At Long Island's dueling pianos shows, no two nights are the same

Two singing pianists face each other, backed by a drummer. One sings a tune, then passes the baton to the other, creating a whirlwind synergy. Welcome to the JAM Dueling Pianos Show by John Arden Music at EGP Land & Sea in Island Park, where the set list is built by the audience.

"You can dedicate a song to your wife and celebrate your marriage, or you can celebrate your divorce. Perhaps someone has a birthday," singer/pianist John Arden announces to the audience. "It is your show."

Bill Stevenson, 65, of Island Park, hands a piece of paper to the other singer/pianist, Chris Carlucci, who announces, "Bill is dedicating a song to his wife, Lucy, who has beautiful brown eyes. Lucy, this one’s for you!"

Carlucci grants the request and launches into Van Morrison’s "Brown Eyed Girl," putting a smile on Stevenson’s face.

"The interaction makes it more fun than a regular concert," Stevenson says. "It doesn’t really matter what artist you ask for. They play it all."

MONTHLY GIG

The JAM Dueling Pianos Show plays monthly in venues like EGP Land & Sea as well as the Twisted Cow Distillery in East Northport, Lily Flanagan’s Pub in Babylon and Farrell’s of Brooklyn in West Islip. Each gig utilizes interchangeable players. Paper slips are available for members of the audience to scribble down and submit a song request.

"We never know what an audience is going to request," says Arden, who owns the company and also performs. "It’s the most interactive show in the world."

Arden fell in love with the concept of dueling pianos 20 years ago when he experienced it at a bar in Florida and wanted to bring it to Long Island.

"From old songs to current hits, we are constantly learning new tunes and jokes that work with the audience," Arden says. "It’s not intimidating for us. We want to be able to play anything."

PIANO POWER

Carlucci bounces back and forth with his partner, Joe Wasserman, who swaps places with Arden, taking over on Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper" and Stevie Wonder’s "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)."

"If Chris is in the middle of playing a song and people drop in a request, I’ll take it," Wasserman says while Carlucci croons the Jackson Five’s "I Want You Back" in the background. "I’ll either keep it and play it because I know it or hand it to him because I don’t. If we both don’t know it, we will fake it."

At the bar, Long Beach resident Katie Mitchell, 39, the singer in The Katie Mitchell Band, is impressed by what she witnesses.

"Doing a few songs off the cuff is one thing, but doing an entire set like that is brave," she says. "You have to be really talented and on the ball to pull that off."

SONG STAPLES

The layup songs that always seem to find their way into the set list are anthems like "Piano Man," by Billy Joel, and "Sweet Caroline," by Neil Diamond.

"Everyone reacts to those songs. They are the gimmies," Arden claims. "People love to sing the ‘bum-bum-BUM!’ in ‘Sweet Caroline’ or croon the line, ‘Sing us the song you’re the piano man!’ from ‘Piano Man.’ For some reason, it just works."

Carlucci claims, "They are easy to sing and it’s what people know. Those songs make them feel comfortable."

However, sometimes the players get thrown a curveball, like when Brianna Gralitzer, 29, of East Rockaway, requests Air Supply’s "All Out of Love," which Carlucci is unfamiliar with.

"You must stay on your toes," Carlucci says. "Sometimes you’ll get songs that are out of your comfort zone and you just have to wing it."

However, Gralitzer is pleased with the results.

"Their vocal talent really surprised me," she notes. "This is a more intimate experience than seeing a regular band."

The three-hour show continues uninterrupted to maintain momentum.

"We want people to have the best time they have had in a long time," Wasserman says. "Not knowing what’s going to happen next is part of the fun."