As heard on SiriusXMs "Coffee House" and named a Top10 Finalist in Guitar Center's National Songwriter Search, Tyler Stenson is an acclaimed singer-songwriter of "Elegant Folk" acoustic music. His warm voice and comfortable style hints at comparison to songwriter greats such as James Taylor and Zach Bryan and has earned him the title of Portland's "Best Male Artist" and 2-time "Songwriter of the Year." His 25 years of performance experience has landed him the chance to open for LeAnn Rimes, Chris Isaak, Marc Cohn and to be hand-picked by Adam Duritz (Counting Crows), to perform at his personal showcase. Tyler is highly personable and will bring a national caliber talent to your local event.
The music was perfect for a riverside wedding. Lots of people comment how good Tyler was.
Tyler was amazing our staff and residents truly enjoyed the music he played. Thank you Tyler for making our holiday party memorable.
What a wonderful evening, meeting, spending time with Tyler and listening to his amazing voice and songs. He played a small acoustic show for our family, friends and neighborhood. Those of us familiar with him loved the stories that formed the background to his songs. For those for whom Tyler’s music was new, they gained a wonderful singer/songwriter to follow.
Tyler brought happiness and joy to the audience.
It was a pleasure to work with Tyler for our wedding. From start to finish Tyler was all the things -- professional, communicative, accommodating, talented, and genuine. Having him play and sing for our wedding really made the day extra special, and all of our guests absolutely loved him! I would highly recommend booking him for your event! I know I will be.
Our wedding was definitely more special because of Tyler Stenson. Tyler was an absolute pleasure to work with, enjoy our wedding with, and our guests had only the best things to say afterwards about his performance. Tyler was a true professional throughout the entire process. We will definitely book Tyler again - please reach out to me personally, if you need anymore information regarding our experience - and what a nice person in addition. You will be lucky you hired him. Gary G.
I highly recommend Tyler Stetson to anyone looking for a guitarist/singer. I hired him for my wedding a couple of weeks ago and it was perfect. He was super easy to work with, very accommodating, and his music was fantastic. I look forward to booking him again in the future.
We worked with Tyler on our wedding, and from the first contact to the final performance, he was as professional and caring as they come. He performed a background set for the Welcome Reception, and our guests loved his acoustic guitar playing and his voice on softer music. Then he delivered a more upbeat set for the Cocktail Hour where his true abilities were able to shine. Our guests loved his music and felt that it was a key component to our wedding day. Working with Tyler was great, as he was communicative and understood our overall vision from the beginning. That let him add strong value through his ideas on how to fully integrate live music into our day. I would work with Tyler again for sure, and would highly recommend him for any wedding or corporate event!
We have hired Tyler twice now for our fundraiser markets. He is absolutely amazing. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed his music and we got so many compliments on his music. He was a delight to work with, very professional and kind. We look forward to working with him in the future!
We hired Tyler for our wedding and he was an absolute hit with our guests and he completely exceed all expectations! Would 100% hire him again for our next event!
He was amazing! Not only was he extemely talented, he was also very easy to work with during the entire process. He helped to make the wedding even more special by learning the songs we requested. Many of our guests gave us great feedback on his performance. We would highly recommend him. Thank you Tyler.
Photos from this event
Tyler was awesome at our event. His voice is amazing and we received so many great compliments. Thank you
Tyler is a great musician who writes music and lyrics that pull you in and hold you and who possesses a engaging personality without an ounce of pretense. Our event was staged to help build a sense of connectedness in an apartment community serving over 100 people, many of whom have had huge disappointments in their lives. Tyler's warmth and his accomplished performance embraced everyone fortunate enough to be present.
I am from Texas and needed someone for a rehearsal dinner in Oregon. I picked Tyler after reading about him and listening to his music. He was so nice and easy to work with. Everyone loved listening to his music and lots bought his cd's! I told Tyler the type music I wanted and he sent me a list that fit perfectly! I would recommend Tyler to anyone!
I wanted something special for my husband's surprise birthday party at home. From the beginning of our communications Tyler was extremely helpful and flexible. The evening could not have been more perfect and I'm so thankful to have found Tyler. He was completely wonderful. He learned two songs especially for me as they were favorites of my husband. He did both songs incredible justice. We were overwhelmed. Our guests were equally as impressed. I can not recommend him highly enough. If you get a chance to see him or hire him for an event of your own, don't hesitate. He is wonderful. We are hooked! Thank you Tyler!
Invited Tyler to do a coffee house vibe performance, and he blew our socks off! So easy to work with, and an overall friendly guy!
Tyler has such an amazing voice and style that almost anyone can jam along to.
So thankful to have met such a great performer, and am definitely planning to keep him in our contact list!
We had Tyler play and sing for our office Christmas party. His voice and guitar playing are exceptional. He was very receptive to our requests and good at including the audience in parts of his performance. Tyler paid attention to everyone's mood and was fine with just performing while everyone talked if that was what was needed. He receives my highest recommendation. We will definitely call him again next year if he is available.
We had the great fortune of meeting Tyler Stenson last Saturday. I had been searching for something special to make our engagement even more memorable. I turned to the internet and discovered this talented musician. As I searched for information on Tyler, I was really excited to hear many of his original songs and I immediately felt comfortable with making a commitment to his participation. Although we were in Vancouver, Canada and he was in Portland, his ongoing communication made me feel as though, we had little to be worried about and a lot to be excited about. Tyler is a very caring professional, who's extraordinary talent is equalled by his true respect for others. He was early for our event and he played two romantic ballads, that just added to the magic of the day. One song was a Stenson original and one was a meaningful cover song. Both were executed to perfection, showing his love for music and people. Following our proposal, he was kind enough to take a few minutes and get to know us. He shared he was recently married and we could tell he was genuinely excited for us. If you are searching for a musician, I urge you to consider Tyler for your next event. He really contributed, to making our day remarkable!
Tyler exceed our expectations. Everyone at the party raved about his guitar playing ability, smooth voice and great songs. It was perfect for our event and he was very accommodating. Our guests will be looking at his calendar to see where he will be performing in the area to hear more. We definitely hope he will be available for our next event.
We had Tyler come to our holiday party and the solo artist was perfect! It was intimate and his voice is amazing! Thanks for coming up to Seattle from Portland Tyler!
As someone that has been booking music for 20 years, it is a rare occasion when I come across a musician that can deliver an awesome performance, write music AND handle the business needs in such a professional manner. He is amazing and engaging on stage and reliable, accommodating and such a pleasure to work with offstage. Tyler cares about his career and his "customers" and it shows. I always get great feedback when he plays and calls asking when he will play again. Thanks Tyler!
I chose Tyler Stenson to play at my wedding. I couldn't have chosen anyone better. He was very professional. He was on time, beyond prepared and very helpful with announcements I had asked him to make during the reception. He always had a smile on his face and many of my family members and myself included found him to be very personable and friendly. I had asked him to learn a few new songs to play at our wedding including one of Metallica's songs and he was amazing. I was beyond pleased with my decision to have him play HIS song and new songs I had him learn at our wedding. Many of our guest were asking me at the end of the night, " who was the musician and where did you find him?" I found him here on gigsalad.com as well as on Youtube.com. If you choose Tyler to play at your wedding it will be a great and wise decision. I am and was 120% Satisfied with Tyler's performance at our Wedding.
Response from Tyler Stenson:
Thank you Jena! I'm so happy you stumbled upon my sounds and honored you had me perform on your big day. It was so fun meeting you and your family -- stay in touch!
Tyler played for us at our yearly company meeting during lunch. He was wonderful. Everyone loved him and wanted to get his card, information, etc. His music was soothing and perfect for the event. Tyler was also awesome to work with. Very quick to respond and willing to bring his own sound system. Great to work with and great to listen to!
We've utilized Tyler's services for a multitude of events and he delivers every time. In addition to his extreme lyrical/musical talents, he's great to work with.
Tyler is, without a doubt, a 5 star performer. But he is more than that. Over the course of interviewing and hiring him to play for me during the evening I proposed to my wife (to which she said yes, for the record), I got to know Tyler as a person, a performer and a friend. He was thoughtful, caring and genuinely concerned with what I was looking for in my special night. He was timely with his phone calls, e-mail responses and in person meetings. Add all of this on top of a being a wonderful musician and I can wholeheartedly recommend Tyler for any event you are trying to plan. 5 stars, without reservations.
Our wedding was in a fairly remote location at The Silcox Hut above Timberline Lodge, accessible only by snow cat. Tyler was very prompt and professional right from the beginning. He set up and played beautiful music and created such special ambiance as our guests arrived. He played both his own original music which was fantastic, as well as some beautiful classics. He also played Cannon in D as I walked down the aisle with my father and continued to play throughout our ceremony and cocktail hour as per our request.
Tyler was very adaptable!! Last minute, my husband asked if he could play a certain song for him to walk down the aisle with his mother and Tyler happily accommodated. Tyler was able to play quiet background music off and on during our ceremony, which helped to make our vows very memorable for us. Throughout our cocktail hour, Tyler performed acoustic music and sang. He was a huge hit! We received countless compliments on Tyler and how he definitely set the mood... And he did!!
We are live music people and see a lot of shows so good live music was a must for our special day and Tyler could not have exceeded our expectations any more! We would highly recommend him for private events, weddings, etc to anyone that appreciates a beautiful voice, talented song writing and an extremely adaptable musician to create the perfect gathering, whatever that may be!
Tyler Stenson has one of the most organized, professional and reputable acts in this city! He is always on top of promotions and follows through with every detail. Tyler is a performer whom captures people with his words, mannerisms and melodies simultaneously. He brings his audience to the edge of their seats. When Tyler puts his mind to something he always comes out on top. He's going to "make it" (I believe he already has), and we're lucky to have him call Portland home!
Tyler Stenson performed at our fundraising event in 2012. Not only was he incredibly professional, but very accommodating and easy to work with. Because of his showmanship, and great performance we asked him to perform at our event in a different capacity the following year. I highly recommend booking Tyler Stenson.
Tyler is a big supporter of our annual charity fundraiser and definitely a crowd favorite. He's incredibly easy to work with, professional, dependable and his expertise in music and performances is invaluable. He led our group in a "flash song"...think flash dance but a song instead. He made all of us feel comfortable by starting the song and got the crowd's attention right away. We loved working with Tyler and would recommend him to anyone.
Tyler was easy to work with and put on an engaging show for our students. His genuine presence, polished performance skills, and evocative songwriting have justifiably earned comparisons to other singer-songwriter greats. It's easy to immerse yourself in the songs and wonder where the time went.
I have had the pleasure of booking Tyler Stenson for two years at the summer festivals I organize. He played with both is band, and as a solo on a smaller, more intimate stage. At all times, he was attentive, professional, and most importantly, the audience connected with him and very much enjoyed his performances, which equated to CD sales. Tyler is well-rounded and able to fulfill almost any musical category that you may be looking for be it singer/songwriter or full Americana Band. Hire him before you can't afford him!
Tyler Stenson was hired to perform at the Montage Deer Valley in Park City, Utah for a Sundance Film Festival Music series. He performed alongside talent such as O.A.R., Guster, and John Popper over the course of a week-long event and was the mainstay of the series. I couldn't be happier with Tyler's talent, crowd reception, his flexibility or consummate professionalism throughout the week that we worked together. I have booked Tyler several other times since and each time been blown away with the music stylings as well as his continued growth professionally.
I have had the honor of having Tyler come and perform his music for events I've organized on MANY different occasions. Each time he has been professional as a business man, inspiring as a musician,and personable as a human being. No crowd or fan is too big or too small to perform his best for and then take the time before and after to mix and mingle with. He has won many a people over before he even sings, and then they are fans for life when they finally hear his music. I plan on hiring Tyler over and over again with no reservations at all. He's the real deal.
Tyler Stenson has performed many times at Pioneer Courthouse Square at various events including Flicks on the Bricks and the Portland Farmers Market. He's been a pleasure to work with and the audiences have been very receptive to his music. Tyler is very flexible and has been able to perform at last minute events. We look forward to having him back in Portland's Living Room!
Tyler is one of those truly incredible people that you will feel honored to have perform at your event. He performed in a few capacities at our wedding (walking down the aisle, cocktail hour, first dance) and to this day I still have people talking about how wonderful he was. I could never say enough good things about Tyler as a person or performer. We love his music and asked him to play his originals. You will not be disappointed with him, I assure you. We feel so blessed he was able to provide the soundtrack to our day.
I've known Tyler for years and my friends and I try to make all his shows in Portland. So when my fiancé and I set a date the next person I contacted was Tyler to have him sing and play guitar at our wedding. It couldn't have turned out more perfect. He showed up on time and set up everything he needed. Tyler was very professional and made the ceremony perfect and personal. We had picked out two of his own songs and one to cover. Let me just say there wasn't a dry eye. And six months later people are still asking me who sang at my wedding. Can't wait to have him at our next event!
Price Range: $1000-5000
Gig Length: 5 - 120 minutes
Languages: English
Insurance: $500,000 - TBD
In my 15 years of performance experience, I've played every kind of event and can confidently adapt to best suit the needs of the particular client, event and/or venue. Although I can certainly perform a vast variety of covers and originals as ambient background music, my preference is to host an intimate "storyteller" type of private concert, complete with my original songs, stories about how they came to be and a few choice cover songs (for audience familiarity) peppered throughout. I have a unique, rustic voice that can instantly grab an audience and quality songs and seasoned stage presence to keep them ever engaged.
Born in Lander, WY but raised in Oregon, Tyler Stenson is a bold, lyric-first Portland singer-songwriter who draws profound influence from his roots in the humble West. Raised a vocalist by his musical mother, a perfectionist by his father the architect and a scrapper by the pair, Stenson’s unique brand of “Elegant Folk” music is the fitting result of his upbringing—wildly creative but wrangled by his meticulous attention to detail and desire to design things differently.
“As long as there has been a song, I’ve felt it in my bones. It was a gift from my dear mother and her father who passed on. Yes, a long line of the Music Makers and of Soldiers for the Muse.”
Tyler Stenson — Fight ’til Dying Day
As frontman and songwriter for his former bands Lander and Rhetoric Tuesday, Stenson played the Northwest college circuit throughout the early 2000s with great success. However, often unfulfilled by the beer-soaked bars and bent upon highlighting his poignant lyrics that were too often shadowed by nightlife noise, he soon put band-oriented rock-n-roll to rest and tackled the burgeoning Portland scene as a solo artist. And it was the best decision he would ever make.
Soon after this seismic shift, Stenson was twice named the “Songwriter of the Year” by the Portland Songwriters Association (2007 and 2008) and “Best Male Artist” at the Portland Music Awards, blazing the trail for his authentic sound to claim its stake on the national stage.
Already considered one of the premiere singer-songwriters in the Northwest, Stenson was eventually named a Top 10 Finalist in Guitar Center’s ‘Search for the Next Great American Songwriter’ contest with Don Was (out of 10,000) and, out of nearly 4,000 bands, he was hand-selected by Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) and Ryan Spaulding (RSLblog) to perform at their The Outlaw Roadshow showcases at SxSW and in NYC.
“With the delivery of lyrics that leap from the page, Stenson’s an artist who’s instantly arresting. Everything I heard was worth repeat listening.”
Ryan Spaulding — (link hidden)
With his national name growing, Stenson was named Reverb Nation’s Breaking Artist in 2013 and has been invited to open for George Ezra, LeAnn Rimes, Chris Isaak, John Popper, Marc Cohn, Matisyahu and many others. He has placed original songs on multiple national Chevrolet commercials, as well as a handful of others placed in Internationally televised shows.
While Portland has no doubt given Stenson his artistic edge, he spent two years as a singer and songwriter in Nashville. Learning from the best and all the while touring the nation, he has built a loyal following that he aptly dubs “The Elegant Folk.”
With a well of experience behind him, Stenson continues to press forward with an undaunted belief in his own abilities to plot his own path. A fearless DIY recording artist, he has self-released several albums, including his acclaimed Some Days I’m a Lion LP, featuring the heart-swelling single This Too Shall Pass that can be found in rotation on SiriusXM’s Coffee House station and recognized as a Finalist in the 2014 International Songwriting Competition.
In an age where thoughtful lyric has taken a backseat to hyperproduction, Stenson has learned one thing through his decade-plus of experiences and performances at notable venues such as the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville and The Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles: Lyric is King. Stenson’s music is just that: simple words paired with humble notes that all at once sum up the human experience, endlessly inspiring the train of followers that find a piece of themselves in the sincerity of his words.
“Don’t whisper softly the things that you want loudly to be.”
Tyler Stenson — Portland Singer Songwriter — Whistle Stop
I can provide my own PA if necessary. However, if provided by the client, I require a 8x8 space (minimum), 1 vocal mic with boom stand, 1 acoustic DI box, 1-2 floor monitors and ample lighting. Nothing extravagant.
| June 22, 2024 • 5:30pm - 7:00pm | Cocktail Party |
| December 07, 2023 • 6:30pm - 7:30pm | Christmas Party |
| August 07, 2020 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | House Party |
| February 09, 2020 • 12:00pm - 5:00pm | Corporate Event |
| October 07, 2018 • 11:00am - 2:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| September 15, 2018 • 5:00pm - 7:30pm | Anniversary Party |
| August 16, 2018 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Cocktail Party |
| August 04, 2018 • 3:00pm - 4:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| July 28, 2018 • 4:00pm - 6:30pm | Wedding Cocktail Hour |
| October 07, 2017 • 5:00pm - 8:00pm | Wedding Cocktail Hour |
| September 23, 2017 • 3:00pm - 6:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| April 11, 2017 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Corporate Event |
| September 08, 2016 • 4:30pm - 5:30pm | Cultural Event |
| August 04, 2016 • 6:00pm - 8:30pm | Dinner Party |
| December 16, 2015 • 5:00pm - 9:30pm | Holiday Party (Christmas) |
| June 13, 2015 • 4:30pm - 4:45pm | Wedding Engagement |
| June 07, 2015 • 5:00pm - 10:00pm | Graduation |
| May 30, 2015 • 7:30pm - 10:30pm | Birthday (Adult) |
| May 16, 2015–May 17, 2015 • 6:30pm - 12:30am | Birthday Party |
| December 09, 2014 • 5:30pm - 9:30pm | Christmas Party |
| September 27, 2014–September 28, 2014 • 2:00pm - 2:00am | Wedding Ceremony |
An appropriate mix of original songs and classic covers can be worked out with the client, on a case-by-case basis. Some crowd favorites are:
Riptide (Vance Joy)
Budapest (George Ezra)
Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show)
Home (Phillip Phillips)
Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond)
Flake + Bubble Toes (Jack Johnson)
Much Too Young + That Summer (Garth Brooks)
Small Town Saturday Night (Hal Ketchum)
Carolina in My Mind + Sweet Baby James (James Taylor)
Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran)
You Don’t Know How it Feels (Tom Petty)
Cecilia (Simon & Garfunkel)
I'm on Fire (Bruce Springsteen)
Stay With Me (Ben E King)
Babylon (David Gray)
Take Me Home (John Denver)
The Weight + Ophelia (The Band)
Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash)
Islands in the Stream (Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton)
Have You Ever Seen the Rain (Creedance Clearwater)
Danny’s Song (Kenny Loggins)
Colder Weather (Zac Brown Band)
Assorted Counting Crows
Assorted Dave Matthews
Assorted Josh Ritter
James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Josh Ritter, Counting Crows, Simon & Garfunkel, Garth Brooks, Cat Stevens, Ryan Adams, Damien Rice, Eddie Vedder, Dan Fogelberg, my mom.
Vocal Mic
DI - Acoustic Guitar
Mic Stand - with boom
1-2 floor monitors
Portland, OR 
Country Band
32 Verified Bookings Jill K. said “JT won the crowd over, we are thrilled! He really captured the theme of the night (Crab Fest), and loved that he walked around while playing and engaged…”
Portland, OR
Singing Guitarist
42 Verified Bookings Donna R. said “Joseph did a wonderful job performing at my husband's memorial service. He made himself available on short notice. We reviewed the music that I wanted…”
Vancouver, WA
Singer/Songwriter
2 Verified Bookings Nate B. said “Lynley has many original songs. We had an epic time listening to her original music and the cover songs. She was so sweet and fun and we are going to…”
West Linn, OR
Singer/Songwriter
Ania K. said “We are so happy we chose Loraine to sing at our wedding ceremony. She performed songs that are very meaningful to us. Her beautiful voice touched us and…”
List your services
Log In
