10 Southern California Live Music Acts You Can Book for Your Holiday Party
Planning an office party, a family get-together or a New Year's Eve bash? Here are ten local acts, from solo singers to full bands, who play bars, restaurants and patios around Southern California and also take bookings. Looking for dinner music, a dance band, blues or something the whole room can sing along to? It's all below.
How it works: The Circuit List is a free guide to live music, karaoke and nights out near you. Each act's page shows where they're playing next, so you can go see them live before you book, and the Book button goes straight to the act. We don't take a cut, and the acts don't pay to be here. Ask them directly about your date, location, pricing, sound and setup. December weekends fill up early, so if you have a date in mind, reach out this month.
Booking music for your bar or restaurant? Check where these acts are playing next, catch a set, and see if their sound fits your room.
AJ DeGrasse
Plays solo or with his trio, including dinner shows at La Cave in Costa Mesa and Boathouse on the Bay in Long Beach.
Good for: dinner parties, special events
Brandon Wildish
Orange County singer-songwriter blending acoustic folk and alternative rock. Plays solo, with the four-piece Brandon Wildish Band, or as a DJ/MC, so one booking can cover dinner and the dance floor.
Good for: restaurants, private parties, corporate events
Casual Encounters Live Band Karaoke
Your guests sing with a live band instead of a backing track. Catch them Mondays at The Fable in Los Angeles.
Good for: weddings, corporate events, private parties
Their page · Book Casual Encounters
Haley Copello
Soulful singer who also performs as an acoustic duo, with regular sets at 21 Oceanfront in Newport Beach and Twisted Vine in Fullerton.
Good for: private parties, holiday parties, restaurant evenings
High-D Boys
Variety band built on vocal harmonies, crowd requests and getting the audience involved. Plays from Anaheim to Redlands and the High Desert.
Good for: community events, parties where everyone wants to sing along
JB & The Big Circle Riders
Plays saloons and dancehalls including The Ranch Saloon in Anaheim and Whiskey River in Norco.
Good for: weddings, corporate events, private parties, festivals
Travels: Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties
Mike Staggs & The Soul
Huntington Beach rock band and a regular at Surf City Nights, also playing Long Beach, Seal Beach and the Inland Empire.
Good for: corporate events, private parties, fundraisers
Patricia Manion Band
Los Angeles blues band led by guitarist, singer and songwriter Patricia Manion: original blues with a funk and rock edge. The band has hosted the blues jam at Rude Dogs in Covina.
Good for: blues nights, bars and restaurants
Shawn Jones
Blues, rock and roots, and a regular on The Porch at The Ranch at Laguna Beach and at Trevor's at the Tracks in San Juan Capistrano.
Good for: restaurant and patio sets
Wight Litening Band
Orange County cover band first formed in 1975 and back together since 2012, playing classic rock, contemporary rock, country, Southern rock, modern pop and dance music. Books as a full electric band or an acoustic trio, is fully insured, and is a longtime regular at The Harp Inn in Costa Mesa.
Good for: private parties, fundraisers, community events
Looking for a DJ or karaoke host instead?
Browse everyone who takes bookings at thecircuitlist.com/hire. DJs and karaoke hosts are up next in this series.
Play in a band, host karaoke or DJ?
The free For hire badge puts a Book button on your Circuit List page, so people planning parties and venues looking for acts can reach you directly, and it's how we find acts for future roundups like this one. Add the kinds of events you take, how far you'll travel and any dates you're free. Get the badge