Crowd pleasers

Charlie Bernstein · #1 12-23-2023, 07:41 AM

My duo buddy Buddy pulled out "Peaceful, Easy Feeling" the other night. I hate the Eagles as much as the Jeff Bridge's Dude did, but Buddy had everyone on their feet singing along.

So I'm wondering: What covers are hits with pub audiences, aside from "Angel From Magaritaville"?

Nymuso · #2 12-23-2023, 07:57 AM

Wagon Wheel.

Despite the derision it receives from musicians, regular people love it. I play it.

YamaYairi · #3 12-23-2023, 08:04 AM

This is so hard to predict. I have had better audience reactions to some obscure songs than popular ones. "Heart To Hold Onto" by Pete Townshend usually gets a reaction. Also "She Moved Through The Fair." And anything by Led Zeppelin or Paul Simon. I play a wide variety.
I have also found that my originals usually get more applause than anything else. You'd think audiences would rather hear what they know but apparently not.

Robin, Wales · #4 12-23-2023, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nymuso

Wagon Wheel.

Despite the derision it receives from musicians, regular people love it. I play it.

Yep. At last night's gig we were asked by the audience to play Wagon Wheel as a second encore. It goes down a storm and there's plenty of potential to make it your own.

Dave Hicks · #5 12-23-2023, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nymuso

Wagon Wheel.

Despite the derision it receives from musicians, regular people love it. I play it.

Yeah - had a bar crowd singing along last week. Not a song I hate, but I'm happy to have somebody else to sing it and get all the words in. We added harmonica and mandolin.
D.H.

Mr. Jelly · #6 12-23-2023, 09:04 AM

I'd like to see performers post their number one pick for a crowd pleaser. Just one. It would be interesting. Then a person could make a set list of #1 crowd pleasers.

Ralph124C41 · #7 12-23-2023, 09:47 AM

I've gone to several open mics and acoustic jams. And I would agree "Wagon Wheel" is among the favorites to play. I like it (the Old Crow Medicine Show version) because I've learned to play the fiddle leads on acoustics pretty well I think ... and I'm not a lead player but this is the only song I've comfortable with playing.

But I do get my share of haters of the song.

leew3 · #8 12-23-2023, 10:11 AM

Sweet Caroline-every time! (though Wagon Wheel is a close second)

Charlie Bernstein · #9 12-23-2023, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nymuso

Wagon Wheel.

Despite the derision it receives from musicians, regular people love it. I play it.

Omigosh! I compromise. I'll happily play lead, but I refuse to sing it or learn it.

And thanks for the reminder. I just changed my universal acoustic song to "Angel from Magaritawheel" — counterpart of the electric "Smoke on the Stairway to Freebird."

Mandobart · #10 12-23-2023, 10:37 AM

This is another perennial topic. It depends on the crowd, location, venue, etc.

The public at large don't know what they like - they know what they know. They typically don't want a challenge; they don't want to hear originals or anything from the current century.

Whenever this comes up I just shake my head at the bizareness of continued public consumption of pop songs that are 50, 60, 70 And 80 years old. Except for the Happy Days phase of the 70's when music from 20 years earlier had a brief resurgence, I can't recall getting in to "old" popular music as a young person. Certainly not fom the 1920's, 1910's, or earlier when the AGF generation was young.

Boomers listening to and playing the old chestnuts completely reminds me of my parents watching the Lawrence Welk show back in the day. Yeah it's that cool.

The thing is, if you like Americana (what the 70's country rock, outlaw country, alt country, etc. has become since 1995) there are scores of great current people in that genre - Jason Isbell, Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, Sierra Ferrell, etc.

Charlie Bernstein · #11 12-23-2023, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YamaYairi

. . . You'd think audiences would rather hear what they know but apparently not.

Yup. Live, learn. The more I find out, the more I don't know.

Charlie Bernstein · #12 12-23-2023, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

Yep. At last night's gig we were asked by the audience to play Wagon Wheel . . . there's plenty of potential to make it your own.

And there's even more potential to make it someone else's!

Charlie Bernstein · #13 12-23-2023, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Hicks

Yeah - had a bar crowd singing along last week. Not a song I hate, but I'm happy to have somebody else to sing it and get all the words in. We added harmonica and mandolin.
D.H.

Yup. No song needs the same instruments all the time. When cornered, I'll do Wagon Wheel on guitar, harp, mando, or square- or roundneck reso.

As I said above, I just won't sing it. "Rock me, mama, any way you feel"? Dylan was right. I'd've thrown it away, too.

Charlie Bernstein · #14 12-23-2023, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

. . . . I like it (the Old Crow Medicine Show version) . . . .

That was bad enough. Then along came Hootie to add injury to insult!

=O[

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

But I do get my share of haters of the song.

Heh heh. Dat'd be me!

Charlie Bernstein · #15 12-23-2023, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

I'd like to see performers post their number one pick for a crowd pleaser. Just one. It would be interesting. Then a person could make a set list of #1 crowd pleasers.

Yeah, that was pretty much my question. Looks like "Wagon Wheel" is the only one. Hm.

The tune that goes over best for me is Buddy' Holly's "Midnight Shift." But I suspect it's me that's going over, not the song.