[Dixielandjazz] Senior Center & Retirement Home Gigs

[Steve Barbone]

Luckily, Barbone Street Performs in the Pennsylvania/New Jersey/Delaware
area and there are about 100 CCRC's (Continuing Care Retirement Centers)
within 80 miles of my house. These are Independent Living facilities.

These are upscale retirement complexes that charge from $80,000 to $300,000
as an entrance fee, and then about $3000-$5000 a month for 3 meals etc. They
also provide medical care when residents get sick, have activities etc. Kind
of like a college atmosphere for old folks in good health when they enter.

Most have entertainment budgets. The lowest being $1200 a month, the highest
being about $4000 a month.

They like 1 hour concerts. And 3 hours on holidays like Memorial Day, July
4, Mardi Gras, etc.

My minimum fee for a one hour shot is at a small facility close by is $125
per man. My maximum fees go well into 4 figures for those holidays.

We play at several that have $1200 monthly budgets and out $750 min uses a
big chunk of that. But because they like us, they pay it. Or, if they have a
resident's association, the association chips in.

We also play at one on the "main line" of Philadelphia Suburbs whereby the
residents own their own homes. Minimum home price is 1.5 million. We get
four figures to perform there for an hour.

For the past 4 new year's Eve's we have performed at CCRC's. Same one for
the past 3. At prices that would make "fly over" and "left coaster's" heads
spin. 

Average age at these facilities is about 75 and you can bet they expect some
nostalgic music from us. From the music they heard at Condon's, Nick's to
the dance music of the swing bands. I always bone up on "Begin The Beguine"
and "Body & Soul" while trombone hones "Stardust" and trumpet "I Can't Get
Started."  

The only downside is that they want to talk about where they were and what
they did in the 1920s/30s but that's not so bad either. Couple of years ago
I chatted for a half hour after a gig with a very classy lady, who knew Bix,
about how she and her girlfriend (who had an affair going with a sax player
in Whiteman's band) used to sneak out of their dorm at Barnard and rush
downtown to dance and be with that band. You should have seen her eyes
sparkle at age 98 or so.

But that's only 10% of our gigs. The rest are for kids under 50 who don't
know Dixieland from The Dixie Chicks.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone