Some more things to consider....
Young people (let's say all under 40) do things differently now. They don't go out as often, but when they do they want more/better/original. This counts for food, drinks, music, everything discretionary income related.
Instead of going to a $50/couple casual restaurant every Friday and Saturday, they'll go to a nicer place once every two weeks and spend $120.
Instead of drinking PBR every night they'll have craft beer once a week.
Instead of listening to a cover band try to sound like a recording, they'll pay more to go to a big concert less often.
That last one is the most important. The way people consume music has changed. Straight cover bands are from a time when music was harder to access. So it made sense for people to go out to hear music played well. Now they can literally listen to any song ever recorded, and almost anything ever filmed at a live show by the original artist, at a moment's notice on their phone or computer or TV at home. They don't have to wait for you to play it, or drive to a record store. They have instant gratification.
You have to give them something different, something better. Playing covers exactly as recorded is a dead end. That is easily replaced by a DJ. What you do has to be more interesting, or else you're going to be stuck playing classic rock in nursing homes.
PS: I live for the day when Black Sabbath is blaring from the rec room at the retirement home and old folks in wheel chairs and walkers are nodding their heads, saying: "ahh, the good old days, why I remember when..." and considering people who were 20 when their first album came out are 68 now, that should start in the next 5 years or so.
Young people (let's say all under 40) do things differently now. They don't go out as often, but when they do they want more/better/original. This counts for food, drinks, music, everything discretionary income related.
Instead of going to a $50/couple casual restaurant every Friday and Saturday, they'll go to a nicer place once every two weeks and spend $120.
Instead of drinking PBR every night they'll have craft beer once a week.
Instead of listening to a cover band try to sound like a recording, they'll pay more to go to a big concert less often.
That last one is the most important. The way people consume music has changed. Straight cover bands are from a time when music was harder to access. So it made sense for people to go out to hear music played well. Now they can literally listen to any song ever recorded, and almost anything ever filmed at a live show by the original artist, at a moment's notice on their phone or computer or TV at home. They don't have to wait for you to play it, or drive to a record store. They have instant gratification.
You have to give them something different, something better. Playing covers exactly as recorded is a dead end. That is easily replaced by a DJ. What you do has to be more interesting, or else you're going to be stuck playing classic rock in nursing homes.
PS: I live for the day when Black Sabbath is blaring from the rec room at the retirement home and old folks in wheel chairs and walkers are nodding their heads, saying: "ahh, the good old days, why I remember when..." and considering people who were 20 when their first album came out are 68 now, that should start in the next 5 years or so.
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