Requests
*We are currently back in the USA, resting and gearing up for our next adventure. We’re not seeking requests at the moment, but feel free to comment anyway and say hi!
Have a song you’d like us to play? Maybe as we’re making our way through [EUROPEAN COUNTRY], finding ourselves suddenly in a remote but beautiful corner of [CITY], while the [ETHNICITY] people look on and, if we’re lucky, drop [FOREIGN CURRENCY] into our [DONATION RECEPTICLE]? Maybe you’re looking for [SONG TITLE], or perhaps just any song from the [DECADE]‘s. Maybe you’d like us to be wearing [COSTUME] or attempting to [FANCY TRICK] while we sing? Whatever it is, let us know so that we can make your wildest dreams come [T/F], and send you the video.
Paint yourselves gold, bronze, and or silver. Possibly include swords, definitely lances. OR, one word: MIMES with pantaloons. Okay, three.
Liking the flexibility built into this one!
Done and done.
Pure unadulterated magic.
After I showed my grandmama, her tears of joy washed away the glaucoma. Thank you.
big tymers – oh yeah
Could you rick-roll Europe for me please?
Seconded a thousand times, though you could also change the genre a bit (id fast-paced intense rock, lyrical ballad, etc)
“Just Friends” by Musiq Soulchild
BTD has grown to love this song.
Acoustic rendition of basshunter song, possibly plain to spain or every morning. European people love that shit.
I guarantee you will endear yourself to any crowd with the Divinyl’s mega-awesome-hit: I Touch Myself.
If only there had been a crowd, we surely would have endeared ourselves to it.
I’m just going with whatever pops up on my Pandora that would be awesome. Since my Pandora stations are all horrible, I came up with:
Edwin McCain, I’ll Be
so DO IT.
Dearest Aroop (and accomplices),
I have a plan to make you rich and famous. Here’s how it works:
I give you a song, and then, you play the song. Or some artistic interpretation of the song as long as it retains its core elements. (That sentence is subject to artistic interpretation.) Then, you post the clip of the song. Finally, I give you $1.
One dollar!, you ask, How can I get rich from just one dollar?!
Great question, Aroop! Once I see this song and share it gleefully with my family, friends, and Vera, I’ll send you another song and we do it all over again. 10 times.
But wait, there’s more! For the second song, I’ll give you two dollars! Third song, three dollars! So the tenth song is worth….ten dollars! For all ten songs, you’ll get a total of $600 (or so)!
I’ve already scoured the internet for 10 songs (or things by Nickelback) and they are known to nobody except me and Bradley Manning.
Is it crazy? Yes. Is it dangerous? Yes. Can you do it? Some say no. But I believe in you. I believe you took all those naps for a reason: So when your moment came, when the world needed you to take on the challenges that that have humbled so many others, you could bring the music of Ricky Martin to the people of Poland. There can be higher calling.
XOXO,
Benn
Dear Benn,
It wasn’t easy, but we did it:
Glorious. Magical. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Parades and statues and keys to cities await you when you return.
Naive – Kooks
kill it bros
This is a wonderful idea!
I’d love to hear a rendition of “On Green Dolphin Street.”
Best of luck with this adventure,
Bernie
DUDES,
This whole virtual donation thing makes it impossible to stick a tape-covered hand into the box.
Video of Dave singing Good Man with a famous historical landmark in background will get you a $40 donation
How about Dave AND Auyon? And how about the Altes Museum AND the Berliner Dom, as viewed from the Lustgarten (“pleasure garden”), former site of the Berlin City Palace.
Awesome!!!!
Use this money to buy at least one drink each
Love you guys
(J.T. BTW)
That is to say you will get that donation once my credit card stops getting denied
Does anyone else notice that when you watch this video on youtube, you’re suggested videos include Lizzy Macguire?
http://yfrog.com/0mwhylmj
When in Venice, I’d like a song. Preferably something gushy. I envision St Marks Square. Birds covering the piazza. Close up shots of Aroop singing to me. Suddenly, zoom out as Aroop runs thru the square making all birds fly into the air. Return to close up shots.
Couldn’t imagine anything better =) Donation Awaits.
I’d like a raucous and animated cover of BNL’s Never is Enough, or alternatively, a wistful rendition of CSNY’s Southern Cross. There are no wardrobe, prop or location requirements for this request.
I have, or should I say a couple Pres. Washington’s, have a vision of four men, cruising the waters of Venice on a boat…singing “I’m on a Boat.” Mr. Lincoln would appreciate T-Pain’s participation.
Seconded.
Aroop, have you shaved your chest?
We need to talk.
Sappy challenge for a drizzly day or a calmer corner:
1. Falling Slowly from Once
2. Southern Cross or Teach your Children by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (or some variation of those names).
3. Happier by Guster
$$ for your trip if you play 1/3. 3/3 would be a feat with rewards of an extremely over excited and happy me, more dollars and lots of hugs when you get back.
Sending love!
One down! Thanks for the great suggestion!
I love you all very much. That brought a lot of joy. Hope the $$s made it to you online.
I’ll second the request and the donation) for falling slowly (if there’s a video of same)
See above!
Thanks guys. Made my day! $ and smiles on the way
Please can you make a video like ‘The Opera of R. Kelly?’. I promise you I will smiling all day because of you.
Dear lovely friends, Thank you so much for this week, you made this week like a little gift to me, but also to a lot of people in Amsterdam. You can make people happy and emotional. That is a big talent and gift, don’t lose it.
You made my day, every day last week. Thank you and I will miss you.
(translate you can do it!)
Het was heel gezellig, bedankt lieve vrienden!!!!
Ik ben op de markt en de markt is nu open.
xxx (in dutch it means kisses and if you will flip it on the side it is the sign of Amsterdam)
Sending a lot of love!!
Yke
how about “That Moon Song”
I’ll donate anyway — Sarah Palin be damned — but would love recognition of Liz turning 50 on 9/11. She loves Italy and Dave Matthews’ Crash Into Me. Extra big donation if you find the camera I left on the Florence-Siena bus back in April.
Happy birthday, Liz! This one was a lot of fun.
Eva. Everywhere.
I sent a series of options via email to Aroop with links, etc., but they are, in brief:
“Animal” by Neon Trees,
“Don’t You Evah” by Spoon,
“The Seed 2.0″ by The Roots,
or either “Dying is Fine” or “Ghost Under Rocks” by Ra Ra Riot.
Or, anything you please; you’re the maestros. Just gave you some $, btw. Don’t go blowing it on some silly Sperry boat shoes… too late.
We figured it would be fitting to film Seed 2.0 in an abandoned fruit market. That is what he is talking about, right? Like cantaloupe seeds?
Also, we ultimately managed to get a full take with no mess-ups, but we thought this one was far more entertaining:
Awesome to a power that wouldn’t fit in a twitter post. Thank you so much. It’s truly amazing. Auyon actually looks gangsta. Dave is more around the border of badass and gangster (note the different spelling), and Daniel is, in his few moments of visibility, pretty badass, too.
“Still Ray” by Raphael Saadiq
anything by La Roux! i bet those europeans love her too.
preferably with daniel rocking it out on the microkorg. dance moves and sensual singing into the camera wouldnt hurt either.
THIS. Please!
Big money for American Boy by Estelle while wearing the most obnoxiously American outfit you own. Preferably in front of the Eiffel Tower. Thank you kindly.
America!
This is incredible. Pure genius. Thanks guys!
finally, a charity i care about.
play me “Party in the U.S.A.” anywhere reasonably public, with video evidence thereof, and you get a shiny new hundo. god i love that song.
I now want to see Aroop singing Hey Jealousy while a European hands him money
Sarah’s Smile by Hall and Oates for Sarah’s big birthday. . . somewhere iconic in Paris. Or just happy birthday would suffice too. You have full artistic license. Donation to follow in support of traveling musicians abroad. . .
(Ellen’s Smile)
Happy Birthday Sarah from BTD Paris edition!
Perfectly executed. . .all we need is a hunchback on the cathedral in the background!! Many many thanks. . .will make us all smile! I’m going to let Sarah know about it when it’s her birthday on October 14. . .unless she finds out before:) Thank you very much and welcome back to the States!
“elevator song in a public elevator with people around living their lives!”
Un peu comme celle qu’on avait en tête l’année dernière, remember…!
ok boys.
I’m Gonna Be (500 miles), The Proclaimers
or maybe All The Above, Maino?
No matter what you sing, and wherever you are, I think it would be awesome to see some of your audience! Bonus points if they look excited and even more points if they are dancing and/or singing along. I mean, that’s what it’s all about, right? The random people you meet on the street. Ok, now go make some Europeans happy for me.
Instant Pleasure, as performed by Rufus Wainwright – Park Guell’s covered pavilion, Barcelona. If you can make that happen (with video evidence, obviously), money is coming your way for sure. Also, I’m so jealous of this adventure. Good luck!
How about “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum somewhere slightly romantic with the wind blowing through Aroop’s nonexistent hair? If that’s too hard, I’ll settle for a rendition of either the aforementioned or “The Only Exception” by Paramore. You guys are the best and the performances will guarantee donations!
Serenade someone under the stars to “I swear” by all 4 one
I love this entire comment thread, and promise to personally hand one of you at least $20 when you next get back to W-town (or get over my distrust of Paypal) if you cover “I am a man of constant sorrow.”
Please come out to Los Angeles for a special showing! You guys would KILL at the Third Street Promenade (street performer central), and you have a free place to stay with me, including a pool, jacuzzi, and view of L.A. basin. I will even make Ben fly out again.
Follow up your recent Ke$ha success with another hit from a female pop powerhouse: “Bad Romance”
Gaga’s Alejandro, performed somewhere politically incorrect in Barcelona, will get you muchas pesetas. So would BNL’s Chimpanzee song, performed pretty much anywhere – though I would sincerely hope for at least a shot of one of y’all sitting in a tree and eating a banana.
Or more reasonably, I’m seconding (thirding? fourthing?) the requests for CSNY, Southern Cross… classic.
You guys are fantastic!
Though I’d get a lot of joy out a rendition of “Boats ‘n’ Hoes” or “I’m on a Boat” played at your next stop, neither pass the test for musical worthiness or audience-appropriateness.
But if you can do one of these following songs on a boat in Venice, I will send my love from home and drop enough in your e-hat for a bottle of sangiovese before you leave.
Boatman – James Taylor
If I Had a Boat – Lyle Lovett
Dreamboat – Elton John
River – Joni Mitchell
Cry Me a River – Justin Timberlake
Moon River – Mercer and Mancini
If you are still in France, this is my request…
I spent a rather disappointing 21st birthday weekend on the French Riviera, and it sure would have been brightened up by a serenade from you dashing blokes. I challenge you to find a foreign woman (extra argent for a blond blue-eyed fille around 21) and make her smile with a sappy song. I can live a vicarious redo through her =)
-mucho love from across the pond, Cynthia
ps- if you are in barcelona, you should sing in Guadi park and do your best to camouflage yourselves on the mosaic benches.
Request = Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” with David Culver Senft performing the rap
Please.
Oh no you di’int.
I would greatly appreciate a rendition of any Justin Bieber song, while wearing leather jackets and/or bling and/or oversized pants t-shirts.
This would be best done outside a famous museum or palace, though somewhere in the countryside (near sheep) is also acceptable.
I look forward to opening my email inbox one day and being pleasantly surprised with a link to a video fitting the above description. Thank you, and godspeed on your quest.
Also seconded.
loved your busking in Nice the other night, perhaps you can learn la bamba for next time
ok, here’s the challenge for your last days in Europe.
Perform a song in German, preferably “Marmor, Stein und Eisen bricht”. This is one of the song we sang at the beach in Nizza.. Remember? Daniel tried to sing along and said he gets the text so that shouldn’t be too much of a problem..lol
The Bad Touch by Bloodhound Gang,, on the street in monkey suits for lots of money.
An a cappella version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight, with as much tribal outfit peices as possible. Maybe some facepaint?? I would LOVE this. And good luck with everything on your adventure.
By the way… I’ve spent a while looking at all your videos and loving each one!
Hey there,
I don’t suppose you guys are looking to plan another European trip that involves you being in France this June?
We saw you in Salzbourg and thought you were great and would love you to play at our wedding on Sat 4th June 2011.
The details are as follows:
A gig playing to a friendly gaggle of well oiled friends and family in the grounds of a chateau in bons en Chablais, follwed by an awesome party – does this sound like something you could be interested in?
Let me know and we can discuss it further!
Thanks,
Olivia