Dueling Pianos in Fresno, Visalia and the South Valley

If you are planning an event in Fresno, Visalia, Hanford or anywhere in the South Valley, you have probably noticed that a lot of the entertainment that shows up in search is either a national company routing players in from out of state or a DJ who plays the same set everywhere. Valley crowds deserve better than that. They show up ready to have a good time, they sing along, and they will tell you by the end of the night whether the entertainment was worth it.

Modern Dueling Pianos is a Northern California dueling piano show, and the Valley is part of our regular map. Here is how a dueling piano show works for South Valley events, what kinds of events it fits best, and what to know before you book.

What we have learned playing the Valley

This year Modern Dueling Pianos played a big fundraiser for Hanford High School, and our team has also played the fair in Chowchilla. A school fundraiser and a county fairground are about as different as two Valley events get, but the crowd reaction was the same at both. People figured out within the first couple of songs that they could request anything, the request slips started piling up, and the whole room ended up singing the same chorus.

That is what a dueling piano show does well in this part of the state. Valley events tend to bring everyone together at once: families, coworkers, longtime friends, grandparents and the high school kids who got dragged along. An all-request show gives every one of them a way in.

How a dueling piano show works

Two pianist-singers sit at two pianos facing each other and the audience. Guests write song requests on slips and send them up, often with a tip to get their song played sooner, or to get the other player's song bumped. The players trade songs, harmonize, finish each other's medleys, call out birthdays and anniversaries, and pull the occasional guest up to sing.

The set list comes from the room, so it naturally covers whatever your crowd loves. In the Valley that might mean George Strait and Garth Brooks next to Journey, Elton John, Bruno Mars and a Disney song for the kids' table. Nobody has to sit through a set built for someone else.

South Valley events that are a natural fit

• School and nonprofit fundraisers. Booster dinners, auctions and foundation galas. Request tips can go straight to your cause, and the show doubles as the auction warm-up. We wrote more ideas in our fundraising gala entertainment guide.
• Fairs, festivals and city events. County fairs, harvest festivals, downtown nights and holiday events in Fresno, Clovis, Visalia, Tulare, Hanford, Madera and Merced. Our post on city events and summer concert series covers the outdoor details.
• Company parties. Holiday parties, ag and packing company appreciation dinners, and client nights, where you want every department in the same room by the end of the evening.
• Weddings and milestone parties. Receptions, anniversaries, big birthdays and reunions, where the guest list spans three generations.
• Breweries, wineries and venues. Ticketed nights that sell tables to groups of friends. See our guide to ticketed brewery and taproom shows.

Planning tips for Valley events

Plan for the heat. From late spring through early fall, outdoor afternoon events in the South Valley get hot. Shade or a covered stage protects the equipment and keeps the show going, and an evening start time usually brings out a bigger crowd anyway.

Put the pianos where people gather. At a fair or festival, set the stage near food and seating, not behind vendor booths. At a banquet hall, put us where every table can see the players.

Tell us the tone. For school, family and community events we keep the show clean. For a 21-and-over company party or private event, let us know how much edge you want late in the night and we will match the room.

Use the microphone. We bring an extra mic, so welcomes, sponsor thank-yous, raffle draws and auction announcements all happen from the same stage.

What we bring and what the venue needs

The show is self-contained. We bring two pianist-singers, two piano shells with professional keyboards, a full sound system, stage lighting and the extra microphone. The venue needs a level space about 16 by 12 feet and standard power. Liability insurance is available if your venue or school district requires it.

Smaller rooms and other formats

Not every event needs the full two-piano show. For a smaller dinner, a cocktail hour or a quieter part of a festival, James Michael Day plays a solo piano and vocal show with the same all-request approach and a smaller footprint. We also offer live piano karaoke, where guests take the mic and sing with a live piano player behind them instead of a backing track. It is a big hit at fundraisers and company parties where people want to be part of the show.

Cost and travel

Pricing depends on the date, show length, travel and production, and every quote is confirmed in writing. Most events book two to four hours. Our dueling pianos cost guide explains what goes into the price. For events in the northern Valley, see our page on dueling pianos in Stockton, Lodi and Modesto.

Book a show in Fresno, Visalia or the South Valley

Send us your date, city, venue, approximate guest count and the kind of event you are planning. We will check availability and send a quote you can take to your committee, boss or family.

Request a quote through our booking form or call or text (408) 203-5563.