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Starting a country band

Gecko 5

Gecko 5

Supporting Member
Commercial User
Jul 11, 2005
3,113
1,444
South Milwaukee , Wisconsin
www.geckoleatherworks.com
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Gecko Leatherworks
#1
After several years of being unhappy doing the classic rock/variety thing, my wife and I decided to start a country-cover band.
What are the popular tunes these days?
If you are in a country band doing covers, and have a website with a song list, can you PM me a link to your website please?
Thanks


Appreciate any help on the tunes
 
#2
Around here at least, there's some pretty solid divisions within that 'division' you are getting into. Country usually means Olde Country (Tammy, Patsy, et cetera). Country-Rock is the new wave. 'Faux' Country Rock; Classic Rock with just enough country rock to get them into the rooms that only book Country Rock.

Depending on your market, your 'hot songs' could be older than you. Or could possibly include >50% classic rock songs you already know.
 
#3
I have learned that older stuff you cannot go wrong-think Hank Williams,Merle,Cash, etc.You could play that all night and be ok.Kawliga is a great song later into the night when they are all tuned up.Your Cheating Heart,Folsum Prison Blues,Okie From Muskogee,Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain.Mansion On The Hill,Why Baby Why,Good Hearted Woman,a few Elvis Tunes,and you are on your way.
 
#4
troy2003 said:
I have learned that older stuff you cannot go wrong-think Hank Williams,Merle,Cash, etc.You could play that all night and be ok.Kawliga is a great song later into the night when they are all tuned up.Your Cheating Heart,Folsum Prison Blues,Okie From Muskogee,Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain.Mansion On The Hill,Why Baby Why,Good Hearted Woman,a few Elvis Tunes,and you are on your way.
Click to expand...
is anybody goin to san antone,long haired country boy,some marshall tucker,broke down southa dallas(jr brown)doug sahm,kris kristofferson wrote some great country songs......
 
#6
Go look at the billboard charts for the last five years, run through the top ten list and pick the stuff that you think is appropriate for your band.

The crowd in your market will tell you what else needs to be on the list.
The rest of they players you settle on will bring tunes with them as well.
 
#7
Which Milwaukee acts are you into? Pupy Costello is a hell of a country act (of course this is more classic stuff), and Spooky is probably the second best country guitarist I have ever heard (this side of Andrew from Earl Foss' Brown Derby in Madison).
 
#8
I still think the best way to figure out your song list when starting from scratch is to visit the clubs you plan on playing in the middle of the week. They all have a juke box, right?

Take a pen and paper, listen to the juke box, talk to the bartenders/ waitresses, after an hour or two you'll get a pretty good feel for what they like.

Around here bands like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Stoney LaRue, No Justice, Jason Boland, etc.. are getting popular for the younger Country crowd. But that could be because of the local (Oklahoma) connection these bands have.

We play some of the newer stuff like Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean, Keith Fowler, CCR, etc.. But the guys who wear Stetsons and starched shirts want to hear George Strait, Hank (Sr. & Jr.), Merle, Waylon, etc... They're usually the ones out two-steppin with the ladies and buying most of the drinks.
 
#11
Does your wife do the vocals? If so that opens up a bunch of ideas that aren't being mentioned here. For newer country geared to female vox, check out Miranda Lambert, Shania, Dixie Chicks, Martina McBride, Carlene Carter, Reba...

A girl fronted band I played in also worked in The Mavericks and Dwight Yoakum...No really old country and we bordered on classic rock with CCR, Georgia Satellites and some bluesy stuff from Susan Tedeschi and Tracy Chapman...

I hope this helps...
Good luck!
 
#12
I've found that country is no different from any other genre when it comes to bar bands. Play some stuff they can sing along to, when they are drunk.....(P.S. I can't spell for crap so if I get names wrong, don't throw stuff)

Brad Paisley - Alchohol
Garth Brooks - Two Pina Colatas
Big n Rich - Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy
Hank - Family Tradition
Toby - I Love This Bar
Kenny Chesney - Went Out Last Night & No Shoes No Shirt No Problem
Alan - It's Five O'Clock Somewhere

Then a few the chicks will bum rush the dance floor for....
Toby - She's a Hottie
Any line dancing song
Jason Aldene - She's Country (and any other country song that sounds like a rock song with cowboy hats)
Brooks and Dunn - Put a Girl In It


Any song that makes a woman feel like she's not the ONLY one who hates men and got screwed over a thousand times....
Kelly Pickler? - Best Days Of Your Life
Taylor Swift - Too Late For You And You White Horse

Any song by Kenny Chesney that makes women feel that he really isn't gay and wants to be with them.

And then you have to realize that the same crowd that LOVES country music will still get off to Brown Eyed Girl, Brick House, Mustang Sally, You Shook Me All Night Long, I Wanna Rock And Roll All Night (And Party Every Day), Sweet Home, Free Bird, blah, blah blah
 
#13
Yeah, wife sings. We had a variety band that broke up. Now we both have the itch again. I've done the variety thing my whole life and need a change.
In a perfect world I would love to get into a R&B/Soul band.
But the is not a popular thing here, so this is OUR next best thing.
Thanks to all that PM'ed me websites.
 

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