GirlWithWolf
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Tonight my half deaf self is performing at the 77th surprise birthday party of a Vietnam veteran, and his 57th wedding anniversary is just a few days away. There will be 275 to 300 guests.
Since there is a Vietnam war era set I’ve been trying to get time post our list and get some feedback and suggestions from you guys that were around during those days but I’ve been too busy and now the day has come. But feel free to take a look and we can always scratch a song or maybe my band guys will already know another you can suggest. I can learn lyrics on short notice and see if we can get it approved.
This started like my last gig where I would sing with soundtracks, then one thing led to another and before I knew it my friend will be playing guitar, one of my teachers from last year on drums, and a guy he knows playing bass. My friend has been playing guitar and piano since he was 2 and is somehow related to one of the ZZ Top guys which is cool. He knows all their songs but we aren’t performing any of those tonight.
We had to come up with a couple of hours of material which was no small task. First they want some Vietnam war era songs, then the birthday boy loves Elvis so they want a few of his tunes. Then they want light rock songs that people can dance to. So we had to come up with a set that our ragtag band already knows or could learn quickly, me included. And to add to the difficulty none of the songs could contain swear words or have references to drugs, sex, violence, or contain racial slurs, which pretty much eliminated all my usual music haha. I know the story behind White Rabbit and tried to get it on the list but failed. My instructor knows the story too.
After hours of brainstorming we had our song list, got it approved, then spent more hours learning our parts, then even more hours of rehearsal. Luckily they are all talented musicians and I have this odd talent of hearing a song once then can recite the lyrics, so it came together quickly and I must say - we are pretty good!
This is where it gets awesome! The family wants to play a prank the birthday guy, so our first song will be Eruption (Van Halen) and my friend is going to completely mangle it as I stomp around doing the worst dancing imaginable as I pound a cowbell lmao. We’ll keep our poker faces on like we think we’re really putting on a great show while the family starts complaining to my instructor this isn’t what they paid for, she promised them we are good, etc.
They’ll keep complaining and some of the family will boo us until the guitar fades then my guitar player will immediately kick into the first song of the Vietnam war era set, one we chose for the awesome and easily recognizable guitar riff at the beginning. This is when they’ll witness his talent:
Fortunate Son (CCR)
After that one these are the other songs, in order:
Me and Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin)
Knocking on Heaven’s door (Bob Dylan)
For what it’s worth (Buffalo Springfield)
House of the rising son (The Animals)
Mercedes Benz (Janis Joplin)
Note: Of course I’ll include “I’d like to do a song of great social and political import. It goes like this.”
Spirit in the sky (Norman Greenbaum)
Jumping Jack flash (Rolling Stones)
Then we go straight into Elvis, and start this set with another awesome, recognizable riff:
Suspicious minds (Elvis)
Kentucky rain (Elvis)
Way Down (Elvis)
Note: My drummer will do the low notes.
Burning Love (Elvis)
We’ll close the Elvis set with the birthday guy’s favorite Elvis song, and this is the one where my instructor says give them my “Ann Wilson” voice for the first time, strong and loud:
You gave me a mountain (Elvis)
Then we’ll have everyone join me in singing Happy birthday! After that we’ll take a break as they have the birthday celebration, then it’s time for the guests to mingle, dance, whatever they want to do as we continue. It’s about an hour of material:
Don’t stop believing (Journey)
Return to innocence (Enigma)
Note: Enigma uses chants from Tibetan monks but it is close enough to what I am raised with that I can rock it.
Nothing at all (Heart)
Live forever (Almost Monday)
Hold my hand (Hootie and the Blowfish)
I’m still standing (Elton John)
Better be good to me (Tina Turner)
Note: Tina Turner has cowbell in hers so guess what? More cowbell! Got to take care of those fevers.
What’s up? (4 non blondes)
This is me (Keala Settle)
Somebody to Love (Queen)
Note: We’re doing an extended version of Somebody to Love, they showed me a vid of George Michaels doing a tribute to Freddie Mercury live, so that’s our version with audience participation.
The Gambler (Kenny Rogers)
I’ll get back up again (Poppy! Haha!)
Can’t stop loving you (Van Halen)
Then as it’s time to wrap things up we are going to invite the birthday guy and his wife to the stage to dance for their anniversary while I sing a duet with the drummer:
Come What May (Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor)
Then we will close with:
Free bird (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
When Free Bird gets to 4.5 minutes left (the rocking part), I’m going to invite all the kids up and have them join me doing an Apache dance I’ve turbocharged for that awesome ending. That should burn off some of their sugar from the cake and ice cream haha. And my instructor gave me a tambourine to play during the ending and it sounds awesome together.
That’s it! Sorry this is so long, I’m a nervous wreck and rambling, but writing this all out has helped get myself in the zone and calmed my nerves a little (for those that don’t know I used to struggle with anxiety and I’m about to pop at the moment).
Since there is a Vietnam war era set I’ve been trying to get time post our list and get some feedback and suggestions from you guys that were around during those days but I’ve been too busy and now the day has come. But feel free to take a look and we can always scratch a song or maybe my band guys will already know another you can suggest. I can learn lyrics on short notice and see if we can get it approved.
This started like my last gig where I would sing with soundtracks, then one thing led to another and before I knew it my friend will be playing guitar, one of my teachers from last year on drums, and a guy he knows playing bass. My friend has been playing guitar and piano since he was 2 and is somehow related to one of the ZZ Top guys which is cool. He knows all their songs but we aren’t performing any of those tonight.
We had to come up with a couple of hours of material which was no small task. First they want some Vietnam war era songs, then the birthday boy loves Elvis so they want a few of his tunes. Then they want light rock songs that people can dance to. So we had to come up with a set that our ragtag band already knows or could learn quickly, me included. And to add to the difficulty none of the songs could contain swear words or have references to drugs, sex, violence, or contain racial slurs, which pretty much eliminated all my usual music haha. I know the story behind White Rabbit and tried to get it on the list but failed. My instructor knows the story too.
After hours of brainstorming we had our song list, got it approved, then spent more hours learning our parts, then even more hours of rehearsal. Luckily they are all talented musicians and I have this odd talent of hearing a song once then can recite the lyrics, so it came together quickly and I must say - we are pretty good!
This is where it gets awesome! The family wants to play a prank the birthday guy, so our first song will be Eruption (Van Halen) and my friend is going to completely mangle it as I stomp around doing the worst dancing imaginable as I pound a cowbell lmao. We’ll keep our poker faces on like we think we’re really putting on a great show while the family starts complaining to my instructor this isn’t what they paid for, she promised them we are good, etc.
They’ll keep complaining and some of the family will boo us until the guitar fades then my guitar player will immediately kick into the first song of the Vietnam war era set, one we chose for the awesome and easily recognizable guitar riff at the beginning. This is when they’ll witness his talent:
Fortunate Son (CCR)
After that one these are the other songs, in order:
Me and Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin)
Knocking on Heaven’s door (Bob Dylan)
For what it’s worth (Buffalo Springfield)
House of the rising son (The Animals)
Mercedes Benz (Janis Joplin)
Note: Of course I’ll include “I’d like to do a song of great social and political import. It goes like this.”
Spirit in the sky (Norman Greenbaum)
Jumping Jack flash (Rolling Stones)
Then we go straight into Elvis, and start this set with another awesome, recognizable riff:
Suspicious minds (Elvis)
Kentucky rain (Elvis)
Way Down (Elvis)
Note: My drummer will do the low notes.
Burning Love (Elvis)
We’ll close the Elvis set with the birthday guy’s favorite Elvis song, and this is the one where my instructor says give them my “Ann Wilson” voice for the first time, strong and loud:
You gave me a mountain (Elvis)
Then we’ll have everyone join me in singing Happy birthday! After that we’ll take a break as they have the birthday celebration, then it’s time for the guests to mingle, dance, whatever they want to do as we continue. It’s about an hour of material:
Don’t stop believing (Journey)
Return to innocence (Enigma)
Note: Enigma uses chants from Tibetan monks but it is close enough to what I am raised with that I can rock it.
Nothing at all (Heart)
Live forever (Almost Monday)
Hold my hand (Hootie and the Blowfish)
I’m still standing (Elton John)
Better be good to me (Tina Turner)
Note: Tina Turner has cowbell in hers so guess what? More cowbell! Got to take care of those fevers.
What’s up? (4 non blondes)
This is me (Keala Settle)
Somebody to Love (Queen)
Note: We’re doing an extended version of Somebody to Love, they showed me a vid of George Michaels doing a tribute to Freddie Mercury live, so that’s our version with audience participation.
The Gambler (Kenny Rogers)
I’ll get back up again (Poppy! Haha!)
Can’t stop loving you (Van Halen)
Then as it’s time to wrap things up we are going to invite the birthday guy and his wife to the stage to dance for their anniversary while I sing a duet with the drummer:
Come What May (Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor)
Then we will close with:
Free bird (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
When Free Bird gets to 4.5 minutes left (the rocking part), I’m going to invite all the kids up and have them join me doing an Apache dance I’ve turbocharged for that awesome ending. That should burn off some of their sugar from the cake and ice cream haha. And my instructor gave me a tambourine to play during the ending and it sounds awesome together.
That’s it! Sorry this is so long, I’m a nervous wreck and rambling, but writing this all out has helped get myself in the zone and calmed my nerves a little (for those that don’t know I used to struggle with anxiety and I’m about to pop at the moment).
Well done. 👍
