Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Is Paul right?
- Thread starter gln1955
- Start date
Nah, most of a bands “hits” are usually my least favorite. They appeal to the low musical iq masses. Play da hits you monkey! Play da song! 
How highly of you to notice us low IQ’ers.
I guess it depends. There are some bands I would prefer to hear do their less known material than play hits I really don't need to hear again.
+1 for the Office Space reference!
For me, it depends on the artist. There are lots of artists I like for whom their best-known pieces aren't actually my favorite and I like the deep cuts better. (We used to have an excellent Duran Duran tribute here in Houston and I loved it when they threw in a few random cuts from the early albums. Was even better when they did the entire Rio album in order one show. Man, I miss them. RIP, Mike.) For others, their "hits" really are the best material., at least in my book, so I'm always hoping to hear those.
Hard balance to strike for some artists, particularly depending on the size of their catalog. I found an approach I really like, though, the last Khruangbin show I went to. First set was their most recent album in order in its entirety. Second set was essentially their greatest hits. I thought that was really cool and I wish more shows were like that.
I seen the Dead at least 7 times. I think they played "Truckin" maybe twice.
But for most bands, it kinda goes like this....
Rock band: " Ok everybody, here's some from our newest album!".
Audience: "You wanna go to the beer garden?".
But for most bands, it kinda goes like this....
Rock band: " Ok everybody, here's some from our newest album!".
Audience: "You wanna go to the beer garden?".
And as I said a few times... why not both? Why not have a set list that has hits AND some deep cuts and new material you're excited to share with the audience. Just balance it out in such a way that it keeps the audience engaged and entertained.
That's why my originals bands would always sprinkle a cover or two into our setlists to hook or re-hook the crowd. That said, the covers were in our musical style (e.g. alt-metal versions of 80s pop).
That's why my originals bands would always sprinkle a cover or two into our setlists to hook or re-hook the crowd. That said, the covers were in our musical style (e.g. alt-metal versions of 80s pop).
Many bands get tired of playing their old tunes and enjoy playing their new material more. I like to play a medley of my hit. Dylan has so many songs, he can't do them all.
The last time I saw Arlo Guthrie (summer of '19) he had a great story about Bob Dylan in the mid-late '60s. Arlo had just flown into Dallas (IIRC) to play a show and some news reporter at the airport asked if Arlo knew that Dylan was playing that night in town, and that nobody would probably be at Arlo's concert. Arlo's reply to the reporter was for him to announce on the TV/radio/whatever that he will be playing all the songs that Bob won't do anymore.
I don't care about any particular artist or any particular song but I dislike when artists want to charge you $200 to see them and then are too good to play the fan favorite songs that the fans that put you on the stage want to hear. If I'm playing to 30,000 seat venues, I'll play Mustang Sally on repeat for two hours if that's what the fans want to hear.
I heard a podcast recently where the host was talking about a friend seeing Dylan in a small city at some smaller venue and complaining that he didn't play the hits and the songs didn't sound like the versions everyone loved. The host told his friend that if Dylan did his shows like that he would be at Madison Square Garden or Vegas, not in a small city at a less than stellar venue.
