A Rat Pack live show recalls an era where big bands and elaborate arrangements were all the rage in popular music. Listen to any Sinatra recording and those sophisticated arrangements, with strings and horn sections, are on display.

Reproducing this sound for a Rat Pack tribute show live is an integral part of the show. So either you need a big band with a horn section, or pre-recorded backing tracks to make that happen. Or a combination of both. Ideally, a professional Rat Pack show should have both options available to them, for reasons I will outline below.

Obviously, if you want a more engaged musical experience, the option would be to have live music. Unlike other types of plays, musicals, or any other live shows where the music is just background for the songs, in a Rat Pack Live Show, the musicians actually become part of the show and share in the experience.

When you watch a show with musicians playing live, you will notice that within the cast and band is a dynamic that is part of the actual show itself. Rim shots accentuate punchlines, solos, dramatic endings, mood music underneath a story...this human element adds to the appeal of a live show and makes watching it more engaging than having pre-recorded music running in background.

While live music is often the better option, there would still be times when pre-recorded music is more appropriate. In the case of smaller shows, pre-recorded music would be more practical due to space and budget limitations, without sacrificing the big band sound of Sinatra and the Rat Pack.

With these pros and cons, there has to be a way to have the best of both worlds, right? That is, combining the dynamic of having a small live group and the full big band arrangements in the pre-recorded music. This method isn't really new as numerous Broadway shows and other live stage acts have been practicing this technique both for flavor and practicality purposes. The quality of the backing tracks, the talent of the musicians, and great arrangements all contribute to the unique experience of a dynamic live show.