Greg Williams

Founder and bandleader

Why I Started Uptown Drive

I studied jazz saxophone at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, and at 20 I was playing in a party band on the Disney and Universal stages in Orlando.

That job taught me more than any classroom. You learn fast what makes a crowd get up and what sends them back to their seats, and you learn that the best musicians in the room aren't always the ones who make the night work. The ones who make it work are listening to the room.

When I moved to Austin I spent years playing in other people's wedding bands all over Texas. From the stage, I paid attention to everything: how a band handled the grand entrance, how the toasts were cued, how long it took to fill the floor after dinner, and how much it mattered when the band that showed up wasn't the band the couple had watched online. Too often, the players on stage were meeting each other for the first time that afternoon.

In 2013 I toured the world on sax with Jason Mraz. It was the gig of a lifetime, and I came home knowing exactly what I wanted to build next.

The band you book is the band that shows up.

In 2014 I started Uptown Drive around that one idea. I hand-picked every musician for talent and chemistry, and those are the musicians who play every Uptown Drive event. We call it our Certified Original Lineup: every video you see features our confirmed lineup, so you know exactly who will be on your stage. When a band plays together this often, nobody needs a set list taped to the floor to know where the night is going.

What started as an Austin wedding band now plays weddings, galas and company events across Texas and Colorado and travels for destination weddings from Aspen to Aruba. We've been named a WeddingWire Couples' Choice winner eleven times, and every one of those reviews was earned by the same people you'll see on your stage.

When you book Uptown Drive, you book me too. I answer your first email, build the timeline with you and your planner, lead the band on sax and guitar and emcee the evening, whether it's your wedding reception or your company's biggest night of the year. If anything needs to change in the moment, you're talking to the person who can change it on the spot.

Austin is home. When I'm not on a stage, I'm with my family and our dogs, and that's who I'm thinking about when I promise a couple or a client that we'll treat their event like it's our own.

Meet the Uptown Drive Band

Greg Williams

Bandleader, saxophone and guitar

On the night, Greg is the one steering the room. He moves between sax and guitar, emcees every introduction and toast, and calls audibles on the set list from the stage based on who's dancing. His live sax over the DJ during cocktail hour and grand entrances is one of the most requested moments of the night.

Courtney Gayle

Lead vocals

Courtney is a powerhouse vocalist who traded New York City for Austin. She has performed with bands and orchestras across the country, works as an actress and is one half of the duo Gritty Sunset. She moves easily from soul ballads to dance floor anthems, and she has a way of turning a single chorus into the moment everyone remembers.

Quiesean Wilson

Lead vocals

Quiesean grew up singing gospel and has been hooked on every genre since. He's a born showman who carries the pop and hip hop side of the show, and he never stays behind the mic stand for long. Once he takes his energy out onto the dance floor, the guests follow him, and nobody sits back down until the last song.

The Rhythm Section, Horns and Production

Drew D'Entremont

Drums

Johnny Vogelsang

Bass

Jason Wintermeyer

Guitar and keys

Michael Sailors

Trumpet

Daniel Fears

Trombone

Jonathan Lounsberry

Audio engineer and production manager

Uptown Drive FAQ: Austin Wedding and Corporate Event Band

Who founded Uptown Drive?

Uptown Drive was founded by saxophonist and bandleader Greg Williams. Greg studied jazz saxophone at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, performed on the Disney and Universal stages in Orlando and toured internationally with Jason Mraz before starting the band. He still leads and emcees every Uptown Drive event.

When and where was Uptown Drive founded?

Uptown Drive was founded in Austin, Texas in 2014. Austin is still home base for the band, which now performs weddings and corporate events across Texas, Colorado and destination locations.

Is the band in Uptown Drive's videos the band at my event?

Yes. Uptown Drive performs with a Certified Original Lineup, so the musicians in the band's wedding and corporate videos and reviews are the musicians on your stage. Uptown Drive never assembles a different group of players for each date.

Who are the members of Uptown Drive?

Greg Williams (bandleader, saxophone and guitar), Courtney Gayle (lead vocals), Quiesean Wilson (lead vocals), Drew D'Entremont (drums), Johnny Vogelsang (bass), Jason Wintermeyer (guitar and keys), Michael Sailors (trumpet) and Daniel Fears (trombone). Jonathan Lounsberry is the band's audio engineer and production manager.

How many musicians are in Uptown Drive?

Uptown Drive performs as a six-piece band with drums, bass, guitar and keys, saxophone and two lead vocalists. Adding trumpet and trombone makes a seven or eight-piece band with a full horn section.

Who plans my event with the band?

Greg Williams works directly with every couple, planner and corporate client, from the first inquiry through the last song. He builds the music plan and timeline with you, then leads the band and emcees on the day.

Does Uptown Drive provide sound, lighting and an emcee?

Yes. Uptown Drive brings its own sound system and stage lighting, run by audio engineer and production manager Jonathan Lounsberry, and Greg Williams emcees every event, including grand entrances, toasts, special dances and award presentations.

Does Uptown Drive play wedding ceremonies, cocktail hours and dinners?

Yes. Uptown Drive provides ceremony sound, cocktail hour and dinner music, DJ music between sets and emcee services. Live saxophone over the DJ is a popular choice for cocktail hour and grand entrances.

What kind of music does Uptown Drive play?

Uptown Drive is a high-energy dance band covering Motown, soul, funk, disco, pop and hip hop, with the singers out on the dance floor with guests. See the full Uptown Drive song catalog. The band learns special requests, and first dances and parent dances can be performed live.

Does Uptown Drive play corporate events?

Yes. Uptown Drive is a corporate event band for company holiday parties, galas, fundraisers, conferences, sales meetings, awards nights and brand activations, with clients including Apple, Dell, Google, Shell and Visa.

What is Uptown Drive Interactive?

Uptown Drive Interactive is the band's hybrid of dance band and live band karaoke, where guests sing lead backed by the full band. It has performed brand activations at SXSW, CMA Fest and F1 FanFest.

Where does Uptown Drive perform?

Uptown Drive is based in Austin and performs throughout Texas, including Dallas and Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country, and in Denver, Aspen, Vail and Beaver Creek, Colorado. The band also travels for destination weddings and events. See all locations.

How far in advance should I book a wedding band?

Most Uptown Drive couples book 8 to 14 months before the wedding, and peak-season Saturdays book first. Check your date as soon as you have one.

Where Uptown Drive Plays: Texas, Colorado and Destination Events

Aspen, CO

Dallas, TX

Las Vegas, NV

Round Rock, TX

Amelia Island, FL

Los Angeles, CA

Austin, TX

Houston, TX

Aruba

Denver, CO

Austin, TX

New Orleans, LA

Beaver Creek, CO

Dallas, TX

Austin + Houston

Los Angeles, CA

Lost Pines, TX

Denver, CO

Dripping Springs, TX

Dallas, TX

Austin, TX

Los Angeles, CA

Round Rock, TX

Denver, CO

Aspen, CO

Dallas, TX

Las Vegas, NV

Round Rock, TX

Amelia Island, FL

Los Angeles, CA

Austin, TX

Houston, TX

Aruba

Denver, CO

Austin, TX

New Orleans, LA

Beaver Creek, CO

Dallas, TX

Austin + Houston

Los Angeles, CA

Lost Pines, TX

Denver, CO

Dripping Springs, TX

Dallas, TX

Austin, TX

Los Angeles, CA

Round Rock, TX

Denver, CO

Texas wedding band

Omni Barton Creek Resort, Austin Country Club, The Arlo, Hotel ZaZa, Hyatt Regency Lost Pines, Camp Lucy in Dripping Springs, Kalahari Resorts in Round Rock and Houston Oaks Country Club.

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