I know exactly what you mean Jerry! I recently attended an opem-mike evening (the first in many a year) and saw a couple of younger versions of myself, all serious and self-conscious, presenting their angst-ridden songs of unrequited love etc. My first instinct was that these kids haven't had enough experience of life to write about anything but I decided I needed to lighten up a little and cut some slack and, in doing so, found myself enjoying the evening.
The organiser seemed to be using the evening to promote himself, however, and he irritated me with the "smugness" you describe to the point that I wanted to tell him to give the stage back to the kids instead of upstaging them. I was delighted when one of the "hopefulls" asked if I would do a couple of songs with him and tried my best to operate as a "safety net" without intruding on his music. There's a fine line between encouraging a performer and frightening him or her off, but I've usually found the very best players are considerate and tolerant with up and coming talent without feeling the need to display their superiority.
I've lost count of the number of "old guys" I foisted myself on to, in my youth, in the hope of gaining a little of what they had.
But yes, Jerry, if I had once forgotten being that young, I was certainly reminded that night!