I have been playing for dance crowds most my life. Backed shows and singers and even played dinner music in an upscale Country Club for six years.

Now I can use help.
I have been asked to do some one-hour shows – My first question was, “What’s that, I’m I backing a show?”

They will be an audience, ages I not sure yet, but I am pretty sure they will be seniors. I have one hour to entertain – there will be no dance music.

I’m open for ideas.
Thanks, John C.

John,

If it's a Christmas party, the selection is pretty easy. However, you don't want to do an hour of JUST Christmas songs. Mix in some of the 50s, 60s and even 70s tunes you normally play--that's why they hired you to begin with. One hour performances are fairly easy, even when performing for seniors. The place I played this evening was a Christmas party job at an upscale retirement community. The job was supposed to be for two hours, but I had the place really rockin' and five minutes before I was supposed to finish the AD whispered in my ear and asked me to stay an extra hour. Consequently, I picked up a substantially larger paycheck, the crowd actually increased in size with several young people showing up and dancing with the seniors. Keep things upbeat, throw in some slow songs for those that really want to dance but have some physical impairments, and you'll have no problem at all entertaining them.

Good luck, and let us know how things went,

Gary

Even though there will be no "dancing" doesn't mean there can't be dance music ... as Gary said, mix it up, perhaps throw in some popular show tunes such as "Memory" from "CATS", tunes from "Phantom", etc. ... also, to break things up, try to throw in some 'banter', perhaps a little story about the song you are going to play ... it shouldn't be much different than your other gigs, except no dancing ...
You'll be great ...
t.

Bruno John...
Stop worrying. One hour shows are the most fun type of gig of all. You will have an audience that actually pays attention to what you are doing. The key is to keep them interested. Anything involving audience participation is good...sing alongs, simple quizes, nostalgia. Think FUN. If its fun for you...it will be fun for them.
Eddie

Go see a few better acts that do 1 hr shows in your area......absorb what they do & put together your own from that.

Hi Bruno:

For dinner/cocktail background music, you can play things, like Ipanema, Misty, Wave, CLose to you, A walk to the Black Forest, How insensitive, some waltzes, Spanish Eyes, It had to be you, Something Stupid, Where is the love, L.O.V.E., Secret Love, etc..Some of the nice show tunes, nothing to LOUD or to much Rhythm, people has the trend to keep the beat, and if they are eating, you want to keep the dynamics, medium, Slow, Medium fast, etc.....go for a Medium Foxtrot(110-130s), Ballad or Waltz(90-109), Fast Fox (140-150s), Rhumba 105, Ipanema 130s, Memory (Cats) 70s, All of me 130s, Yesterday 80s, Poor people of Paris, keep variety of tempos, 40s to 80s, from Sinatra, Beatles, BeeGees, Willie Nelson, Jobim, Neil Diamond, Miller, Basie, Steve Wonder, Straisand, Dion, Kenny Rogers, Lionel Ritchie, etc....
If is a dinner event, I stay away from Polkas, Rock, Boggies, Sambas (Unless the slow type around 100 or less BPM, could play CUando Cuando, Orpheus Samba), you can be rhythmic but in the soft side, so pick styles that do not have to much BOOM BOOM.

I recommend to "Shuffle" tempos, never play 2 or 3 songs at the same tempo (unless is a VERY short medley), if is to long, it becomes lethargic, Change Keys, never play 2-3 songs in the same key, if you have to, use the transpose button, so, keep changing tempos, music eras, shuffle, American Standards, Latin, Country, Waltzes, Pop, Show Tunes etc.
Hope this helps.

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mdorantes

Gary, Tony, Eddie, Dnj and Mdorantes thanks for taking the time to help. Your thoughts and ideas are appreciated and motivating, great.

I have said “Yes” to the one-hour-shows – something new for me. Fears and doubts brought me to thinking of a large audience and putting on a stage show, funny how the mind works. I am smiling, at 79 I am going to do something new and I know I will enjoy it.

Thank you my friends, John C.

PS, I have added a singer/guitar player who is younger than I am, he is comfortable with 50’s 60’s and 70’s. It is nice playing and sharing with another musician. The magic that happens with two or more rarely happens with a single. He also plays a bad alto sax, I guess we will leave that until the last part of the job. (smile)

John ... just have him 'honk' the root notes to those 50's RnR tunes in the lowest register ... they will LOVE it ...

t.