New Wave Lite for Retirees
 

So I finally saw the fabled Spazmatics Friday night at Sumter Landing. The Spazmatics' franchise advertises them as the "Ultimate New Wave 80s show" so I had high hopes of hearing Siouxsie and the Banshees, Romeo Void, Altered Images, Talking Heads, the Undertones, Echo and the Bunnymen, maybe a little Depeche Mode for the less serious rock fans.

I arrived about halfway through and my first thought was, this is the hugest crowd I've seen so far in the town squares and it's like a real concert instead of a jitterbug/line dance fest! That was reassuring. And they actually play some half decent songs from the new wave era and are highly competent and tight. I was a bit bewildered by the septuagenarians in the crowd at a supposed new wave show, but I let that go and figured it was actually a positive. It is The Villages after all.

My enthusiasm took a nosedive when I realized the Spazmatics, too, are probably being forced to play lowest common denominator music to please the only casual music fans among the gathered masses. They lost me completely when they broke out the hair metal and songs like "Don't Stop Believing." Simple Minds, on the other hand, was one of the undisputed bright lights of the post-punk era with multiple albums of some of the best music ever. But they, like the Clash and other bands of that time and genre eventually sold out to the mainstream. Simple Minds' most unforgivable example in my opinion was the worldwide smash hit Don't You Forget About Me. Ahem. What Simple Minds song do you think the Spazmatics played? Yup.

Three live music acts to choose from every single day in the Town Centers was one of the reasons I moved to the Villages last month. But as someone for whom music is my life and not just a casual distraction, I gravitate toward the deeper cuts, not the smash hits. In fact those smash hits kinda get on my nerves. (I've seen about ten or so shows so far in the squares, and if I hear Brown Eyed Girl one more time I'm going to gag.)

Is there any hope for people like us? Or should I lower my expectations? I know there are tons of serious rock fans in the Villages. People have cited Uncle Bob's Rock Shop and Penta as potential saviors, but a quick scan of Youtube shows them doing the same-old same-old like Jenny, Slow Ride (really?), Hurt So Good, Two Tickets to Paradise, etc. Should we just write off the Villages and resign ourselves to going to Orlando or Tampa for the good stuff? Maybe if the Villages' music promoters knew there are lots of us who want to hear lesser-known music, they would accommodate us? Hey, we pay our amenities fees too!

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Just a guess on my part but if you are a huge new wave fan you are probably in your 50's - 55 would be my best guess. A few years back the medium age of The Villages was around 70. Probably slightly less today with the surge of new building. Since 2005 I've observed the entertainment migrate very slightly from 50's to pop rock to some more serious rock as you pointed out with Uncle Bob's and Penta. I believe we are in the mixture of all three genres now. Thus is there any hope for you - I doubt it just the occasional throw you a bone once in a blue moon.

Amenity fee has nothing to do with entertainment on the squares...…..

I think the idea is to get a lot of people down to the squares to enjoy the music. And buy drinks. Not just the 17 or so people who only enjoy "deeper cuts". The reason they play "smash hits" is because more people like "smash hits". That's why they were "smash hits".

1. You are a member of a very niche audience. Your expectations are way out of sync for a band playing in public to a crowd of MOSTLY people over 60.
2. As stated in the post above mine, your amenity fees don't pay for this entertainment. The squares are public places, not Villages-exclusive.
3. These bands get paid to deliver whatever will bring the people out to the squares. That means music most of the customers will recognize, and be able to dance to or bounce in place to (whichever the case may be), and mostly - whatever they will open their wallets at the bars for. That means - very little obscure stuff, and a whole lot of top-100 stuff.

If you want to see the more obscure deep stuff then definitely go to one of the private clubs that charge a cover charge or drink minimum to get in, where kids are not allowed, and where you can't go by golf cart.

Regarding Simple Minds, Don't You Forget About Me was the singular song I could name of theirs. For me, new wave is Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, Cyndi Lauper, Devo, and the Cars. But then, I'm an American, and those performers were representative of New Wave in the USA.

I don't ever expect bands to play much of any of the above in the Villages. But if they do, I'll be glad if it's well played even if it's overplayed. At least it's not another rendition of Mustang Sally.

Interesting. I didn't know the musicians weren't paid from our amenities fees. Who pays them?

I appreciate everyone's input. I do have to lower my expectations, then I'll be okay with the status quo. "Change your thinking, change your life."

OBB, I've heard Brown Eyed Girl more than Mustang Sally.

Support from the businesses, if people don’t like the music the squares would be a ghost town. TV does offer a meeting for all who move here to explain how everything works

The Square businesses, plus hotel fees have this added tax, and a percentage gets kicked back to promote tourism (pretty sure it's more complicated than that but I don't care enough to check it out, I just know it's a tourism tax thing and the Villages benefits from it).

The song I seem to hear the most that makes me want to run away from the town square is "Play that Funky Music White Boy". Gag Me!

Amazing.

How about “change” your expectations, rather than “lower” them. Your music tastes aren’t superior to others’ here in TV, just different.

Good Point but
 

Since they are your expectations, their level is based singularly on your high and low scale. Therefore your statement is correct.

Town square music change
 

I have been listening to Town Square music for over 30 years. It has been the same for over 25 of those years. The Spazmatics, and the Hooligans (two very popular villages square bands) are pretty much the same band, just different genres. Don't get me wrong, these guys are very good at there craft, and it's good to finally hear a change in the music coming to the Squares. We have been force fead a mixture of doo whop, and early rock and roll for too long.

When “Blonde Ambition” or “Blake Guyre” are playing take time to see them, the Blonde’s have one of the best guitar players and the blonde’s are easy on the eyes and they can sing, in my opinion these 2 bands are superb, Blake Guyre is the only band and singer that attempts Queen’s songs after all Freddy Mercury was a tough act to follow, but Blake nails it, try these two they are GREAT!!!!!!!!

Thank you both Polar and Wolf. Fair expression of your view on my choice of words. I chose "lower my expectation" not because I think my taste is superior but because my expectation was "high" as in great or big, referring to the scale of the expectation. Like "high hopes."

And I'll frankly feel a sense of accomplishment if I'm able to do so considering one of the reasons I moved to the Villages was to enjoy free live music in three locations every day of the year *hoping and expecting* that music would be sufficiently satisfying. I realize now that I won't usually be sufficiently satisfied, but I'll settle for decent music (instead of incredible music) oftentimes being played repetitively. For me, any music is better than no music.

And on reflection, I realize now that Mustang Sally, Brown Eyed Girl and Play That Funky Music White Boy are played incessantly because, I'm guessing, most people don't visit the Squares on a regular basis so they don't hear the same music over and over and over again.

Thanks a ton Pedro, I'll check them out.

...I just did a quick web search and I see Blake Guyre does Sweet Caroline. Uh oh. (But that's ok - I'll go get a drink or something when he plays that one!)

The Hooligans also play a little Queen. The other night I heard them do a pretty good job with We Will Rock You. We left early so we didn't hear the last couple of sets and don't know what they played.

*we left early because I'm the designated golf cart driver and I don't like having to drive the cart over the bridge at the end of the evening when the drunkest of the drunks are out there behind the wheel.

New Wave? Where did you get that info?
This is the song list provided by their website:

The Spazmatics Song List

SAFETY DANCE – MEN WITHOUT HATS
JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH – DEPECHE MODE
THE METRO – BERLIN
BLISTER IN THE SUN – VIOLET FEMMES
DANCIN WITH MYSELF – BILLY IDOL
POP MUSIC – POP MUSIC
BLINDED ME WITH SILENCE – THOMAS DOLBY
IN CARS – GARY NUEMAN
WHITE WEDDING – BILLY IDOL
LET’S DANCE – DAVID BOWIE
GOOD GIRLS DON’T – THE KNACK
KIDS IN AMERICA – KIM WILDE
REBEL YELL – BILLY IDOL
VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR – BUGGLERS
TAKE ON ME – AH HA
WAKE ME UP – WHAM
JUST LIKE HEAVEN – THE CURE
GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN – CINDY LAUPER
LAND DOWN UNDER – MEN AT WORK
99 LUFT BALLOONS – NINA
JESSIE’S GIRL – RICK SPRINGFIELD
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU – THE ROMANTICS
WHIP IT – DEVO
TAINTED LOVE – SOFT CELL
ALWAYS SOMETHING – NAKED EYES
WE GOT THE BEAT – THE GO GO’S
GIRLS ON FILM – DURAN DURAN
REFLEX – DURAN DURAN
RIO – DURAN DURAN
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF – DURAN DURAN
PLEASE PLEASE – DURAN DURAN
DON’T CHANGE – INXS
RELAX – FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD
NEW SENSATION – INXS
YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND – DEAD OR ALIVE
WALKING IN LA – MISSING PERSONS
BLUE MONDAY – NEW ORDER
TURNING JAPANESE – THE VAPORS
ROCK LOBSTER – B52’S
COME ON EILEEN – DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS
DER KOMISER – FALCO
NEED YOU TONIGHT – INXS
THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER – HOWARD JONES
PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE – TEARS FOR FEARS
GOODY TWO SHOES – ADAM ANT
WHY CAN’T I BE YOU – THE CURE
LIKE A VIRGIN – MADONNA
MATERIAL GIRL – MADONNA
WHAT YOU NEED – INXS
SO ALIVE – LOVE AND ROCKETS
FASCINATION – HUMAN LEAGUE
OUR HOUSE – MADNESS
LETS GO ALL THE WAY – SLY FOX
SHOUT – TEARS FOR FEARS
JUST WHAT I NEEDED – THE CARS
YOU MIGHT THINK – THE CARS
TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP – THE ROMANTICS
ROCK THE CASBAH – THE CLASH
DON’T YOU WANT ME – HUMAN LEAGUE
OBSESSION – BERLIN
I RAN – FLOCK OF SEAGULLS
OH MICKEY – TONY BASIL
MELT WITH YOU – MODERN ENGLISH
LITTLE GIRLS – OINGO BOINGO
WHO DO YOU WANT ME TO BE – OINGO BOINGO
DEAD MAN’S PARTY – OINGO BOINGO
ONLY A LAD – OINGO BOINGO

I have lived here a little over a year and my wife an I left a couple of very successful bands in the northeast to relocate here. We were very lucky to fall in with a couple of gifted musicians soon after we got here and we're now playing local venues (City Fire's, etc), and hopefully refining the act to eventually play the squares. Initially our set list had a number of slightly deeper but classic rock cuts that we thought showed off the band, akin to stuff the Hooligans play, but after one gig we felt the need to slightly retool to really emphasize dance-ability. We don't play Brown Eyed Girl, but we do play Wild Nights, LOL. But we do manage to squeeze in 1 or 2 of our favorites a set (Steely Dan, Edgar Winter, etc).

The point is it's a balancing act... keeping the dance floor packed, keeping the manager happy, and maintaining your musical self respect.
Shameless plug - we're at City Fire in Sumter 2/29 if anyone wants to check us out.

Sorry. Not going to hear that music much at the squares.

Flyguy, what’s the name of your band? And I’m glad to see you “maintain musical self respect”. That’s when the good stuff comes out, imo.

Also, I always wonder how bands feel about playing crowd pleasers that they (the band) don’t care for. Especially if they have to play them over and over and over again. Care to comment?

I wish you all the best in any case.

Dude, chill out !

Be thankful that we are finally moving forward musically, this place has been doo wop for years.

Sumter County pays for half of the entertainment in Brownwood and Sumter Squares through tourism grants. None of your amenity fees are used.

There is definitely a "playlist" that bands have to follow, but more recently they are backing away from that. Trust me none of The Hooligans music is on their "playlist".
Especially not Sabbath, Zeppelin etc.

The Spazmatics are 3/4's of The Hooligans but are a franchise, and may have to play what Perfect World Entertainment tells them to play.

Just go and enjoy the music.....The Hooligans, Spazmatics, Uncle Bob's Rock Shop, Penta, American Martian, etc.

You do have to come to terms with the idea that these bands will ALWAYS play the more popular hits than the deep tracks. They are playing to a large audience, not just for you.

Rock On !