Quote:
Originally Posted by GoingToCA91
Someone who has Seven in the 9 spot? 
I get that. I play setlist game, but pretty much only for summer tours. I guess seeing what pops up in Europe, or in the Fall tour, or at a random DM or D&T show is just cool to me. I like being aware of that.
Could there be more variety, unequivocally yes.
Am I disappointed to be going to three shows this summer instead of my usual two? Definitely not. |
People still following the sets or playing the setlist game means nothing in terms of how many or how much people are enjoying the music being played.
I think your POV is largely represented in the fanbase now. When I say that, I point directly to when you started seeing shows. You caught the bug like the rest of us at a show or listening to old live shows and things are still fresh and new to you, especially if you have only been seeing 1-2 shows per year. At some point that part of it fades, not for any bad reason but just because youve seen them enough. For a long time that part of things glossed my perspective too as ive only been seeing them since 2007. Thats not a bad thing, it just exists. Its easier to adapt to the change when you havent seen that many shows.
Which leads me to the point of the band kind of knowingly ignoring the wishes of the long time fans. Dave's "I play what I want" mentality is fine for people that only go to their local show and are borderline casual/big fans.
But the difference is, this band used to provide ALL of its fans what they wanted. Now this continually fades year after year. Maybe it doesnt make a difference now that theyre near the end of their career, but what Matt says about if they were doing what theyre doing now for their entirety, there wouldnt be a massive fanbase that allows them to play so many shows is absolutely true. Theyve lost their uniqueness (on multiple levels) that draws in fans that are willing to put up money and see them a bunch of times over a summer. Which, again, fine if thats what Dave wants to do. But when you actively try to block out where you came from and what made you what you are, it feels more like a direct shot at those fans who have invested so much.