I played for an hour yesterday at a local nursing home. Most everyone seemed to enjoy it. I enjoyed it. But one woman — the oldest in the building — did not enjoy it. She sat about five feet away, directly in front of me. Between every number she would ask, “Don’t you know any of the old songs that I know?” And, “Play ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame.'” And, “‘Tell Me That You Love Me, Sweetheart.'” She was good natured, but I could tell I was frustrating her with my tradFrench stuff. About forty-five minutes in she got up and walked away, leaving behind the best gig comment I’ve ever gotten.
“If that’s what they play in France, I’m glad I live here.”
What’s the best comment you’ve ever gotten at a performance?
L'Accordeonaire 
Nice one. Here are a few more, from playing at the Alzheimer's Center:
* Old lady slumped in wheelchair, listening to myself on bouzouki and friend on flute. As soon as he goes to whistle, she begins saying, in a quite piercing voice “Help! Help! Help! Help!” No visible distress…just “Help! Help! Help! Help!”
* Another old lady, also slumped in wheelchair: we're playing tunes, and she is vocalizing–semi-pitched. Then we stop playing, and she's still vocalizing, and I say to the flute player “Dude, I think she's singing 'Let Me Call You Sweetheart'.” I play the melody, he busks along, and damned if she doesn't start singing the world.
* Another old lady, also in a wheelchair, but much more lucid. Her middle-aged daughter's there on the weekly visit. We play a 3/4 tune, and daughter waltzes with mother–in her wheelchair.
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…yea, but these are the gigs that will give you the “warm-fuzzies” 20 years from now–and you'll get more milage from these stories then the ones about playing at the local farmers' market….;)
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Those are great strories, Dr. Smith … and I agree with Anonymous there … the story works because generally the gig went well, but there was this character in it. I love character.
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