched every moment, from the poignant walk down the aisle to the exuberant dance party that followed. But Michael did more than just curate a flawless playlist. He went above and beyond the call of duty. When the evening came to a close, we were touched to find that he had taken the initiative to carefully put away our gifts, a thoughtful gesture that was greatly appreciated after such a whirlwind day. It's rare to find someone who doesn't just meet expectations but exceeds them in every way. Michael Rodriguez is that rare find. We cannot recommend him enough. If you want a wedding that hits all the right notes, Michael is your DJ. Thank you, Michael, for not just sharing your music but your heart as well. You were an integral part of our wedding, and we will forever be grateful for the magic you brought to our celebration.

We had our wedding at The Joinery in September 2023, and DJ Curt Henny from Cage and the Aquarium was an absolute star! From the first meeting to the final song, Marcos was incredibly easy to work with. He understood our vision and executed it flawlessly. As an emcee, Marcos was engaging, charismatic, and knew exactly how to keep the event flowing smoothly. He had a great feel for the crowd, playing just the right music at the right time, ensuring that our guests were having a blast. By the end of the night, the dance floor knew no stranger. His mix of music catered to all of our guests, keeping the energy high. We can't thank Marcos and the team at Cage and the Aquarium enough for making our wedding reception a night to remember. If you're looking for a DJ who can make your special day both fun and memorable, DJ Curt Henny is your guy!

My husband and I are SO happy we booked through Cage + Aquarium. They were always quick to respond and so helpful. Once we got matched with our dj, Kevin , we were thrilled! After meeting with him, we were so excited to have him at our wedding. He was professional, fun, easy-going, and really understood what we were looking for. He was there to setup a microphone for our ceremony which worked perfectly, everyone was able to hear the ceremony even with all the wind! Then came the fun part of the night, Kevin kept communicating with us and our coordinator to make sure we were staying on track. His music selections were ON POINT. I don't think we ever had an empty dance floor, even into the wee hours of the night! People of all ages were on their feet, joining in on the fun. I cannot recommend Cage + Aquarium enough. Our wedding was the party we always hoped it would be, and that is greatly due to Kevin's expertise! I would listen to the playlist of our wedding night everyday if I could!

We just had our wedding last night and I couldn’t wait to post an amazing review! We used Cage and Aquarium for our DJ and were matched with Daniel. I can’t say how many times how great he was. He took our suggestions to provide the best representation of my husband and I’s tastes and was able to meld them perfectly. He even did a last minute check in with me day of because there’s a song I forgot to include, which saved us a lot of stress. We had so many guests approach us last night to say how amazing the playlist was. It even got myself and my introverted husband dancing, which says a lot. Highly, highly recommend!

This review is way too long overdue - Ed from Cage and Aquarium DJ'd 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 he'd 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, I'm 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!!

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 Morissette's Ironic would be such a wedding floor jam???? DJ MYKOL DID!!! It's now going to be my go-to at all events moving forward. I cannot recommend DJ Mykol, and his partner Mario (who DJ'ed our cocktail hour) enough. Couples, hurry up and book DJ Mykol for your wedding. He is a true partner and visionary DJ.

Our 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; I'm getting requests left and right for him! We're a little particular about music and he did a fantastic job of working in the playlists we'd 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. Don't hesitate, just work with them! We love you Cage & Aquarium and Luis!

We 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.

Cage & 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.

As any couple planning their wedding knows, hiring the DJ is one of the most critical choices you'll 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 you're on the fence - absolutely hire Cage and Aquarium!!

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 husband's 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 didn't practice anything. When my husband was walking out they had two songs playing at the same time and my husband's 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.

We booked Cage and Aquarium for their streaming service 48 hours before our wedding because we wanted to connect some family members that couldn't travel due to covid. They jumped right in, and even went to the venue the day before the wedding to make sure the connectivity was possible. Our family loved being able to join us from a distance, and we now have a recording of our small, intimate ceremony. Michael was professional and easy to work with. We would definitely recommend using this service!

Music is a make or break it for most events, So hire someone that you won't resent. Cage & Aquarium will keep folks on the dance floor all night If you're throwing a party, please do it right! Hire someone who is very talented make sure that they are multi-faceted They know the music that will keep the party bumpin' some 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&A's watch.

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 didn't 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 husband's 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.

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!

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.

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.

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!!

I'm blessed to be a DJ for Cage and Aquarium! Such great ownership/management that takes care of both their clients and DJ's. Come to one of our date nights and see the DJ's in person!

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 can't see each other in person.

We hired Cage & Aquarium for our wedding and they were absolutely wonderful from start to finish. We went to one of C&A's DJ Showcase events, where they showcase a bunch of their DJ's 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 can't say enough great things about Cage and Aquarium!

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

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 he'd 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 everyone's names in our wedding party. I had a blast with Lexi and definitely recommend her and Cage and Aquarium for your event!

The most difficult vendor to pick for our wedding was the DJ, because we both wanted people packed on the dance floor but it's 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". It's 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. I'd 100% use her again. We had such a blast and we can't thank Cage and Aquarium and DJ Stack enough. You should absolutely stop searching for DJs and use her.

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​-person​n 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!

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!)

You wrote a review for Cage and Aquarium Productions 3 minutes ago 5.0 star rating 4/30/2017 Cage & 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 DJ's 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"

Insightful organization with strong focus on customer happiness.

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)

Cage and aquarium is awesome. We had DJ Mykol for my retirement party and he was an absolute vibe! We partied nonstop. What I loved most was his communication from the time we made contact until after the party. He was extremely flexible with any changes and went with the flow. All of the guest loved him! We will for sure use him again!!