I'm staying home with my family will watch Ball drop on TV...
too many years away from them playing in the trenches.
Everyone enjoy your NYE gigs take pics/videos for us..
The baton has been passed.

Very liitle going on around here for NYE. I mentioned it to some places I go here and they're answeres were about the same. "Not worth the bother" That Holiday has really taken a nose dive from the big deal it was and its reputation of "Amateur Night" I did steady gigs for over 30 years and never really liked it. All I miss is the big paycheck from that night. Never saw a cop or roadblock either when coming home but they sure do scare people form being out late. Good old NJ diners were always packed as I passed by.
I probably won't even stay up till 12. No big deal, I did the Times Square thing once in my stupid youth. It wasn't much fun then and much worse now with all the security, no drinking, etc.
Happy and Healthy NY to everyone.

Frogs are all hibernating, so can't go gigging.
I'll be at my regular job though!
Happy New Year!

The big $ NYE gigs dried up for me about 4 yrs ago. This year it is one afternoon and an early evening senior gig finishing at 6pm. Two musician friends, scheduled to play an animal club and a condo community here, were canceled due to lack of interest and poor ticket sales.
Eddie

We had a HUGE night Christmas Eve, packed with people waiting for tables most of the night. Not sure about NYE but I expect it will be busy. I know one of my "big guns" is coming so the night will be successful not matter what!

Snowy and very cold here and our NYE gig is less than a mile from home. Seniors' residence, 6:30 - 7:30 and almost double the money. What's not to like? Have a great new year everyone!

For 26 years with the band I missed playing one year - while I was on active duty in the Army ... Some crazy nights back then - I've only played a couple NYE nights since then , one was going into the year 2000, when everybody was concerned the world was going to stop ... come to think of it, maybe it should have ...
This year I have an early gig at the Town Senior Center one town over from us, then its dinner at home with my wife's sister and b-i-l ... probably watch the ball drop, toast the new year with some nice Prosecco, and call it a day ...

I hate not working on NYE, and I was getting concerned by mid October because no offers were coming in. I started calling agents and places we’ve worked but got a lot of responses similar to what Bill described. So I had kind given up and tried to be at peace of just having a nice evening at home. But out of the blue last week a new fairly high end Mexican restaurant called offering a pretty good offer. We’re very happy to work on NYE and have been rehearing all week. In fact we just made a Spanish language, salsa version of Auld Lang Syne which I’ll try to record and post later.
Happy New Year to all my SZ buds!

Paul I hope dinner is included?

¡ Claro que sí! 👍

Worked doubles for the past 9-10 years, early at a senior living facility later with a trio in a ballroom. This year, the late gig went away, so doing NH early and senior independent later in the eve ... The only time I get to wear my 'monkey suit'

Doing doubles today-both 3 hours!
Now using my SD40 and the M-Audio 49 key
Controller. Might be the best change I have
ever made!

Deane

Here in south florida, condos have cancelled most new years eve shows and have changed the date and called them holiday parties so they did not have to pay extra for new years eve. Very sad and a cheap move. For the first time in years none of the places I have played for years are having new years parties. They say there is not enough pre sales to warrant new years but they will have a dance the next week where people can celebrate the holidays.
MEL

Gonna stop at Wegman's, buy some Sushi, then go an old friends house to bring in the new year. No more gigs for this old codger.

Gary

I could have done a private party here in The Villages, it’s an outdoor neighborhood thing with about 50 people in attendance. They asked me too late we had already made plans to get together with some friends up the road in Ocala.

Played three out of last six years with band. As said earlier, the pay is good at double the usual, but a big undertaking. Stressful trying to please everybody as slow stuff pleases older crowd while young ones sit. Crank up tempo and young tables come alive while old folks have coffee and struggle to stay awake till midnight. Not so different from other gigs in that respect but it's a night you want to make every song work for everybody.
As also said, slow ticket sales at usual places force higher ticket prices following year which makes for slower ticket sales until it doesn't pay for venues to put event on. I share another previous observation that its just not a big deal as it was for the generation of our parents or us..
And not that you have to drink (but lets face it, it's common on this a party night), paying $100 a ticket to party but only having two drinks in fear of driving through a dui checkpoint is not worth it. Safer to stay home, and worry about your kids out there..

Well, my NYE gig is 'in the books' for this year ...
Had a really good crowd of about 100 people, dancing, singing like it was midnight ...
I had a playlist ready with a lot of the 'chestnuts' on it, and after 2 upbeat songs, a woman came up to me and asked for "Ol' Time RnR" ... after that it was mostly playing requests, some of which were on my list anyway ... really fun group ...

Finished a trio job (son-bass, grandson drums-me-guitar vocals and piano) for the city, went to a VA job-16 pieces, for a friend. Will do my regular country club job tomorrow, an emergency "fix" on a sound score in Louisville tonight, an afternoon job with a pick-up band at a local private club and the country club tomorrow night.

Will cut some activity out this year. Live play is the least lucrative, and I don't need to use it to "fish" for corporate work any more. National sound score recording for another production company is nerve wracking, because I'm the "hired gun", not the producer. Another option is dropping a group of 5 financial institutions as a client.

Happy new year, everyone!


R.

Who is going out amongst the masses to entertain the audience with their arranger keyboard to bring in the New Year 2020?

I'll be going out NYE with my 5 piece. I've been booked Fri and Sat since Thanksgiving. I'm looking forwards to some time off.

Good for you, Al ... What kind of music does your group play?

Personally, just a 1 hour Senior gig - 2:30 to 3:30pm ... Ok

Tony,

I sing all stuff from Buble, Sinatra, Martin, Timberlake, to Mellancamp to Luther Vandross (Ain't no stoppin us now). The two gentlemen who sing with me do all my RnB, Motown, Funk, and current hits. My Guitarist sings latin songs and oldies, and my female singer does lots of Disco, dance, and standards.

ME!.... 6pm to 7pm then bed by 7:30 .

Al, that is some great variety ! ... Any you tube or other vids or recordings?

Same country club for 20 plus years...no arranger. Dinner on guitar and piano and then dancing....full B-3, grandson on drums,
son on bass (when I'm playing guitar; otherwise I do left-hand).

After 2:00 AM, all working guys gather at a local restaurant or breakfast and a jam. Then, we get to play what WE like.

Russ

7 PM to 8 PM at at a retirement center. Just a digital accordion. No arranger keyboard. I could take either my V3 Sound Desktop arranger module or the Ketron SD40 and control them wireless from my accordion. A digital accordion and the battery operated BA330 must be the simplest setup.

I am giging with a friend of mine, Michael Carollo, that also has a Genos, so, 2 Genos in stage, in this December we had a 7 gigs together, besides the singles..... is been several years that we play as a duo, but, also we play mainly as singles in the Ballroom scene, people seem to like the dynamics we have different music styles but I thing it works like a Ying Yang.....One plays the style and base the other embelish, and viceversa....so, time goes very fast, and we have fun doing it.

Manuel

That's great. It is always fun to play with others you are comfortable with.

Bernie

That sounds really Kool.....how about some pics & videos for us?..

I'm doing a double header assisted/independent living at a community from 2-4:30 p.m. Good pay. If no evening show materializes, I'll hang out with my mom in memory care, do a free show for the residents.

I'm impressed with the Captain's stamina to work those late hours!

No kidding! I’ll probably be in bed a bit after the bell drops if not before!

Well things change. Didn't plan on working but A few weeks ago got a call from the mgr. of a very upscale restaurant on Hilton Head. He wanted to add music to the third seating of the night 9-12. Good money so I agreed. Just called him to confirm the arrangements and to be sure the staff knew I was coming so I'd have enough room. He said he had to make a change ( Uh Oh here comes the cancellation ) No, they just weren't getting reservations for the late seating so could I change my time ? No problem ! 6 -9. works for me!

Good for you, Bill ... A good paying gig and you can be home before the madness ...

I thought I wouldn’t be working NYE and honestly was I bit down about it.... Anyways I got a call from colleague last night asking me to fill in for him for a dinner/dance party at a home. Poor guy came down with the flu, but at least I’m working!

Take pics and videos and enjoy NYE!