Deaf people really like our music

Saturday night's gig: long story short, band A's singer was sick and band B covered the gig (I'm in both).

So we're setting up and the bar is already reasonably full of people, not packed but there's a crowd. I look around while hauling gear in and notice that all these people really seem to wave their hands and gesture a LOT while they're talking. Then it dawns on me - they're using sign language. Dozens of people; apparently there must be some sort of group outing or social event or something for hearing-impaired people in town. All different ages and styles of dress, etc. There's old grizzled bikers and trim asian yuppies and middle-aged moms, all signing to each other.

Well, I figure, this will be interesting. I don't know too much about it, but have heard (and we're commenting to each other) that we hear deaf people can still physically feel musical vibrations even if they can't hear it audibly. At least they probably won't complain that we're too loud.

They stuck around the whole night. No dancers, but at the end of some tunes a bunch of them would applaud. There was one guy who planted himself on the empty dance floor and stared at us, scrutinizing our instruments, I think maybe he was studying my hands. At first I thought maybe he was one of those critical musicians who'll analyze you on a gig, but he spoke to us after and was with the hearing-impaired crowd (not entirely deaf himself).

We had been expecting a dead night, since we got the call to play at the last minute and didn't get to promote. So it was great to find a crowd there, and a pleasant surprise that they enjoyed our playing. And now we can proudly say that we play perfect music for deaf people.

 

I know! Sadly, not in the repertoire.