Nursing home gig report 4/29/2017

As usual, a good day at the nursing home today.  We played for 2 1/2 hours.  Unfortunately, Otis couldn't be there this time, but we still had a good crowd.  Merri (vocals, various percussion and fiddle), Carrol (electric guitar), JoDee (vocals, acoustic guitar), me (vocals, tenor uke), Dusty (keyboard), Larry (harmonica), and Bubba (vocals, electric bass).  I did a couple of songs today that we hadn't done before.  They both went over pretty well.

Pick Me Up On Your Way Down (Bubba)
All I Have To Offer You Is Me (me, this one was new)
One More Time (JoDee)
Never On Sunday (instrumental, Carrol)
You are My Sunshine (Merri)
Crazy Arms (Bubba)
A Million and One (me, also new)
How Much is That Doggie in the Window? (JoDee)
Down Yonder (instrumental, Carrol)
This Land is Your Land (Merri)
That's the Way Love Goes (Bubba)
Build Me a Cabin in Gloryland (me)
Teddy Bear Song (JoDee)
Harbor Lights (instrumental, Carrol)
Never Ending Song of Love (Merri)
Silver Wings (Bubba)
Room Full of Roses (me)
Watermelon On the Vine (JoDee)
Double Eagle (instrumental, Carrol)
I'm Sorry (Merri)
Sing Me Back Home (Bubba)
Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow (me)
Long Time to Forget (JoDee)
Sweet Memories (instrumental, Carrol)
I'll Fly Away (Merri)
Fraulein (Bubba)
The Old Country Church (me)
Up the Lazy River (JoDee)
Spanish Eyes (instrumental, Carrol)
I Feel Good (Merri)
Cold, Cold Heart (Bubba)
Goodnight, Irene (me)
Make the World Go Away (Bubba)

Both of the new songs I did went over quite well, especially "All I Have."  I'm pretty sure it used to be in Carrol's repertoire back in the olden days when he was in a band.

Something strange happened during Bubba's "That the Way Love Goes."  I don't know if he had turned his bass up a little more or what happened, but it was so loud that I could feel my skull vibrating and by the end of the song I was starting feel a little sick at my stomach.  Very odd.  I had to ask him to turn it down a little.  It wasn't a problem anymore after that.  We were using Bubba's sound system today.  We usually use Otis's, but as I said, he wasn't there today.

"Fraulein" is one of my wife's favorite songs, and Bubba always sings it for her.  Sometime if he isn't there, I guess I may do it.  As it is now, I like singing backing harmony during the chorus parts.

A good time was had by all!

Nursing home set list 4/15/2017

Good day today at the nursing home, with five of us there.  Bubba (bass, vocals), me (ukulele, vocals), JoDee (acoustic guitar, vocals), Carrol (electric guitar), and Otis (acoustic guitar, vocals).  We played for a little over two hours.

Pick Me Up On Your Way Down (Bubba)
Angel Band (me)
Can I Have This Dance (JoDee)
Always On Sunday (Carrol, instrumental)
This World is Not My Home (Otis)
Walk Through This World With Me (Bubba)
I Saw the Light (me)
Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed? (JoDee)
Down Yonder (Carrol, instrumental)
Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet (Otis)
Sing Me Back Home (Bubba)
I'll Fly Away (me)
Grandma's Feather Bed (JoDee)
Half As Much (Carrol, instrumental)
Waltz of the Angels (Otis)
Your Cheatin' Heart (Bubba)
Stand By Me (me)
I Love To Think About You (JoDee)
I Love You Because (Carrol, instrumental)
Farther Along (Otis)
I'll Be There Before the Next Teardrop Falls (Bubba)
Act Naturally (me)
What's the Matter With the Mill? (JoDee)
Harbor Lights (Carrol, instrumental)
I'll See You in the Morning (Otis)
Silver Wings (Bubba)
Goodnight Irene (me)
Tennessee Waltz (JoDee)
Spanish Eyes (Carrol, instrumental)
The Old Rugged Cross (Otis)
Make the World Go Away (Bubba)

I did a few that I hadn't done in a long time, and as usual, "Goodnight Irene" was a big hit with everyone there.  We had lots of fun!

Just a weekend update

Yesterday was an interesting day.  I had to work, but I finished early so I headed to the nursing home for the weekend gig.  I usually just go straight home after working, but I knew that some people were going to be missing from the group and there were going to be only two singers, so I went to fill out the band.

There were only four of us there, myself on vocals and ukulele, Bubba on electric guitar and vocals, Otis on acoustic guitar and vocals, and Dusty on keyboard.  So the turnaround was pretty fast with only three of us singing.  Dusty actually did a few instrumentals on his piano that were good.  Unfortunately, something didn't work right with my phone app and although it appeared to work correctly, it didn't actually save the file that I recorded, so I can't go through the whole list.

But I played a few songs that I don't normally play there, which was fun.  We all had to kind of dig deep into our repertoires to fill out the two hours or so that we played.  And now that I know Dusty can play "La Bamba" on his piano, I think I'll try to learn the words.

And this week, we are doing cowboy songs at Seasons of the Ukulele!  This is one of my favorite genres, and I have already covered many cowboy songs that fit into the themes of various past Seasons.  Come and join the fun!

Nursing home set list 04/01/2017

We had a good time today with eight people in the band.  Carrol (lead electric guitar), JoDee (acoustic guitar, vocals), Otis (acoustic guitar, vocals), Don (electric bass), Mac (fiddle), Dusty (keyboards), Bubba (electric guitar, vocals), and myself (vocals and today tenor banjolele).  I took both my banjolele and a conventional tenor uke but played the banjo uke for everything.  We played for about 2 1/2 hours.  When Bubba is there, he always opens and closes the gig with the same songs.

Pick Me Up On Your Way Down (Bubba)

Peel Me a Nanner (me)

All of Me (JoDee)

Westphalia Waltz (Mac, instrumental)

Branded Man (Bubba)

Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow (me)

You're Still On My Mind (JoDee)

Double Eagle (Carrol, instrumental)

Unclouded Day (Otis)

Darling Nellie Gray (Mac, instrumental)

Your Cheatin' Heart (Bubba)

The Old Country Church (me)

You Don't Have To Be a Baby To Cry (JoDee)

Harbor Lights (Carrol, instrumental)

Truck Drivin' Man (Otis)

Fraulein (Mac, instrumental)

I'll Fly Away (me)

Waltz Across Texas (Bubba)

I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter (JoDee)

Right Or Wrong (Carrol, instrumental)

Just a Closer Walk With Thee (Otis)

San Antonio Rose (Mac, instrumental)

City Lights (Bubba)

Build Me a Cabin in Gloryland (me)

My Darling Clementine (JoDee)

Down Yonder (Carrol, instrumental)

I'll See You in the Morning (Otis)

Bonaparte's Retreat (Mac, instrumental)

Silver Wings (Bubba)

Kneel at the Cross (Otis)

Make the World Go Away (Bubba)

This was the first time I had sung both "Nanner" and "Weeping Willow" and they both went over very well.  I'll probably be doing them in my regular rotation from now on.

I plan on trying to work more songs by the Carter Family into the stuff I do.  I also hope to write a very simple three-chord country song to do there that doesn't have anything unexpected in it so everyone can learn it easily.  I have written a number of songs but I don't consider any of them suitable for this situation.

Next week I will have to work, but if I can finish early enough I think I will try to stop by and join in, because there is only going to be a skeleton crew next week and they will need all the help they can get.

Today was a good day!