VERY popular among southern blacks, the dance is pretty much the same, you know, variations on the Electric Slide, the music is, of course, more afro-centric.

The thing is moving cross-country as well, often renamed to suit the area, we are now hearing about the "Philly Slide" these days.

Doesn't seem to be centered on any one age group, last year we played black Weddings, Clubs, Legion Halls, etc. - often trading off sets with the ubiquitous DJ types who also play the music for this form of line dancing, and the dancers implore the band to play some of their favorite songs so they can do it again to the live band. So we added several or so of the more popular tunes that suit our playing styles to the setlist.

It is also getting popular at some of the Senior Citizen centers and such, as well, mostly the women, of course, but here I have found both blacks and whites having much fun with the thing. We had to slow the tempo a bit, so we wouldn't exacerbate any of their medical probs, but that's a different act than the blues/r&b/soul band mentioned above. Sometimes its just me and Band in a Box at the Senior Citizens gigs, lay out a few line dancing songs and have them ready to playback in BB. I also keep the Country versions as well, whatever the particular audience wants, I'm not there for me, I'm there for them.

At the Seniors' gigs, some of the older dance crazes go over big as well, Come On, Baby - Let's Do The Twist, cuz Big Girls
Don't Cry they Do The Mashed Potato.

I don't dance - one of my daughters once disdainfully pointed that out with a reference to something about a huge dancing bear breaking things - but I do like to respond to my audiences and Dance Fads are fun for certain audiences, so I've never pitched a beef about that like some musicians do. And besides that, it only makes good business sense if that is the audience you have, never lose sight of who is REALLY paying you, it is not the venue, it is the venue's customers who provide the money that the venue pays to the entertainment.


--Mac

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