cool gig for the kids.

[ack1961]

Both of my boys are aspiring musicians. My oldest (19) plays, guitar, bass, writes  and sings and my youngest (14) plays drums.  Last week they volunteered to play a couple of songs at a church Talent Show. It seemed like a lot of work to teardown, haul, setup, teardown and haul back all the gear for 2 songs, but they gladly did it.  They were really the only amplified act there.  After the show, a guy who is opening a bagel shop in town approached them and asked if they wanted to open the parking lot during their grand opening.  We love parking lots, so the answer was "sure thing".  Junior wants "bagels for life" as payment. I love drummers.

During a visit to the shop the next day, the kids were approached by the owner of a billiards hall/sports bar/restaurant directly across the street from the bagel shop who asks them if they'd like to be the Saturday night house band and play 2-3 hours of mostly classic rock, a bit of modern-era rock and some of their originals.  He's never seen them play, but got word of mouth from the bagel shop owner and he watched some YouTube videos of them messing around upstairs. 

This is where I come in...my youngest doesn't listen to much classic stuff (he's into new-ish Metal) and my oldest is into some of it, but mostly the grunge-era stuff.  They asked my to compile a list of any classic rock tunes that I think would go over well and they can learn in a week's time.  This has been fun - they've brought in 2 friends to play guitar and bass and both of them are Metalheads and don't play (or care for) classic rock. 

Teaching these kids the classics has been a hoot, and I've sold them on the idea that getting people up and moving (and buying drinks) is what the bar owner would love to see. They've been practicing for 3 days now, and it's very cool to watch them get into the older rock stuff like LaGrange, N.I.B., The Ocean, Bang a Gong, Brain Damage/Eclipse, Up Around the Bend, Hocus Pocus, American Band, etc. I think most of them were expecting to be bored to death playing this stuff, but they're so into it now.  I can't wait for the first gig next weekend.

I wish Jon Lord were alive...and in North Carolina...and looking to play bagel shop parking lot and bar gigs. We all agree that Rat Bat Blue would be killer to play, but no one can pull off the keys.

If any of you guys have any "must play" suggestions, please post 'em - so far, I've compiled a list of about 100 songs, and the kids are trying to learn 5 per day.  I'd love to see what some of you guys suggest.
Thanks,
Steve

[gweimer]

I'm assuming that it's just the two of them playing.

D'yer Maker - Led Zep
Do Ya Know What I Mean -  Lee Michaels
People Get Ready - Beck/Stewart or Curtis Mayfield


There's always White Stripes and Black Keys for newer stuff.

[Pilgrim]

CCR's Fortunate Son is fun and not that hard.

A lot of ZZ Top stuff is easy, although the rhythm has to be right.

[drbassman]

Very cool!  Both my kids were good with music, but only my son did the rock band thing in HS.  It was a lot of fun to watch.  Enjoy!

[Highlander]

Any of Status Quo's better material - learn one, learnt them all...

Wish them luck with the project...

Oh yeah... Wild Cherry or Slow Ride - Foghat...

[ack1961]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I exported the current list (below). You can see that they've added a few post-grunge tunes to the list.
I think it will work if we stay on this path.
The songs they know (or they are working on) have an asterisk in front.

*Train Kept A Rollin'   Aerosmith (Sugarloaf) - Foghat's Honey Hush is similar
Toys In The Attic                Aerosmith
Strength             The Alarm
Whipping Post   Allman Brothers Band
Roll On Down The Highway   Bachman Turner Overdrive
Good Lovin' Gone Bad   Bad Company
*N.I.B.   Black Sabbath
*War Pigs    Black Sabbath
Black Bleeds Through   Black Water Rising
(Don't Fear) The Reaper   Blue Oyster Cult
*Godzilla     Blue Oyster Cult
Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll   Blue Oyster Cult
Burnin' For You   Blue Oyster Cult
Rock N Roll Band   Boston
*Glycerine       Bush
The Road To Hell (Part II)   Chris Rea
*London Calling   The Clash
Tommy Gun          The Clash
Train In Vain   The Clash
Bad Moon Rising   Creedence Clearwater Revival
*Down On The Corner   Creedence Clearwater Revival
*Fortunate Son   Creedence Clearwater Revival
Travelin' Band   Creedence Clearwater Revival
Up Around The Bend   Creedence Clearwater Revival
*She Sells Sanctuary   The Cult
*Rat Bat Blue   Deep Purple
Already Gone   The Eagles
Frankenstein   The Edgar Winter Group
Fire on High   Electric Light Orchestra
*Sunshine Of Your Love   Eric Clapton
White Room   Eric Clapton
Lay Down Sally   Eric Clapton
May You Never   Eric Clapton
I'm A Man Of Constant Sorrow - Dan Tyminski
*Oh Well      Fleetwood Mac
*Hocus Pocus/Moby Dick Medley   Focus/Led Zep
Fool For The City   Foghat
*Wild Cherry   Foghat
*Monkey Wrench   Foo Fighters
*Everlong   Foo Fighters
*Rockin' My Life Away (Alternate Take)   George Thorogood & The Destroyers
Don't Pass Me By   Georgia Satellites (Beatles)
*Battleship Chains   Georgia Satellites
*Voodoo    Godsmack
Radar Love   Golden Earring
*We're An American Band   Grand Funk Railroad
Shakedown Street   Grateful Dead
*Hate To Say I Told You So   The Hives
Search And Destroy   Iggy Pop
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (Single Version)   Iron Butterfly
*Cross-Eyed Mary   Jethro Tull
*Hymn 43   Jethro Tull
*Blue On Black   Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Larks Tongues In Aspic (Part II)   King Crimson
*Green Machine   Kyuss
*The Ocean   Led Zeppelin
*When The Levee Breaks   Led Zeppelin
*Moby Dick   Led Zeppelin
Personality Crisis   New York Dolls
*Son Of A Gun   Nirvana
*(New Wave) Polly   Nirvana
Games Without Frontiers   Peter Gabriel
*Brain Damage   Pink Floyd
*Eclipse   Pink Floyd
Message In A Bottle   The Police
Another One Bites the Dust   Queen
*Millionaire   Queens Of The Stone Age
*No One Knows   Queens Of The Stone Age
Orange Crush   R.E.M.
Swan Swan H   R.E.M.
Still I'm Sad   Rainbow
Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?   The Ramones
Beat On The Brat   The Ramones
*Commando   The Ramones
Bad Brain   The Ramones
Funny Little Feeling   Rock 'n' Roll Soldiers
Paint It Black   The Rolling Stones
Honky Tonk Women   The Rolling Stones
Brown Sugar   The Rolling Stones
Right Place Wrong Time   Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies
Cold Shot   Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
*Wicked Garden   Stone Temple Pilots
*Plush   Stone Temple Pilots
*Crackerman   Stone Temple Pilots
*Vasoline   Stone Temple Pilots
*Interstate Love Song   Stone Temple Pilots
*Unglued   Stone Temple Pilots
Green-Eyed Lady   Sugarloaf
Set Me Free   Sweet
*Bang A Gong (Get It On)   T-Rex
Queen of the Forest   Ted Nugent
*Scumbag Blues   Them Crooked Vultures
Pressure Drop   Toots and The Maytals (feat. Eric Clapton)
Too Hot To Handle   UFO
Lights Out (Remix)   UFO
Me and Baby Brother   War
*Low Rider   War
*The hardest button to button   The White Stripes
*Hotel Yorba   The White Stripes
Pinball Wizard   The Who
Won't Get Fooled Again   The Who
Some Kinda Fatigue   Yo La Tengo
*Just Got Paid   ZZ Top
*La Grange   ZZ Top

[Highlander]

Crikey, they are going for it...
Smells like teen spirit, I guess...

[gweimer]

Cool list.  Some of it might be a little out there for club work, like LTIA pt 2 (even though it's an all-time fave of mine). I like that they know about Funny Little Feeling.  Fun song.  My arms are shakin' like a lightning rod...

[westen44]

Light My Fire--Doors
You Really Got Me--Kinks
A Well-Respected Man--Kinks
Mr. Tambourine Man--Byrds
House of the Rising Sun--Animals
Gimme Some Lovin'--Spencer Davis Group
Come On Up--Young Rascals
Get Back--Beatles
Hey Jude--Beatles
25 or 6 to 4--Chicago
Inside Looking Out--Grand Funk R.
I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home--Grand Funk R.
Carousel--Hollies
For What It's Worth--Buffalo Springfield
Jumpin' Jack Flash--Rolling Stones
Psychotic Reaction--Count Five
Born To Be Wild--Steppenwolf
Purple Haze--Hendrix
Fire--Hendrix
Foxy Lady--Hendrix
Manic Depression--Hendrix
She Loves You--Beatles
I'll Be Back--Beatles
Time of the Season--Zombies
Taxman--Beatles
Midnight Hour--Wilson Pickett
Hold On I'm Coming--Sam and Dave
You've Lost That Loving Feeling--Righteous Brothers
You Keep Me Hanging On--Vanilla Fudge
Satisfaction--Rolling Stones
I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore--Young Rascals
I Can See For Miles--The Who
Pay My Dues--Blues Image
Honky Tonk Women--Rolling Stones
Get Off My Cloud--Rolling Stones
Expressway To Your Heart--Soul Survivors
Louie Louie--Kingsmen

I found this partial old set list from my band.  I tried to remove all the songs already on your list, although it was difficult since so many were the same.  There will still be some duplicates probably, but hopefully not many.  It's isn't all strictly classic rock, but a lot of it is.  Some soul, etc.  I think quite a few of those would be easy to learn.

[ack1961]

Cool list.  Some of it might be a little out there for club work, like LTIA pt 2 (even though it's an all-time fave of mine). I like that they know about Funny Little Feeling.  Fun song.  My arms are shakin' like a lightning rod...

Yeah, I love Funny Little Feeling. Not being up-to-speed on newer music, I found it on one of those free compilation CD's a few years back, and I learned to play it that day - very cool to turn everything to 11 and crank that one out...and Lark's Tongue is a bit ambitious - I seem to add to every playlist I make just because it's so damn cool.

[ack1961]

Thanks eveyone - some great suggestions here...and Westen, I had glossed right over Grand Funk's "Closer/Captain"...that would be too cool to get them to play that.

[westen44]

Thanks eveyone - some great suggestions here...and Westen, I had glossed right over Grand Funk's "Closer/Captain"...that would be too cool to get them to play that.

It can get the crowd's attention. 

[Highlander]

Such a good song...

There's quite a number of theirs that are probably still well know over your side of the pond...

or even one of their covers that was (imho) such a great track but the LP was a flop - Can You Do It (from Good Singing/Good Playing)

[gweimer]

Such a good song...

There's quite a number of theirs that are probably still well know over your side of the pond...

or even one of their covers that was (imho) such a great track but the LP was a flop - Can You Do It (from Good Singing/Good Playing)

If you're talking Grand Funk, they had a lot of good songs.  This is my fave, and another gem that doesn't get a lot of notice.'

[westen44]

Although I like the Animals' version, too, this is probably my favorite Grand Funk song.  It's easier to sing and play than I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home.)  Overall, though, I just like the raw energy of this song.  It's really garage band music, but that's fine with me.