Why do Rock, Pop and Jazz concerts....

I used to see Phis a lot back in the early 90's. At one show I was near the soundboard and noticed the setlist, through multiple encores, hand-written on a piece of paper taped to the board. Every show after that, if near the board, I'd check, and the list was there. They didn't improvise, at least not at any of the shows I went to. The only shows that maybe were kind of a surprise were Halloween, when you could at least vote on what you wanted them to covert. YMMV.

Okay. I have had many friends who run the board, and you know that the "set list" is suggestive at a Phish concert.
Did the set list say: "Billy Breathes"- 18 min. and then a "taste" of "free" and then meld into "Reba" for 24 min?
 
No, as I said, the actual songs they played were on the list. The nonsensical noodling was not. Suggestions or not, every song on the list is what they played. Again, YMMV.
 
Don't they? Aren't the most boring artists those who cuddle up to the audience?

I would submit that most folks do not want to hear new stuff. They buy the ticket to hear the old stuff.

I do agree, an artist does as his emotions take him and should.

But I think it wrong to buy a ticket to hear old stuff and the artist just do as he please.
 
Thanks for that ! You want to come over and tell my kids the truth about Santa and the Easter Bunny too ? Do-do bird dog.


it was like he detonated the mother of all bombs on your post lol

but I would submit, it is of no consequence.

You enjoy the jam band improvisation with a set list or not it is not of much relevance.

I probably listened to more Dead than any other band in my life so I completely understood your post.
 
I've been to a few rock shows where the programme was known ahead of time, such as a band touring behind a 25 year anniversary of an album, where it was advertised that they would play that album in its entirety. That is the exception, though.

Knowing the set list in advance would also diminish the suprise at hearing a song one wasn't expecting. I've heard bands play old songs they rarely play live, cover songs they had not played live before, even try out brand new material. I have been delighted by such surprises many times, and never disappointed by a song choice.
That's pretty much how I feel. LOVE those shows where a group stretches out their setlist.

The Black Crowes in their prime doing nothing but non-album cuts and covers? Sign me up. Them doing the 15th anniversary(or whatever it is) of Lions? Pass.

I honestly can't see myself going to a jazz or blues show and wanting to know the setlist ahead of time.
The only one that comes to mind is a performance of the Ellington/Strayhorn version of The Nutcracker Suite.
 
When you typically go to shows of current bands (not "reunion" shows), the playlist is usually this: many songs from the newest album, "classic" songs, and then there are the songs that they play on occasion that would be considered deeper catalog (maybe b-sides).

If there was a program, how would they ever get to that one song that the drunk guy has been yelling for the last hour?
 
No problem.
And it's fantastic. It's become the 1st play Christmas album around here.

The Nutcracker has been my family 1st play Christmas album since 1980. Just two years my eldest daughter took me to the same NYC Ballet presentation that I had first taken her too when she was 4 years old.

"During the holiday period, the entire Company is immersed in activities surrounding George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®. All 90 dancers, 62 musicians, 32 stagehands and two casts of 50 young students each from the School of American Ballet join forces to make each performance as magical as possible."

 
Practicality. When you're rocking out, who has time for a program. I hardly look at the programs at the theater or symphonies. Imagine the amount of garbage it would generate at a rock concert.
 
The Nutcracker has been my family 1st play Christmas album since 1980. Just two years my eldest daughter took me to the same NYC Ballet presentation that I had first taken her too when she was 4 years old.

"During the holiday period, the entire Company is immersed in activities surrounding George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®. All 90 dancers, 62 musicians, 32 stagehands and two casts of 50 young students each from the School of American Ballet join forces to make each performance as magical as possible."
That's cool.
My wife and daughter went to the ballet version last Christmas(or the one before?). They loved it.

Btw, this CD is pretty good too, IMO.
http://www.allmusic.com/album/tchaikovsky-ellington-strayhorn-nutcracker-suites-mw0002579190
 
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