"If you try to do that in pop music - to play only rare show tunes, for example - people don't come"
About this Quote
The intent is pragmatic and quietly protective of the craft. Short built his legend at Cafe Carlyle, a space where intimacy and familiarity are part of the product. His repertoire - standards, witty cabaret material, Broadway chestnuts - depends on shared cultural memory. The subtext: audiences want to feel smart, not tested. Give them a melody they recognize and you earn the right to slip in something thornier. Deny them that entry point and you’ve mistaken a performance for a private listening session.
There’s also a class and generational undertone. “Pop music” here isn’t a genre; it’s a market reality, a reminder that even “sophisticated” venues run on popular desire. Short is pushing back against the romantic myth that authenticity is proportional to rarity. His cynicism is gentle but firm: the artist’s job isn’t just to express taste - it’s to build a relationship, night after night, with whoever actually walks through the door.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Short, Bobby. (2026, January 15). If you try to do that in pop music - to play only rare show tunes, for example - people don't come. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-you-try-to-do-that-in-pop-music-to-play-only-169294/
Chicago Style
Short, Bobby. "If you try to do that in pop music - to play only rare show tunes, for example - people don't come." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-you-try-to-do-that-in-pop-music-to-play-only-169294/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"If you try to do that in pop music - to play only rare show tunes, for example - people don't come." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/if-you-try-to-do-that-in-pop-music-to-play-only-169294/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
