YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea -- Though it was called a 'duel,' the only thing being hit at the Dueling Piano Players show held at the R&R Bar and Grill on Yongsan were the right notes, April 12.
The show, put on by Armed Forces Entertainment, brought three musicians to South Korea to play for the Troops. Orin Sands, PJ Gartrell and Chris Combs, otherwise known as the 'Dueling Piano Players,' played for a mixed crowd of fans, new listeners and members of the Yongsan Pool Club who were holding a tournament inside.
Col. Kathleen Weatherspoon, the chief of Armed Forces Entertainment, was also in attendance to enjoy the show as a part of her first visit to South Korea. When asked about her views, she said that the best feeling comes from seeing the response of the crowd.
"There's a lot of work that goes into creating a tour, and the entertainers put in some pretty long days between travelling," said Weatherspoon. "We ask a lot of them in order to do that, but when you see what it brings to the Troops, that's really where the rubber hits the road. It's excellent."
As the band struck up, the musicians offered to play requests from the crowd, taking in any song that was put on their keyboard by one of the patrons. Throughout the night, classics like Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" and the Beatles' "Hey Jude" shared space with "Blister in the Sun," "Friends in Low Places," and the theme to "Peanuts."
For some pieces, including "Sweet Home Alabama," all three musicians took to the stage for a full band performance, with Gartrell on guitar and Sands on drums. Between these sets, two of the pianists would be on stage at a time, playing the crowd's request as they asked the audience to sing or clap along with the music.
Before the show, Weatherspoon wanted to thank Yongsan Garrison for their work in providing the venue for the Dueling Piano Players, which gave the crowd a place to relax and enjoy the music.
"Armed Forces Entertainment appreciates the time and the effort that all of the sites, wherever they are, put into hosting these events," said Weatherspoon, before she took a seat next to a growing crowd inside the R&R Bar and Grill.
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