I play an all-request show five nights a week, surrounded by a sea of tourists, drunk shenanigans, and fun times. We are packed every night.

As proof here is a picture of me at work, and a link to my tumblr, a collection of napkins i've saved over the years.

http://pianoman504.tumblr.com

EDIT: Also if there are any song requests out there in reddit land I know over 3000 songs and can upload a vid of me playing your song if u want

EDIT #2: Thanks guys, it was fun. Happy Saturday :)

Comments: 250 • Responses: 89  • Date: 

SchwartzBR40 karma

The last time my wife made me go to Pat O's it was full of Tulane frat/sorority annoying fuckers.

Please ban these types from your establishment.

Thx.

mageezbeats59 karma

i love you

svvag36 karma

Not a question but I see you're at Pat Os. Thanks dude you and your coworkers have made some of my worst nights amazing and made me cry on my best. I've requested. "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" and "Proud To Be An American" around 150 times each as of the half decade I've lived in New Orleans. I miss home a lot and you can put me back on Long Island in 2002 with my family with just a couple notes. I also abuse my "Rocket Man" privileges but you all never seem to mind. Thank you :-), I love you and your fellow musicians at Pat Os more than you know.

mageezbeats24 karma

thanks so much man - you just made my day;)

martlet127 karma

[deleted]

mageezbeats57 karma

anything by One Direction

Slam_Dunk_for21 karma

Because you're not a good enough musician?

mageezbeats47 karma

yeah its too advanced. harder to play than steely dan / joni mitchell combined

Ankly13 karma

Could you please please please please a million times please do a rendition of Tom Waits's Alice?

On a sidenote, I'm an aspiring piano player myself, which not so hard songs would you recommend me play to get myself starting on learning jazz piano? I'm listening the likes of Brad Mehldau, and it isn't quite the easiest of material. Anyway, keep up the good work, you've got a dream job right there.

mageezbeats14 karma

damn you guys are too damn hip for me with these awesome requests :-\ i can play "down in the hole" or another tom waits for ya but i haven't learned "alice" yet (but what a great tune)..

although i'm not trained in jazz, i've found that listening and copying the greats has always helped me develop my style. don't be afraid to steal licks, make them your own. James Booker "spiders on the keys" is one of my all time favorites and biggest influences

Ankly8 karma

I'm down with anything from Tom Waits. Do your favorite song. Also, what a nice album from James Booker that is.

mageezbeats23 karma

http://youtu.be/ksulr4mcZ0M hope you like it!

tllewell9 karma

What songs are requested the most? I'll bet the tips are pretty good from all of the drunk tourists.

mageezbeats16 karma

  1. sweet caroline
  2. piano man
  3. tiny dancer
  4. don't stop believing
  5. brown eyed girl

these are the most by far. i've played "sweet caroline" more times than neil diamond himself, guaranteed (he's never had to play it 5 times in a night lol)

Metalhed699 karma

How in the hell do you guys remember so many songs? Do you just sit around learning random tunes that drunks might think of?

mageezbeats16 karma

i have lyrics and chords on the iPad they let us bring on stage. if a song i dont know gets requested a lot, i'm losing money by not knowing it, so i learn it. but sometimes, if i really love a song, i learn it. the last song i learned bc i liked it was "Diane Young" (from the new vampire weekend record). sounds fucking great on piano too

olagjo7 karma

Can you upload a video of you playing Diane Young?

mageezbeats1 karma

did all of these 1 take.. some are sort of terrible but whateva lol

wjbc9 karma

Is this your dream job, or are you working on something? Ever dream about taking your show on the road?

Am I correct that you play the piano? I'm mulling over a request. "Piano man" seems so cliche. But it is a great song.

mageezbeats5 karma

i just turned 30 a month ago, but i don't plan on working on bourbon street my whole life. i record a lot and write a lot, and try to stay creative & busy. always getting better.

wjbc3 karma

Okay, how about the song How Come My Dog Don't Bark? Can you do that one?

mageezbeats2 karma

i don't know that one actually, but i know dr john's "such a night" and "right place wrong time"

either one of those? i can play it now real quick if u want ;)

wjbc2 karma

How about "such a night," haven't heard that one for a while. Thanks!

mageezbeats4 karma

just recorded it, its uploading (give it a min and i'll post the link)

ohyeahno9 karma

How do you feel about Bob Breck's toupee?

mageezbeats14 karma

partly askew with a chance of drizzle

smiler2048 karma

Do you play any other instruments?

mageezbeats22 karma

I consider myself "basically terrible" on guitar. I have been attempting to learn the cowbell, as well. Very difficult instrument

SchwartzBR7 karma

Question from the wife: what's the application process like?

Question from me: what's up with the dude with the tray full of coins? It's annoying.

mageezbeats4 karma

  1. the application process involved me calling the GM every day for like a month, telling him i'd play for free for a week, etc. i was pretty persistent (read: annoying) i initially didn't get the job, and had to move to pennsylvania for a few years bc of hurricane katrina. when i got back, the GM called me to play, so i found a replacement piano player for the casino gig i was at, & drove straight there from mississippi. been there ever since.

  2. thats alvin - he's a great guy, and good friend. been working there 42 years;)

Slam_Dunk_for6 karma

Two questions... Who would be your dream partner to play with? If the table was turned, what's one song you would request?

mageezbeats16 karma

  1. elton john (or the ghost of james brown)
  2. "gimme shelter" by the rolling stones or "badfish" by sublime

wjbc6 karma

Any stories about brawls? What exactly do you mean by "drunk shenanigans." Are the slutty girls not tourists? Are these "working girls"? Or just working girls.

mageezbeats18 karma

without sounding cocky or anything, the truth is that i get hit on a lot by women. phone numbers, hotel room keys, etc. (being able to play piano & control a room is a pretty powerful thing)

Guy_Code13 karma

If you want to get laid there are a couple steps you've got to do. 1. Learn to play an instrument or one song really well. 2. Play it in front of drunk women. 3. Get laid. -Guy Code

mageezbeats5 karma

its sort of like having a super power, or being super handsome. but yeah, man, years and years of practice (at piano and performing, not getting laid lol)

mageezbeats17 karma

we've had some pretty big fights but 99% of the time it's a fun atmosphere- ppl drinking and singing along with us. the fights are usually Alabama football v LSU fans

vivepopo5 karma

What's the biggest tip you've received, most famous patron?

mageezbeats7 karma

$1500 to play American Pie. Apparently the guy had just won a whole lot of money at the casino, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time. You better believe I played every damn verse of that song. There's at least 483 verses, fyi.

ChaiHai2 karma

C-Can I request it?? Full version please, I hate it when the radio skips verses, as I know the whole song by heart. I love that song... I understand it's a bit long and understand if you say no.^_^

mageezbeats3 karma

apparently the going rate for the full song is around $1500

Fuck_the_Jets5 karma

[deleted]

mageezbeats7 karma

started at 4 and a half years old. had classical piano lessons up until college, majored in piano performance at Tulane... parents really cracked the whip, made me practice hours a day. really hated it then, but i thank them every day now.

mageezbeats8 karma

ps fuck the jets.

Fuck_the_Jets4 karma

[deleted]

mageezbeats11 karma

absolutely... i've also gotten requests for: "Sweet Balls of Fire,"
"Big Balls on Fire" "Great Ball of Fire," (the lance armstrong edition) etc etc etc..

abarbosa424 karma

Heyyyy, I've given you my hard earned money before. Keep on keepin' on!

mageezbeats3 karma

thanks buddy ;) will do

geshikhte4 karma

Where did you live when you were in Pennsylvania and what did you do there?

I would loooove if you could do a Steely Dan song for me. "Kid Charlemagne" if you know it. Never saw someone able to play it on the piano.

mageezbeats5 karma

woof.... i'd rather not try and embarass myself trying to rock out some steely dan on the piano. shit is written for 12-string and is crazy. musically brilliant, but cray. lived in bethlehem, pennsylvania and finished my bachelors in music performance degree at Lehigh University (was at Tulane)

Havercake4 karma

Are you ever unable to play something because it simply wouldn't work on piano?

mageezbeats6 karma

if i try hard enough i can do a rendition of anything on the piano. even lil wayne

ohyeahno4 karma

Lucky Dogs. Best drunk food ever or the worst drunk food ever?

mageezbeats14 karma

gross. made from dire wolf meat and broken dreams

halfgrown4 karma

What song do you love to play that people don't request enough?

mageezbeats8 karma

michael jackson "the way you make me feel" --love it

ChucklesDone3 karma

I'd like to see a recording of this one!

mageezbeats6 karma

mageezbeats1 karma

sure i'll post one- gimme a sec

Sharksky4 karma

Uhmm, if you may could you pour your talent into some Johnny Cash, maybe "God's gonna cut you down"? Thank you so much. You're the best!

mageezbeats2 karma

ok i've never heard the song before but i am going to challenge myself to learn it real quick and give you a video. no bullshit. give me 5-10 min

mageezbeats2 karma

thanks. i give myself a B minus for accuracy, but an A for effort

zombiechris4 karma

Is Lafitte's haunted? And do you know a man with the last name Spence?

mageezbeats6 karma

  1. not sure but theres some crazy juju in that place. i've played there before and its really fun
  2. doesnt ring a bell

domainquestion3 karma

Best random sit in guest?

mageezbeats3 karma

in the history of the piano bar, i'd have to say either willie nelson or kenny rodgers, though this was before my time. we do get a fair amount of celebs but i havent had any notable sit-ins, unfortunately...

bru_tech3 karma

Horny Gators. Hand Grenades. Daiquiri Shops. Absinthe. What's your favorite drink to get that may be overlooked or unknown to a visitor on Bourbon Street?

mageezbeats9 karma

Try a Gin Fizz at Tujague's, or an Old Fashioned at the Ritz

mageezbeats2 karma

as far as bourbon st goes, i wouldnt recommend any novelty drinks whatsoever unless you want a hangover. but that's my personal preference bc i hate sugary drinks. some of my girl friends love the "190 octane" daiquiris (they are deceptively strong too)

Rod_Belding3 karma

What are your favorite and least favorite events in NOLA? Like Mardi Gras, Bayou Classic, Jazzfest, etc.

mageezbeats7 karma

i guess bayou classic only because its the most dangerous weekend of the year. also, never to wear a pink tie during "southern decadence" weekend. huge mistake, though the crowd is actually really fun and they are good tippers.

LoquaciousMute3 karma

I'm in the UK here, so don't really know New Orleans. Can you tell us a bit about the famous piano bar and Bourbon Street in general. Thanks.

mageezbeats5 karma

without going into specifics about my particular place of work, a piano bar is a place where people can sit a table with their friends, write down song requests on a napkin or paper, and hand it to the players (sometimes with tips, sometimes not). then they get served a strong mixed drink concoction, and enjoy hearing their favorite songs live. it's like a concert where you determine the playlist, and everyone, including the patrons, can sing along and interact with the show. if you want to know about bourbon street in general, i dont know where to begin.... it's a place where bad decisions are made, the original "boulevard of broken dreams."

ivarwaters3 karma

Got any good stories of famous people coming in?

mageezbeats5 karma

Funny celeb story, zac brown was in the piano bar like 3 months ago, and i was sort of nervous because everyone was requesting zac brown songs. its nerve-racking playing someones song in front of them. i mean, fuck that. seriously. anyways, i played "colder weather" and it went OK and then i noticed the guy had signed "Thanks for the music. -Zach" on the napkin. he was totally NOT fucking zac brown (theres no "H" in his name), he was just a hillbilly with a trucker hat and a grizzly adams beard drinking bud light and signing autographs, hitting on girls. dude fooled the entire place for 2 hours, taking pictures, etc. in retrospect, it was pretty hilarious.

michael buble came in after a show here in new orleans and was super nice to everyone, taking pictures etc. apparently he requested one of his own songs "save the last dance." During the superbowl in Feb, we had a ton of celebs come through. jerry rice, jason bateman (hero), billionaire jerry jones (great tipper ;), got to meet michael phelps, everyone was super nice. andy roddick and brooklyn decker came awhile back, she requested "don't stop believing." (i DEFINITELY didn't smell the napkin after she handed it to me like a creeper. promise.). the crossbow dude from "the walking dead" comes in every year for new orleans comicon, super nice guy. and last, but certainly not least, Lance Bass.

ivarwaters2 karma

That's awesome! Also you'll get a lot of /r/thewalkingdead fans talking about Norman Reedus, or "The crossbow dude" haha

mageezbeats2 karma

norman is a cool dude. came in with the boondock saints cast (minus willem dafoe) and requested "rocket man"

JohnWinns3 karma

Craziest Bourbon Street/bar story?

mageezbeats28 karma

one friday night about a year ago, i was singing "hotel california" to the piano bar full of people (i think it was around superbowl time. totally packed). anyways, i get to the line in the song "they stab it full of steely knives, but they just cant kill the BEAST." As soon as I say the word "Beast," all of the lights in the room go out. Pitch darkness.

Everyone starts to freak out, yelling, spilling drinks, trying to head for the exit but theres no light, glass everywhere.

turns out it was a result of a black out in the entire french quarter. Everyone had to leave, because power wouldn't be restored for hours.

Apart from that, Mario Lopez was in the piano bar last night, so i guess that's just as crazy (AC Slater requesting "tiny dancer"). I got douche chills..

sashay333 karma

Do you play "at the gangbang"?

mageezbeats2 karma

nope. sounds like a beautiful song though

phenobarbidoll893 karma

Did you work Mardi Gras night this year? I think I got to see you play.

mageezbeats5 karma

there's only 2 male players there, so its likely

Cdeco3 karma

Do you play at lafitte's? :)

mageezbeats4 karma

no but i have played there before. awesome spot, and the owner, Joe, is a great guy

Cdeco3 karma

That's awesome... Was trying to guess by the background... One last guess, then I will stop.... Pat O'brien's? :)

mageezbeats2 karma

Can't really confirm or deny. But you're pretty much narrowed it down ;) i'll say this- its the BEST piano bar in the world. That should be enough of a hint

Turbonator2 karma

Any Beginner tips for a young pianoman looking to start somewhere?

mageezbeats6 karma

three tips i wish someone had taught me when i started performing full-time:

  1. don't be afraid to make mistakes. my immediate reaction when i hit a wrong note or can't reach a high vocal parts is to smile. we're not performing brain surgery over here. if you stress out over it, the audience can tell. have fun and enjoy it. shake it off, homie.
  2. you will learn SO MUCH MORE from bad gigs than from good ones. and you WILL have some awful gigs, starting out. learn from them. (i still have bad nights all the time)
  3. don't underestimate the power of a good business card. with design/printing, they may cost you 150-200 bucks, BUT the'll last you for years. makes you look professional. also, always overdress for gigs.

lastly, i'd recommend going to a nursing home that has a piano sometime and play for the elderly. not only is it good karma, but they are the easiest audience you'll ever have. it will be the highlight of their day, even if you sound terrible:)

good luck, and feel free to email me if u have any more questions: mageezbeats at gmail

mageezbeats1 karma

are you singing or just playing?

eosri12 karma

Do people ever request New Orleans jazz music or is it just rock/pop?

mageezbeats1 karma

everything from scott joplin to (shudder) carly rae jepsen

CarlorLvl7Barbarian2 karma

Have you ever covered any music by jam bands like the grateful dead or phish? I plan on going to New Orleans in the next year when I turn 21 and I would be so happy to hear some good ol dead.

mageezbeats2 karma

casey jones, scarlet begonias, & a couple more i can't remember

bovineswine2 karma

Question: How long have you been playing? Do you have any formal qualifications/training/grading/boss level victories? How many hours per week do you play, practice included?

Request: Tom Waits - All the world is green

Statement: You're cool.

mageezbeats3 karma

thanks man, i am on stage performing at least 20 hours a week. besides that, i am always learning new songs, writing songs, thinking about music. just finished a music video for a new music project. i also do a considerable amount of session work, where people hire me to play piano in the studio for hip hop/country/liturgical/anything... helps to be versatile.

iRiverflow2 karma

As a fellow pianist, I think your job is amazing. This would be a dream job for me except I cant sing :(. What kind of piano education do you have? When did you start playing? Knowing so many songs, is there a trick you use to remember them or is it just remembering the chord progression?

mageezbeats5 karma

its hard to explain, but because i mainly am playing by ear for work, i just have to be familiar enough with a song, the general "vibe" or rhythmic feeling it has, and its not that hard. i have the ipad at work mainly for the lyrics. ALSO, i am pretty terrible at remembering peoples names/faces. i have the suspicion that all that space in my memory is being used up by shitty jimmy buffett songs

young_wendell2 karma

Wayne and I want to know what your favorite winged mythological creature is.

mageezbeats1 karma

dragons, mostly

trisgeminus2 karma

A few months ago I drunkenly asked you or one of your colleagues to play a Kate Bush song. I just wanted to say I'm sorry.

mageezbeats1 karma

forgiveable. better than asking for a song by the band bush.

Masta-Blasta2 karma

No questions, just wanted to tell you how much I love Pat O's, and that you wreck it. Loved your Thrift Shop rendition.

mageezbeats1 karma

thanks man!

Phaterson2 karma

Son could you play me a melody? I'm not really sure how it goes but it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete when I wore a younger man's clothes.

mageezbeats3 karma

dont know any. sorry.

makotosolo2 karma

Did I just see a fuckin' shuriken made out of money?!

mageezbeats2 karma

definitely still have the shuriken. its worth far more than the $2 it was constructed with

KindSadist2 karma

Ever play with Mark Weliky? Old friend whom I played with back I the day. He's a regular at baccanal

mageezbeats1 karma

dont think so

BitchlmTheShit2 karma

Silly question but what the heck, have you ever met lil wayne or birdman?

mageezbeats2 karma

was hired to interview birdman for YRB magazine a few years back, unrelated to the piano bar (i'm not a journalist by any means but a friend needed a favor). he was wearing an all gucci tracksuit and showed up in a stretch PT cruiser. true story.

ohahat2 karma

Kind of a weird question, but I always thought Bourbon street had nothing on Frenchmen street (less authentic, more touristy/tacky, just my opinion, though, please understand). What makes you love Bourbon so much?

mageezbeats2 karma

i don't love bourbon street. actually, i havent gone out on bourbon street in years. frenchman has a lot more new orleans authentic jazz groups and a more laid back / less touristy atmosphere by far. when i have a night off, i usually just watch netflix

olagjo2 karma

For God's sake, do you know "Football's coming home"?

Piano bars just aren't the same across the pond!

What's your favorite piano bar song that doesn't seem to get enough love?

mageezbeats4 karma

Billy Joel - Vienna is one of my favorite piano songs that we rarely get requests for

mageezbeats1 karma

one of my all-time favorite songs to play live - http://youtu.be/JBY3r4mSJTE "the way you make me feel" - mj

vonjamin1 karma

what are some of your favorite bars to go to in nola, sidenote i'm from louisiana also

mageezbeats2 karma

dba/blue nile on frenchman, delachaise uptown. honestly i'm at a bar so much at work i dont do too much bar-hopping when i have a night off. in the french quarter, i like finnegans, sometimes bmc

ChaiHai1 karma

I know its cliche', but I love "Piano Man" :D Such a good song! ^_^ I hope you're not entirely sick of it!!!

mageezbeats1 karma

i'm not entirely sick of piano man, per se.. sometimes i catch myself on auto-pilot, however.