Company Grand started out as the house band for the Bend Burlesque Co.’s elaborate multimedia performances.

New Orleans has a well-earned reputation as one of the cradles of American music.

To wit: Company Grand, the popular Bend-based funk ‘n’ soul band, formed a decade ago after a particularly fruitful “research” trip to the Crescent City taken by a handful of local creative types.

“We ended up … seeing the House of Blues Burlesque, like one of the most famous burlesque shows in the world,” Leah Rutz, co-founder of the Bend Burlesque Co., told The Bulletin in 2016. “And we were just like, dang, they have the musicians, and we have dancers.”

Here, you may be thinking, “Say what now? Who has the musicians? Who has the dancers? And what does Bend Burlesque have to do with Company Grand?” Understandably so! But folks who remember that time will tell you that the two entities formed at the same time with the intent to perform together. Company Grand, in other words, started out as the house band for the burlesque troupe’s elaborate multimedia performances.

The two groups threw some legendary parties in the second half of the 2010s, notably at what was then the Bend Circus Center, 2nd Street Theater and the Old Stone Church. Soon, Company Grand started to branch out, playing gigs on the side and building its own fan base, said bassist Tyler Cranor, culminating in a string of sold-out shows, including some New Year’s Eve blowouts.

“We started really focusing way more on our originals because we were writing tons and tons of tunes and it just kind of felt natural,” Cranor said. “It got big pretty quickly with the burlesque scene, but eventually we stepped away to get our original stuff recorded.”

They succeeded, releasing a self-titled album in 2020 that established Company Grand as a funk-rock force in its own right. A second full-length, “Let It Rain,” arrived in 2023, packed to the gills with high-octane party jams built from irresistible rhythms, soulful vocals, vibrant horns and deeply funky vibes.

Let’s take a moment to introduce the band’s nine members: The aforementioned Cranor, plus Lucas James (vocals/keys), Haley Jordan (vocals), Conner Bennett (guitar), Patrick Ondrozeck (drums/keys), Meshem Jackson (drums/percussion), Keemun Senff (trumpet), Dan Flagg (trombone) and Steve Prazak (sax/flute).

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The lineup and the music has changed a bit over the years, Cranor said, but the ever-forward spirit of Company Grand remains.

“There’s definitely a very different sound on each of those albums,” he said. “To me, that’s the really fun part about the band. I don’t really know where it’s going. It just keeps evolving.”

The same could be said for Bend’s music scene, and Cranor likes to think Company Grand had a hand in that.

“I’m most proud about the sort of creative infusion that has stemmed from the project over the years and all the stuff it brought to Bend. Drag shows, burlesque, vaudeville — I didn’t see much of that kind of stuff before, and now those kinds of things are common,” he said.

“I don’t necessarily think that’s all because of us, but I think we were a cog in whatever evolution has happened,” Cranor continued. “I think we were one of the bands that started in the last decade that was totally different from everybody else. I can say that with confidence.”

What: Company Grand 10-Year Anniversary Party with Oregon Fryer

When: 8:30 p.m. Nov. 2, 7:30 doors

Where: Volcanic Theatre Pub, 70 SW Century Center, Bend

Cost: $10 plus fees

Contact: volcanictheatre.com