
Reviews and News From Lincoln, IL
We are very proud of the 1000+ reviews we have accumulated over the years. Any of these clients will be happy to share their experiences with our company on & off stage.
Here is what people from Lincoln, IL and neighboring cities are saying about us
Embassy Suites Tailgate Party
Lincoln, IL - Friday, April 14th, 2006

Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
East Peoria, IL - Friday, March 14th, 2025
The show was great and we really enjoyed the players! They were very accommodating and easy to work with and did a great job with the crowd.
Corporate Party | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Rushville, IL - Friday, January 31st, 2025
Everything was great. The players Marc & Matt were great. Nothing but accolades. Thanks for playing our event.
Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Springfield, IL - Friday, November 8th, 2024
Everything was great! Sam and Isabelle did a fantastic job! Thank you!
Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Decatur, IL - Tuesday, August 6th, 2024
It went well. Thank you for the support!
Unspecified | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Canton, IL - Saturday, July 20th, 2024
Absolutely great people!
Community Event | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Geneseo, IL - Friday, June 14th, 2024
I think everything went great. We had a huge crowd and everyone seemed to have a good time.
Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Bloomington, IL - Saturday, May 18th, 2024
The show was awesome thank you so much! Everyone had a great time and I have gotten amazing feedback!! I can’t wait for next year!
Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Decatur, IL - Tuesday, December 12th, 2023
Wonderful! The show was great and we've had nothing but positive feedback. Thank you for everything!
Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Peoria, IL - Thursday, November 9th, 2023
Everything went AMAZING!!!
Unspecified | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Milan, IL - Saturday, October 14th, 2023
INCREDIBLE! Beyond expectations, a great show! Everyone had a blast and the guys were super. We were able to laugh, have a great time, and forget about life for 2.5 hours. Absolutely recommend to anyone!
Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Geneseo, IL - Friday, June 9th, 2023
Excellent, It is still the buzz around town. We think at one point we probably had around 500 people there. They did a fantastic job.
Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Bloomington, IL - Friday, May 19th, 2023
It was AMAZING!!!! Everyone had a great time! Thank you so much!
Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Normal, IL - Thursday, May 4th, 2023
Amazing! Everyone had the best time and it was smiles all around. Thanks to Matt & Jason for bringing so much joy to our event, it was an uplifting experience for all.
Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Bradley, IL - Saturday, March 11th, 2023
The show went really well! Everyone had a great time and we're receiving a lot of great feedback. Sam and Matt are the best!
Corporate Party | Fun Pianos one-man show
Rock Island, IL - Saturday, February 18th, 2023
Everything was great. We all had a wonderful time and Matt was very entertaining!
Corporate Party | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Springfield, IL - Saturday, February 4th, 2023
It was FANTASTIC! 10/10 recommend. I love how everything went, and my crowd was very pleased!
Corporate Party | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Geneseo, IL - Friday, February 3rd, 2023
Everything was fantastic. Matt and Lexi were super and so talented. Our group had a blast and multiple emails from employees came in this morning that this event was, without question, our best holiday party ever! Everyone had a great time and had a lot of laughs. My wheels are already turning about when can figure out how to bring Fun Pianos back! Thank you so much for everything and having great performers that are also great people!!
Banquet | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
MOUNT CARMEL, IL - Tuesday, November 15th, 2022
It was great! We had rave reviews from all of our guests! The performers even allowed us to use their PA System to do our award presentations which was 5 times better than the other system we had. They were very professional and great to work with. We enjoyed the entire experience from start to finish with your company. Thank you for all of your help and for being so detail oriented.
Corporate Party | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Springfield, IL - Monday, November 14th, 2022
Honestly – it was GREAT! The setup was a breeze and the performers were fabulous. The fact that they were totally self-contained was awesome!
Really well received by the members. Thank you so much for all of the help!
Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Galesburg, IL - Friday, November 4th, 2022
I can’t say enough good things about Matt and Brandon. They were just absolutely the best!
Community Event | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Mt Pulaski, IL - Saturday, September 10th, 2022
As ALWAYS, the show was a hit- everyone had a wonderful time and complimented all of the entertainment involved! We look forward to seeing you all again! Tell Sam and his crew thanks for everything!
Banquet | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
East Peoria, IL - Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022
FANTASTIC! Our two players entertained my entire group all night long. From the very beginning, they had everyone singing along. They amazed me how they got some of our more reserved members to stand up and join in the fun. The worst part of the entire show was when it ended. THANKS for a great time!
Unspecified | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Peoria, IL - Tuesday, August 16th, 2022
FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Corporate Party | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Chicago, IL - Tuesday, May 17th, 2022
It was AMAZING! The guys were set up on time and played the entire two hours. They were personal, professional and so talented - everyone loved it!
Thank you again for being a part of our event!
Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Bloomington, IL - Friday, May 13th, 2022
It was amazing!!! Everyone had a blast!!! Brandon and Mark are fantastic! Thank you so much!
Fundraiser
Kankakee, IL - Saturday, April 23rd, 2022
What a FUN Night!! Everyone had a BLAST! Sam & Matt are so very talented and really kept the crowd engaged! We have received so much positive feedback & we're ready to schedule again. Working with Fun Pianos! was an easy process from start to finish.
Corporate Party | Fun Pianos one-man show
Peoria, IL - Saturday, February 5th, 2022
Good morning. Everything was great! Everyone loved Jason. Jason did a great job and kept the audience very involved, which was really important to me.
Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Galesburg, IL - Friday, December 3rd, 2021
Katy and Amanda were AMAZING! They were so engaging with our crowd, and they were extremely pleasant to work with! We received awesome feedback about how much fun people had – the only complaint was that they wished it lasted longer! Haha. We are so glad we decided to go with your group. We could not have asked for more 😊 (Also, we couldn’t thank Amanda and Katy enough for being so generous with their tips and giving them to our organization. Incredibly kind.) Everyone seriously had an absolutely amazing time, and we will vouch for Fun Pianos ANYTIME!
We’re looking at our calendars and the possibility of making this an annual event…so may be booking again soon! 😊
Thank you so much!
Fundraiser
Quincy, IL - Saturday, October 30th, 2021
Wow!!!
Sam,
I want to thank you again for our now 5 year partnership with our fundraising program. I’m sitting here at 11:05pm on the second night of our double feature to draft this e-mail although you’ll notice I didn’t send it until Monday. I wanted to be sure to write you from both the immediate impression from the shows and then after I’d slept on it.
In all transparency, I asked Matt and Amanda if there was something I should message you in our usual post-performance conversation to tell you how stellar your performers were. Matt suggested that I just focus on what actually happened and give some feedback to you as their boss who wasn’t able to be in attendance. So, without further adieu:
- Chemistry – I’ve had Matt for three shows and he never fails to impress. Without a doubt, his chemistry with Amanda (despite not performing together often, to my understanding) was top notch. Multiple people asked me how long they had performed together due to their ability to roll off each other, banter back and forth, play together, and trade off based upon what songs they new. I asked them following the second performance how often they played together and Matt replied that good professionals are able to create that chemistry kinda quick.
- Stage Presence – I convinced my mother to come to Quincy for this show. It’s the fourth time in nine years that she’s come up to visit me. She brought two of her brothers-in-law with her. I asked her what she thought of the show and she went on and on about Matt and how she loved the way he interacted with the crowed and got everybody engaged (even when she got tagged to stand and dance like a rocket city Rockette). She was pretty pissed that I took a video of it, but she said that it was one of the many highlights of her night. I then asked my uncles. My uncle, Tom, was enamored with Amanda. So I asked my uncle Rob who is more logical minded and he was very impressed with how both Amanda and Matt were on the same level of skill and could play back and forth. He was impressed with how quick Amanda could sing lyrics legibly i.e. Macarena and whatever that song is by M&M (I like the ones with the peanuts). I spoke with a few people in my Kiwanis club who attended. They had never seen a Dueling Piano show before. They were amazed that we host an event of this caliber with talent this impressive. I then asked the Bar Tender (who was dressed like a bee for Halloween) who sees lots of shows, weddings, bands, etc. She was very thankful she traded a shift to work this event instead of a wedding. She also made a killing at the bar thanks to the performers promoting people to refill their cup. In turn, I did my best to keep Matt and Amanda well hydrated…
- Show Format – This being the first year of having a double feature, I fully expected to hear the same set of music with some songs swapped in based upon the requests that Amanda and Matt solicited. I must say that the three of us (me, our CEO, and one of my employees) who attended both shows were entertained all six hours of the shows. The hits were replayed (Don’t Stop Believing, Bad Bad Leroy Brown, Great Balls of Fire, etc) but there were many more pop songs, classic rock songs, and many piano bar standby’s that I’d never heard before. I guess the way I’d summarize this bullet point is that I’m very pleased with the way Matt and Amanda were able to read the room to cater to the dancers, the toe tappers, the singers, the younger people, and the older folks.
- Singing & Performing – Amanda singing quick, Matt rocking the classics, the trade off between male and female singers, Matt’s ability to rile up the crowd, Amanda’s ability to engage the audience. Zero complaints here.
- Setup & Take Down – Pfft. I guess if I’m trying to give you feedback as a performance-review-style I’d have no complaints here. I do like that they set up between 1:00 and 1:30pm vs the last several shows were closer to 4:00pm. As the organizer/promoter it gave me more peace of mind and I didn’t sit there double and triple checking that I’d plugged in the right date and location.
- Three Hour Show vs Two Hour Show – I like the longer show. That may become our new thing.
As we’ve discussed over the years that I’ve been your customer, I’d recommend you to the ends of the earth and I pretty well think that rainbows flow out of your company’s rear. This year raised the bar once again. One day, I’d still like to have you (the man, the myth, the legend) come perform. Matt tells me that you’re stellar and he bases his stage-presence off of you (while Amanda smiled and nodded). However, I’d take the Matt/Amanda combo back any day.
I did ask if you would share my feedback with them, they assured me that you usually do send them positive and negative feedback. There’s nothing in this e-mail that I didn’t tell them to their face or wouldn’t have told them to their face if I’d thought of it before we split ways.
Corporate Party | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Effingham, IL - Tuesday, September 28th, 2021
Your guys did a great job! Those 2 are very talented musicians, singers and comedians. They did a great job getting the whole room involved.
Community Event | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Mt Pulaski, IL - Saturday, September 11th, 2021
It was great! Had awesome feedback! Missed seeing ya! We will be in touch for future dates!
Fundraiser | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Bloomington, IL - Saturday, April 24th, 2021
Hey there! It was GREAT! I think our best show to date. Jason and Matt were awesome!
Conference Entertainment | Fun Pianos dueling pianos show
Itasca, IL - Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020
Jr. College Fundraiser
Olney, IL - Saturday, November 9th, 2019
Fundraiser
Peoria, IL - Friday, November 1st, 2019
Annual Conference
Springfield, IL - Tuesday, June 26th, 2018
Private Event
Peoria, IL - Tuesday, June 5th, 2018
Fundraiser
Bloomington, IL - Friday, May 4th, 2018
Fundraiser
Peoria, IL - Saturday, October 14th, 2017
Fundraiser
Mt. Vernon, IL - Friday, October 13th, 2017
Corporate Party
Rock Island, IL - Saturday, January 28th, 2017
Corporate Event
Altamont, IL - Saturday, January 28th, 2017
Chamber of Commerce Event
Quincy, IL - Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016

Fundraiser
Manito, IL - Saturday, July 16th, 2016
Fundraiser
Wenona, IL - Saturday, April 16th, 2016
School Fundraiser
Nokomis, IL - Friday, April 1st, 2016
Wedding
Peoria, IL - Saturday, October 3rd, 2015
Public Show
Canton, IL - Saturday, August 22nd, 2015
Fundraiser
Macomb, IL - Friday, August 14th, 2015
Wedding
Elburn, IL - Saturday, May 30th, 2015
Fundraiser
Tuetopolis, IL - Friday, April 24th, 2015
Fundraiser
Wenona, IL - Saturday, April 18th, 2015
Corporate Holiday Party
Lincolnshire, IL - Thursday, December 4th, 2014
Fundraiser
Genoa, IL - Friday, November 14th, 2014
Church Fundraiser
Nokomis, IL - Friday, November 14th, 2014
Public Concert
Aurora, IL - Thursday, July 31st, 2014
Sports Backers Fundraiser
Teutopolis, IL - Friday, April 25th, 2014
Fundraiser
Bloomington, IL - Saturday, April 5th, 2014
Wedding
Chicago, IL - Saturday, February 22nd, 2014
YMCA Fundraiser (Repeat Client)
Ottawa, IL - Saturday, February 15th, 2014

Illinois State Halftime Show
Normal, IL - Sunday, January 5th, 2014
CrimeStoppers Fundraiser
Decatur, IL - Saturday, September 14th, 2013
Catholic School Fundraiser
Nokomis, IL - Friday, September 13th, 2013
Wedding
Chicago, IL - Saturday, September 7th, 2013
Fundraiser
Ottawa, IL - Saturday, February 16th, 2013
Company Party
Quincy, IL - Friday, January 11th, 2013
Company Party
Peoria, IL - Friday, December 14th, 2012
Company Christmas Party
Wheeling, IL - Friday, December 7th, 2012
Fundraiser
Decatur, IL - Friday, May 18th, 2012
Credit Union Event
Schaumburg, IL - Friday, April 27th, 2012

Elks Event
Quincy, IL - Saturday, April 14th, 2012

School Foundation Fundraiser
Taylorville, IL - Friday, April 13th, 2012
Dueling Downtown Fundraiser
Decatur, IL - Saturday, March 3rd, 2012

Alumni Event
Effingham, IL - Saturday, October 8th, 2011

Wedding
Wheaton, IL - Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

Annual Town Festival
Dixon, IL - Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

Wedding
Bloomington, IL - Saturday, June 11th, 2011

Town Festival
Mt. Pulaski, IL - Saturday, September 11th, 2010

Fundraiser
Decatur, IL - Saturday, February 13th, 2010
CMI Fundraiser
Decatur, IL - Saturday, October 4th, 2008
Sniegowski/Blaser Wedding
Tinley Park, IL - Saturday, September 27th, 2008
Cullinan Properties Event
Peoria, IL - Saturday, January 12th, 2008
First Bankers Trust Event
Quincy, IL - Saturday, December 8th, 2007
Dentist Profits Event
Chicago, IL - Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
50th Birthday Party
Elmhurst, IL - Saturday, April 14th, 2007
Provena Health Party
Chicago, IL - Tuesday, February 13th, 2007

Jack’s Fund Fundraiser
Wheaton, IL - Saturday, May 6th, 2006
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
Chicago, IL - Thursday, April 6th, 2006
Shelli & Ryan Koener Wedding
Peoria, IL - Friday, March 24th, 2006
Shelli & Ryan Koener Wedding
Peoria, IL - Friday, March 24th, 2006
Clifton Gunderson Holiday Party
Peoria, IL - Friday, December 16th, 2005
Latest News from Lincoln, IL
The 84-day month
(From Owner/Lead Player Sam Ferguson):
I have lately been keeping a bit of an online journal for my friends on Facebook, and someone suggested this might be interesting for our clients and friends as well. Here it is. 🙂
I’ve been at it at the “hotel office” for a few hours, and will be for a few more before the 8-hour commitment of setup + wait around + show + teardown here in Grand Forks. (Dueling Pianos by Fun Pianos has taken off here the past few years).
After the show, we’ll be packing up for getting back on the road for an afternoon show Fun Pianos dueling pianos show in Lisbon ND for a Veterans Home. In the morning we head on to Pierre SD, where we’ll stay tomorrow and Thursday night so I can have a full day of hotel office time without travel. (Thankfully my in-office staff takes care of everything our clients need whether I am in or not).
Friday begins the homestretch of the 10-day week within the 84-day month: 5 hours to Alliance NE for a show, then 6 more to do the Fun Pianos dueling pianos show in Lincoln NE Saturday.
Thankfully I get to sleep at home Saturday night…half the time I half to spend Sunday getting home (something every other player on staff has to do more weeks than me, where they are spread out through the country).
This morning my wife sent me some pictures showing love the fur babies are receiving from our friend’s human kids. She takes great care of these kids while I’m gone, but she will tell you that these kids really love them up. Pictures and FaceTime help me get through the 14-17 hour days on the road during a stretch like this.
December 2016: Oh What a Month!
What a month we had in December this year. If you can keep up, here’s where we entertained with Fun Pianos dueling pianos:
Kansas (Wichita [twice], Manhattan, Ottawa, Overland Park, Hutchinson)
Texas (San Antonio, Austin and San Angelo)
North Dakota (Two times each in Fargo and Bismarck)
West Virginia (Wheeling)
Nebraska (Kearney, Omaha [three times], Lincoln, Norfolk, York, Schuyler)
Illinois (Decatur)
South Dakota (Sioux Falls, Mitchell)
Minnesota (Jackson)
Iowa (Centerville, Cedar Rapids)
Colorado (Denver)
Dueling Pianos by Fun Pianos…if it isn’t Fun Pianos…it’s just a bunch of songs!
Fun Pianos duels out of summer into fall
Different areas of the country have different trends, something we’ve noticed in 14+ years of serving the Fun Pianos! by 176 Keys Dueling Pianos show throughout the entire country.
One things that is consistent everywhere, from Phoenix to Nebraska to Illinois, Florida and everywhere else is that summers are slower than the rest of the year. This is not to say we have nothing to do: weddings, county fairs, and other community events happen every week. But while folks in Phoenix want to get out of the sweltering heat, People in Iowa and Minnesota want to hit the water, North Dakota friends want to get together while they have a few weeks of sun…the events we play in the summer are generally the community and family minded events of weddings and festivals.
With fall comes the return of college events (including Texas and South Dakota in a couple weeks), corporate engagements and more of the full list of events we’ve been playing for well over 10 years.
This weekend, we’re spreading our roster to Tucson, Chadron Nebraska, Beatrice Nebraska, Sedalia Missouri, and Reinbeck Iowa. After more shows in Canton Illinois and Rough Kentucky next week, we have a very busy week, with shows every day but Wednesday in Cincinnati, Rapid City, Kearney, Bloomington Indiana, Okoboji Iowa, west Texas, Madison Wisconsin and Woodland Hills (north of Los Angeles and Hollywood). With a small break when we have just one holiday weekend show (a wedding party in Plymouth Nebraska, outside of Lincoln), we’re back at it the next week, hitting Colorado, Kansas, Williston North Dakota and Omaha.
Summer is coming to close, and the “real new year” is about to begin: School, Fall, Football…and Fun Pianos!
Fun Pianos to entertain the PRIMA conference in Lincoln, Nebraska
Fun Pianos had a date to kill and fill and ran a sale in our FanMail list of over 5000 members, for the first to book on Monday September 8.
Congratulations to the folks at PRIMA! We are looking forward to being with you in Lincoln, Nebraska in a few weeks!