Joel is great to work with and he really shines as an MC. He has so much experience with leading parties for adolescents and that is likely not a skill you find around every corner! He made my daughter's party so fun and meaningful back in 2023, and we are hiring him and his team again to do the party for my son this summer! read more

When I was asked by Joel Nelson himself how were the DJs he dispatched to my son's Bar Mitzvah, I told him, in one word...fantastic! From start to finish, Joe and Jovan were easy to work with, helpful, fun, and whatever I asked them to do, they did it without flinching. Joe did a wonderful job of leading the Jewish traditional dancing while Javon was great with the kids, leading the games. His break dancing was off the hook! Best of all, their pacing of the evening was spot on. I would definitely use them again! read more

Joel is a true professional. AJ and Joel were the DJ and MC combo for our daughters Bat Mitzvah and they rocked it. We had some hiccups along the night with our caterer, and Joel rolled with it, kept everyone dancing and having a great time. We would highly recommend him. When our younger daughter's Bat Mitzvah comes around, I'm sure we'll use him again. read more

Joel Nelson DJed for my son's Bar Mitzvah earlier this year, as well as my wedding 17 years ago, and I would not hesitate to hire him again if there was an occasion for it. He was able to provide both the right atmosphere and a comforting presence in both the lead up to both events as well as during the events. He is a consummate professional and I highly recommend him for DJ work. read more

Joel Nelson is a superb DJ! We just used him for my son's Bar Mitzvah party at the Chicken Pie Shop in Walnut Creek, and he did an absolutely fabulous job keeping everyone entertained for roughly four hours. We previously used him for our daughter's Bat Mitzvah party three years ago, and he was equally awesome back then. Joel really has a knack for getting people onto the dance floor to celebrate together as well as play unique games that everyone loves, especially the kids. In terms of cost, Joel is surprisingly reasonable for someone of his caliber in the Bay Area. I HIGHLY recommend him! read more

This is long overdue, but needs to be done. I hired Joel for my son's bar mitzvah (a couple years ago)...it was a MUST. Joel had done both my bat mitzvah, and my brother's bar mitzvah (and his wedding). He's a part of every major family celebration. Joel was fantastic. He was great with the kids, great with adults, and made planning easy. (and we somehow ended up doing a duet in the middle of the party!) I wanted to be sure there was plenty of Jewish dancing, as well as a Havadalah service, and it was perfect. Thank you, Joel. And sorry this took me so long! read more

We had the absolute best experience with our DJ and MC Joel for our son's Bar Mitzvah! He kept the crowd fully engaged all night. Both the kids and adults had a blast, the energy was incredible, and the dance floor stayed packed all the way until the end at 10pm (nobody wanted to leave!). He made sure every song we wanted was played, read the crowd perfectly, and knew exactly when to switch things up if there was a lull. The hora and Israeli dances were so on point and he got everyone on the dance floor. The energy he brought was amazing and truly made the celebration unforgettable and I was getting compliments from my guests all night long and even the day after. Highly recommend. If Joel is available to MC your event, book him! read more

We have worked with Joel Nelson Productions many times over the years and they always provide excellent entertainment and are great at communicating in a timely manner. We especially love sourcing our Santa Claus through Joel Nelson- I don't know how they manage to find Santa with a twinkle in his eye, but always they always do. read more

Joel's 7-piece All Access dance band orchestrated and delivered an intimate, entertaining wedding evening for 80. Ken & Jason broke out the Guitar & Clarinet for the actual nuptial including Here Comes the Bride! The guests followed them to cocktails and Jason picked up his Saxophone to accompany Ken's guitar in an hour of lite jazz. At dinner, Mastermind Joel Nelson emceed the evening, ruled the keyboards and was joined by big Brad on trumpet, awesome Andy on drums, and lovely singers Vanessa and Peggy, front & center. After 5 1/2 hours, the band left everyone charged up, worn out or standing in awe at their performance. Well done, thanks for the prep, engagement and responsiveness to all your new fans. Oh, your tuxes and black dresses raised the bar for class and sass. Thanks! read more

Joel Nelson Productions - Cake cutting on the dance floor with All Access on stage. - DJs Near Me - San Jose, California

Joel and his DJ performed at my daughter's Bat Mitzvah this weekend in Marin County. We had a great time. My daughter wasn't sure what she wanted from a DJ and I really liked that Joel encouraged us to be flexible. Originally we planned to do a lot of games, but instead at the party she wanted to dance with her friends. When we deviated from the schedule (catering related) Joel was constantly in touch with us and my daughter throughout the night making sure that we were making decisions together on what we wanted. We also had an add on dancer Nicole who was lovely and I'm glad she was there. read more

Joel Nelson Productions was amazing for my daughter's bat mitzvah! He was great at helping develop a plan for the evening that took into account the size of our party and my daughter's personality. Kerri was the MC, and I can't say enough good things about him!! He was amazing at getting the kids involved and ensuring that everyone had a blast. We also had a photo booth which was a big hit. Definitely recommend! read more

Massive shout out to Joel Nelson and Joe Sheldon for putting together a fantastic karaoke set for my company's holiday party! Joe played great music and even sang karaoke himself to get people in the mood for karaoke. So many people at my company messaged me saying they loved the karaoke. It was a highlight of the night. Joe was a great DJ/MC and got the party going. I can't wait to use their services again for our next party! read more

I am so incredibly happy that we used Joel Nelson Productions for the DJ and MC and dancer for our daughter's B'nai Mitzvah. We had a very large party with lot of activities and moving parts, but my daughter really wanted to have some dancing. Joel worked on a good schedule and connected us with Kerri to MC the event. I cannot say enough good things about Kerri and the energy he brought to the party and how smoothly he kept things going. He made the party go from fun to absolutely amazing. The dance floor was packed with guests young and old having the time of their lives. He even got my super shy kiddo up and dancing up on the speakers with a smile so wide I will never forget it. He really is the best MC I have ever seen at a party. Thanks for all the help Joel and Kerri to make this a party even better than I could have hoped for. read more

Joel Nelson was one of our favorite wedding vendors! Joel and his crew just get it when many vendors in the space don't. He was extremely communicative prior to our big day and set our expectations right from the get go. On the big day, Joel and his crew got there on time and performed beautifully. One of the best things about Joel was reading the room and playing songs that fit the energy perfectly. Awesome job, highly recommended!! read more

We hired Joel Nelson and his band to perform during our wedding in March 2023. He did an incredible job, and went above and beyond our expectations bringing a high level of energy and great music to our dance floor. We had a flute and guitar duet play as the bridal party walked down the aisle, and a full band followed by a DJ during the reception. They brought uplighting for the floor which added to the celebratory ambiance of the room. We were really impressed, and would absolutely recommend Joel Nelson and his crew for any upcoming events! read more

Joel and Daniel were excellent! I called them last minute on a Thursday to perform on Monday and they were there on time. The Dueling Piano was very good. The talent and stamina needed to sign and entertain everyone for 3 hours straight is amazing. Everyone enjoyed the event and were talking about it for days. read more

Joel Nelson Productions - Dueling Piano - DJs Near Me - San Jose, California

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My wife and I had our wedding in July at The Kaiser Roof Garden and they used Joel Nelson as their music and entertainment. Joseph setup everything for us and he paired us with DJ Roy and he was great! We had several phone conversations prior to our wedding with Joseph and DJ Roy. Several weeks before the wedding we sent in a song list with our Introduction song, first dance, last dance and request from our guest. He also asked for our timeline to familiarize himself with the sequence of events . DJ Roy played the majority of our music mixed with some of his beats. He kept our guest dancing all night. There was only one little tiny hiccup, somehow the wire lines were switched and the microphone wasn't working for our introduction. For us that was not a big deal, our guest knew who we were and our music was playing when we walked out, so we were fine. It was quickly worked out and the mics were working for the remainder of the night! We would definitely recommend Joel Nelson and DJ Roy, they were AWESOME!!! read more

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HUGE help on the "day of" itinerary! Helped us figure out the music and everything came out perfect. Our DJ read the guests perfectly. You could hear him changing up the music until the dance floor was on fire. Great job! read more

We couldn't have asked for a better DJ for our son's Bar Mitzvah-- these guys are THE BEST! We had the best time dancing with all of our guests, and boy did everyone DANCE their hearts out-- JJ was incredible at getting everyone on the dance floor for the Hora and other group dances, and played all of our song requests. The kids loved all of the games and were duly entertained all night long. Communication beforehand was seamless and thoughtful in terms of planning the order of events, as these guys are experienced and skillful in helping to guide the play-by-play orchestration of an awesome event. For Bar Mitzvah parties, Joel Nelson Productions are THE BEST! And ask for JJ! read more

HUGE thank you Joel & DJ Julio!! We chose JNP to provide a DJ & MC for our wedding at Devil's Canyon Brewery this past July (we postponed one year due to COVID). Joel was able to work with us through the postponement & was super communicative and helpful throughout that stressful process. They both took the time to go over details and expectations of our big day, and it turned out way better than we ever could have imagined! Julio KILLED IT!! He has great attention to detail, a contagious and upbeat energy and went above and beyond for us. We got so much great feedback, and felt he really tied the whole event together. We cannot thank you both enough!!! read more

Joel Nelson Productions was amazing. We had my daughter's Bat Mitzvah party and she said it was the best night of her life. She wants to hire Joel for everything now (us too - he knows how to make a party happen!). He engaged everyone from the youngest child to the oldest grandparent, and had everyone on the dance floor, having a blast. He listened to what she wanted, to the type of music she likes, and they spoke about how to intro her, end the party, every detail. We really appreciate how great he and the DJ were all night long. We added the lights and photo booth package and it made it more interactive for everyone. Thank you, Joel! read more

I contacted Joel on a referral from someone else. I was planning my daughters sweet 16 B-Day party. In the planning she had mentioned she thought a photo booth would be awesome. As a surprise I made a reservation with Joel. His employee showed up half an hour early set it all up & explained to me how to operate it, which was just a push of a button. When my daughter saw it she was so excited. She took pictures for the evening with all her friends it was the high lite of the party. I will deferentially use Joel again & have no problem referring my friends to him. read more

Joel's band played the music for our wedding. It was amazing and very beautiful. We are extremely thankful to Joel for making our wedding a one-in-a-lifetime and very special event. He helped us plan everything in detail before the wedding. Everything went just as we had hoped and planned. His musicians played during the processional and played while everyone danced. The dance floor was packed. We are watching and re-watching the videos of the ceremony. Everyone had such a blast. This is the band you want to hire for your wedding. read more

Highly recommend Joel Nelson Productions. We used his MC/DJ services and lighting for my daughter's bat mitzvah party. He was very responsive, professional, outgoing and friendly throughout the planning process and at the party. He really listened to what my daughter wanted and checked in with her a few times during the party to see if she wanted games or music. Everyone was up and dancing for the hora and he even taught two folkdances. He also did a great job keeping the kids (even the boys) playing games, and dancing during the evening. We did the package where he brought a DJ and a dancer. The dancer was very sweet and outgoing and really motivated the kids (and parents) to dance and helped the very little kids participate in the games. Joel Nelson Production was the key ingredient to the party's success. I am so happy that we used him as our MC/DJ. Multiple people told me that they or their kids had a great time dancing and playing games. The lighting also looked great. Towards the end of the evening Joel Nelson did some really cool things with the lighting (I do not know what it is called), but it gave the room a very fun dance club feel. read more

I had contemplated for very a long time whether to write this review or not (our wedding was in September of 2013), and I've finally decided that I should share my experiences so other Yelpers can be well informed. The majority of my communication with Joel Nelson Productions since the beginning was with Jason Mitchell, who was extremely wonderful and sounds like he would be a great DJ. Unfortunately, we didn't get to book him in time for our wedding, so it was unclear whether the person assigned to our wedding would be just as good (although Jason reassured me that he would never use a DJ that he couldn't use at his own wedding). We also decided to use the same company later on for lighting because the other company we had contacted never got back to us. I really appreciated that Jason had visited our venue to ensure that our lighting options would work well and would have absolutely no issues. What happened next was what ultimately resulted my review being a glowing 5 to a 1 (I honestly wanted to rate my DJ a 0, but sadly I couldn't)... About a month or two before our wedding date, I began to receive sporadic communications with 2 other people - one responsible for our wedding timeline and another is our actual DJ. The coordinator was great and was able to pump out our timeline within a few day's time; however, what had irked me greatly was how our DJ responded every time I tried to reach out to him. Our DJ and we had incompatible schedules due to work, so it was already hard to get in touch with him to begin with - I totally understand & took that into consideration by contact him very early on about a month before our wedding date. Instead of being open to a discussion and prepare for our wedding day, our DJ brushed me off and asked me to call him closer to our wedding date. I waited until about 2 weeks before our wedding date and tried MANY times to get in touch with him - when I finally did get in touch with him, he again said it's not a good time to talk in details but he would appreciate it if I send him our "wedding song" list so he can research the songs and made sure he would have them available for our wedding. I promptly sent the song list & again waited - keep in mind that in all this time period, I never had an in-depth discussion with our DJ as to what we wanted/liked and not wanted/liked for our wedding. When we finally had our final phone conversation about 3 days before our wedding day, our DJ reassured me that he knows what he's doing and that he has experiences from "1500 weddings a year" so there's absolutely NOTHING to worry about based on the song list & the timeline he had received. On the DAY OF our wedding... 1. My then-fiance and I were getting ready at the hotel & I get a phone call from my DJ saying that he CANNOT find the mp3 of one of our songs (for my bouquet toss)?!?!?!?!?! 2. We had asked that he make announcements for group photos right after the ceremony and he was NOWHERE to be found - our bridesmaids/groomsmen had to take over for him 3. For our wedding party introduction, we had specifically told him what to do both in the timeline AND the song list he received, yet he had NO idea what he was doing and had to confirm with me minutes before our introduction 4. Our DJ had reassured me that he would play song selections that were "similar" to the song list that I had sent him; instead, he played EXACTLY what was listed then started playing random OLD songs that our wedding guests could not relate to...as you can imagine, the wedding was pretty much dead when we tried to start the dance hour. When my MOH asked him to play more contemporary songs, our DJ rudely told her that she had "no idea" what she was talking about and that the crowd was feeling the music... Despite all the positive experiences I had during the 1st part of our planning process, it's really unfortunate that our wedding didn't end up the way it was promised by the company. read more

Joel Nelson productions almost ruined my wedding. The lack communication from their event coordinator, Jason Mitchell was completely unacceptable. They did not have a DJ assigned to my wedding until 2 days before the event and often would not return phone calls and emails. I had signed a contract agreement months in advance or would have fired them on the spot. Thankfully the DJ that took my event and who actually has his own company was amazing. (I wish I would have hired him directly) I paid top dollar for professional services and received almost no service at all. I caution anyone thinking of hiring this company and strongly recommend that you don't. read more

Joel Nelson's band played at my wedding reception, my brother's wedding reception, and he even deejayed my Bat Mitzvah party eons ago. He is the best! Joel really knows how to get everyone up and dancing. We've got a fun video of everyone at my wedding dancing YMCA song. Very fun. Just about the only people who weren't dancing were those who physically couldn't manage it. We gave Joel a list of songs we liked, and he was really accomodating. We also had some "please don't go there" songs, and he obliged. There are a few songs I just can't handle, like "Celebrate" makes me crazy, and not in a good way. My husband sang me the lounge lizard version of "I get a kick out of you" at our wedding reception, and Joel's band backed him up beautifully. My husband forgot the words at one point, and asked for a trumpet solo, and presto, trumpet solo. These are top-notch musicians, nice people, and class acts. They do all kinds of occasions including ceremonies (quartets and such) and receptions (bands and DJs) and I'm not sure what else. We were very happy we hired them for our special occasion. read more

As far as I'm concerned good music can make or break ANY party. To prove how important it was to us, when it can to our wedding, we didn't pay for a professional photographer or a professional wedding cake, hell I didn't even buy a traditional wedding dress....but we did pay for the best professional DJ service. Kudos to Joel Nelson Productions and to DJ Roy Stone for doing their due diligence prepping us for our big day. Roy rocked it all out to make EVERYTHING run beautifully throughout the evening. Our mixed crowd of guests were kept out on the dance floor, volume was a good level and everyone seemed to be having fun. I had more then one compliment from folks about Roy and of course the "party" was a success because of him! read more

We hired Joel Nelson Productions for our Wedding and couldn't be happier with the results. Music was a very high priority for us, so we had a vision for what we wanted for Ceremony Music, and Joel made it happen. We wanted a Guitar and Violin Duo, which isn't your standard affair. Joel himself came out played guitar, and the violinist was amazing! They performed flawlessly. For the rest of my life whenever I hear Wonderwall I will think about walking down the aisle. My Dad has been a musician for the last 3 decades and had nothing but praise for the Ceremony Music. Thanks Joel! read more

Hi there. My wife and I were married in May 2014 in Sacramento and worked with Frank Goldstein and the Manhattan Towers for all our musical needs. To say that we recommend Frank would be an extraordinary understatement -- Frank was by far the most professional, warmest, most accommodating and kindest of any of our wedding vendors. His work and effort really brought our wedding together. We wanted a wedding that mixed traditional Jewish music with fun wedding music and of course were on a budget. In Northern California, there weren't a lot of choices for us in terms of musicians that can manage the music for a Tish, a Jewish processional/recessional, a jazzy cocktail hour, several Horas, and then some fun party music. Not only did Frank knock each of these out of the park, he did so while working within our budget -- reusing musicians when he could, filling gaps with DJ music, and doing his best to meet us where we wanted to be in terms of spend. It's never cheap to get live musicians, but Frank brings such great value and experience that every penny was worth it. Anyone planning a wedding knows that it's a stressful process to say the least. Everyone has an opinion, and (if you're lucky) you haven't done this before so you don't know what the hell is going on. You rely on vendors to guide you, but vendors also are out for themselves and are often trying to work every dollar out of your pocket. We all are adults and go into the process understanding this is the case. Hopefully when you plan your wedding, you run into someone like Frank Goldstein -- someone who advocates on your behalf, someone who you trust and admire, someone so professional, you can't help but listen to them. Someone who never says 'No' to you -- unless 'No' is really the right answer and that's what you need to hear. If you're looking for an amazing band, with an amazingly professional bandleader , look no further than Frank -- he'll make your wedding truly amazing. read more

Joel and his team were fabulous at our wedding! Since day one of wedding planning Joel was very professional and organized. We were impressed by how quickly he responded to our requests and had wonderful recommendations with our timeline. He was very classy in his tuxedo, sounded great on the mic and definitely got our guests pumped up and dancing along with the amazing DJ. The music, uplighting, party lights, and glow sticks his team provided at the end of the evening definitely made our wedding a night to remember. We are showered with so many compliments and our guests continue to tell us how much fun they had at our wedding :) Thank you Joel Nelson Productions! read more

I worked with Joesph from Joel Nelson in San Jose, to plan the wedding reception timeline. He was extremely nice and very helpful! He's very responsive, if I had a question he would e-mail me right back, sometimes within the same day. He recommended Max, a young DJ. Max was WONDERFUL! He's very talented and can work the crowd. He played music that kept everyone dancing! He was also wonderful during the reception part, we were off schedule, but he kept the party flowing. I would recommend this company and especially Max for your wedding or party!! read more

5 stars is not enough for Joel Nelson and his fabulous band. They were incredible, energetic and the music was outstanding. They made the party!!!!!! We are extremely grateful for all Joel did. He is super professional. He has a tremendous sense of what guests enjoy and how to keep them on the dance floor. Everyone had an amazing time!!!!! This is the band for your wedding. read more

Joel Nelson productions is the best in Bat/Bar Mitzvah entertainment you will find in the Bay Area! We just had our daughter's Bat Mitzvah in Lafayette and our expectations were exceeded. To start, Adam and Aaron are completely professional follow through and ability to listen and customize the experience. I had unique ideas about how I wanted the event to flow - combining live music with the DJ. The incredible, adorable Emcees Aaron and Youni were a hit with everyone. Adam and Aaron provided excellent insights into what really works for this age group and absolutely knows how to make a party a success. My objective was to make the party (evening/sit down/formal) fun for every single person - all ages. I have never seen 150 people on the dance floor at once but Aaron with his incredible personality had everyone involved and having THE time of their life. The DJ can make or break the party and you can feel confident that Joel Nelson has the professionalism and experience to make the event a success. We added the fun elements of lighting and party box and I would definitely suggest these options. I was very happy to have Joel Nelson at the event as another DJ has quite a bit of business in this area and at least 10 friends with B'nai Mitzvah age children asked me for their number and information - if I must say so myself... it was probably the best party/Bat Mitzvah I have been too ever. To me, the catering and the music are essential and I can assure any parent that you will have the best experience with Joel Nelson Productions. Lastly, I work in corporate events and my expectations of suppliers is huge. From a personal and professional perspective I would not only hire Joel Nelson again for private, social events but absolutely for my corporate events as well. Thank you Adam, Aaron, Youni, DJ and Joel for making our special day the best ever! read more

We used Joel to do the lighting for our wedding. We had bistro lighting strung above the dining area and then uplighting in various areas on the main venue. The lighting installed was so gorgeous and made everything pop perfectly. I couldn't have been happier with how everything looked. Joel was very easy to work with, reasonably priced, he never tried to push anything on us and the end result was professional, elegant, beautiful and romantic. Thank you so much Joel! ~Kristen and Jesee read more

We couldn't have asked for a better DJ than DJ Lo (Julio). He was amazing! We loved his energy, attention to detail, and song choice. This was our third bar/t mitzvah party for our family and he was the best DJ (and we even liked our other ones too). I loved how he was dressed as well. Julio was able to incorporate our song choices and wishes into his routine in a seamless, totally fun way. Joel Nelson and Joseph were great in organizing the details and DJ Lo was the perfect choice as our DJ. read more

My husband and I were very happy we chose Joel Nelson Productions for our wedding. The prices were reasonable, the staff was friendly, and they always responded quickly. They also accommodated our play and most importantly do NOT play list. On the day of we had Rick and he was great! He was on time, played everything we wanted, helped us stay on our timeline, and kept the energy up throughout the night. read more

Joel was great during the organizing process and all the follow-up. DJ Mike was very professional and wonderful to work with. He came early to set up, was on top of everything and even MC'd as needed. Apart from a short break, he worked non stop during the whole 5 hours. He definitely got people on the dance floor and was able to please the different age groups with his music selections. read more

DJ Roy Stone did a fantastic job for our wedding in December '10. He was very flexible and followed and executed our plan perfectly. Joseph at Joel Nelson was also very easy to work with and a big help with all of our questions. I highly recommend Joel Nelson Productions, and especially DJ Roy Stone for anyone's upcoming wedding, or other party for that matter! read more

Amazing and fun! Joel Nelson Productions recently DJ'd a party at our school for 250 guests and everyone had a fantastic time. The music was perfect, everyone was on their feet dancing. They also provided gobo lights to add ambiance to an otherwise very boring room, setting the decor with a festive feel. Suggest booking early, they are very busy. Highly recommend this business. Thank you Joel Nelson!! read more