Hey guys!!

I know I haven't posted on here in a while....but it's good to be back!!

Anyway, so I was just hired to play my first-ever payed gig at the local town pool next Wednesday, and it's for a senior BBQ. So, I just want to hear some suggestions about what songs you guys think I should try to learn and play.

I'm wideee open to anything and everything, so whatever you think would get the best response from the crowd would be awesome!

Thanks in advance for any help.

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"If it's planned, it's boring." - Freddie Mercury

Anything Neon Trees..really upbeat and fun to play
Foo Fighters- Back and Forth
Cee Lo- The PG version..

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Mona
"Music is What Feelings Sound like"

"Cheeseburger In Paradise" -- Jimmy "The Parrot Head" Buffet



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Go for Neil Diamond buddy!
Good luck and let us know how the gig went!

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FIGHT!

How senior are you talking about? 60s, like me and Arjay and a number of others on this Forum? Or are we talking seniors from my perspective, which would mean people in their 80s and 90s?

I currently play regularly (usually a minimum of 4-6 times a month, including today and tomorrow evening) on what we local troubadours call The Senior Circuit. These are generally active seniors who are, yes, in their 80s and 90s. When I play for these crowds I cover everything from 50s Rock & Roll to 50s old-time country (Patsy Cline, Hank Williams) to more modern stuff like Kenny Rogers, Jimmy Buffett (yeah, this crowds likes their Margaritas) and mainstream 80s and 90s country artists like Alan Jackson, George Strait, etc.

If you are playing for us folks in our 60s I think you can stick to pretty much what you play in a mature bar setting - plenty of 60s and 70s Rock and Roll with a little up-tempo country thrown into the mix.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

Get them on their feet. Do a Hendrix cover. Fire would probably be good.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Get them off their butts. Start with Hendrick's Star Spangled Banner. Then everything you know from the 60's 70's. That should get em going.

Now Im wondering if I misread the post..I thought he meant Seniors as in High School..18 year olds..if infact he means seniors I retract the foo fighters and Neon Trees suggestion immediately lol

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Mona
"Music is What Feelings Sound like"

Hi Kash, can't go wrong with a couple of Beatle's songs in the playlist, thing with seniors is the hearing factor or lack off " I can't hear a thing"..." that's way too loud" ya can't please them all, play what you play best and enjoy playing.........Brighton Rock opener

Pink FLoyd + Black Sabbath and mix in some Lady Gaga...

I'm kidding.

What's the definition of "Seniors" ?

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-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield

ICP and some Slipknot.

Merle Haggard.

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Gary

Play Chunga's Revenge from beginning to end.

Now let's see how many of you young whippersnappers have to Google this!

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You dig?

"Chunga's Revenge"......a gastro-virological variant of the "Aztec Two-Step".



Arjay (who never drinks the water "south of the border")

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Well said, Dennis!

Yup. I'll second all of that. In fact If it's not too outrageous, you can even add some familiar 80's tunes to that second list. The active 60's & even 70's aren't your granddad's seniors! And for the most part are an under served market in most retirement communities, as most music is geared towards the previous generation. Time to move the music up a decade or two. Think Soft Rock Cafe. Hey, I just had cataract surgery and they were playing Jefferson Airplane in the operating room and the Doors in the hallway. (Not that I'm suggesting that. LOL)

IMHO, there's also a third group of seniors - the seniors home/nursing home folks, who are not so active, may be confined to their chairs and range anywhere from 'with it' to seemingly 'unresponsive'. I've played for a few of those gigs. Actually a wonderful and most appreciative crowd. Any fun song that goes back to their youth is greatly appreciated. Especially if you can get them to participate. IE: "How Much is that Doggie in the Window" (no kidding - big hit if you can get them barking along) and even "Ghost Riders in the Sky" if you can get 'em, mooing and yee-haa'ing. I've seen folks in wheelchairs getting help to do the limbo, or learning the Macarena. All the old chestnuts from the 40s to the 60s work, too. They will sing along with "I'm, Henry the Eighth", "Daisy, Daisy (Bicycle Built For Two)", "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter", "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" etc.

If everyone can have fun, that's all that matters. That's what music is about.

Doc

FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEBIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRD!
Come on....someone had to do it

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"Where would rock and roll be without feedback?"