dancing tunes

[Dave Campbell]

well, after years of plugging away, the band i play most often with is finally getting some crowds out. with the crowds have come dancers! where i live, dancing to country is not common, and nor is line dancing, but now we have quite a bit at our shows. we love it so much that we'd like to learn more tunes just for the dancers...

what are everybody's favourite tunes to get people out on the dance floor that are also fun to play?

[Dennis Detweiler]

80's Urban Cowboy era. Line dance and circle two step. Eddie Rabbit, George Strait, Ronnie Milsap, Earl Thomas Conley, etc. Google: hit country songs of the 80's.

[Bobby D. Jones]

I have traveled Canada a lot from Alaska/Yukon Border to Newfoundland, Got on and off the ferry at North Sydney NS a few times. Lots of Country music, A lot of Bluegrass in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Watch the dancers on the floor, Talk to some of the most active couples. Ask them for songs they like to dance to. When playing gigs with dancers in the crowd, Keep the floor full of dancers. Dancers will follow a band if they like your music.

[Andy Vance]

Dave,
I don't think you will be able to answer that question until you know what kind of dancers are following you. Are they a 2 step crowd? Are they doing partner pattern dances, cha cha, el paso, horseshoe, schottishe? Are they swing dancers, either east or west coast or both?

Or are they line dancers?

Once you understand what kind of dancers they are, then you can start finding songs that will work for them and pack the dance floor. Ymmv but it has worked for a couple bands I have been fortunate enough to be in over the years.

Andy

[Dennis Detweiler]

Dave, it sounds like you're saying they're dancing to country and line dancing? If so, the 80's era was at the peak of modern country dancing. Those dancers that were in their 20's and 30's at that time are now in their 60's and 70's. If this is the average age of those current dancers that follow you, that's why I mention the urban cowboy era songs. We play every Saturday afternoon at a Sports bar and grill and have to play classic rock and country, but our larger older dance following comes out to the Elks club where we play one Tuesday per month. They want Texas two steps, waltzes and line dances.
For some reason, in my area, the country bands skip over the 80's and play either older or more contemporary country. I keep pushing our band to play more 80's. Those dancers are starving for it right now.

[Dave Campbell]

thanks for the tips so far!

i think we're getting a real mix of dancers we have a few swing dancers who i think are adapting to a two step kind of thing, and there seems to be a hipster line dancer movement happening here as well. there are a few in their 50s, but most of the dancers are in their 20s and 30s. there are not a lot of classic country bands in my area who play out on a regular basis.

swinging doors was a big hit for the line dancers, and big iron a big hit for the couples.