As I mentioned, closed eyes can add to the drama. And even though singing while using both hands to play, keeping the rhythm with a foot or two, remembering the words, and concentrating on the pitch is a lot to ask, to me it is still a dramatic performance. I can't help but believe that some famous moments in film or even speeches, for that matter, would have been as effective with the eyes closed. There may have been some who thought MLK was "having a dream" had his eyes been closed. Knute Rockne with his eyes closed? - forget it! All this being said, there will still be plenty of songs in which I will close my eyes.

dw