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The Essentials
Dance Band
Cover Band | 80s Band | See all
Portland, Oregon
Will travel 3000 miles from Portland
About
Gigmasters #1 rated dance band on the West Coast!
The Essentials, a large and loud soul band with fresh ideas and deep roots, is a west coast collaboration of nine highly talented and experienced musicians. The group's members, each with a music degree, have won and appeared at the top of national playing and song-writing competitions and recorded on multi-platinum albums. Covers of such artists as Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, and Chicago join originals written by the group to make up the band's sound, a mixture of tight rhythm, heavy brass and soulful vocals.
The band has performed at dozens of nightclubs on the west coast from San Francisco to Seattle, headlined festivals, frequented weddings and private parties, and appeared at numerous college events. They have opened for such household names as Leon Russel and the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. In the last four years the group has released three albums with solid reviews, landing #1 on the soul and funk charts of CDBaby, the national leader in independent music distribution. Every year the band adds new originals and classic soul covers to its repertoire.
Do something that makes you feel good. Hip yourself to The Essentials.
"Downright perspiring" - Shotgun Reviews
"Make you weak-in-the-knees" - The Register Guard
"Soulful, timeless" - Oregon Daily Emerald
"Musical masterminds" - Eugene Weekly
The Essentials, a large and loud soul band with fresh ideas and deep roots, is a west coast collaboration of nine highly talented and experienced musicians. The group's members, each with a music degree, have won and appeared at the top of national playing and song-writing competitions and recorded on multi-platinum albums. Covers of such artists as Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, and Chicago join originals written by the group to make up the band's sound, a mixture of tight rhythm, heavy brass and soulful vocals.
The band has performed at dozens of nightclubs on the west coast from San Francisco to Seattle, headlined festivals, frequented weddings and private parties, and appeared at numerous college events. They have opened for such household names as Leon Russel and the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. In the last four years the group has released three albums with solid reviews, landing #1 on the soul and funk charts of CDBaby, the national leader in independent music distribution. Every year the band adds new originals and classic soul covers to its repertoire.
Do something that makes you feel good. Hip yourself to The Essentials.
"Downright perspiring" - Shotgun Reviews
"Make you weak-in-the-knees" - The Register Guard
"Soulful, timeless" - Oregon Daily Emerald
"Musical masterminds" - Eugene Weekly
- Anniversaries
- Bachelor Parties
- Bachelorette Parties
- Banquets
- Birthday Parties
- Children's Birthday Parties
- Celebrations
- Christenings
- Christmas Parties
- Church Services
- Clubs
- Community Events
- Conventions
- Corporate Functions
- Dinner Dances
- Festivals
- Fund Raisers
- Funerals
- Graduation Parties
- Grand Openings
- Halloween Parties
- Picnic
- Private Parties
- Proms
- Restaurants
- Reunions
- Weddings
- Wedding Ceremonies
- Wedding Cocktail Hours
- Wedding Receptions
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered Stevie Wonder
- Dancing in the Street Martha and the Vandellas
- Hard to Handle Otis Redding
- Brick House The Commodores
- Rock With You Michael Jackson
- Let's Get it On Marvin Gaye
- Forget You Cee Lo Green
- This Love Maroon Five
- At Last Etta James
- Musicology Prince
- Let's Stay Together Al Green
- Some Kind of Wonderful Grand Funk Railroad
- I Feel Good James Brown
- What a Wonderful World Louis Armstrong
- What is Hip? Tower of Power
- Superstition Stevie Wonder
- Use Me Bill Withers
- Down to the Nightclub Tower of Power
- In The Stone Earth Wind and Fire
- Me and Mrs. Jones Billy Paul
- Does Anybody Really Know* Chicago
- Shining Star Earth Wind & Fire
- On Broadway George Benson
- Hold on I'm Comin' Sam & Dave
- Sunshine of My Life Stevie Wonder
- Valerie Amy Winehouse
- My First, My Last, My Everything* Barry White
- 100 Yard Dash Rapheal Saadir
- Soul Vaccination Tower of Power
- You Got the Love I Need Al Green
- Wonderful Tonight Eric Clapton
- I Thank You Sam and Dave
- Simple Song Sly and The Family Stone
- So Very Hard to Go Tower of Power
- You Know I'm No Good Amy Winehouse
- Sing a Song Earth, Wind and Fire
- Fly Me to the Moon Frank Sinatra
- Everlong Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters)
- What You Won't Do For Love Bobby Caldwell
- Let it Be Me Ray LaMontagne
- Pass The Peas The JBs
- Never Too Much Luther Vandross
- The Chicken Jaco Pastorius
- Diggin' On James Brown Tower of Power
- What's Goin' On Marvin Gaye
- Will it Go 'Round In Circles Billy Preston
- You Are The Best Thing Ray Lamontange
- So I Got to Groove Tower of Power
- This Masquerade George Benson
- Ebony and Ivory Stevie Wonder
- That's How Strong My Love Is Otis Redding
- Here I Am Al Green
- Work to Do Isley Brothers
- I Heard it Through the Grapevine Marvin Gaye
- Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay Otis Redding
- You're Still a Young Man Tower of Power
- This Christmas Donny Hathaway
- Soul Trilogy Chuckii Booker
- Chain of Fools Aretha Franklin
- Fallin' Jamiroqui
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg The Temptations
- Pick Up the Pieces Average White Band
- Back in Love LTD
- Come Rain or Come Shine Eric Clapton and BB King
- What You Do to Me The Essentials
- If You Run to Me The Essentials
- Unconditional The Essentials
- In Your Corner The Essentials
- The Clean Break The Essentials
- A Song Together The Essentials
- Bring Me Down Some The Essentials
- Contemplation The Essentials
- Bittersweet Reality The Essentials
- Away The Essentials
- Patience The Essentials
- Love The Essentials
- 70s Band
- 80s Band
- Blues Band
- Cover Band
- Dance Band
- Disco Band
- Funk Band
- Fusion Band
- Gospel Band
- Jazz Band
- Motown Band
- Oldies Band
- R&B Band
- Rock Band
- Soul Band
- Swing Band
- Wedding Band
Reviews (31)
Wedding
in Underwood, WA
on 05/17/2008
"These guys (and ladies) are AMAZINGLY talented, we absolutely loved them. They played at our wedding, seemed to have a great time, even ran an errand for us on their way up to the venue. They also ran our background music and our ceremony music off of our ipod so that no one in our wedding had to worry about it. I just wished they could have played longer. They were very professional, friendly and seemed to have a great time. Most important though was how incredibly talented they were. They all congrtulated us and gave us hugs at the end of the night, I wish they lived in our area so we could just go listen to them elsewhere!!
Hire this band if you love music!"
- Teresa E.
Birthday Party (Adults)
in Medford, OR
on 09/23/2007
"Absolutely fantastic band. Wonderful communication and highly professional. Very very talented and entertaining. Everyone (all 150 guests) loved the music! What a wonderful group of musical guys. I would highly highly recommend them to anyone. Perfect for a wedding or special event. They were the highlight of my dad's 70th birthday party. Thank you again to Gabe and the group...Kellee"
- Kellee B.
Awards Night Party
in Albany, OR
on 02/10/2007
"Great, Just Great.
The show was phenominal. The best banquet we have ever had.
Gabe was extreemly helpful and accomidating on the bussiness side.
Thanks!"
- Bill B.
Corporate Function
in Eugene, OR
on 12/09/2006
"We hired The Essentials for our company holiday party and they really brought the house down. Everyone was up and dancing. The whole group commented on how much they liked the music. Most people especially enjoyed the horn section and the talent of the lead singer.
Thanks for the music!"
- Amy W.
Wedding
in Gaston, OR
on 09/24/2006
"I can't say enough about this group! They were the icing on the cake for my wedding! If you are looking for a great vibe and for all your guests to get down, The Essentials do not disappoint! Thanks again Gabe and Co. You guys are definitely a churnin' urn of burnin' funk!"
- Rich M.
Wedding
in Newberg, OR
on 05/04/2013
"It is impossible to express in words how wonderful The Essentials were at our wedding. They were a pleasure to work with while we were planning, and then they put on one of the best shows I have danced to in my life, and every person at the wedding said the same thing. They were on time, beyond professional, flexible with our evolving wedding timeline, and so appreciative that we had chosen to have live music for our big day. I cannot imagine our wedding being a wonderful as it was without having not just live music, but specifically The Essentials as our band. It sounds cheesy, but you truly do not have to look any further for the perfect band. Trust me. "
- Sean W.
Wedding Reception
in Newberg, OR
on 09/08/2012
"The Essentials MADE our wedding. I have never heard a wedding band sound better and get the place moving better than this band. They are a pleasure to deal with, extremely reliable, communicate clearly, sound incredibly tight, and they will absolutely rock your party. We have received so many comments from our guests of "where did you get that band", "you guys had the best wedding band", etc. Funk, Soul, Rock... these guys do it right. Thank you, The Essentials, for blowing our expectations away and for helping us celebrate our big day. "
- Peter C.
Private Party
in Timberline Lodge, OR
on 08/01/2012
"awesome"
- Ken R.
Wedding Reception
in Portland, OR
on 07/14/2012
"We had a smaller wedding party (approx. 80 guests) and we had the best time dancing to the Essentials! They were amazing! Having a live band at a wedding is certainly better than a DJ!
We were also impressed with their level of professionalism. Both the bride and groom lived out-of-state, and all contact prior to the actual wedding date was over phone and e-mail. We took a chance on these guys, and it really paid off well! They exceeded our expectations. Hire them and you won't be disappointed!
"
- Jennifer G.
Wedding Ceremony
in Sisters, OR
on 06/23/2012
"We love The Essentials! I would not hesitate to have them play at any other event that I was involved with. They are super talented, super nice, super professional, and play a great, fun, and wide range of music that EVERYONE loved! We had tons of compliments about them at our wedding. Don't hesitate to include them as part of your event, they will rock the house!"
- Brian F.
Wedding Reception
in Bend, OR
on 06/02/2012
"The Essentials played at our wedding. We love R&B/soul music & our hope was to have a band that would let us dance all night, and the Essentials provided amazing music to let this happen. The band made the night and helped us have the best party we have been to. Once they started playing I never left the dance floor. I wish I had a reason to have them play again & hope to have a big party every few years just to hear them & boogie down again. A million thanks to the band, y'all are so much fun!
"
- Siobhan C.
Wedding Reception
in Portland, OR
on 09/17/2011
"The Essentials are the real deal. Everyone kept saying all night that they were the BEST band they've ever heard at a wedding. They kept us dancing all night long and the music selections were great! They were set up and ready to go on time, highly professional, extremely talented and super fun! We would highly recommend them to anyone! Thanks again! :)"
- Joanne B.
Fundraiser
in Corvallis, OR
on 10/01/2011
"The Essentials played for our charity fundraising event and they were incredible! The crowd ranged in age from 21-80 and everyone loved them. The dance floor was packed and they were wonderful to work with! We hope to use them again and would definitely reccomend them!"
- Larissa B.
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Learn moreIn addition to Portland, The Essentials will also travel to Beaverton, Vancouver, Lake Oswego, Tigard, Marylhurst, Clackamas, Aloha, Fairview, Gladstone, Gresham, West Linn, Camas, Troutdale, Tualatin, Hillsboro, Oregon City, Brush Prairie, Boring, Sherwood, Saint John, Wilsonville, Heisson, North Plains, Ridgefield, Washougal, Battle Ground, Corbett, Canby, Cornelius, Scappoose and many other locations in and around the Portland area.
The Essentials
, based on reviews by
31 GigMasters clients.
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