I have played for a wide variance of performers. Most folk/rock and Alt.Country. I did encounter that alot. I formed a band yrs ago with a friend of mine Chris Knight. He is a singer songwriter if you haven't heard him you should check him out. He has a huge following internationally now but then we were just 2 guys from a small town playing acoustic guitars. The old crowd didn't want us they said we were too dark and "rock". That is the be all end all in thier eyes if you were called rock you were blacklisted lol. The younger crowd didn't dig it because we were to folk. We kept plugging away and finally got signed by Decca Records. Now the crowds merge. Patti Griffin appealed to a younger crowd but still had to fight for acceptance. Hank Williams 3 had all kinds of conflicts with crowds so did Fred Eaglesmith. I backed all of these people and more and really have 1st hand experience in battling crowds. They do seem to be merging though on some of this new stuff. You also have to fight that "My granddad listens to this." Type of thought and inversly "I'm acting like a kid playing this stuff." ugh I hear you man it just makes you want to smack them and say music knows no age just create good music lol.