A Singing Pianist for San Francisco and Marin: Holiday Parties, Weddings and Company Events

San Francisco is where I learned to run a piano bar. I played hundreds of shows at Lefty O'Doul's, the city's famous piano bar, taking requests from tourists, regulars and whole office parties who wandered in from Union Square, often all in the same hour. If you're planning a holiday party, a wedding or a company dinner in San Francisco or across the bridge in Marin, here's how a singing pianist fits the room and how I'd plan it with you.

Why a singing pianist works so well in the city

A lot of San Francisco venues are restaurant private rooms, hotel salons, rooftop lounges, Victorian homes and converted warehouses. A full band often doesn't fit, and a DJ can feel like too much for a dinner crowd. One player at the piano gives you live music that fills the space without taking it over.

• Dinner and conversation. Standards, Motown, Billy Joel, Elton John and modern pop played in my own style, at a volume where people can still talk.
• Requests. With 2,000+ songs to draw from, I can usually play what your guests ask for, and those requests tell me where to take the night.
• The late set. When the room is ready, the same piano turns into a sing-along, so the party builds instead of stalling after dessert.

Holiday parties and company events

December is the busiest month of the year for office parties in the city, and Friday and Saturday nights book first. For a company dinner or client night, solo piano keeps the room warm while people eat and talk, and later I can lift the energy with requests and sing-alongs. For a team after-party, my signature piano karaoke puts your coworkers on the mic with live piano behind them. My corporate event piano and private party services spell out what's included.

Reading a crowd is the whole job. As a former San Jose Sharks organist, I played 500+ NHL games and the NHL All-Star Game, and that's where I learned when to keep things easy and when to bring a room to its feet.

Weddings in San Francisco and Marin

For a city hall ceremony, a hotel ballroom or a Marin hillside venue, I can cover the whole day: soft instrumentals as guests arrive, your processional arranged for piano and voice, a live first-dance song, then cocktail hour and dinner music. I also DJ and MC, so one person can handle the grand entrance, toasts and the last dance. Couples heading north toward the vineyards can find more on my Napa and Sonoma wedding piano page, and my wedding piano services lay out the options.

Planning notes for city and Marin venues

Load-in and parking. Downtown and SoMa venues often have a loading dock, a freight elevator or a short window at the curb. Send me the venue's load-in instructions early and I'll plan around them.

No piano needed. I bring my own professional stage piano and sound system, so you don't need a piano at the venue. Older buildings and homes can mean narrow stairs or a small elevator, so tell me about them ahead of time.

Sound rules. Many restaurants, hotels and Marin neighborhoods have volume limits or a hard end time. Live piano is easy to scale, so I set the volume to the room and respect the venue's curfew.

Bridges and traffic. Bay Bridge and Golden Gate traffic on a December Friday is no joke. I build extra time into the drive so I'm set up and sound-checked before your first guest walks in.

Hear me live this season

The closest public nights to the city are down the Peninsula: I'm at Faith & Spirits in San Carlos on December 4 and 5, an easy drive down the Peninsula from San Francisco. My upcoming shows page always has the latest dates, and my reviews page has what couples and hosts have said.

Want a bigger show? For a holiday party that turns into a full two-piano sing-along, I can bring a second player with Modern Dueling Pianos. Planning further south? Here's my take on weddings and parties in San Jose and the South Bay, and for general tips, see how to hire a singing pianist in Northern California.

Book a singing pianist in San Francisco or Marin

Send your date, venue and the kind of night you're planning through my booking form, or call or text (408) 203-5563.

Frequently asked questions