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Audience Age and Music Preference

Hi there... A band I'm in is going to play a show for an audience that consists of ages 13-50 with the majority of the audience between 13 and 19. Anyway, I was wondering what songs would work well in this situation. I dont want to over do modern stuff or older stuff, but I want to find a happy medium... I was thinking about doing some older songs that everyone likes... but I'm not too sure what the younger kids like in this genre. Could any of the younger bass players tell me if something like "Statesboro Blues" by the Allman Brothers would go over well. I see lots of kids wearing Greatful Dead and Allman Brothers Tshirts, but I dont know if thats what they listen to. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
.........are Beatles songs from their earlier days, in a similar situation we've had good responses with "Can't Buy Me Love", "Blackbird" and "Here Comes the Sun". Anything Motown seems to work well also, the best bets are Stevie Wonder or Smokey Robinson.Throw in a sparse sampling of Modern contry a la Garth Brooks, or Brooks and Dunn too. :cool:


that's my $.02


...............Jim
 
BassManJim said:
.........are Beatles songs from their earlier days, in a similar situation we've had good responses with "Can't Buy Me Love", "Blackbird" and "Here Comes the Sun". Anything Motown seems to work well also, the best bets are Stevie Wonder or Smokey Robinson.

I agree with everything except the country :D Try and find some songs that have were popular and were later covered and also became popular.......I can't think any off the top of my head.

Oh and on the Greatful Dead and Allman Brothers T-shirts. I know a lot of people my age that have "vintage" band t-shirts and couldn't name a song that band plays.
 
Mr.Phil said:
Kids only like punk and emo? I think I'm screwed...

Well, not all kids. But from my understanding, most of my friends are into to emo kinda of thing, I dunno maybe its one of those retarted "trend" thing. But yeah, if you dont know any of those tunes, just play something you would hear on the radio. I don't know maybe some green day, blink 182, chilli pepper, billy talent, Maroon 5, actually it all depend what your singer can pull off...
Whatever you do, good luck..
 
I am one of the younger bass players yall are speakin of...but I have an interesting taste. I listen to mostly classic rock stuff, Zeppelin is the ****, the who rules, beatles will do fine, I think your safe with Steve Miller too. I think you might have to throw some punk in there just to keep the audience that likes punk there, or at least thats what my band does. Everyone lieks blues. You defenitly need to play a blues song, be it Zeppelinish or somthing that B.B. King might play. But keep in mind, thats a major age gap. Some of the kids wouldnt no who Jimmy Page is, while thre Older guys were 30 when Stairway to Heaven was a hit. And the main thing that is going through my mind when I am deciding a set is that I play what I want to promote, if the audience doesn liek that then do i really want them to be there? MOst of this new rock stuff I wouldnt call music, andI wouldnt play it if my life depended on it. Even if it was the only way to make a living. Hope I am of sum help.
Peter