Sometimes I'll tell them "if there's a song you want to hear, just keep it your/--I mean let me know what it is!"
Seriously at the venue where I play a lot, or more accurately where I played a lot, I welcomed requests. These were mostly rich people spending hundreds on meals and drinks and the tips were sometimes really good. Of course I never kept the tips. I always refused them or gave them to the waiters so I wouldn't have tax problems.

Don, the waiters where I performed in Little Italy made a killing every night. Some had worked at the same location for more than 40 years, and most owned large homes, had new cars, took great vacations, and made a lot more than I did - that's for sure.

Gary

Sounds like you should have become a waiter ...

Trust me, the waiters at Ernest's make more than I do. But they have to work a lot harder for it too!
If someone gives me a hard time, I can put on some recordings, take a break and drink coffee until they leave! The waiters have to humor them!
I WAS just joking about giving them tips. I do pay the valet $5. to load and unload my gear though. He's the only one I trust to do it. He's been doing it for many years.

I encourage and welcome requests and it forces the audience to dig a little bit mentally instead of just sitting there letting me do all the work. It engages them and tends to bring the audience a bit closer than if they didn't and ups the energy.

I'd say 15-20% of all my retirement communities shows are 100% requests. Sometimes I'll divide the room in half, or by gender or by tables and work my way around ther room soliciting requests.

I love that kind of a show because its different.

Another twist that everyone seems to have fun with is where the room is divided into two halves. One side makes a request, but the other gets to request the style that I'll play it in. (No, they don't get to know what song was requested...)

It keeps me sharp and takes us places musically that we would never go. I wouldn't do that for a whole hour, maybe 20 minutes or so, but its a lot of fun...

The biggest irritant for me is when someone asks me to play a song. Within a few minutes, I play the thing and then after the gig is over, the requester comes up and browbeats me for not playing their song.

Sigh, lol...

I learned this many years ago,....when you get a request and don't know it ALWAYS have an alternative song for them be very diplomatic, for example:

"Excuse me can you play Moonlight Serenade for us please"?...

your answer could be, ....

"Geeze I'm sorry, it's been so long since I've played that one but how about "Unforgettable"? and he say's ok swell,
that's a great one too thank you...

Now the husband goes back to the table, tells the wife honey he didn't have "Moonlight Serenade" but he's gonna do "Unforgettable" for us ok? you gracefully get out of the unknown request predicament,.....He's happy, she's happy, and they dance and hold each other, ....and best part they love you for playing a song for them !!

^ This.