Musician Matt from Boston developed playlists of 1950s and ’60s–era pop hits for live music bingo at active adult and senior living facilities.
Matt Silverstein has a soft spot for music from the 1950s and ’60s.
He loves The Drifters, Sam Cooke, and Roy Orbison; The Beatles and The Beach Boys, of course. The list goes on.
“Growing up, that was the kind of music I listened to a lot. My mom especially used to love to play all the oldies,” says Silverstein, a Holly Springs resident.
“As I became a musician and I learned more about arranging, composition, harmony, and music theory, I came to realize that this era of music is really rich. There are a lot of complex harmonies and orchestral arrangements, symphonic arrangements, things that you don’t really hear so much in modern music.
“The songs are so pure — pure love songs. Music now is very snarky and cynical. There’s just something really warm and cozy about that era.”
Silverstein intersperses decade-specific trivia questions between the songs during live music bingo.
A professional musician, Silverstein performs locally under the stage name Matt from Boston. You can find him on nights and weekends playing gigs at local bars, breweries, and restaurants, along with the occasional wedding.
“I’ve had to learn a huge volume of songs to keep my playlist rotating and fresh. I’ve got songs from basically every decade — and lots of them.”
Ultimately, Silverstein turned his love for oldies into an entirely new type of booking.
“I came up with the live music bingo idea. If you go to music bingo anywhere else, they’re playing songs off an iPad or a DJ turntable and a laptop,” he says. “But I’m performing the songs myself with an acoustic guitar, sort of a unique twist that allows me to find more performing opportunities.”
Silverstein plays about 90 seconds of each song while the audience sings, dances, and marks their bingo cards.
“I wound up making some playlists with just ’50s and ’60s hits and then reaching out to some assisted and senior living facilities to see if they’d be interested in having me to perform for their residents.”
The idea was an instant hit. Silverstein currently works with more than a dozen locations in Wake County offering live music bingo to groups as large as 75.
“There hasn’t been a location that I’ve performed at that hasn’t asked me back again on a semi regular or regular basis.”
The Aspens Holly Springs, a 55+ apartment community off South Main Street, hosts Silverstein weekly to perform live music bingo for a growing enthusiastic audience.
“When I play the games, (the residents at The Aspens) are really playing along; they’re competitive. They get up and dance sometimes and sing along sometimes. It’s a lot of fun,” Silverstein says.
“Matt is the bomb,” says The Aspens resident Carolyn Nutt, a regular bingo attendee. “I’ve been to see him at Niche Wine Lounge, too. The songs are reflections of the years we grew up. It brings back a lot of memories.”
The Aspens Holly Springs hosted Live Music Bingo coupled with an Ugly Sweater Contest on December 19. Silverstein performs at The Aspens weekly.
“Matt plays some great music,” says Steve Anderson, another resident. “I come to all of the events. It’s a wonderful way to meet people.”
Each location attracts a different crowd, Silverstein says, but there is always a feeling of joy in the room.
“I do one location where it’s a memory unit for people with advanced dementia and Alzheimer’s. The music brings them back a little; they can remember and enjoy, even if they can’t really play the game well or need more assistance. The attendees are still very much present for it and listening,” says Silverstein.
“At each location they are so appreciative of me being there. Live performers don’t play these songs very often. Sometimes participants will cry. I’ve had women come up to me, totally in tears, and say, ‘This song you played was my song with my partner that I had for 40 years. They may have passed, but this brings back memories.’”
“It really is a joy for me, as a musician, to be able to offer that to people.”
