Please critique my band's set list.

[Richland123]

SO, what if we did some Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, and stuff like that, or is that still VFW and State Fair territory?

Jackson and Brooks stuff should work. Just stay away from Toby Keith and Trace Adkins.

 

[bassbully]

OK guys, what about this?? I REALLY dont wanna play the new Keith Urban or Jason Aldean type stuff..

SO, what if we did some Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, and stuff like that, or is that still VFW and State Fair territory?

That will help..some. For festivals and most average country bars these songs with dance and tear in beers works. New country bars want...new country with a sprinkle of classics...just a sprinkle. I wish I could find my old bands setlist's to give you an idea of what worked well with them.
I did play with a country band that did new country for a short time and they got the more trendy bars but there were only like 4-5 old school country songs on the books. I agree with what you said on the VFW..Old school rules here as with animal clubs.
I don't like nu-country myself but allot of folks do or at least like to dance to it.Old school like to dance but they do it slower

 

[powderfinger]

I tell ya, Im only in my mid 30s, so Im not old. But the way I remember country bars from 10-15 years ago and the way country bars are today is like system shock. I havent been in or around the country scene in over 10 years, so you can see this "nu country" business to me would be like Hank Williams Sr coming back from the dead and seeing Garth Brooks doing "The Lunatic" by Billy Joel (which he actually did cover, live).

 

[reedo35]

Some Suggestions-
Fightin' side of me- Haggard
Folsom Prison- Johnny Cash
Amarillo by Mornin'- Georgr Strait
Born to Boogie- Hank

These go over well no matter where you are- IME

 

[oniman7]

I don't listen to or play country (though my family loves it, so I know the newer stuff) so I'm not familiar with the rules regarding playing it, but... it seems to me you have a lot of Merle Haggard and Grams Parson, especially if you're playing it in the order listed. I don't know if that's common for country sets, or if you're going to mix it up, but I'd recommend either removing some of those or mixing them around and adding more from other artists...

That's just my take on it.

 

[MNAirHead]

I have done some production work with a successful band... they wanted to niche into obscure country.

They eventually got more into "Not My Truck" and some more contemporary songs... the issue is to get paying gigs the customers may be new listeners to country and not know the legends.

Tim

OK guys, what about this?? I REALLY dont wanna play the new Keith Urban or Jason Aldean type stuff..

SO, what if we did some Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, and stuff like that, or is that still VFW and State Fair territory?