Oracle Band
News and Information

This page last updated 05/04/2008

Upcoming Public Performances

Oracle returns to Afterdeck Restaurant

On Friday, May 30th Oracle will be returning to The Afterdeck in Pasadena Maryland for our first performance there this year.

It's been quite some time since we last visited Afterdeck, and are looking forward to returning.  The room features a large hardwood dance floor and plenty of seating close to the stage to make it a great spot for a party.

If you're celebrating an Anniversary, birthday, promotion, or other special event, Afterdeck can accommodate larger groups easily with advance reservations.

At the same time, Oracle will be more than happy to help make the day special as well,  Simply Contact Us and let us know you're coming, along with the specifics of the occasion, and we'll be happy to play any requested songs you might have, or simply make appropriate acknowledgement of the celebrant(s). 

Oracle has been performing at Afterdeck for several years now.  Each time we return is a memorable experience.  You just never know what kind of insanity might happen, but you can pretty much be certain that it will be an evening to remember!

Check out the Afterdeck Photo Gallery to see for yourself just how much FUN everyone has when Oracle performs at Afterdeck!

The Afterdeck is really easy to get to.  Located just off Route 100, you can be there in a half hour from Baltimore, Laurel, Odenton, Columbia, and it only takes Steve an hour to get there from Gaithersburg!  Simply follow Route 100 east to the 2nd traffic light & turn RIGHT onto Magothy Beach Road, and follow it to the end, (or until your feet get wet)!  You're there.  Need more specifics?  Here's the link for Directions to Afterdeck.

The food is good old USA type staples, and is really good.  Better still, it is reasonably priced, as are their drinks.  The kitchen stays open pretty late, so you can actually order a pizza late in the evening when the hunger pangs start saying "FEED ME"! 

This is a great place to bring a date when you're on a budget. There is no cover charge, and parking is plentiful and free.

Nikki performs Recital at
Towson State University Center for the Arts

On Monday, May 5th starting at 6:00 PM Oracle violinist Nicole Herrera will be performing her junior year recital at the Towson State University Center For The Arts Recital Hall. (Map)

Many of our Oracle fans have asked for information about when Nikki performs music in the more classical repertoire, so here's your opportunity to come out & hear the classical side of Nikki's musical talent.

Nicole has been the concertmaster of the Towson State University Symphony Orchestra since 2006, and is on the faculty of the Towson Preparatory Division of the School of Music.  She also teaches privately.

Admission is absolutely free. 

Gambrills Athletic Club Bull Roast Sold Out!

It is with a mixture of regret and pride that we have to announce that tickets to the Bull Roast to benefit Gambrills Athletic Club on May 10th have already sold out.

We know a lot of you all got your tickets early and are sitting pretty right now.  Unfortunately we also know that some of our fans did NOT get a chance to call for tickets, and to those fans we hope that you'll get an opportunity to come out to one of our other upcoming public performances.

It is kind of a thrill to know that our fans can turn out in such force to support such a worthwhile event.  That we can sell out an event seating over 350 people with more than a month to go is a testament to YOU, our fans, for your loyalty and support.

Thank you so much!!!

Oracle Returns to Perry's Restaurant

Last weekend Oracle returned to Perry's Restaurant in beautiful downtown Odenton for two full nights of dancing, singing, & general partying.

We were thrilled to help several folks celebrate their birthdays, including a pair of twins on Friday night.  On Saturday we got to help a couple celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary.  To make the evening more special for them we were able to play the song they used for their first dance four years ago, "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You".

Oh yeah...and on Saturday we were also treated to a performance by a special guest artist who had the crowd mesmerized with her belly dancing following the band's first dance set of the evening.

The evening was our first public performance for quite some time, and we were really happy to see so many friends come out that we hadn't seen for a long time.

As always we got lots of great photos taken, and we've created two new photo galleries, one for each night.  Head on over and check them out when you get a chance.

Oracle Band Photo Gallery for Perry's Restaurant - Friday - 4/18/08

Oracle Band Photo Gallery for Perry's Restaurant - Saturday - 4/19/08

Thanks again to everyone who came out to spend the evening with us, as well as to the management and staff at Perry's for continuing to provide such a great place for live music.

New Friday Afterdeck Performance Added!

On Friday, May 30 Oracle will be appearing in a rare Friday evening performance at Afterdeck Restaurant in Pasadena Maryland.

Our schedule has been so busy we haven't had an opportunity to perform at Afterdeck all year, so they are making an exception to their usual band rotation to squeeze us in on a Friday!  How cool is that???!!!

OK...so it IS the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend.  Hey, gasoline costs so much these days who can afford to go anywhere?  Why not stick around and spend the evening with us?

For those of you who have never been to Afterdeck, it really is a very fun place. Although not huge, it has that friendly "Cheers" sort of atmosphere.  Couple that with some very low drink prices, NO COVER CHARGE, and a spacious dance floor, and you have just the right recipe for a great party.

Want to see what an evening at Afterdeck is like?  We've taken literally hundreds of photos from our past performances there, and we have them all posted to the Afterdeck Photo Gallery.

Performances at Afterdeck almost always fill up fast.  Reservations are highly recommended, particularly for larger groups.  Most seats are reserved before 9:00.  If you can't be there by 9:00, we advise you send a friend or two to hold a table for you, as they won't hold tables much past 9:00.

Hey, the food is good there.  The kitchen has reopened after a major renovation, so you can come early for dinner, then stay late to party the night away!

Afterdeck is really easy to get to.  Located just off Route 100, you simply head east on Route 100 to the 2nd traffic light, turn RIGHT onto Magothy Beach Road, (NOTE: Not Magothy Bridge Rd...that's the first light you come to), and follow to the end.  How easy is that?

Want to see it on a map or with more concise directions?  Here's your link:
Directions to Afterdeck Restaurant

Hope to see you there!

2007 Year In Review Retrospective Now Online!

Well, it took over two months to finally get it put together, but the Oracle Band 2007 Year In Review photo retrospective is finally available.

Look back on the performances from 2007...the clubs, the weddings, the Yacht Clubs, and the other special events.

We also feature dozens of photos of our Oracle Family members who have come out to party  and spend some quality time with us.

We'd love to hear your feedback!  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do ;-)

St. Patrick's Day 2008 at American Legion Post 175

OK...so it was a few days early.  The 14th instead of the 17th.  The key to this strategy is that it gave everyone an entire weekend to recover from this fantastic party!

Performing at the Legion for St. Patty's Day party has become a tradition for Oracle, and we haven't missed a year for a very long time.  Each year the size of the crowd grows and tickets sell out earlier and earlier.  Last year the event grew so large it had to be moved to the downstairs party room.

The evening started off around 5:00 in the afternoon with some traditional Irish food staples...corned beef & cabbage, Irish potatoes, and of course, your favorite Irish libations.

The party continued for 7 1/2 hours, with the band taking the stage at 8:30 and keeping the dance floor hopping continuously.

Two of the Legion regulars, our good friends Pat and Carol, honored the assembled guests with a virtuoso dual performance on the "Boom-Bah", an incredibly difficult instrument that has only been mastered by an extremely few talented individuals.  To have not one but TWO performers who have mastered the instrument in one room at the same time is nothing short of phenomenal.

Speaking of phenoms, our own virtuoso Nikki opened the show debuting a new show piece entitled "Beethoven's Virus".  Lifted liberally from Beethoven's "Pathetique" piano sonata, this new version was arranged by the group BanYa for the video dance game "Pump It Up".

In addition to the photos you see here, we got lots more great fun shots.  Head on over to the American Legion St. Patrick's Day Photo Gallery to see just how much fun everyone had.

We're also pleased to announce that we have signed a contract to return to the Legion NEXT year for St. Patrick's Day 2009.  Once again, since St. Patrick's Day falls in the middle of the week, we'll be doing it the Friday before, on March 13th..  Mark your calendars!

Oracle Performs for Chocolate Ball!

On Saturday, March 15th Oracle had the privilege of performing at a benefit for The Arc of Howard County, affectionately dubbed "The Chocolate Ball".

In addition to a silent auction and raffles, area confectioners competed for the "People's Choice" award in designing the most elaborate chocolate confection, be it a cake or other delightful treat.  With a middle east theme, we saw flying carpet cakes, elaborate structures, magic lanterns, and a host of other ideas to inspire the imagination.

Just prior to the band taking the stage we were even treated to a performance by Samira Shuruk, an elegant, extremely talented, classically trained belly dancer.

The event was held in the lobby of the Kossiakoff Center at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics lab, a beautiful setting for such a worthwhile event.

The Arc of Howard County sponsors vocational and residential support and services, respite care, and other programs and services for children and adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities.

This was the third year in a row that Oracle has been invited to participate in this event, and we're pleased to announce that we have been invited back again next year, which we were of course thrilled to agree to.

The crowd that came out was simply wonderful.  The dance floor was filled almost immediately, and a great number of people stayed until the very end keeping the dance floor hopping all night long.

We took a lot of photos to document the evening, and you can view them all by heading over to the Arc of Howard County Chocolate Ball Photo Gallery.

We'd like to thank the folks at The Arc for inviting us, thank BB&T Bank for sponsoring the event, and especially thank all the people who came out to make this evening such a wonderful success!

Valentine's Day Dance at American Legion Post 175

On Friday February 15th Oracle had the pleasure of performing back at American Legion Post 175 in Severna Park for their annual Valentine's Day dinner/dance.

This event featured a fabulous surf & turf dinner of lobster and filet mignon, then everyone hit the dance floor for four hours of non-stop partying.

The room was awash in a sea of red outfits as special friends and lovers came together to celebrate a magical night.

Sponsored by the Sons of the American Legion, the event was not only a great party, but also helped raise funds for this particularly important branch of the American Legion. The charitable work performed by the Sons of the American Legion go far towards helping those less fortunate, and it was a pleasure to help and be a part of such an important fund raising effort.

We took lots and lots of photos, and we have placed them in a new photo gallery for the Legion.  Head on over to the American Legion Valentine's Day dance page and see for yourself just how much FUN everyone had.

Oracle Band will be returning to the American Legion Post 175 in March for the big St. Patrick's Day party, (see above). 

We are also happy to report that after a 1 year hiatus we will be performing at the Legion again for this next big New Years bash!  Hooray!

Thoughts & Prayers - Updated!

As you may have heard from an earlier article on this page, two of Oracle's most devoted fans were severely injured several weeks ago while vacationing in Cancun Mexico when they were struck by an out of control speeding car.

Tim and Carol have been fans of the band for as long as we can remember.  A couple of years ago they moved up to the Philadelphia area, yet still make the trip down on a pretty regular basis to spend an evening with the band.

You may remember them as that dynamic duo Sonny & Cher when they came dressed on Halloween a couple of years, and actually got up on stage with us to perform one of their numbers.  (They won the costume contest for Most Original Costume that year).  They also have been out each and every New Years since the very first show.

While we were devastated at the news of their injuries, as well as those of Carol's sister and her husband who were with them on vacation, we are relieved to hear that everyone is out of danger and well on their way to recovery.

As horrific as this accident was, we're reminded that things could have turned out much worse.

We'd like to ask all of our Oracle Family members to extend their thoughts and prayers out to Tim, Carol, Pat and Pete as they recover from this trauma.  The most recent update we received from them was extremely positive...our dynamic duo is out and around to an extent.  Tim is putting some weight on his broken leg as he goes through rehab, and Carol has returned to work on a restricted basis.

We have no doubt though that we'll be seeing them both back on the dance floor, and when that day comes it's certain to be one heck of a party.

New Years 2007-2008 at Perry's Restaurant

Like the song says..."Oh What A Night"!

Returning to the restaurant / club that essentially gave Oracle it's start oh so many years ago for the big Perry's Restaurant New Years celebration welcoming in 2008, the crowd was ready to party, and boy did they...from the 7:00 dinner buffet all the way up to 3:00 in the morning.

We knew things were going to be interesting when the first visitor we had arrived while we were first setting everything up, and former Oracle band member Jeff Baxter stopped by with his family to say hello.

From there the club just kept filling and filling, until every seat in the house had been taken and a fabulous dinner was underway.

Perry's has undergone some major renovations in the past year, including moving the stage from one side of the room to the other.  For this particular performance however the stage was returned to the far side of the room to accommodate all the folks sitting out in the dining room.  It was indeed a VERY full house.

We were pleased to have been a part of such a great evening...one of the best New Years parties seen at Perry's in many years.  We'd like to thank the management and staff there for making the evening as enjoyable as possible for us, and we're looking forward to an active 2008 performing at Perry's.

As you can imagine, we got lots of photos, and they have now been posted to the Oracle Band New Years 2007-2008 Perry's Restaurant Photo Gallery.  Check them out and see just how much fun the evening was!

Recent Performances - Catching Up With Our Photo Galleries Once again the past couple of months have been pretty hectic for the band, and we've been a little slow in getting some of our photo galleries posted online. It's actually quite gratifying when so many of our Oracle Family members call us up and ask where the photo gallery from a previous performance is. Many of our fans really look forward to seeing the shots we take at the performances each week, and to reliving the evening...especially when they may have been there celebrating some special occasion such as a birthday, promotion, retirement, or anniversary. To everyone who has been waiting anxiously for your favorite gallery to arrive, your wait is at an end, as we've just completed a marathon session of editing, cropping, resizing, and creating of several galleries of photos that have been languishing on Steve's hard drive for a few weeks now. It takes about four hours of work from start to finish for each gallery, so you can understand how things can get behind when the week gets really busy. American Legion Post 175 Severna Park Friday, January 18, 2008

Whispers Restaurant- February 8, 2008 American Legion Post 40 Valentine's Dance - Saturday, February 9, 2008 Annapolis Moose - Saturday, February 2, 2008

Merry Christmas Everyone! 

It may be somewhat difficult to imagine, but we here with Oracle Band are already thinking and planning for the "upcoming" holiday season!

Given the limited number of weekends just before Christmas, and the high demand for our services at holiday parties, we find that February is the peak month for booking our holiday parties for December.

It's tough to even bring ourselves to think about making plans so far in advance, but we wanted to post a little note here to try and avoid disappointment later in the year when we have to tell people we're already booked for their favorite holiday party date.

If you would like to have Oracle perform for your company's holiday party this year, won't you please let the person in charge of the event know that NOW is the time to begin the booking process. 

Although we don't "hold" a date for someone without a contract and deposit, we WILL grant a company "right of first refusal", meaning we'll call your company before signing a contract with another company for the same date. 

Call us ASAP so we can discuss YOUR plans and how Oracle can help make it a party to remember! 

What's Your Favorite Place To Hear Oracle Perform?

We'd love to hear from all of our fans who come out to hear us on a regular basis, and find out which places you all prefer to come hear us perform.  No personal information is saved...your vote is completely anonymous. 

Take Our Poll

Oracle Band E-Newsletter

The Oracle Band electronic newsletter is our best means for letting our fans know when and where we'll be performing, as well as offering them an opportunity to take advantage of some special opportunities during the course of the year.

Short reminders are send prior to most of our public performances, and every other month or so we send out a more detailed newsletter letting everyone know what's been happening with the band, including photos and lots of links to fun stuff.

If you're not already receiving our newsletter, how about subscribing right now?  It takes about 30 seconds.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Unsubscribe from Newsletter

As always, please know that we NEVER sell or distribute in any way the names and e-mail addresses used to distribute the newsletter.

Oracle Band
19359 Keymar Way
Gaithersburg, MD 20886-5003
(800) 470-0711
E-mail:

This page last updated 05/04/2008

Copyright 2007 by Oracle Band