Mike, that is the gist of the discussion. There is a group that is happy to play "that set list" and those who are not. Those who play music for 100% of their income have to take jobs sometimes that require playing songs they don't enjoy. They are able to put on the game face and play those songs. I would hate it, so I don't do it, though that's not the only reason. I can't cut it anymore.

Your car analogy kind of works, but it's maybe 10 degrees off center. You can choose to sell a lot of cheap cars or 1 really expensive one. If you make your living selling cheap cars, sell as many as you can using any means necessary. If you have other income and any money made selling cars is a windfall, then you are in the other group.

Nobody is telling the crowd what to like. However, the guys who won't play "that set list" ARE telling the crown what they are going to hear, like it or not. And if it's not, I won't be back and won't really care. I pay my bills from my day job these days. Judging by your photo I am a lot older than you and I am at an age where toting barge and lifting bale (setup and teardown) is not all that attractive to me. I play one show per year now, and at that show I just show up with my horns, someone carries them in for me, I play, someone carries my horns out, and they then stay in my 2nd floor studio until rehearsals start next year. I play them all year, but for what I enjoy now after retiring from the band life, writing and recording. And if I never sell a song, so be it. I will keep trying until I don't have breath left to blow though my saxes. But schlepping gear from bar to bar or bowling alley to bowling alley... that's not for me anymore.

I have SO loved this discussion!!!