My family and I had the pleasure of attending the Evanston Symphony Orchestra (ESO) Holiday concert…read morein December 2019. This year's performance was held at the Evanston Township High School's main auditorium. We arrived 30 minutes prior to opening to get a good view. It was a 2.5 hour show which included performances with the North Shore Choral Society, Evanston children's choir, Evanston Symphony Holiday Gospel Choir and the Evanston Dance ensemble. The orchestra played familiar holiday classics. My favorites were Sleigh Ride, Hallelujah from Quincy Jones', and I'll be home for Christmas. The Dance Ensemble and ESO did a lively performance of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. The holiday music/performance gave our family the festive feels. Just when it couldn't get any better, Santa Claus paid a visit and everyone from the audience received a candy cane from his elves. Audience participation was encouraged with the Christmas carol sing-along. The Evanston Symphony Holiday Gospel Choir rounded out the evening with a vibrant performance of Hallelujah. The performance got everyone out of their seats and clapping in tune. Our family had a wonderful time at this event and we would love to do this again next year.

A couple days ago, I was invited as a guest to the company celebration. The venue was outstanding,…read moreas it was the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.The party was absolutely great, and every party has a music and dance section. Do you love to dance? Are you looking forward to dancing with your loved ones and friends? What do you think was played after the fifth hustle dance? It was a hustle, then another hustle, and another hustle, again and again. My expectations were not that high. There were only one, or maybe two, slow dances for my husband and me because there were 400 guests of various ages and from different countries, and it should be somewhat special for everybody. Unfortunately, no one paid attention. The same 25-30 people were on the dance floor because the band seemed not to be playing for all 400 people. Nothing changed, even when the band was politely asked to balance a bit of their repertoire. The same 25-30 people were dancing to the same hustle dance again and again. Oh, sorry, there was on salsa. I would never recommend hiring Forte Band for your party unless you are only interested in listening and dancing to the hustle style of music or a special tribute to the 70's. Milla Y. Chicago

The Forte Band played at our wedding in October of 2016 in St. Charles, IL. My wife and I received…read morea referral from a friend who knew Chris, so we decided to reach out. Upon meeting Chris, we knew right away that he was the man for the job. So many people in the wedding industry tell you how THEY are going to do things, and don't stop to ask how you would like things to be done on your special day. Right away Chris asked what our musical interests were and how he could best accommodate our tastes - even going as far as offering to learn new songs he hadn't heard of - which he nailed the night of. Our set list was completely taylored to us and Chris and the band performed every song far beyond our expectations. These individuals are both professionals and artists all in one. Every song we requested was faithful to the original with a tasteful flare from the band to make it their own. If you are considering a DJ to keep your guests on the dance floor, think again. Chris and the band were engaging with our guests, and kept the party going for hours. We cannot thank them enough for their talents and willingness to accommodate us and make our night perfect. We received so many compliments about the band after the wedding and could not have asked for a better group. Thank you again, Chris!

We hired Bill Pollack to provide the music for our wedding. We wanted live music and we knew we'd…read morepay more to get it, but I wouldn't exactly say that money was no object. From the beginning, the experience was extraordinary. Bill was responsive, honest, and focused on our needs from beginning to end. First of all, he really took the time to understand what we wanted. Since we wanted live music but for only about 100 guests, Bill suggested we use a 7-piece band rather than the full 11 piece orchestra we had originally heard about. The only difference, he explained, is that he drops the horn section and uses pre-recorded horns when necessary for a full sound. That suggestion alone saved us a couple thousand dollars, and the 7 piece band sounded fantastic. In addition to the band for the dancing, we wanted acoustic guitar music for the ceremony and for the cocktail hour, and dejay'd music for the dinner hour. He arranged all that as well. The musicians learned all the songs we wanted them to learn for our ceremony and did a great job on all of them. I also really appreciated his honesty and professionalism. He was truly interested in what kind of music we wanted to hear at the wedding, asking a ton of questions about what we listen to at home, what we liked at other weddings, what we didn't like, what we hated, etc. He was upfront that he didn't want to completely relinquish creative control to us because, let's face it, he's the professional and knows what the people want better than we do. They played exactly what we asked for at the ceremony, and then for the rest of the night they combined our specific taste preferences with their feel for the room to keep people engaged and having fun all night. Bill did the emcee responsibilities himself all night, introducing speakers, etc. He was very professional and personable, never over the top. He didn't verbally bully people into coming up to dance, he just kept tweaking the music until he won the whole room over. I just can't say enough about Bill and all of the musicians he brought with him. They were hands down the best vendor we dealt with in putting together our wedding, and they are a huge reason why the night incredible from beginning to end.

Recently, I had the pleasure of having Bill Pollack play for my wife and I at our wedding…read morereception, and it truly made the night. The Bill Pollack Orchestra is the most professional collection of talented and energetic performers I have seen in this setting. Normally, wedding bands inspire thoughts of cheesy gimmicks, recycled play lists, and less than stellar performances. Bill Pollack breaks the mold, and then some. Starting at the cocktail hour, Bill and two other members of his band played upbeat, classic jazz standards to keep the mood light. They were smooth, jazzy, and on point with all of their renditions and already a big hit of the evening. During dinner, they performed again as background music for the meal, and Bill served as emcee of the festivities. As great of a musician as Bill is, he may be even better at emceeing, and he always was on top of things and easily broke in and out of music to make special announcements, keep the evening flowing, and seamlessly returning to playing beautiful tunes. Then, the real reception started, and the dance floor NEVER cleared. Using his full arsenal of performers, Bill wowed every single guest, and we are still hearing weeks later about how they were the "best wedding band" many had ever seen. Wanting our night to be truly memorable, Bill took every request we made and ran with it. We wanted my groomsman to sing the first song, and he made it perfect! That was truly the first "Unforgettable" moment of the evening. The first half of the evening they played standards, disco, and swing era music. The music was a perfect mix of dance, slow jams, and classic standards. Needing a break, the musicians took a 30-minute rest and Bill took over duties of DJ and kept the dance floor humming. Upon returning from the break, the rest of the night was a blur because I have NEVER seen a dance floor so lively! Once they started with a spot-on rendition of "Moves Like Jagger," it was on! Sweat was flying, grandmothers were dancing, and nobody was leaving the floor. Every single musician in the band truly poured every ounce of energy into each song, kept every guest engaged, and rocked their show. We can never truly thank Bill enough, but we will say that he comes as the most highly-recommended professional musician/DJ that we have ever witnessed. He is a joy to work with, easy to contact, and an incredible talent. THANK YOU AGAIN BILL! Dustin and Alyssa

After seeing Indigo at a wedding in 2019 and then attending a multitude of other events with…read morelackluster DJs - we knew we had to have them for our daughter's bat mitzvah 6 years later! Wow, did Kendall and the entire band deliver! Not only was Kendall a pleasure to work with (kind, responsive, great communication), but he really listened to the vibe our daughter wanted - Taylor, Chappell, and Sabrina. The dance floor was hopping the entire party - everyone from ages 3 to 77 was out there! All night long, guests would come up to me saying "wow, the band is really good!" On top of the music, Kendall is ​​just a great human. He MCed an open mic for my daughter, graciously handled the over-zealous cousins, and even picked up the wandering 3 year old mid song and didn't miss a beat. I could go on and on about how amazing Indigo was - definitely book them for your event. You will not be disappointed.

Indigo and Kendall were AMAZING! Fabulous music, everyone danced the night away! Incredible song…read morechoices! they completely understood the vibe we wanted! It was so much fun!!!! Our guest never left the dance floor. The most epic Hora EVER! They surpassed our dreams! So grateful!

I had the pleasure of hiring Jeff as my wedding videographer this past fall and what a great…read moreexperience! From our initial phone call, to the day-of, to the post-wedding communication, I was confident that Jeff would deliver! He was extremely friendly and professional and really knew his stuff! He even arrived early to make sure he was all set up and ready to go at our start time. He captured so many details throughout our day that you wouldn't even think of! A majority of the time I didn't even realize that he was there that he blended so well into background! I would say it took me about 3 weeks to get our edited video and I couldn't be anymore pleased with the finished product! I've watched our wedding video several times since receiving and cried each and EVERY time! To say he did an incredible job would be a drastic understatement. Thank you Jeff for capturing every special moment of the day through your creative lens and putting it into the most beautiful love story I have ever had the pleasure of watching. Jeff Kovit! You ARE AMAZING!!! Thank you!!!

The proof of any good video is the content and editing…read more Throughout the whole process, Jeff was in contact with me, which made me feel even better that I chose such a company as his. Upon receiving the video and watching it that same night, I was very happy with the whole process. To those who are reading this review, I would strongly recommend Jeff Kovit Video Productions to preserve your families' events and memories.

I just want to give Mr. Nick a big shout out! I have been coming with my 7 month old and it has…read morebeen such a wonderful time with her. It really is the highlight to our week. To watch her light up when being apart of such an inviting and upbeat atmosphere keeps me wanting to come back. Mr. Nick is an incredible musician. He knows how to bring all the parents and babies together with his songs, style and rhythm. My only hope is to have this on the weekends for when I have to go back to work!! Super grateful for this gem for families needing that community engagement for their little ones.

They offer Virtual Classes now! We are absolutely thrilled that we have been able to continue…read moretaking classes with Mr. Dave Music during the stay-at-home order in Illinois. Not to mention that now anyone, anywhere can take classes with Mr. Dave. Mr. Dave is just as great and engaging in the virtual classes as he is in person. The sound is really nice, the set is cute, and Mr. Dave has his animal "friends" there dancing along with us. There is a lot of active movement, which is great considering we are staying inside for much of the time. By the end of the class, we have danced, jumped, sang, done sign language, learned about instruments and animals and our ABCs and all kinds of things. The price point on the virtual classes is great and the times they offer are convenient. Can't wait to be back in the studio... but for now - we love the Mr. Dave Music 'Virtual Experience'!

Bruce did a GREAT job officiating our wedding in September. He was an absolute delight to work…read morewith. He offers a lot of content and framework for those who need guidance or ideas but also allows you to really customize what you want to be included in your ceremony. He has a very kind and calm presence. He knows how to officiate and makes everything very easy. He's a great public speaker, and the words he wrote for us were just perfect. We could not recommend him enough.

We were lucky enough to have Bruce as our officiant, and loved the entire process of working with…read morehim. Using his ceremony tools, we were able to customize our ceremony to fit exactly what we were looking for along with expert guidance every step of the way. He understood our desire to have a short and simple ceremony, but helped us to ensure that it was beautiful and meaningful. Bruce is a wonderful public speaker, and many of our guests commented on how much they enjoyed the ceremony. Most importantly, he is extremely responsive and is just a lovely person - we loved every interaction with him, and couldn't have asked for a better officiant!

Couldn't have asked for better…read more Lorry was amazing! He truly worked with us to bring the vision and vibe we wanted for our wedding to life. He made sure we had the perfect songs and audio for every part of the day--our ceremony, cocktail hour, introductions, cake cutting, speeches, and reception. Everyone could hear us clearly during both the ceremony and the speeches, which was so important to us. Even though the groom and I are millennials, the majority of our guests were in their 70s. I wanted music they would enjoy and feel excited to get up and dance to, and Lorry absolutely delivered. He created the perfect blend of classics from the 1960s through the 1990s--many of which were songs our guests had at their own weddings--and then transitioned into the early 2000s hits we love toward the end of the night. Lorry was great about taking requests while still fully respecting our "do not play" list, which he carefully reviewed with us ahead of time. We have received so many compliments from our guests about how fantastic the music was and how great Lorry was as a DJ. I would absolutely recommend Elevated Entertainment to anyone looking for a DJ. Thank you again

Larry is a BLAST! What a fun energetic company that are masters of their craft. We booked elevated…read moreentertainment for our wedding this past September and the entire event was executed perfectly. Larry went out of his way to meet with us on multiple occasions whether it was in person or via zoom just to ensure we got everything we wanted. Anytime we had a question, he would answer quickly, efficiently and politely. He kept our guests on the dance floor all night long and played most of our absolute favorites! We are very pleased with our experience booked Elevated Entertainment and would absolutely recommend!