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Old 07-26-2021, 09:54 AM   #128
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Re: the (2021) summer so far

Quote:
Originally Posted by clintmwells View Post
I almost never comment, mostly a lurker, etc. I haven't seen the band since 2001 but was a die hard from 98 - 2003. Always kept up with the band, bought the new records. Got off the ride with Stand Up. Found it very confusing at the time. Now I mostly like it!

Heard "Sweet" on NPR. Bought AFTW. Liked it!

First song I heard from CT was "Come On, Come On." Loved it! Still do!

Favorite album is BTCS. Favorite song is "Pig."

I would say I'm a bit more casual than most of you folks, and yet here I am on a DMB forum in 2021. Okay - there's some of my pedigree.

I think a factor not often explored in these discussions about setlist variation is how much Dave enjoys/feels comfortable (or doesn't enjoy/feel comfortable) playing certain songs live. Maybe it's because he doesn't feel connected to the material. Maybe it's because it's challenging to sing or play. Maybe it's because he's the one who has to sit and watch most of the crowd look bored while he plays a treat for the die hards ("#34" in 2018, "Let You Down" in 2015, etc.).

I chose some insanely rare songs for effect, but the logic applies.

As a touring musician myself (eye roll, I get it), sometimes songs just don't work live from tour to tour or even from night to night. And sometimes a song can become stigmatized, (for a variety of reasons - band, fans, weather, flubs, personal shit) disappear and never get the chance it deserves to feature heavily on a tour. [Quick aside about Metallica (this will make sense in a bit) - In 1997 they released Reload. They performed "The Unforgiven II" at an awards show on national television and Kirk massively fucked up the intro. They almost never played the song again (only 6 times in 24 years). It was a HIT SINGLE.]

Conversely, some songs just effortlessly work. For some reason, a lot of the songs from BW seem to work for Dave. Personally, I'll take "Squirm" and "LITHOG" at any show I go to (which aren't many, unfortunately, due to my job). I more or less tolerate "Shake Me" and "Why I Am."

I think considering these factors, the variety in the setlist for DMB fans is amazing. A huge catalog (first three albums almost entirely classic), new material that's good (despite the general opinion here it seems), a die hard (one could argue entitled and/or needy) fanbase, plenty of casuals to fill sheds every year and Dave's own cooky artistic intuitions which is why we fell in love with him in the first place but seems to be one of the main sources of disappointment these days (I've seen it said here often that Dave doesn't know which of his songs are any good. REALLY?). All of that in the DMB 4.0 stew and yet we STILL get tour debut setlists that include:

Granny, Minarets, Grey Street (3rd verse), LLD, WWYS, Seek Up, SUAD, YNK, Squirm, Raven, and some new songs that are pretty damn good!

You guys are spoiled as shit!

Another one of my favorite bands is Metallica. I host an all Metallica podcast (another eye roll and, again, I get it) called Metal Up Your Podcast. Try being a fan while those dudes tour! Basically the same set with a handful of "rotating slots" that each have 1 - 4 options. For about four years! It's apples and oranges and I'm sure many of you can't stand Metallica. No big deal.

But I will say this. When I saw the setlists for these last two DMB shows I felt emotional. When I saw the video of the 3rd verse of Grey Street and heard the crowd's response I teared up! I excitedly texted a friend of mine (really the only friend in real life I know who I can talk to about DMB shit) and we were like kids again talking about the setlists.

It wasn't until I came here and saw that, for some people, the setlists sucked! I wasn't planning on going to any shows (scheduling conflicts) but now I'm bending over backwards to make some shows work. I saw some people saying they are NO LONGER planning on seeing this tour.

I guess it really is just a matter of perspective.

Anyway, this concludes my one post every 3 years. I appreciate all of your opinions and enjoy lurking!

I truly get your argument that we are "spoiled" in comparison to other acts.. BUT the reason we are DMB fans is largely because of the variety of the sets and atleast used to have more variety in the jams... No show was the same.. And it held true.. even in the 90's when they only had 3 albums of material to go off..it felt like there was more effort to make every show unique and different...

Fast forward to now... The band has 100's of songs... And they seemingly stick to the same 40... essentially enough for a 2 night stand with no repeats... and then they will have another 10 that get played every 4 or 5 nights... And then they'll do a few songs a handful of times and then of course the random one offs like Spoon...

I also agree with you that the really rare songs are indeed duds in a 20,000 seat venue more often than not.. Dreaming Tree is a brilliant studio song, and they found a way to make it work live in 07/08 .. But most of the time it starts out and it's just 3-4 minutes before the song gets going even.. Most fans don't really know that song or have any deep connection to it like the do Crush or Stay or Rapunzel... But I'm not so much asking for a 20 song set with 15 rare songs.. My example being that the first half of 7/23 seemed super special.. Starting off with the surprise #41 into a few classics with the Grey Street 3rd verse plus a new song... From there though it went down hill into what looked like a set from June 2018..

I'm not arguing that EVERY single show needs to be a rarities fest... or even a super special setlist... But just the placement of songs... and the little jams or fills that used to change every night... or realize that 90 percent of fans don't want a DDTW- Shake Me Encore...

I'm a playing musician as well... so I get your point that having a rehearsed setlist is just what most bands/acts do so that the fans get their monies' worth at a big show. U2, Metallica, Fleetwood Mac etc... You go see these bands more than once or twice in a five year period and they are essentially playing the same show the same way.. But it is of course a spectacle..

DMB has branded themselves and is known for changing it up.. So with variety as PART of what makes them awesome.. I don't find it complaining or ungrateful to say I wish they would go back to that a bit..

Last edited by #41#36#40; 07-26-2021 at 09:59 AM.
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