The Jon Bates Band

I cannot say enough wonderful things about the Jon Bates Band!! My guests are still talking about how wonderful the music was. We were literally up dancing the entire time. Jon was very accommodating. There were a few songs that I wanted to originals to be played, and he had no problem with that. Steve's (lead singer) voice blew me away, and their rendition of most songs were better than the originals. Like I said- I can't say enough good things!!

The Jon Bates Band was incredible! We had such a hard time with other bands we tried to contract and were strung along for months at the height of everything I was told with 8 months left until my wedding that the band we thought we had was unavailable (all this while my Grandmother was sick in the hospital) I called the Jon Bates Band and told them the situation and they couldn't have been more professional. They told me they had the date available and not to worry about a thing until after my Grandmother's Funeral Services. They were so easy to work with and made all of our requests a possibility. Our wedding song was by Van Morrison and the song sounded just like the recording if not BETTER! I love the Jon Bates Band! And if you have any inclination to hire them for your wedding or event I would strongly encourage you to do so!

Jon Bates Band was incredible! They had everyone dancing at my wedding the whole night! People were even out on the dance floor before dinner was served. We really enjoyed having the band play at our wedding and all of my guests continue to comment on how great the music was. Prior to the wedding, Jon was very helpful in picking music selections and very organized in the planning process. We were overall very pleased. I would highly recommend the Jon Bates Band for any event.

The Jon Bates Band far exceeded our expectations! Jon was very easy to work with, and the band even learned a new song for our father daughter dance. We received so many comments from our wedding guests saying how great the band was, and everyone was on the dance floor! So many of our wedding memories are tied to dancing to the music that the Jon Bates Band provided. I would definately reccommend this band to anyone planning a wedding- they were excellent!

Look no further, as the Jon Bates Band are the most talented, accommodating, and professional entertainers that you can find. But so much more than that, is the genuine warmth and great spirit that they share with each other and all your family/friends. They make the day all about you and doing everything possible to exceed even the highest of expectations. We can't wait for their next public venue so we can go and share another wonderful evening with them.

Let me start by saying that the band was the most important part of our wedding planning for us. Fortunately we made an great choice and the Jon Bates Band was far and away the best vendor we had hired. The dance floor was packed, the sound was great and they nailed every song- and believe me, we had them all over the place with jazz, funk, pop, hip hop... they did it all and were even willing to learn songs they didn't already know.Aside from actually performing well, Jon was a pleasure to work with, he was just so kind. He was always VERY quick to respond to any questions I had, no matter how many or how trivial. I felt comfortable and confidant going into the wedding and when the festivities began... there was nothing left to do but dance. Believe me, I'm not a big review writer, in fact this is my first vendor review at all, but if you are looking for an amzing band look no further, our guests are still talking about them. -Kristine

Jon was an absolute pleasure to deal with throughout the entire wedding process, and the music at our reception was great. I think throughout the last few weeks leading up to the wedding, the band was the one component we never had to worry about -- Jon was always one step ahead of us asking the right questions and answering whatever we had. Their songlist was extensive and had enough to please two very different musical tastes, and they were great at getting everyone up and dancing. Would definitely recommend them.

The Jon Bates Band provided jazz during the cocktail hour. The music was perfect. Everyone enjoyed it.

We have been to many weddings, the Jon Bates Band was brilliant! The music had everyone dancing from the first note played until alas, the reception was over. The vocals were outstanding and the professionalism was unsurpassed. I would highly recommend them to anyone planning an event that needs music. They were not only fabulous musicians but easy to work with, responsive to our needs and certainly added to the perfect wedding!

We had enjoyed the Jon Bates Band at my brother's wedding back in 2008, so they were a no-brainer when we started planning our wedding. From start to finish, Jon and his crew were consummate professionals, providing friendly and timely correspondence in the months and weeks leading up to the big day, and playing their hearts out at the reception. The band will work with you on any special requests you might have (songs, announcements, band arrangement/number of performers) but are also fine taking the reins if you don't want to worry about setlists or anything like that. They keep their setlist updated with current hits but have a strong catalog from the past 60 years or so. Our dance floor was crowded for pretty much the whole night, and for weeks after the wedding, our guests raved about the energy and talent of the band. Cannot recommend them enough.

I cannot recommend the Jon Bates Band strongly enough. I have performed with many wedding bands over the years and have both performed with and witnessed many bands that simply do not deliver what they show customers during auditions and taped presentations. JON BATES DELIVERS!!!!! The band's repertoire is diverse and eclectic; however, they do not suffer from a common affliction among most wedding/corporate acts. In other words, they do not perform many different styles of music, but only perform certain styles well. The entire evening of music and every style of music from Jon Bates is first class. Their stage presentation is highly entertaining and professional. Also, the quality of their sound equipment is exemplary (you should not overlook this aspect when considering your band). As a working musician I had high expectations and certain requirements that would be challenging for most bands. Once again, Jon Bates Delivers! Do yourself a favor and book them. My guests are still talking about their performance and so will yours.

I hired the Jon Bates Band for my daughter’s wedding. They were professional, courteous, attentive, humorous, knowledgeable, sexy, and most importantly, they laid down a funky, blues-based, rocking groove that had the entire dance floor begging for “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.” I would recommend them highly.

Short version: The Jon Bates Band is awesome and we could not imagine our wedding without them.Long version: The Jon Bates Band were not only one of the best elements of our wedding, but they were incredibly cool people too. We crashed an event to check them out a couple months before our wedding and just knew they were perfect. (Adding to their coolness: They kinda helped us crash that event. (Btw, it’s prolly important to point out that that event was NOT a wedding. ;-)) They were friendly and generous and relaxed when we met them, and they answered all of my father-in-law’s music questions perfectly. (He’s the music snob, and he was paying, so what he thought was realllly important.) They played everything we asked them to play, but we didn’t overdo this, b/c we knew from hearing them -- and from speaking with them -- that their instincts were perfectly aligned with our own. From the very first two songs -- my wife and i started with a slower song and then, by request, had them transition directly into a high-energy uptempo song -- the band owned the room. The moment we switched to the uptempo song the dance floor overflowed and never emptied again. Everyone -- everyone!!! -- danced. I get giddy just thinking about it.

The Jon Bates Band was heaven sent. We wanted a band that would provide classic period pieces and they fit the bill! Jon made the music selection easy and stress-free making great suggestions when we needed help with the selections. The band was awesome! Great sound in a venue that called for non- amplified music. Of course they could provide amplified music also. Our guests commented on the music because they provided a wonderful dance and dining experience.

Jon was extremely easy to deal with leading up to the wedding. They got everyone up and dancing. The quality of the music was much superior to the average wedding band. We couldn't have been happier.

(An addition to the B+Z Review above, which was too short!)This group is awesome. The quality of the music is fantastic, they are excellent performers, and they know how to work a wedding. We changed our mind for our first song pretty late in the game and they had no complaints. We had no clue what songs to use for the ceremony and they had excellent suggestions. This band made everything easy for us and got the entire guest list dancing!!They have so much variety, from Motown to classics to rock to jazz to current pop etc.!You know the wedding band is great when everyone mentions after the wedding "man, that band was awesome!" They are not inexpensive, but their price without doubt reflects their quality and experience. You won't go wrong with this band for your wedding (or other event!)

If you are a music fan and are looking for a real rock n roll band to play your wedding, there is no other way to go than Jon Bates. 10 stars on each of the above if possible.

Music is the most important aspect of any great party, and The Jon Bates Band made our wedding the most awesome and memorable evening imagineable. Total pros from beginning to end!!!

Jon Bates was able to meet my every request - from singing "custom lyrics" to a standard song, so playing a specific religious song that my dad wanted, to "cueing" us when to begin our finale to our first dance. He asked what music we listen to and what we personally like, and then actually played it during the night! People were dancing all night long and many remarked how great the band was. We were happy when we saw them play months prior to the wedding, but we were thrilled when they played on our wedding night!

The Jon Bates Band truly made our wedding reception. We had guests ranging from toddlers to their grandparents out on the dance floor, tearing it up to a great and energetic mix. The band was incredibly accomodating of our requests, and flexible in terms of scheduling, both of which were greatly appreciated during our hectic wedding planning. We've received many compliments on the music from our wedding guests, who loved the mix of music and spot-on imitiations. I would definitely recommend working with the Jon Bates Band!