[Dixielandjazz] What Turns The Younger Audiences On?

Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis larrys.bands at charter.net
Fri Nov 3 12:52:19 PST 2006


The simple thing is that the kids and almost everyone below 60 doesn't know 
how to dance to these tunes.  In the 60's there was a fundamental change in 
the way people dance.  Before then they actually had steps.  OKOM doesn't 
lend it's self to standing in the middle of a floor and wiggling. 
Additionally, they got into the concert mentality when bands and promoters 
started figuring out they could make more money in a stadium rather than in 
a club with a dance floor.

There is a revival in dancing in the Country Music Scene and is really quite 
popular judging from the TV shows and the C&W dance clubs.  We do some line 
dances at receptions or play a line dance recording while on breaks and the 
floor is filled.

That change was when people started moving body parts instead of feet which 
is still true.

If you don't know how, you won't get up and make a fool out of yourself.  It 
was always true that guys only danced to get to grope a gal or to promote a 
relationship doing something women seem to enjoy a lot which overcame that 
reluctance.  My mother insisted that I take ballroom dancing lessons when I 
was in Jr. High.  I'm sure she didn't think of it but what a leg up I had on 
my non dancing male friends and competitors for the girls.  When I was in 
H.S. they had a ballroom class as part of the P.E. program.  It was for the 
girls only, how dumb, it was great for me though.

If you want to get people to dance hire a dance instructor for your party or 
club gig.  You might laugh but I went to a band party and the leader hired a 
dance instructor.  It was a big hit with the wives.  Actually it was fun.  I 
have also played gigs where they had hired a dance instructor.
Larry
St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <tcashwigg at aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 12:35 PM
Subject: [Norton AntiSpam] Re: [Dixielandjazz] What Turns The Younger 
Audiences On?


> It changes every generation Steve, but when you have been around and in
> it for a couple of generations or more, it really does stay the same,
> they younger audiences want Entertainment, the music is definitely not
> enough, if it was they would all be selling out the Symphony shows .
> They, as discovered in this article by the reviewer, were more
> interested in Dancing than paying attention to the lyrics,   Hello
> since when is that a new idea for kids.  They want and demand
> stimulation in any form, are in a big hurry to get out there and live
> life in the fast lane and change the world overnight,  and if we all
> think back fifty or sixty or seventy years it all seems pretty
> familiar.   Deja Vu,  I am enjoying my second childhood especially the
> going thru Puberty part with the raging hormones and all. :))  I am
> only now at my advancing age starting to listen to the lyrics of all
> the rock tunes I grew up on, I had no idea what they were all those
> years I played them.   Some of them actually made sense,  too bad
> nobody our age was listening to them in those days,  we too were too
> busy dancing and having a good time.
>
> I especially love the guy on stage with his Laptop, and I see events
> around the San Francisco area featuring such guys for parties and clubs
> instead of hiring a Band of musicians.   So the frustrated DJs and
> engineers have now figured out a way to get into the SHOWBIZ ACT.  Good
> God help us .  :))
>
> I have now embarked upon a new revolution for OKOM,  I shall hence
> forth disband my band of merry music makers and piece together snippets
> from every old DIXIELAND recording in history and put them on my laptop
> and book myself out on the Trad. Jazz Society Circuit as the Hottest
> new One man Band in the World.  Hire me Folks and you won't even need
> all those other bands, I shall be the entire Festival, and since it is
> not physically taxing I can play all the sets and move my equipment
> from stage or venue  to venue much faster than any band of old folks.
> And I can work a lot cheaper too since I don't have to pay any sidemen.
>   Finally we have found a way to get rid of those cantankerous bitchy
> never satisfied sidemen.
>
>   I will however possibly bring along a Washboardist and a Banjo Player
> to add to the visual excitement and comedy, as I prance around the
> stage doing a strip tease removing my shirt.  That is soooo cool and
> the Blue Haired Ladies will just adore it, well some will others will
> think it disgusting I am sure.   Get out the Geritol and Viagra folks
> I'm coming on the road with this hot new Act.   Book it now, while I
> can still offer it at 1935 prices,  $6.00 a set should be affordable
> for most festivals don't ya think :))   P.S. I'll also pay for my own
> transportation and hotel and meals, but I would like to get a deal for
> 1/2 price for my beer.  After all I am an Artiste' and do have my
> principles.  :))   The first three cities of the tour are already sold
> out with ten seats at each venue and standing room only for three more.
>
>
>
> DJ Delbert Diddiewhacker and the Dixie Techies  band
>
> The tour is being sponsored by my friends at: Senior's Transit
> authority,  Walkers with wheels Inc., Free Air Oxygen Tanks, Super
> Scooter, Acme adjustable Beds, and Dr. Kavorkian's, new life clinic.
> Dr. Schols corn & bunyon remover, Dr. Seizeit's Lazer Sight correction
> clinic, Depends, and other fine Senior products.   Is anybody Jellin'
> Yet ??
>
> Enough of this silliness, I gotta get back to work,  there should be
> enough trash talk in here to keep ya'll busy over the weekend.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Tom,
>
>  How did I ? Why did I get started on this nonsense anyway?  well it
> sounded funny at the time :))   I like to start the day laughing at
> myself and all my old friends,
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: barbonestreet at earthlink.net
> To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> Sent: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 6:45 AM
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] What Turns The Younger Audiences On?
>
>    CAVEAT: THIS IS NOT OKOM. . . BUT, it relates to young audiences and
> may be
> interesting to those few of us who perform regularly in their venues.
> IF NOT
> INTERESTED, PLEASE DELETE NOW.
>
>
> Jon Pareles, music critic for the NY Times recaps some of the music at
> the
> first 2 days of the CMJ Music Marathon (Showcase) in NYC. There is a
> common
> thread as to what turns the kids on. DANCING, VISUAL and/or other
> INVOLVEMENT with the musical program.
>
> This may not be OKOM, however, in my experience, the basic premise is
> the
> same. Young audiences relate well to OKOM if there is a danceable beat
> and
> visual and/or other involvement in the musical program.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
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