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I've been out of the music scene for years, and I didn't know what to expect when I started toying with the idea of gigging again. I presumed that most people who go out for entertainment are younger folks, and that the music I want to play would not appeal to current audiences.
To my surprise, at the last several places I've gone to hear what local bands are doing, the vast majority of the attendees were boomers. And the music being played was oldies!
Granted, there may be a corellation between type of music and the crowd it draws... but the thought occurred to me that the baby boomers are still the largest demographic in the country. If a business can figure out what the boomers want to buy, and make it available, they'll probably make money because there are still plenty of boomers.
With that thought in mind, consider the fact that most of us got started in music when the boomers were young and bored and needed something to do. There were opportunities to play EVERYWHERE in those days, mostly because there were bored boomers everywhere.
But then the boomers got married, stopped going out, and the activity dropped off for musicians.
Well guess what...
This is the beginning of boomer retirement. We're on the threshold of that same group being idle and bored, looking for something to do again. They grew up listening to live bands, it's what they remember doing with their spare time, so many of them will revert back to that same way of spending their spare time.
I'm predicting a wave of renewed interest in live music that appeals to boomers. And THIS time around, the boomers have money.
So, all of us old timers who have been playing in the music room with BIAB, it may be time to dust off the gear (or maybe trade for some lighter gear) and get positioned to make some supplemental retirement income playing music at the places retirees go.
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I had considered learning a newer set of songs, but now I think I'll go with all the songs my bands used to play in the 70s. I already know them... and if they bring back memories for me, I figure they will for other boomers too.
Music is the closest thing there is to a time machine. And if there's one thing most old people will buy, it's a momentary return to younger days.
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The Leader of the Pack....Vroom, Vrooom, Vroooom!
Look Out! Look Out! Look Out! Look Out!
The Leader of the Pack.....Now he's gone......OoooOooOooOooooo
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Quote:
The Leader of the Pack....Vroom, Vrooom, Vroooom!
Look Out! Look Out! Look Out! Look Out!
The Leader of the Pack.....Now he's gone......OoooOooOooOooooo
with that thought in mind..
I've noticed that you rarely see a young person on a Harley. It's always a boomer.
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I make my living mostly playing for the retirement set. Years ago it was Big Band music, now it's 'classic rock'. The retirement set is a good paying market, short playing times (4 hrs max), don't start bar-room brawls, and are appreciative. You can see the songs we play by visiting the song list at http://www.s-cats.comNotes
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
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Mr. Notes...many spots in Florida try to out noise each other...and I walk out quickly. Now, if it's like this, I'll pay the ticket to listen to stuff like this little gem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KcRl1p2waM&feature=fvwrel
Yamaha...Motif ES-8, Motif Rack, CS6X
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Various Guitars/Basses Amps Pedals Rec.Equip.
Plus, BIAB 2015 and Sonar Platinum 2015 Upgrade from Cakewalk's Sonar X-3
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Quote:
Mr. Notes...many spots in Florida try to out noise each other...and I walk out quickly.
Now, if it's like this, I'll pay the ticket to listen to stuff like this little gem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KcRl1p2waM&feature=fvwrel
I would just be guessing, but I figure this is not on Mr. Notes play list?  ...but it may get everyone on their feet. 
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Hi Pat
Guess the first question I would ask you - what kind of backing will you have?
A single guitarist and bass, or full BIAB Band?
Were I going to do it, I would use folk, folk/rock from the 60s and 70s. That's the repertoire that worked
for me north of the border. Anything I could get away with playing on 6, 12 string and harmonica.
Interesting story - back in the 70s buddy and I had a duo - ac guit and bass. Played the 60s and 70s folk & folk/rock. In 2000 we discovered that the new singles and duos were still playing the same repertoire 30 years later. So we got got back into it for a couple of years and did the same stuff successfully - and the bar patrons were my kids ages!!!! Not Boomers.
Spend a few nights sitting watching what's going down now in the places you want to play.
Your repertoire will depend what's working or did work in your area.
Ian
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This was a great buy from Notes Norton, a fakebook of early rock and roll. http://www.nortonmusic.com/fake28.htmlThe list is there of the songs, you just need to pop in the intros, of course there are no notes but many of these songs you recognize just from the chords and the speed. I bought the book through Amazon.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Pat, I am still currently gigging in a 16 piece swing band. We made a number of musical accomdations in order to appeal to a broader age group. We do classic swing tunes but we now select and arrange them ala Michael Buble. The younger set thinks they are getting something brand new and our oldtimers are happy to hear the swing oldies. For our faster jive we do Big Bad Voodo Daddy tunes as well as Brian Setzler stuff. the oldtimers get their jive and the youngsters get their stand on the floor and emulate a seizure. We also include things like Rock Around the Clock, All Shook Up, Dream Lover, etc. Our song library contains over 600 written arrangements so every dance date has a new set list. The areas we cannot legitimately compete in soundwise and texture is heavy metal, new country (Brooks, Jackson), and Hip Hop. We even changed our start times to begin at 8:00 pm and ending at 12:00 midnite. This way it is not too late for the oldtimers and the youngsters can still hit the bars after attending one of our dances. We are not getting rich, but we are enjoying the fact we can still people to come hear us play. I also play a singles act for coffee houses and senior homes. There definitely is a market for us oldtimers and our music. DennisD
There are only 3 kinds of musicians: those that can count, and those that can't!
PC AMD A4-5300 APU 3.4 GHz, 8gb RAM, 1T HDD, Windows 10,
Reaper 4.77, BIAB2018, PTPA12, RB2018, Roland VS-880 DAW
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Quote:
Hi Pat
Guess the first question I would ask you - what kind of backing will you have?
A single guitarist and bass, or full BIAB Band?
I plan to play guitar and sing (solo), harmonies provided by "TC and the Helicons"
backing band courtesy of RealBand and Midi automation.
Quote:
Were I going to do it, I would use folk, folk/rock from the 60s and 70s. That's the repertoire that worked
for me north of the border. Anything I could get away with playing on 6, 12 string and harmonica.
Interesting story - back in the 70s buddy and I had a duo - ac guit and bass. Played the 60s and 70s folk & folk/rock. In 2000 we discovered that the new singles and duos were still playing the same repertoire 30 years later.
seems to be the same here, much to my surprise
Quote:
So we got got back into it for a couple of years and did the same stuff successfully - and the bar patrons were my kids ages!!!! Not Boomers.
That's my plan too! (why'd you stop?) And as long as an audience shows up, I really don't care how old they are.
Quote:
Spend a few nights sitting watching what's going down now in the places you want to play.
Your repertoire will depend what's working or did work in your area.
Ian
That's pretty much the stage I'm in right now. Listening, buying gear, recording the tracks, playing the songs on CD all the time to burn the words into my brain...
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Quote:
This was a great buy from Notes Norton, a fakebook of early rock and roll.
http://www.nortonmusic.com/fake28.html
The list is there of the songs, you just need to pop in the intros, of course there are no notes but many of these songs you recognize just from the chords and the speed.
I bought the book through Amazon.
good point John. You've reminded me that the boomer generation crosses several musical periods, and I'm going to need more songs
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Dennis,
I'm very impressed by the things you're doing. It is encouraging to hear from other people who are already doing something similar to what I want to do.
Thanks for contributing to the thread! I hope others are encouraged to start performing again too. I think opportunities for boomer music are about to increase steadily in the foreseeable future
ANd here is PGMusic, perfectly poised to help us do it!
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Quote:
I make my living mostly playing for the retirement set.
Years ago it was Big Band music, now it's 'classic rock'.
The retirement set is a good paying market, short playing times (4 hrs max), don't start bar-room brawls, and are appreciative.
Notes, your experience echoes what I'm seeing here. You live in Fla which has always been a place where retired people go. If the upcoming wave of boomer retirements leads to live music opportunities for oldies musicians (as I expect) the whole country will soon have a performing environment that is similar to Floridas
Thanks for your input!
Quote:
You can see the songs we play by visiting the song list at http://www.s-cats.com
Notes
I'll go check them out! Thanks for the link!
Last edited by Pat Marr; 08/31/11 02:57 AM.
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Pat, Just one thing I'll throw in here for consideration is playing some cover songs in styles that are totally different from the originals. They can then be surprising, even while playing a cover, and you can make them your own. The audience will recognize it after 20 or 30 seconds and will hopefully applaud your originality while playing a cover. Here is an example. I've always liked this song, but now when I want hear it, I play this version on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muyqMrsuLXw&list=PL614C5812372A83A9&index=86&feature=plppAnother cover I just ran across from Hayseed Dixie is this old favorite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1LWOuFhal0&feature=relatedPick a style and make the song yours.
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Totally agree, one style I love to apply to old country western songs (John Denver etc) is Floyd Cramer, gives an old song a whole different feel :-)
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Go for it! Before you do, give a LOT of thought to your stage gear - PA, mics, media for backing tracks, etc. If you need any help with any of these things, PM me or email me through our website.
Good luck!
Regards,
Bob
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Quote:
Just one thing I'll throw in here for consideration is playing some cover songs in styles that are totally different from the originals. They can then be surprising, even while playing a cover, and you can make them your own. The audience will recognize it after 20 or 30 seconds and will hopefully applaud your originality while playing a cover.
I like that idea a LOT, Bob! It would mix things up and be fun all at the same time!
North Carolina is an interesting market musically... lots of traditional music happening here, and it's supported by music preservation societies. Genres like Bluegrass, gospel, blues etc are considered to have regionally specific adaptations.
There should be lots of potential to use the styles in BIAB to post one core set of oldies to multiple versions that can be tailored to specific audiences.
Doing what you suggest would also make an act with backing tracks look less like karaoke, which typically attempts to reproduce the original song note-for-note.
Still, part of the "time machine effect" is hearing the exact same tune that was on the radio the night you proposed to the wife...
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Good topic. I've composed a new arrangement for Nights In White Satin (HFA licensed, btw), which is quite different from the original. We have not yet played it live, but are planning to. If you're interested in what I've cooked up, you may want to check it out Here: http://www2.mixposure.com/Mike_Kohlgraf/song_focus_23079.phpIf you like to give some feedback, I'd appreciate it. Cheers, Mike
Cheers, Mike My Music * Asus ROG Strix G15CF 32 GB DDR4 4TB HDD + 1 TB SSD NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB Win 11 AKAI EIE PRO Sound Interface. BIAB/RB 2024 UltraPak Build - Latest
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
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