UpFront Band

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Introduction

UpFront is a versatile musical group and solo performers who specialize in professional, live music and entertainment for any special occasion and voted one of the best wedding bands on Thumbtack (thumbtack.com/or/portland/wedding-bands/). Our focus is on jazz (smooth, standard, and swing), Latin, ballroom dance and our own twist on classic rock-n-roll, oldies and pop songs for parties and classical music for wedding ceremonies. We will tailor our performance to your needs at reasonable rates. Chris Bidleman (piano, keyboards, and bass) and Steve Burpee (saxophones), the founders of the band, have been playing music together since junior high school and in 2002, formed UpFront. Chris and Steve are joined by Robert Schultz on drums and are often fused together with good friends Jason Hafer on bass and Larry Pindar on guitar. UpFront can provide different configurations of musicians -- a duo of piano and sax for small events or wedding ceremonies, a jazz trio for the company meetings or a larger combo that can get people out of their chairs and dancing to Big Band Swing, Latin, R&B, and classic rock and roll. UpFront has been featured on Portland's KINK.FM, a local music spotlight radio show. While we often focus on jazz, there are no single labels to describe the wide range of musical styles we can perform. We can play oldies and pop tunes from every decade. We love to play cultural favorites, seasonal standards, and even classical music. Our playlist currently has well over 500 songs, but we can play many, many more, and we love to take song requests from the audience. We can perform as a solo, duo, trio, or larger band to meet your needs and budget. We will travel within the states of Washington and Oregon but are based in the Portland, OR, and Vancouver, WA area. Please enjoy listening to our sample music online at our website. Your satisfaction is our first commitment. UpFront would love to be part of your special event and to personally tailor a performance to your specific needs at reasonable rates. We have performed at so many different events and love to change the style of music we play to fit the mood of the crowd and location of the event. We don't write music sets but will work with our clients to find the songs they want to hear and the joy we see when people recognize a song we are playing that perhaps they haven't heard in a long time and the smile it brings, that makes our job very satisfying. Please read our reviews and you will see that we can adapt well to nearly any situation or event that would benefit from a live music performance.

Overview

Hired 26 times

Serves Ridgefield, WA

Background checked

4 employees

22 years in business

Business hours

This pro hasn't listed their business hours.

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Cash, Check, Credit card, PayPal, and Venmo.

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Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for professionalism, work quality, and value.

Exceptional 5.0

23 reviews

96%

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Sierra H.

Sep 4, 2024

I had the pleasure of having Upfront Jazz perform at my wedding, and I couldn't be more happy with their performance. Their ability to capture the mood and elevate the atmosphere was remarkable. The band was incredibly accommodating, handling song requests from our guests. They brought their own sound equipment and even provided a microphone for our ceremony and toasts, which was a huge plus. Chris's communication throughout the booking process was seamless and professional. Upfront Jazz truly made our wedding unforgettable, and I 100% recommend them for any event that needs a touch of style.

Rachel B.

Dec 27, 2021

Hired on Thumbtack

I had an excellent experience working with Chris for our holiday party this year! He was prompt, professional, communicative, and very flexible for the needs of our event--and that is saying nothing of his outstanding musical ability! An absolute professional and someone I would happily hire again. Thank you, Chris, for an outstanding evening!

Details: Holiday party • 26 - 50 guests • 51 or older • 31 - 50 years old • 18 - 30 years old • Piano • Variety • Oldies • Other • Other

Music Entertainment

Erica P.

Aug 15, 2019

Hired on Thumbtack

UpFront Band was amazing to work with. Chris was responsive and helpful during the planning process. On the day of the event they were punctual, friendly, and their music was fabulous. Our clients loved the event and the fact that they could request songs. Thank you UpFront!

Details: General event / party • 76 - 100 guests • 31 - 50 years old • 51 or older • Band • Vocals • Guitar • No preference • Variety • Banquet hall / ballroom • $1,000 - $2,000

Music Entertainment

Brad G.

Jul 25, 2016

Hired on Thumbtack

Chris and the UpFront Band performed for our wedding reception. They performed as a 5-piece jazz/swing combo. They were outstanding! We are swing dancers and we wanted the music to swing. They delivered exactly what we requested. They sounded great and were fun and professional. During the planning process, I corresponded with Chris by e-mail. Chris was easy to work with, responsive to our requests, and ready with ideas and suggestions. I highly recommend the UpFront Band for special events for dancers and jazz lovers.

Wedding Swing Band

Kimberly D.

May 21, 2018

Hired on Thumbtack

Hiring UpFront Band was the absolute BEST decision I made for our event! Though many guests didn’t dance, I received several compliments from our guests throughout the evening who really enjoyed the experience of listening to this band live. These musicians are very professional and were easy to work with. Their music was enjoyable for all ages. Take your event up a notch - hire UpFront Band! You won’t regret it!

Music Entertainment

Credentials

Background Check

Chris Bidleman

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Average is $100/hr per musician depending on band configuration. Travel outside Portland/Vancouver is extra. Discounts available for senior living facilities and fundraisers.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
We are a versatile group of musicians so we want to understand the needs of the customer, the venue size and of course the budget the customer is working with for their musical entertainment. We adjust our musical style, number of musicians and songs selected to be played based on the age range, event and seasonality of the event to provide the best service we can provide at a fair price. We are open to communication or meeting with customers to discuss details about their musical needs. We have been performing for over 30 years so we can provide suggestions and guidance to make your event all that much more special.
What types of customers have you worked with?
We are an excellent background music group that can perform as a solo, duo or trio of musicians for art or wine receptions, company parties, cocktail hour, wedding, anniversary or birthday party where you just want music to fit the mood and age group. We can also change it up to play classical music for wedding receptions or traditional hymns and gospel music for funerals and memorial services. Then if you want to dance and celebrate, the band can liven it up to play classic rock, funk or even ballroom dance songs that are appropriate for the age group especially for wedding receptions where there is such a wide range of ages and musical tastes. We love to take song requests so we are sure to find the right mix of music to please the crowd.