New Years Eve

Now that the music business has slowed down considerably, one job I won't miss is playing New Year's Eve dances. Haven't played one in years. It's a personal thing shared by many of my fellow musicians.

Playing these yearly events has never been my idea of an enjoyable gig.   The ballroom is always filled with noisy exuberant participants who have already started drinking way before that bewitching hour. Meanwhile I haven't had even one drink the entire night. Somehow their intoxication and my soberness were at odds with each other the entire evening.

To me the place always sounded like the start of duck season with people blowing those cheap horns in each other's faces. I guess being annoying to other fellow guests is their way of making a last minute statement.

There is also something to be said about hearing your female singer trying to get through e.g. Blue Moon (something nostalgic) and hear honk, honk, interspersed throughout the beautiful romantic words. We have come to regard these festivities as "tradition."

People are usually there to celebrate the event with their loved ones and this chaos always seemed a strange way to try to enhance these special moments.

Even a couple of hours before midnight the revellers already seem to be "cranking it up". To top this off a New Year's dance is usually about five hours long or longer.    What's worse the length of the event, the noisy horns or the idiotic cone-shaped hats bought at the dollar store? It always seemed bizarre to be dressed in your finest tuxedo and then be wearing these hats and looking like someone from "Howdy Doody." (The hats, another tradition.)

The union scale for these "special" events has been "traditionally" double. I guess the extra money is compensation considered "hazard" pay. However, I suppose if I were one of the patrons maybe I too would be having a "good time". It's surprising what a couple of drinks can do.

The liquor laws have somewhat curtailed the excessive drinking which is maybe a good thing. Responsible people have now worked out "designated" drivers just to be on the safe side. This seems a prudent solution to getting caught by the police and finding out you are over the "limit." (An easy thing to do.)

I can't remember too many humorous things that have happened at these dances but here's one I will never forget.

The magical hour had arrived and the M. C. started the "count down" assisted by the audience. The count was 10, 9, 8, 7 and all of a sudden one of the organizers of the dance grabbed the microphone.

"Attention ladies and gentleman. Will the person who owns the red Chrysler Imperial parked in the lane please move it as soon as possible. Thank you."

I don't think we ever continued the count to one. In any case, "Happy New year!"   You can't say it wasn't a memorable way to bring in the New Year.

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