I think it's a matter of them saving money in the so-called "off" season. However we were at Brownwood on Saturday night and they had a guy with a laptop and the place was packed from side to side and top to bottom.

Of course at LSL and Brownwood Morse & Co. has figured out some scam to get Sumter County taxpayer dollars to pay for the acts there, so I'm surprised that they are not using all live bands since they're not paying for it.

Rocky and the Rollers perform to a standing room only crowd EVERY time they play at any of the squares! They also sell out TWO cruises each February.

There are other good groups as well as some mediocre ones but everyone who comes to the squares has fun no matter who performs.

My pet peeve....Have you ever noticed that they will play 20 fast dance songs then a slow dance one and 95% of the audience will get up to dance and fill the floor? A
It's not just here as I've seen this everywhere. When a slow dance piece is played there is a crowded dance floor. Fast dance is fine and I like it too, but they need to look at what brings out the people and in the long run what brings back the people. We very rarely go out to dance at the squares now because we know we'd be spending most of the time setting waiting for a slow song.

Dj's are great and should be contracted to keep the music going during the bands' breaks. However, there should be live music every night. There are plenty of musicians in the area and the Villages should make good on their advertised promises of live entertainment every night. Vary the types of music more --big band, country, rock and roll, jazz, classical, zydeco, r&b. Heck, I could even listen to a good singer with a keyboard, or a "sing-along" pianist like on a cruise ship. Just publish the genre of music along with the names of the performers and I will know to stay home on disco, rap, and heavy-metal nights!

I didn't mean to give the impression that I am against line dancing or any kind of dancing for that matter. If people enjoy dancing, let them.

It's just frustrating to me, as a musician when you work hard to get things sounding good and you look out at the audience and most of them don't care.

It also bothers me that so many musicians can't get work because of the computer operators. And, as has been pointed out, The Villages advertises "LIVE MUSIC" seven nights a week. A guy with a computer is not live music. One person singing to tracks is technically live music, but it's actually live singing to recordings.

It's not the fault of the people singing and playing to tracks, I might end up doing that myself someday. It's the fact that people that hire entertainment don;t want to pay enough for a full band.

That was Scooter the DJ. He has a big following. People here love him. He's a great entertainer and everyone has a lot of fun.

Rocky usually does 2 or 3 fast then a slow. That's a good way to do it.

I guess I am just a big party pooper, but I would rather have fewer nights with entertainment if they are going to have a DJ. If money is an issue, have 1 live band each night at 1 of the squares, with DJ's at the other squares. Nothing against the DJs, but it just isn't what I would want. I agree that Scooter is the exception, but he really works the crowd.

I must agree with Dr. Boogie. My husband played in various bands in NYC for 40 years - classic rock, southern rock, acoustic material, trios, duos, 4 and 5 piece bands. His bands opened for The Gregg Allman Band, Zebra (huge in the City and L.I.), Mountain...anyway, we looked forward to the live bands when we moved down here, not because we dance (we don't) but we love most music genres. We've stopped going to any of the Squares. Too many times we were enticed by the captions of "exciting duo" or "fun singer" in Section D of The Sun. Invariably, it was a singer with canned music, and we'd leave. DJs are fine if you dance. Give me a real band any day. The advertising of "Live Music" every evening is a joke.

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I don't think the poor entertainment is seasonal. I recall it being pretty sad last winter too. They don't want to spend the money for quality music.

Keep music alive. Use live musicians.

Small Minority
 

My guess is that your proposal would be counted as a very, very small minority if the question were ever put to a vote.

Don't Forget...
 

Unlike earlier years when the Developer probably subsidized the long-advertised 365 night music on the squares, that subsidy has probably been removed now that The Villages is in the process of final build out.

The entertainment on the squares had a dual purpose. One was to entertain the residents. But the other was to draw large crowds of people into the commercial town square areas to spend in the businesses that pay the stiff rents charged there. With no music on the squares, how well would the restaurants, bars, ice cream shops, etc. do with no one wandering around town?

I believe the entertainment is funded by the central business district from funds collected as part of the rental income from businesses leasing in the downtown areas. In that sense, there is a budget for entertainment, I'm sure. The Entertainment Department does a pretty good job of contracting with acts that are willing to perform for four hours with ten minute breaks each hour for a modest fee. (I've talked to some of those performing in the squares and their fees are in fact very modest.)

But more than anything, I doubt that anyone could convince anything close to a majority of Villagers to give up their nightly entertainment--even if they only participate occasionally.

If the businesses around the squares see business dropping off and attribute that decline to weak entertainment, I would expect some retailer "music activism" as they are the ones in a position to effect change.

We avoid going if it is a duo or DJ, or worse, a single performer. Just not interested. (Haven't seen "Scooter", Bonnie, maybe we should check him out)

But I must say, we have seen half a dozen great groups! (Besides Rocky and the Rollers) and we are new residents.

"M-pire" was awesome. 8 piece group. 3 guitars, a sax, 2 vocalists. Check them out!

I personally feel that it needs to be 4-5 artists to be called a "band". I want drums and any brass is the frosting on the cake!

Today I fly back home to The Villages from Ca and can't wait for my hubby and I to hit the pool and a square for some music after my long flight! Hope we have good options!

We do love the squares and the people watching is always good, regardless!!
But there's nothing like a great band on a breezy summer evening!!