Best way to play out is play in your own back garden or front porch, no stress involved, no one complains, and everyone likes and knows the songs you play.
If a song is good, it's good. It just might need to be updated for a younger audience. Take Lenny Kravitz's "American Woman" as an example. I think it surpasses the original Guess Who version. "Sound of Silence" by Disturbed is every bit as powerful for a new generation as it must have been for Simon and Garfunkel listeners back in the day.
So rather than throwing away your repertoire, you might think of putting your own stamp on those songs. Is it bright and sunny? Maybe slow it down and make it heavier. Is it slow and ponderous? Increase the tempo and brighten it up.
Unless you are doing "tributes covers" trying to match note-for-note and tone-for-tone (and I saw great Heart tribute recently), then the song is yours to tweak as you see fit.
You have to listen to new stuff to like it. I have the Acoustic Favourites running on Spotify to hear acoustic and playable versions of new songs but I also listen to a lot of stuff with my 13 year old daughter in the car (She's the music boss and filters a lot.). There's plenty of good songs out there but you have to filter out the crass stuff. I put up a link http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=485882#Post485882 to 2018 songs that I'm gradually bringing in to my set. At least you don't get asked to sing in Cantonese (I'm in HK)- now 'Cantopop' really is mind numbingly awful and how would you memorize the lyrics! I should add some Tagalog songs as well, but I'm too lazy unless there are English Lyrics (Anak - Child)
Last edited by lambada; 08/23/1804:29 PM.
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True but only to a point. As an old guy how would you know that some new songs you happen to like are the same ones a group of millennials would like at a party? You have to be part of that peer group to know that. You're still an outsider listening with your taste not theirs.
True but only to a point. As an old guy how would you know that some new songs you happen to like are the same ones a group of millennials would like at a party? You have to be part of that peer group to know that. You're still an outsider listening with your taste not theirs.
Bob
exactly. In my opinion, the single biggest obstacle to performing in public for mixed audiences is finding a set list that is well received across the board. Even on this group where most of us are older and grew up listening to the same music, there is plenty of disagreement about what's "good music".
A musician entering the live music scene doesn't have the luxury of always playing to an established demographic. You put an ad on Gig Salad or whatever and then accept whatever work comes your way. All age groups. Many different preferences.
Great advice from all you guys. I really value all your opinions, and it's great having a bunch of great friends to bounce things like this off of. I've known all of you for quite a few years now - thanks for all your sharing.
I love the pop and rock from the 60's through 80s - and now - 30+ years later, I'm actually able to perform these songs, thought memorizing and holding onto them is a real challenge.
checkout the 9:00min segment of
Lenovo YOGA 900 Window s 10 Home 64bit M4 pro Mac mini 1tb HD 24GB mem casio wk7500 presonus audiobox i2 usb interface casio wk-7500 biab & realband 2025 everything pk both with Current builds
I love the pop and rock from the 60's through 80s - and now - 30+ years later, I'm actually able to perform these songs, thought memorizing and holding onto them is a real challenge.
checkout the 9:00min segment of
Wow - thank you for sharing that! It's incredibly informative
I'd say, keep playing what you know and are passionate about. The authenticity will definitely help the performance shine. Plus, I know a lot of younger people - myself included - love older music as much as they do the new stuff, sometimes maybe even more
I've been at bars/pubs where a there is a cover band playing. It doesn't matter if the entire place is packed with 20-somethings - if that band plays Don't Stop Believing, the whole place sings along.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Deryk just gave the answer.
I work with, co-write with, and mentor a lot of really talented young songwriters and performers, many from the age of 8 to 10 up, and they play to mixed crowds of young and old.
Some are virtuosos at bluegrass songs that are 100 years old at least and play Merle Fest and the International Bluegrass Festival here. Others who who great songwriters and performers mention as idols: Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Gabriel, and on and on and on. I do not think there has been one mention of a newer artist and no covers of Katy Perry I can think of.
So, I think for me the moral of the story of if you are out playing your typical gig and you are not genre-focused, but are more of a singer-songwriter type with a band, just pick the very best songs you can from any era and try and do excellent versions of them, and also throw in some of your own.
I have seen absolutely no indication that the younger set needs to hear songs written by the current generation, or what's on the radio in order to be interested.
In my experience, they just like good music, the same as it always been been--so just play them good music and you will be fine.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
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