Donnie-

I don't have any problems keeping the dance floor filled. My band and I have established a strong reputation in our market for being the most "dancer-friendly" band around. We move quickly from tune to tune...and I certainly know how to put together a set list.

Fact of the matter, based on information I hear over and over and OVER again, is that there aren't as many places for ballroom dancers to go anymore. I hear this from the dancers themselves, from area musicians I know as well as the club managers who have been around to remember the "old days." The dancers explain that so many of the great dancers they used to enjoy dancing with, are too old to do it anymore. The clubs say the crowd is dying off and not being replaced with enough younger people to maintain it. Bookers are actively pursuing talent that can entertain the younger crowd, who also usually spend more money, to boot.

Your statement about ballroom dance crowds NOT falling off may apply in your larger market area, but it doesn't come close to being accurate for my market. The younger crowd hasn't typically taken any lessons and dance in a generic style that is more from the 1960's and beyond pop/rock music.

You say take "popular tunes" (Standards/Oldies, I think you mean) and play them in a upbeat fashion. Sure, you can do that with some things...but if my ballroom dancers leave the club at midnight because their feet hurt, it's in my interest to provide more contemporary songs for the 40-50 "30-something's" still in the bar who'd like to hear stuff they connect with.

Of course it's playing what the crowd wants to hear. But, like Esh (I think) has stated many times in other threads...I've successfully "coached" them to actually request the songs I actually prefer over many tired old songs. I don't miss playing "Blue Moon" everynight one bit. To me...that's exactly one of the points I made in my original post. I'll generalize here and say that 99.9% of the bands around here play that song every night. I've added a tune similar to that to our nightly set lists. "Hold Me, Thrill Me" packs the dance floor just as well and we get compliments for playing songs that other bands don't. If somebody requests Blue Moon, we're happy to play it for them, but honestly, dancers can fall into ruts like anyone else. Every weekend, the same couples requested the same songs. We have a feel for which requests are really specific requests and need to be played nightly. But that's only a percentage of them to be sure.

There's at least a dozen tunes my band plays that when I introduced the song to them they where surprised. But after a night or two of playing them, they (and the crowd) were happy to hear something different for a change. I think that's part of our job as well...and its smart business because the clubs can find people to play "Misty" anywhere...

(NO offense meant to anyone who is pysched to play Misty every night!)

My hometown is Pittsburgh-when I return there a few times a year to see my family and play a few gigs...I see in the papers about 4 times the number of ballroom dances than I can find in Dayton. Completely different size market, of course. If I lived there, I could get away with targeting that crowd...and not worry so much about coming up with fresher younger things to play...The dance schools are booming in the 'Burgh from what I hear. Out here...its just a completely different scene. Over half my crowd are farmers who work in the fields all day and want to take their lady to a dance at night. They know 3 or 4 different steps, but for them its a highpoint of their week.

If you're playing in a club with 50 pp who are 25-40, what kind of upbeat things do you play?

Bill in Dayton