"Also be aware, you'd better know a LOT of songs and can play them in their key."

Many, MANY thanks for the 'transpose' button ...

"Open Mic"??? ... Not if I can help it..
As stated, there are some clubs that will NOT allow this, but others encourage it ... This is a lot harder to deal with in a private party situation, because family and friends are usually encouraging the 'star' to perform ...
I too will ask that they know the words and the key, but how often do they start and then it's "la la laa" unless we are feeding them the lyrics??? ....
And I am SURE that most if not all of us, except possibly UD, have run into the situation where for whatever reason, the crowd is not responding, but when one of the family gets up to sing, they go crazy!!?!! ... I've sometimes tried to work that to an advantage and incorporate that person into some 'party' type song to get the crowd going....
At one restaurant/lounge where I was doing a steady gig, I walked in at the beginning of the evening to see Jerry Vale and his family having dinner ... His daughter lives in RI and he and his wife were visiting. After dinner, he takes his little grandson over to the piano bar ... BOY did I feel like the pressure was on .... but I heard him say to his grandson something like " the music is pretty isn't it" and I felt more relaxed ... No, he didn't sing, and even though I know a lot of the Italian songs he sings, (and had the transposer button ). I felt I would be imposing to ask him to... He actually is a very personable guy ...
t:
PS .. for you youngsters, Jerry Vale is a very good singer of songs, ESPECIALLY Italian music.... worked a LOT in Vegas, back in the day.....
t.