I am a tough critic when it comes to music and when it came to picking a live band for our wedding day, I knew it would not be easy. We looked around A LOT. However, it only took one visit to see the Jon Bates Band perform, to calm all of my worries. I said "can you bring it?" ( yes, I really did say that ) and they said " oh, we can bring it!". Well, they did. They rocked the house. It was an unforgettable evening due largely in part to the great performances put on that night by this band. We feel so lucky to have found them in a sea of wedding bands or any bands for that matter. Their energy, versatility and willingness to learn and then perfectly perform new material was just awesome. I cannot say enough about them, but I will say that our dance floor was packed from our first to our last song and that really says it all.

The Jon Bates Band is AMAZING! They played at my wedding on June 23rd and I couldn't have been happier. All the guests raved about them. They are all very talented musicians and they did what I wanted most - get people on the dance floor! They create a fun party atmosphere yet are very professional at the same time. A winning combination! And all my requests were met. They have a huge repertoire of songs and play all the genres of music. Jon, the leader of the band was such a pleasure to work with and made planning a breeze. I highly recommend the Jon Bates Band for anyone's wedding.

The Jon Bates band was exactly what we were looking for on Martha's Vineyard for our wedding reception and wedding music. From the beginning, Jon always responded to any e-mail/communication within 24 hours. The band kept the entire night flowing to perfection. Their music was enjoyed by people of all ages....and kept us dancing until the very end. They did a fabulous job for our ceremony on the beach as well.
Staci and Andrew Brown

The Jon Bates band completely made our reception! Not only were they extremely flexible with our song selections and worries about our first wedding dance song-but they were completely friendly and professional at all levels. Jon Bates & Band created an energetic environment in which all of my guests were dancing and enjoying themselves. I am completely satisfied (beyond!) with their performances and would use them again if I have the opportunity.

Want everyone on Long Island to know that this band is wonderful. I believe that adding live music to the wedding celebration was a great decision. The band was tight and everyone had a fantastic time on the dance floor.

Jon and I spoke a few times before the event and he was able to get a feel for the type of music we wanted and that was all we needed to do. Really can\'t say enough about how talented these guys are and how much they added to a fun memorable night.

One last thing - they were able to perform a cover a Wilco song as our first dance and it was done perfectly.

Thanks again Jon and the 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 blew us away on our wedding day. All of the musicians are incredibly talented, you almost forget it's live because they sound like the recorded version of a song (or better)! They were wonderful to work with, extremely responsive, professional, and of course, talented. Everyone was on the dance floor from the moment they began playing until the very last song. I'm so glad we booked them and would definitely recommend them to anyway looking for a great band, no questions asked. A+++

If you are considering a band for your wedding, I'll save you some time...just book the Jon Bates Band. Now you can go on to worrying about the 10,000 other things related to your wedding. With the Jon Bates Band you won't have to worry about 1st Class Entertainment because they are it, in spades. The Jon Bates Band is not "A Wedding Band" they are a band. Which means great musicians and vocalists that have a wonderful chemistry and ability to entertain. My wife and I could not have been happier having chosen The Jon Bates Band for our wedding. They entertained us and our guests, young and old. The band was so flexible in their ability to perform 2 lesser known songs, 1 for our first dance and 1 for the father/bride dance. They did a great job and we thoroughly enjoyed their renditions. Our review is a perfect 5.0/5.0 and they are in fact that, a perfect band for an important occasion. I didn't expect people to approach me during the wedding commenting so highly on the band, some comments like "this is the best band I've ever heard at a wedding", "they are great entertainers" & "where did you find them?". The accolades go on and on, the price is a great value for what they deliver, can't wait for an excuse to book them again.

Mark & Rebekah

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!