Expanding Our Horizons, Musical and Geographical!
A New Year!
And with it, some new venues and new audiences.
Since the beginning of 2024, we’ve been exploring senior living facilities in our area. So far, we’ve played two, and we’re working on two more.
Not surprisingly, there are many in the Salem area. The population is aging everywhere, of course. But it seems particularly apparent here. And like everyone else, seniors (like ourselves) like musical entertainment!
New/Not New Tunes
Because I am “of an age” myself, I don’t have to try TOO hard to find material that I know that would suit that crowd. We’ve played songs from the ‘50s and ‘60s for years now, and I’ve discovered that some of those actually date from earlier.
I didn’t know, for instance, that “Bye Bye, Blackbird” (which I associate with Joe Cocker’s first LP) was written for a musical in the ‘20s. Or that “Goodnight Irene” was first recorded by Leadbelly in 1908 but dated from earlier (as he learned it from older relatives). And I’ve been playfully announcing “Oh, Susanna” as a ‘50s tune, then adding “1850s” (because it was written by Stephen Foster in 1847 and published in 1848! Actually pre-1850s!).
Of course, there are songs that are new to our repertoire as well. “Blue Skies,” which I loved hearing from Willie Nelson, being one.
It’s wonderful to fill an hour with tunes like that, played for folks who are actually listening (mostly) and not drinking or talking loudly three feet from us. Last week, I had a whole room full of folks singing Goodnight Irene EVEN WITHOUT ME! Nice!!!
New Rooms
We have a few new venues as well, most notably the Fireside Lounge at Oregon Garden Resort. It has that “living room” atmosphere—yes, complete with a stone fireplace—that make it feel intimate and warm.
So, as spring approaches, we’re enjoying these new places. And soon, I hope, we’ll be back at some of the outdoor venues, too.
We can hope!
