You and Joe think a lot alike.

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What do we attribute this to? The "it's all been done" mentality?

Personally, I felt that a lot of the former creativity was due to circumstances that we just don't have now. "Rock and Roll", though it evolved from other genres, hit the scene as it's own thing just after WWII. Then we get the Gibson Les Paul in '52 and the Stratocaster in '54. As the boomers were reaching their young adult years, America was entering the sexual revolution, hitting the highs of the LSD explosion, and watching America's first televised war on TV.

Music is a product. They have found a way to remove the musicians from the equation slowing the process down...hence all the autotune, drum machines and the like. But some of it can be attributed to "old man *****ing" like we see here on this board every day.

Music simply doesn't matter much to the younger generation. In 1990 when I was in college, we all went out to see bands or played in bands or dreamt of playing in bands.

The audience isn't there anymore so you get these lame bands that play everything from A to Z

You then have the problems caused by YouTube and Facebook. Instead of heading out for the night to check out a band that you heard by word of mouth was great, you go on YouTube to make sure they are worth going out to see. The consequence of this is that, with the exception of popular touring acts, big and small, people stay home.

I won't even get started how the smoking laws have effected the music scene

The world has become a very dull place

What are people listening to on all those iPods and Beats headphones? It's not the news!

you talkin to me?

I played unrehearsed, with this 15 year old last friday..he's keeping it alive....

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I'm going to see "Hot Tuna" and David Lindley tonight.

He could easily be talkin' to me!

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LOL, I'm "middle aged man" but I see this on all the board I frequent because they are all men of a certain age. The theme is always the same "Porsche sold out with the 996..." "BMW sold out with ...." "Nothing new came along after Hendrix/Beatles..."

A LOT came after those artists..the last 5 years have been a little dry though...but what do I know I'm an un-hipster at age 63. I don't judge I just don't want to play mustang sally.

I hear ya, but there are some closed minds on the guitar forum I frequent.

There are closed minds everywhere. Ya just gotta do what's right for you and screw public opinion. Life is short. Play what you like.

So I have a different take on this and the caveat is that I'm a bassist so the role in the band is different than guitar. These days I play in 4 or 5 different bands. One is my band where I call the tunes and the arrangements, though it is very much a "conversation" with the other members (btw, we have a new album - shameless plug - https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/times-up/id813664748). The other bands are different stories:

1 - RCJQ - keyboard player books the gigs, mostly jazz standards, though we work with some vocalists that take us in different directions. I get a lot of latitude because I know how to lead the music and have played enough shows to know how to change up on the fly.

2 - jazz jam - I'm the house bassist and play behind a wide variety of skill levels, from almost beginner, mostly intermediates, occasionally top players. I've lost track of the number of times I've played Blue Bossa, Solar, Girl From Ipanema.

3 - live band karaoke. Over 350 songs on the list, everything from 60's to current pop, some of the tunes I've never hears (reading a pdf chart).

4 - classic rock/funk - a couple different bands, picked up a new one last saturday playing classic rock at a VFW Hall. Fun gig.

Bottom line is that a musician has some choices. They can play what they want, or they can play what others want. Sometimes that overlaps. I used to hate playing certain tunes that I'd done a million times live. Then I went to Bass Nature Camp and got my eyes opened. Making music and entertaining is about more than just the song and whether or not you're having fun. It is a conversation between you and the other players and the audience. You have a responsibility to open your ears and your heart, and play every note as if it is your last.

Since then I am happy to play any tune that is called. For instance Mustang Sally is often the "groaner" tune at gigs. I play it with a smile, and challenge myself to find something new in the song and help make it groove harder and engage the audience more than ever. Doesn't always work, but imho that needs to be your approach to playing music.

That doesn't mean you have to take every audition or gig, and life is too short for some situations, but I am finding that I can make great music with the right players and the song itself almost doesn't matter. You can view the tune as a burden or a challenge. I'm all about the latter. Ymmv.

I don't agree. There is more music than ever, music is everywhere. Its never been more available. New channels and technologies allow young artists to record in their basement or bedroom and distribute their music- and niche artists like Steve Vai or Nuygen Le or (insert obscure artist here) to make a living. Acts like Deep Purple are still going around. I saw Bruce play in front of 30,000 people x 2 nights last weekend- audience of all ages.

Music is alive and well. But I agree that smoking and also drink drive laws, home entertainment and %**^% video games have impacted the pub scene.

This is the best advice yet..

Like they said:

^^ This!

I can't always get there but my goal is to make the most out of every musical situation. I do turn down gigs and auditions, and we try to get very real with song choices that work for our band and a particular audience. Sometimes we miss but we always make the effort. "Sweet Home, Birthday, Mustang, Proud Mary, Brown Eyed,.. sure, if it will make someone's night, count it off..."

Not me, I don't enjoy gigging enough to play Proud Mary, Brown Eyed Girl et al. Its my Saturday night too, and if I have to hump gear around at 1am, it wont be to play that stuff. And its sure not for the money.....Id rather be home with the Mrs and a good shiraz.

Choosing material is the biggest source of friction in our band, as I suspect it is most, but we try to choose stuff a bit left of centre, and a bit interesting to play. My view is that although people think they want to hear Brown Eyed Girl, if you pull out something like, say, Ramble On or Black Betty or Gimme Shelter and really deliver on it, they forget about Proud Mary and Brown Sugar.

Even the standards like Hotel Cal with its harmonised guitar duets and Alabama- (there actually quite a bit going on that song) Many bands play them - few play them well. It takes a lot of time and rehearsal- especially when youre short on talent..... IMHO.

seems we all have played brown eyed girl......