The AD of a place where I regularly play(nursing home)told me today she thought my program worked well there.

She told me that usually, for other programs, residents usually lose interest after 1/2 hour and fall asleep. She said folks were 'engaged' the whole time and enjoyed themselves.

Got me to thinking. Back in the 60's when I was in my first rock band. We judged success on getting big crowds and people dancing, having a good time.

Now if I'm successful, the crowd stays awake. 😊

... it is the world in which we live as senior entertainers ...

Excuse me for saying; but it is not about you, it is about them. They are giving all they have left, and if you helping them feel good inside that should give a special feeling of accomplishment.

I’m sorry I am preaching but I live with these people, I add to them whenever I can.

John C.

Good point John.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm adding to their lives. But again, good thoughts.

All you have to do is look at their faces when you are performing ... the smiles and the lips moving with the lyrics tells you all you need to know ...

I agree with Tony. Also, take some time to schmooze with the residents and get to know them. The vast majority are very nice, intelligent individuals who have outlived their bodies. They are not living there because they want to be. They, like most people, unfortunately, can no longer take care of themselves and safely live in their homes. And, the younger people in this country, unlike most of Europe (at least when I was there) do not move their aging family members in with them when they can no longer care for themselves. That's why assisted living and retirement communities are such a huge industry in the United States.

When I was still performing, I knew the names of many of the folks I played for. I also got to know some of their family members, sat and talked with them after the performance and had a glass of soda or wine, visited them when they became ill, and even attended a few funerals. My greatest pleasures included performing at their anniversaries and in a few rare instances, weddings to other residents.

So, if you have a little time after setting up your gear, walk through the audience and talk with the residents, ask them if they have a special song they would like you to play and sing, ask them how they are doing. It's not only good business ethics, but it's also a nice thing to do.

Good luck,

Gary

Thanks for receiving what I said.

John C.

The day after I wrote this I played at a Veterans Home. Big crowd, lots of dancing for those that could, singing and fun.

Reminded me why I do this.

I played a dueling piano show last night, in a private home for a 40th birthday. This kind of act is usually tips-driven, but given the intimacy and occasion, we decided to leave the fish bowls out. The show was well received, much appreciated, and loads of fun, so , I guess we made the right call ... cuz we got 1/2 hour of O/T and made $130 with the O/T & tips anyway! These shows use a lot of raw energy, and require strong vocal stamina, but it's SO much fun, when it works, and it works 99% of the time. It's almost always a huge success, great money, and repeat business. No sequences, no arrangers ... just 4 hands, 2 pianos and 2 voices. Crazy business, this is.

A private home with two pianos? Sounds like a nice neighborhood.
Eddie

Ha! Nope - We carry two portable shells that house our digital pianos.
They're actually just two 48" folding banquet tables with a wooden hood bolted on in the shape of a piano top. It really adds to the illusion. In a larger room, we'd have the speakers up on sticks, but because this was someone's living room, we used the mains as monitors. Worked great.

Very clever ... looks pretty cool too ...

No doubt the 'cartage fee' made it worth the work ...

Looks fabulous.

Breakfast was awesome yesterday btw,...
rig is looking good Dave,......best of luck dueling out there,.....
the crowd is gonna love it.

Slick set up! Very creative, nice job with the config.

Yeah, back in the 80s (when I first started the dueling deal), we had actual acoustic grand shells that WE gutted, and emptied. The concept was new, and the crowds were bigger, louder, drunker ... they often came up and sat ON the piano, so, we needed that level of strength. As the years advanced, and the crowds diminished, we needed to make the rigs more portable, and we gave up a little of that strength, in favor of reduced real estate on stage (and in the vehicles)
These little shells give a more polished look to the act, even though we know we're not fooling anyone into thinking they are real pianos. This type of act is request driven, tipping motivated, and full of farce and whimsy. Oh yeah ... and we play and sing songs too.

Just found this pic from last year at the Playground in Atlantic City, when Vinnie Lopez (E Street Band Hall of Fame Drummer) came in and sat in on a few Bruce tunes! His Blues band was in the room net to ours, but we were having more fun, so he come over! Fun dude - carries his drum hardware in a golf bag! lol

** Here's an example of real, gutted piano shells. (When they stay put, it's great!)

I love these 2 piano setup, overhere in Holland we have a bar called the crazy piano's in the hague. There is 2 piano's and the crowd decides what they play... and whatever you ask, they will play and sing..

Next to some great musicians, its allways party time inthere..


I just reminded my wife that we need to visit the hague again any time soon.

Dave
I have always wondered about this type of gig. How do you know all these songs and be able to take requests on the spot. I'm sure after a while you can't guess what will be requested but not always. I'm not one to "fake" my way through a. Song and what. About the other player?

Dave's ace in the hole are his vocals..
He can 2-5 his way with a strong bass line.

I've done piano bars too. After playing for 50 years, you learn thousands of songs. I fake nearly all of 'em. Between two experienced players, there won't be much, if anything, they can't do!

If I've learned anything in all these years of playing, it's not what you do, as much as HOW you do something. If you play a request, even a skeleton version, they feel like you tried. The nature of this type of show suggests a certain repertoire that most piano guys know, or can at least fake a verse or two. It's bar room sing a long stuff - Sweet Caroline, Brown Eyed Girl, Buttercup, Twist and Shout ... etc. Each player takes a lead, and the other supports him. It's high energy, but you only sing every other song, so you get a break every 4-5 minutes to prepare for your next selection.
Fran's right - I can fake most things, as long as I'm singing the right words, and singing is my strength, so ... the piano is just a backing rhythm. Use ii V I chords and you always find your way home!

Dave
Thanks for the info. Usually you can guess what the requests will be but I hate it when someone feels they have to play "Stump the musician" and there's always one drunk who does that. Then you look like the bad guy because you can't do it.
One other question. Your setup is the most novel thing I've seen in years. Who made the piano shells? Doing curves like that takes some skill and the finish is very nice.
I've seen companies online that make dummy case but your idea of the folding tables is unique.
Put up some more pictures and maybe some songs.

Bill, through the years I have always tried to maintain a goal of learning at least one new song every week. In doing this, you are constantly introducing new songs to your act, but additionally, you are constantly adding to the list of song you perform. After a while, you will have so many songs swimming around in your head that you will be hard pressed to be stumped by any request.

I was deeply moved and honored when my son and daughter in law asked if I would provide the music for their wedding. My son was 49 and his new wife was 48, and the vast majority of the guests at the wedding were a bit younger. At the onset, I always tell the audiences that if anyone has a special song they want me to play, to write the name of the song on the back of a $20 bill and I'll be more than happy to do it. This usually draws a chuckle, and once in a while someone comes up with a $20 bill and a song written on it, which was the case at the wedding. One of the relatively younger guys wrote "Anything by ZZ Top" I fired up and performed Sharp Dressed Man, which put a dozen young ladies on the dance floor shaking their booties. While I was doing the song, my nephew said to my son "Jesus, your dad is doing a ZZ Top song!" After that song, I went right into New York, New York, and some of the older ladies were on the dancefloor doing the Rocketts High Step.

I guess my point is, with experience, and learning a new song weekly, you will rapidly get to the point where you can easily fulfill those requests.

All the best,

Gary

Sharp-dressed Man came out 34 years ago!! Still popular though!

Yeah, but when you're the age of the youngsters at the wedding, it's one of the songs they grew up with, and when you're my age, a 34 year old song is akin to something that came out last week.

Gary

Bill,
The table design is genius. It's a simple, plastic, folding banquet table. I'm guessing 48" x 24". The Curved, top part is plywood, and is mounted on wooden blocks that are bolted to the table top. The entire inside is empty, with a cutout for wires to drop through. The sides are just cloth. I think it's a kind of canvas. It's simply stapled the to edge of the Top, and drapes down to make the appearance of a piano shell. With legs folded, I can carry both at once; one under each arm.
(not MY legs, of course ... lol)
If there's a down side to the lightness, it's that people still seem to think they are more sturdy, and sometimes try to jump up on them. (Crazy people) Movies, like "The Fabulous Baker Boys" glorified a performer on top of the piano. Sheesh. So, we're always aware when someone gets too close for comfort.

We've both got iPads on the job, and a few times a night we have to look up a lyric that we need, but 90% of the routine, is just that ... routine. The key is to look like we know what we're doing - fake it 'till you make it mentality. The performer taking the lead usually gets most of the attention, so the other guy can search for something relatively unnoticed.

Some major crowd pleasers include:
Most Beatles esp. I Saw her standing there, and O Bla Di, O Bla Da
Most Billy Joel esp. Piano Man, and Italian Restaurant
Most Elton John esp. Benny and the Jets, and Crocodile Rock
Johnny B Goode
Build Me Up Buttercup
Jack and Diane
The Joker
Whats Up ( heeeeyyy, eyyyy, eeeyyyy)
Brown Eyed Girl
Maragaritaville (This lets Capt. Russ out!)
Sweet Caroline
sooooooo many more...

Pick songs with a universal hook, or simple chorus that they crowd can sing easily. The show is really ALL OF THEM, and no one in particular. It's very different from Karaoke, where singers are ego driven, and spotlighted. This is a party - plain and simple. The crowd is unified in song. It's really fun when it's the whole room singing along. The dueling aspect helps keep the energy up, but this type of sing a long can absolutely be done my a single performer. It's just harder on your chops, and less fun to watch because the banter is missing. There's LOADS of comedy and interaction between performers, as well as the connection to the crowd. Doing it alone is VERY tiring, and you can loose the crowd easily when you make all the decisions yourself.

As far as I know, this routine started in Baltimore (or New Orleans, maybe?) and was built on a concept called "Little Ditties" back in the 80s where you never got to finish a song. The people would tip to hear a song, and someone could tip 1 dollar more to STOP the song. We once got over $70 to finish Sweet Caroline. Funny stuff.

This was my FAVORITE setup ... EVER. Then again, I'm rhythm player, so ... yeah.

I would have paid $71 for you to STOP playing it ...

One time during Independence Bowl some years ago, we had fans from both teams in the house. One table would pay to hear their fight song, and another table would pay me to STOP and do theirs. This went back and forth for most of the night, but it was all in good fun and $ort of lucrative.
I had prepared ahead of time by knowing both songs!

Dave
thanks again. Cloth sides, who could tell ? If you get a chance throw out some more pics and maybe a few tunes.
I treid to get a female piano player here to do that sort of thing and she just can't break out of her current duo of keys and sax.
With this idea I may give it another go. very different and entertainong.
Yea I do mos to fpof those songs and tons more but getting hit with request on the spot is tough
Thanks again

Bill I would suggest you go see some dueling piano acts where ever they may be to get some good ideas on how its done also, there is much more to this kind of act then just the playing and singing, thats said playing with charts is a big hinderance imo for tis kind of fast paced act,...good luck

Some years ago my neighbor and I built a REAL fake piano bar. It was huge and heavy and had to be transported in a pickup truck. It had a shelf for the keyboard, a music rack and drink holders for the guests. I used it in one location for about a year. When it was time to move I brought it home, dismantled it and used it for firewood!

Gary......I read what you wrote here a few weeks back and it's stuck with me ever since. I always treat the audience with respect and interact with them both on and off stage. BUT......I never thought about them that way. That's a very different and very useful perspective.

Coincidentally, a few days ago I was in a music store talking to one of the (older) salespersons. I mentioned to him what you said above, and he commented "the mind really goes on and on, remembers absolutely everything under the right circumstances while the body inevitably slows down and eventually comes to a halt. Point being that we have the same desires, impulses, wants, dreams, ambitions, etc as we had when we were younger....that never changes, but that the body will start refusing to cooperate (another way of saying in paragraphs what YOU said in ONE sentence).

Been thinking a lot about both of those remarks now for both myself and especially when I meet others.

Mark