The Essentials - Dance Band - Portland, OR - Hero Main
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The Essentials Dance Band from Portland, OR

Will travel up to 3000 miles

  • Avg 5.0 | 44 Reviews
  • 91 Verified Bookings
  • Member Since 2006
  • 5 Awards & Badges
  • Accepts Online Payment
  • Starting at $2,800 per event

About Vendor 

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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 headlined dozens of nightclubs and festivals on the west coast from San Francisco to Seattle, frequented weddings and private parties, appeared at numerous college events, and performed with national acts such 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. "Downright perspiring" - Shotgun Reviews "Make you weak-in-the-knees" - The Register Guard "Soulful, timeless" - Oregon Daily Emerald "Musical masterminds" - Eugene Weekly

Reviews 

Check out these verified reviews from bookings on The Bash.

Avg 5.0 | 44 Reviews

See all 44 Reviews

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Review by Laura M.

WeddingReviewed on August 4, 2017From Lincoln City, OR

BEST BAND EVER!!! We hired the Essentials to play at our wedding and they brought the thunder!!! Throughout the whole planning process they were extremely helpful and easy to get in contact with!! They had no problem accommodating any of our requests! The overall talent of these musicians is astonishing!! Their stage presence and positive attitude made our wedding that much more special!! I would book them again in a heartbeat!! We love you guys! Thank you for an amazing performance and the great conversation!!!

Review by Peter S.

Wedding ReceptionReviewed on September 20, 2016From Priest River, ID

The Essentials were the perfect band for our wedding. We love soul, funk and motown and they crushed every song. Aaron was very easy to communicate with and accommodating when we had to make some last minute changes. All in all a great wedding band who I highly recommend.

Review by Michael B.

WeddingReviewed on August 8, 2016From Bridal Veil, OR

The Essentials are simply fantastic, we cannot recommend them enough! From working with Aaron during the planning stages, to helping us pick first dances, to the the amazing three sets they provided - these guys are top notch! I'm secretly hoping they'll play the waterfront blues festival so that we can dance to them even more!

The Essentials:

Thanks for the kind words Michael! Glad you guys had as much fun as we did. Congrats!

Awards & Badges 

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Song List 

Get a feel for the songs performed by this vendor. Contact them directly for special requests.

  • 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

Booked Events 

: The Bash Verified Bookings

Upcoming Events

No upcoming events

Past Events

August 26, 2017 • Wedding Reception
Sat2:00 PM - 10:00 PM Bend, OR
August 20, 2017 • Wedding Reception
Sun4:00 PM - 11:00 PM Poulsbo, WA
July 29, 2017 • Wedding
Sat6:30 PM - 10:00 PM Lincoln City, OR
June 25, 2017 • Wedding Reception
Sun8:00 PM - 10:00 PM Portland, OR
December 31, 2016 • Wedding Ceremony
Sat8:00 PM - 1:00 AM Portland, OR
October 29, 2016 • Halloween Party
Sat7:00 PM - 11:00 PM Portland, OR
September 17, 2016 • Wedding Reception
Sat8:30 PM - 12:00 AM Priest River, ID
September 11, 2016 • Wedding Reception
Sun8:30 PM - 10:00 PM Happy Valley, OR
July 24, 2016 • Wedding
Sun5:00 PM - 11:30 PM Bridal Veil, OR
June 25, 2016 • Wedding Reception
Sat7:30 PM - 10:30 PM Medford, OR
November 14, 2015 • Birthday Party (Adult)
Sat7:00 PM - 11:30 PM Seattle, WA
October 3, 2015 • Wedding
Sat6:30 PM - 9:30 PM Medford, OR

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