| Dr Winston O Boogie jr |
07-02-2022 08:35 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianL99
(Post 2111994)
Almost every band that plays in the Squares, are mired in the 50's and 60's.
The ones who aren't, are few and far between and not that talented.
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That was true when I first moved he over ten years ago but that has changed dramatically over the past few years. There was even a band doing rap a few weeks ago.
The biggest change in the music at the squares came about because of Covid. Prior to 2020 most of the bands were local talent either from The Villages or the areas surrounding The Villages. When Covid hit in late 2019, most, if not all, of the clubs in Orlando shut down. The bands that were playing there were very talented and full time professional musicians. many found that the squares were a good gig. They paid very well and working 5-9 in a nice atmosphere was better than playing clubs until 2 in the morning and having drunks throw up on you amplifier. As time went by, more and more of these professional Orlando bands made their way into The Villages and much of the local talent was phased out.
I played on the squares a few times and a lot of my friends played them as well before Covid. Now it's very difficult for those bands to get booked. Once in a while I see some of my friends playing but those gigs are few and far between.
The other thing that is happening is that new generations are coming into The Villages. For most of us, the music that we love is what was popular when we were in high school and college. I was in high school in the 60s but many of the people moving here today were in high school in the 70s and 80s. Disco was king in the 70s and tech music came along in the 80s. There's a lot of that in the squares these days.
And as someone commented earlier, the goal seems to get people up to do line dancing.
But there is variety. You just have to look online to see who's playing where. |
