"NO... YOU'RE CROWD
" is how someone would post it on Facebook! 
Actually it's KNOW YOUR CROWD ( or Audience as it may be!) The TYPE of gig wil determine your set list, at least it should, for your mental health and artistic wellness as well as for the people's expectatons of what they came to hear.
A TOTAL misread, sure we all call an ABBA tune at a wake once in awile - sorry
, can result in a very unhappy situation, which we all want to avoid. Submitted for your approval... I was so used to playing at Cafe IO that I could play what I wanted, soft as I wanted and any genre. It was bliss. Also no requests! So when Riley's Pour House, the name should tip you off as to what type of venue it is, a rowdy Irish heavy drinking fun outdoor venue with that type of expectation going in. Well, I ddin't see it - I was just happy I got asked to play on very short notice when my friends have tried for 3 years and no call back.
Boom- I get there and I am ON STAGE, not in a cozy corner. Bright lights and I look in the audience and there are my MONSTER PLAYER friends- some from the best 80's funk bands to a current excellent cover rocker band to an all acoustic electrified rock and other acoustic performers. I also have a large table of my lady fans who already have their wine glasses on second fill. Young coulples curious came to see the Stick, and some old high school friends. Getting loud applause and hoots after the songs- so I know they are listening.
TIP:JUST SCAN THE CROWD, WATCH THEIR RESPONSE ( TRIAL AND ERROR AND YES, YOU HAVE TO PLAY ONE FIRST LIKE THROWING A GRENADE OVER A WALL AND SEEEING WHAT FLIES BACK) AND SEE WHERE THEY PLACED YOU. HISTORY OF THE PLACE ALSO DETERMINES WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE MUSIC WILL BE. THIS ISN'T PIE IN THE SKY, THIS IS STREET SMARTS.
So out went all the ballads and jazz tunes, the more emo and new acoustic songs, and I pulled out a very rocky Come Together, a very funky poppin Ain't No Sunshine, my signature Mellow Yellow (see YT vid from the first Annual Stick Day in Ann Arbor), All Apologies - Nirvanna -need I say more and so on. Also a quick read of the AGE OF THE CROWD helps determing the era you want to stay around.
Contrast and fast forward to last night- played one of my most favorite venues- a historic Inn that has the most beautiful view. Very polite people just having a fine dinner or hanging out on the large porch veranda quitely listening. No applause, to be expected, but they all came up afterwards. The usual question "what is that thing" "is that a Sitar"- always the Sitar comparison. But, some of the most complimentary and astute comments I have ever received.
One New York couple, coming back from the big Rock WEST EAST concerts, said I sounded like William Ackerman and Tuck and Patti. Others said the music beautifully filled the whole very large whole veranda, and others thanked for making it a memorable night. whoa!
Ahhh, now I dug into my personal Flamenco + styles, dialed up the reverb a little more, and played some "cold" read songs which sounded marvelous. "Fire and Rain" James Taylor, some Dylan, songs from Hair ( Easy to be Hard, Good Morning Sunshine) 80's represented "if you were here tonight" Alexander O'Neal written by Monte Moir the Time, CSN "Just a song before I go" and tip of the hat to Mike Kemp "Ordinary World" by Duran Duran excellent excellent song.
The bottom line here is either set list would have been inappropriate for the other venue-one too mellow and the other too rocky. But a quick read of the crowd, turned both into very satisfying experiences for the playa and the audience alike!
hope this helps,
Dave B "DBro""