So for the set list, 867-5309 Jenny, What I Like About You and the Stones and all that will do exactly that so it's a good set list. Ok to have other stuff thrown in (Incubus) for fun but the more nostalgic the better. Just keep the personal choices to a minimum...so long as you have fun with the other songs it's all good.
You do need some slow stuff thrown in there. If it's your standard bar band fair, you gotta have it. It is a balance between great and fun songs, slow songs and break times to maximize the fun aspect will keeping the bar owner in the dough.
I remember running sound for a fellow band in a small town many years ago. A two nighter. The first night (Friday), the place was wild and people were 'hanging from the ceiling' kinda stuff. Night two (Saturday), it was just the pool players and they were crabbing about how the bass drum was too loud (and the faders were at rock bottom so it was just the drummer!). The bar owner said that it was a great Friday but the band overdid it for a two nighter. The first night satisfied all the music junkies and only the regulars remained. It was a very 'hard rock' set but was kind of danceable. So the key, we learned, was that you wanna make people dance and have a good time but giving them a concert is a whole other deal. My friends band gave a concert but the bar owner wanted a live jukebox. It was an interesting lesson.
Side story, the bar was about 40 miles from home so we all decided just to drive back in the band van between nights. One of the guitar players was driving and said 'we have plenty of gas'....Right. Northern Minnesota, winter and 5 below zero. Brilliant! We ran out of gas almost in the middle of nowhere. We were puttin' out of gas near the top of a hill and just made it over the apex...and coasted in to a gas station that was 5 minutes from closing. Put in 5 bucks and we were off....and that guitar player was verbally brutalized for the remainder of the weekend. :D
