My cousin got married last Friday and there was a very energetic solo performer at the reception. Here's a quick rundown of the affair:

First: He played a Yamaha psr550, almost totally sequenced. His song list was pasted on the music rack and the pile of disks were stacked up there with the list. He had about 300 songs of all styles.

Second: He played adequate guitar, through a Fender amp, and OK tenor sax through a second mic that was setup next to the kb, as if he had a partner. ( He did actually, when I joined him!)

Third: The sound system was all Yamaha. Top Box head, 2 15" cabinets on sticks. Pretty typical stuff.

OK, now for the routine:

He was a strong singer that came from a R&R band background. He was only doing the solo routine for 3 years, so I'm guessing that he might have beena front man of rhythm guitarist in that band. They played mostly oldies and classic rock.

Some of his song choices took me by surprise (Roadhouse blues during dinner), but all in all, he was well recieved. My only real critisism was the disk swap game. He covered his trax well in between songs, but there were too many times when he would have to shuffle the disks and push buttons while teh dance floor stood and waited.
Still....they waited. Hmmmmmm

I guess my point is:
We all have our own comfort zone in how we run a dance party. I'd be livid if someone had so much down time at an affair that I was paying for, but the crowd had a good time. They ate, they danced and the guy got paid. I guess that's what it's all abaout, right?

The psr550 did an pretty good job with the sequences. His bass was strong and tight, and the balance of the rest of the instruments was right on the money. Some songs sounded a little cheesy because of the styles chosen, and his limited kb chops, but the tempos were always right and the vocals were strong and heartfelt. That's the secret to success.
Do the right "type" of song -
at the right time, at the right tempo and sing it well ...... the rest is all fluff.

My cousin was stunning at 50 with her new husband and her new boobs( who knew? ). This was her best wedding yet!(3rd time's a charm, they say)

(announcer's voice)
"From the Ram's Head in Absecen NJ, this is Uncle Dave for Entertainment Tonight .... have a plesant tomorrow."

(fade to black)........

Sorry for all the typos ... damn mittens!

Good post Dave. As you know, I'm a real stickler for eliminating dead time between songs, but some folks are just not as organized as they should be to overcome the problem, and in some instances, they just don't see the problem. That's why I decided to learn from the masters, you and DNJ. For this, I am eternally grateful.

Thanks again,

Gary

How true that is. When I started performing again ~ a year ago, I spent much time checking out many entertainers. One of the things I was looking for is just what makes the difference between a good performance and a very slick professional performance.

All those things pointed out by UD are important. Unfortunately, the "flow" before, after, and between songs are often not prioritized. A casual observer might not realize what makes the difference, but will never-the-less be well aware of a performance that looks and sounds very professional (and one that doesn't). The details make all the difference in the world.

Good post, Dave... sounds like you had fun.

Glenn

I had a ball. Lots of family, I sat in and got to show off for my cousin ( more like a sister ), and we ate and drank like royalty.

It's really good to see someone do what we do. Puts things in a better perspective.

UD, I saw a guy perform at a wedding once and man did he blow me away. Till this day I don't know how he did it either. He performed with a Casio CTK-811EX. He was also a guitar player, and man was he good. Excellent keyboard skills and equally as good on the guitar. I can only assume he had an external sequencer doing his backing because the CTK-811EX doesn't really have the memory for a full fledged song. I think the unit had a 5200 note capacity. Anyways the guy was awsome, great voice, great playing skills and a low budget keyboard didn't hinder his performance in any way.

Squeak

OMG.....Down Time? whats that?

lets go eat!!

I know of a guy, singer in a local band, startred doing sequences on a technics that he bought used. Not a keyboard player, not a guitar player, just a singer. Knew nothing about computers or keyboards or anything.
Anyhow he would pick a song, load a disk, change the key, take out the lead vocal part and perform the song. Next song, first he would decide on the next song,take out disk, find new disk, put in new disk, change the key, take out the lead vocal and perform the song.
Then he would swap disks again......you get the picture, couldn't understand why people weren't blown away by the sound, and hiring him 7 nights a week.
All the decent solo entertainers around here a guitar players that use mp3's as backup. They may sequence them themselves in BiaB or on an arranger.

One of my good friends plays acoustic guitar and only has an Alesis SR16 for accompaniment. The trick that works for him is that he programs EVERY single drum kick and fill off the record. That way - he can just strum, and the drums keep the proper feel. YOiu hardly miss the bass because of the energy that the guitar produces.
Of course, he's a strong singer too, and that's the MOST important part of the equation.