I’m Calling B.S. on This MN Wedding DJ’s “Piano Man” Tradition
I've never seen this "tradition" at a Minnesota wedding before.
Weddings are full of tradition. It's tradition for the bride to wear a white dress. It's traditional -- though becoming less common -- for the bride and groom not to see each other before the wedding ceremony. It's traditional to have bridesmaids and groomsmen, a garter toss, a bouquet throw, a wedding cake, throwing rice (or some sort of sending off) and carrying the bride over the threshold. Tradition, by definition, is "a long-established custom or belief that has been passed on from one generation to another." So you'll understand why I'm so dubious about a Minnesota wedding DJ's claim that Minnesota's weirdest wedding "tradition" involves a Billy Joel song and dudes taking off their pants.
Aaron Strawn is a wedding DJ in Minnesota who recently took to Instagram to share what he believes is one of the weirdest wedding traditions at Minnesota weddings.
"So, one of the traditions that we have here is the last song of the night needs to be 'Piano Man' by Billy Joel," he begins his video. "Ok, fine. It's a long song, but I'll play it. But here's the kicker -- once the song plays, all the groomsmen and any other dudes that are at the wedding will circle up around the bride and groom, and as soon as you hear that harmonica you also hear pant buckles, zippers, snaps...all the guys drop their pants."
Wait, what?
This dude actually thinks it's tradition in Minnesota for guys to drop their pants to "Piano Man?" Surly, he's wrong...right?
"So pants are down," Strawn continues, "underwear stays on...and we're all circled around here singing the song...with no pants on."
Strawn goes on to share that "what's even crazier about this tradition" is that it happened at the very first wedding he ever DJ'd (which doesn't seem to qualify it as "tradition" if you ask me). Apparently the bride and groom asked him in advance to play Billy Joel's "Piano Man" at their wedding and forewarned him of what would happen next. He concludes his video by stating again that he thinks this is one of the weirdest wedding "traditions" we have here in Minnesota, though he gives no further examples or occasions that he's seen this done.
So, I'm going to repeat this once more just to make sure I'm understanding correctly -- according to this wedding DJ, it's tradition for Billy Joel's song "Piano Man" to be performed at a Minnesota wedding...while the groomsmen and other men in attendance drop their pants...circle up around the bride and groom...and sing along.