Our bass player hated crowd-pleasing songs.
- Sean Michael Beyer
- Apr 17
- 2 min read
Years ago, I was the quirky keyboard guy in a cover band. We played all the crowd-pleasing classics.
But our bass player hated playing the songs everyone knew. He wanted the deep cuts. The obscure stuff. The “b-sides.” The songs musicians respect, but nobody actually requests… or even knows, for that matter.
One night, we gave in and dropped this random Iggy Pop track into the set.
The dance floor was packed. And then… it wasn’t.
People didn’t leave because it was bad. They left because it wasn’t what they came for. After the set, I told him, “We’re playing for them, not ourselves. And when they’re having a good time, that comes back to us.”
He got it. He didn’t like it any less, but it sank in.
And I’ve carried that into pretty much everything since.
It’s become my mantra. Because here’s the thing… I seriously doubt Jimmy Buffett cranked up “Margaritaville” each time it came on the radio. He probably changed the station.
But put him in front of 10,000 Parrotheads who love that song?
Different story.
He’s not playing it for himself. He’s playing it for them. And that energy comes right back at you.
It’s a pretty good deal.
You bring something people recognize. Something they connect with. Your efforts bring joy to others, and in return, you feel just as joyful, if not more so. I didn’t crank up the classic tunes my band played on the radio either, but I loved playing them at gigs because they made people happy.
When I sat down to write my new book, Never Take, I wanted to give back. I wanted to apply the knowledge I’d gained from my experiences and extensive research.
The recurring theme of the book isn’t just consumer advocacy; it’s so much more. It’s about standing up for yourself and for what’s right, the correct way, in all different kinds of situations. Which, at times, means walking away or letting go when the end result outweighs the effort. But not just because someone told you no with conviction, because you realize your time is valuable, and in this instance, the best outcome is to stop and keep your sanity in check.
Just like playing “Twist & Shout” for the 1000th time, if what’s on the pages of Never Take helps someone get something they thought they never would, then that will bring them joy, and ultimately to me. I call that a win-win!
It starts with situations we’ve all been in. Conversations that go sideways. Moments where someone says “there’s nothing we can do” and you know that’s not really true.
Because once people recognize it, they lean in.
And then you can take them deeper.
Fill the dance floor first.
The rest of the set takes care of itself.
Comments