Change it up!

Grindstone at Gatsby's

If you love watching live bands strut their stuff like I do, you will appreciate this piece of advice: "Change it up!".   I've seen so many bands put all their effort into recreating the sounds of the original artists that they forget that the original artists were also famous for putting on a great show!  I have also seen bands playing the same songs in the same way every time I see them.  Unless you are doing a world tour, you depend on your loyal fans to come out and see you whenever and wherever you play.  That means using improvisation, taking advantage of onlookers and inviting guests to participate - especially those that have experience playing in front of crowds.  



SLEJJ at Hot Shots in Sunrise



This weekend, I experienced both types of bands.  Take a look at the photos and you will see unique images of these bands that you will probably never see again.  That's because they broke through the monotony and used their environment to their advantage to make each show a more enjoyable experience.  The importance of getting people to stay and watch is something that webmasters call bounce rate.  Website managers measure not only how many people take a look at their website, but more importantly, how many spend a significant amount of time on their site, which enhances the online experience (and gives advertisers a bigger bang for their buck). 

In the real world, you can measure how many people come and see a band but how about measuring how many stay or leave between sets?  This weekend, I was about to leave after seeing a few songs from one of the bands when, suddenly, a friend was invited on stage and voila - a new show was born!  I ended up staying an extra half hour.  For venues, that translates into an extra drink sold.  For fans, it can make the difference between an "okay" night versus a memorable one.  For the bands - it can mean bigger and better crowds next time they play.  It's a WIN-WIN-WIN so remember "Change it up!"

Blues Brothers Soul Revival at Coconut Creek Casino

Photos courtesy of http://www.weekendbroward.com/