Why is it????????
 

Why is it the same dozen or so groups keep playing at the town squares? We have lived here over 5 years and have never seen any Villages group (sid: swing band, Big Band, dance groups) perform. Are they not allowed?

Jerry Jackson

It's the developers' party....

I have heard that groups like the Villages Voices perform at the Church on the Square. I walked in on several of their rehearsals when the Church doors were open.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdvxrv71RjE[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbmeKF1EMP8[/ame]

Some YouTubes of the Villages Voices.
 

These two YouTube videos are from the Church on the Square or some other inside venue.


I doubt if they could save enough seats for this choir at one of the Squares. :boom:

I think you are right. This is ONE GROUP that I would put a padlock on a seat to see.

Well not really. You get my point. They are incredibly talented and beautifully directed.the village voices you tube - Bing Videos

We quit going to the squares because we like to mostly slow dance, but the groups just don't get it. They'll play 25 fast songs and then 1 slow song. When they play a slow dance song almost the entire audience will get up and dance filling the dance floor, like that's what they have been waiting for. Can't the groups see this? Don't they want to please the majority of the people or only those who want to fast dance or line dance to fast music? We'd like to see a group playing big band or just a good lounge singer where people can get up and get close and dance.

And the "bands" or "groups" or whatever you want to call them are not very good. Most of them aren't even bands. They are solo acts or a duet singing to a karaoke machine. I am to the point now when if we go down to a square and I don;t see a drum set, I leave. I can listen to recorded music any time.
I've also noticed that the crowds are much bigger when they do have a full band as opposed to to a button pusher. Please let's end the "band in a box".

Its all about the summer season, slow, hot and rainy. High priced groups are held in reserve for high season......

:agree::BigApplause:

Try Hacienda Hills CC on Saturday nights. Great band plays form 6 to 9. Great variety, many standards with a great lead singer, Michelle. Give it a try.

We really like the new band "The Dan Story Band" and they are playing at the squares.

The Villages Voices are fantastic and have seen many of their concerts. Most of their music is probably not suitable for dance music but I sure wouldn't mind them doing a concert on the square.

I thought that I saw on another thread that there was a committee of "downtown" store owners that obtained the bands for the squares. Also, that the owners directly or indirectly paid for the bands. I wondered about that but........maybe the lease fees they pay indirectly pays for the music?? Most bands are more than happy to do requests-----so if we desire more slow dance music we should request it! My mother always said "don't look a gift horse in the mouth." That could apply here.

Barbara Vesco makes all the booking decisions. She is the ex-wife of Paul Vesco, who is involved with a few of the bands, and some of the people in those bands make up the rest of the majority of them. There are a couple of notable exceptions, not the least of which is MPIRE, the front person of which is the ex of one of the other band members. They are great!!, and they only appear every 6 weeks or so. They'll be here Monday, at LSL!!!

We were down in July and the band was playing "Deep Purple " Brick in the wall. Now we are only 56&53 years old and grew up with this music. The older folks im sure did not know this song but they were all out there dancing to it. My wife and I thought it was great! Another reason to come to the villages.The groups seem to play for all age groups.

Yes, they are very good, but they don't play very often. If I see that blond with the karaoke machine one more time I think I'll throw up. And then there is the Lee Ann something or other band. At least they are a band.

But the problem is as someone pointed out, they don;t want to pay enough money. I'm a musician and would liked to get some gigs around here. I saw a husband and wife duet playing one night who I thought were really good. So, I asked them if they needed a drummer. The guy told me he'd much rather worked with a drummer than that stupid machine, but they can't afford to split the money three ways. No one wants to pay musicians any more. And unfortunately most people don't care. A lot of the people that go to see these bands are only interested in a beat so they can dance. As long as there is something going boom ba boom, they are happy.

WOW. I guess I am in the minority on this, but I quite enjoy all the different music in the squares. I would think if you hired Three Dog Night or Arosmith you would then have a seating problem so the way it is done right now is perfect for my taste. Also, if perfection is to your liking, then Check out the Savanna Center or some of the halls in Orlando. Complaining about the quality of Free entertainment does not make it for me. Sorry, but I enjoy ALL parts of life.