Most live bands play too fast because they think that's what dancers want. Don't be mislead by this myth. Dancers want slower music than you think. The previous example of "Make Her Fall in Love" is an excellent sample of how country dance music should be played.
Live bands are usually at least better than DJs. They tend to get bored with the same beat over and over, so they tend to mix it up a bit. The less experienced will also generally not have enough of their own songs, so they'll fall back on some timeless classics.
What most people want is variety. Imagine going to a big band dance where they play nothing but 125BPM foxtrots. Never a waltz or a swing. Yet that's what every guy who couldn't hold a job as a Walmart cart pusher so he declared himself a shuffle button with sneakers thinks is the way to go. At a "honky tonk" a few weeks ago, everything they played was way up there in the high end of the two-step BPM, and frankly, it all sounded like the same song. No classic country, not a waltz in the whole set.
Even if someone absolutely loves that particular style and tempo, they're still going to have to sit one out from time to time to rest, rehydrate, pee, get drunker, or whatever. Mix it up a bit with
Honky Tonk Crazy or
The Cowboy Rides Away or even
If Heartaches Were Horses. (It's Texas; complaining about a George Strait song isn't a death penalty offense yet, but we're still trying to get that law passed.)
Too many live country bands sound like Lindy Hoppers. It's too bad because they don't understand what they are doing wrong.
Too often, I think it's because the more vocal among the dancers don't know what they're doing, and would rather stick to songs that are "too fast for proper form or fancy techniques" instead of dropping down around 140BPM or even slower and working on some new moves or polishing the ones they thrash through at high speed.
