Why The Hate for Covers?

[phoolhearted]

I've noticed that lots of folks here on Ants aren't fans of the band doing cover songs...
I'm just wondering why that is?

Personally, its one of my favorite things to see--a band that I love covering another bands song. I think it adds great depth to the show, and I'd be happy to see 1-2 covers per night depending on the covers.

What are your thoughts?

[prdstmnky36]

This band has an epic catalog of its own, much of which gets passed over to play covers?? No thanks!

Maybe if they didn't ignore much of their own material, covers would be more tolerant!

[lockman21]

Originally Posted by prdstmnky36

This band has an epic catalog of its own, much of which gets passed over to play covers?? No thanks!

Maybe if they didn't ignore much of their own material, covers would be more tolerant!

This sums it up. For example - Dreaming Tree has only been played 9 times since 2013. The Stone rarely gets played. Pay For What You Get has only been played 16 times since 2004! Say Goodbye, Cry Freedom, Sweet Up and Down...the list goes on and on.

[phoolhearted]

What's the average? 1 cover per show? Is it two?

I'm all for them mixing up the covers they're playing. Some are certainly better than others. But, cover songs is a major part of the scene DMB falls into.
Truth be told, I'd be as happy to hear them play Solsbury Hill as I would Say Goodbye. And infinitely more happy to see it replace a tune like Cornbread.

[drop2d]

1 cover song a night fine. I'd still rather hear a not so regularly played song from their own catalog than a cover, but still... fine with 1.

3-4? No fucking way. No band with the longevity and catalog that DMB has should be playing 3-4 covers a night.

[prdstmnky36]

2018 tour:

Sledgehammer - 15 plays

The Last Stop, Bartender, The Stone, JTR, DIDO, Two Step, YNK - 14 plays TOTAL

Thats fucked up!

[ToySoldier#34]

It depends on the cover, I don't really get much out of Sledgehammer or Sweet Emotion but there are others like The Maker, Watchtower, Long Black Veil, etc. that are more enjoyable.

[dmbolp]

Sledgehammer every night?!?!? 15 plays already just in 2019; 23 in 2018...that's not what a cover is supposed to be

[mposey34]

Originally Posted by phoolhearted

I've noticed that lots of folks here on Ants aren't fans of the band doing cover songs...
I'm just wondering why that is?

Personally, its one of my favorite things to see--a band that I love covering another bands song. I think it adds great depth to the show, and I'd be happy to see 1-2 covers per night depending on the covers.

What are your thoughts?

I really like to hear covers. When the first did Sledgehammer and Burning down the House I was pretty excited to hear it for the novelty. No cover tune should become a staple of a tour.

[phoolhearted]

Originally Posted by ToySoldier#34

It depends on the cover, I don't really get much out of Sledgehammer or Sweet Emotion but there are others like The Maker, Watchtower, Long Black Veil, etc. that are more enjoyable.

Exactly.

A rare cover is just as good to me as a rare original.

I'd be just as happy seeing The Maker as i would Dreaming Tree.

[TheLastPig]

No problem if they mix them up, but Sledge is basically a tour staple you can expect to hear anywhere you go. That shouldnt be the case.

[TheLastPig]

Originally Posted by phoolhearted

Exactly.

A rare cover is just as good to me as a rare original.

I'd be just as happy seeing The Maker as i would Dreaming Tree.

I really, really love The Maker, but hard disagree.

[dontdrink36]

Originally Posted by prdstmnky36

This band has an epic catalog of its own, much of which gets passed over to play covers?? No thanks!

Maybe if they didn't ignore much of their own material, covers would be more tolerant!

This!

Originally Posted by lockman21

This sums it up. For example - Dreaming Tree has only been played 9 times since 2013. The Stone rarely gets played. Pay For What You Get has only been played 16 times since 2004! Say Goodbye, Cry Freedom, Sweet Up and Down...the list goes on and on.

And this!

Originally Posted by prdstmnky36

2018 tour:

Sledgehammer - 15 plays

The Last Stop, Bartender, The Stone, JTR, DIDO, Two Step, YNK - 14 plays TOTAL

Thats fucked up!

So much this!

Originally Posted by ToySoldier#34

It depends on the cover, I don't really get much out of Sledgehammer or Sweet Emotion but there are others like The Maker, Watchtower, Long Black Veil, etc. that are more enjoyable.

Also this!

Originally Posted by dmbolp

Sledgehammer every night?!?!? 15 plays already just in 2019; 23 in 2018...that's not what a cover is supposed to be

This as well!


An occasional cover is fine, but when the same ones become tour staples while so many incredible DMB songs sit out it sucks. If Dave wants to play covers they could play regional ones. Like Sweet Home Alabama in Bama, Sweet Caroline in Boston etc. Those would be cool nods to the area. Playing Sledgehammer every fucking night is not ideal.

[ToySoldier#34]

Originally Posted by phoolhearted

Exactly.

A rare cover is just as good to me as a rare original.

I'd be just as happy seeing The Maker as i would Dreaming Tree.

I don't agree on the last part but yeah a bunch of covers do have their place.

Also on a different note I would be 100X more excited to have Dave play something original he is working on in the solo spot like Falling Off the Roof / Jackpot than Sledgehammer or Sweet Emotion, even if it is a sloppy performance and he's working his way through it.

[excitingjae]

Sledgehammer is such a weak song in general. Let the 80s die. Kill it, if you have to.

[phoolhearted]

Yeah.

To be clear -- I'm against a sledgehammer at every show, and even against a cover becoming a staple of a tour.

I just get the impression that some folks would prefer an all originals show/tour--and that's not something I'd want to be behind.

I think if we saw an all originals tour we'd end up with cornbread each night, or some other tunes that'd be bitched about.

[TheLastPig]

Originally Posted by excitingjae

Sledgehammer is such a weak song in general. Let the 80s die. Kill it, if you have to.

Ill give the band their credit, they kill this song and it sounds great and gets the crowd's attention... but they have SO many songs they dont play that could do the same thing.

If you wanna play an upbeat horn driven song, play So Right!

[ToySoldier#34]

Originally Posted by phoolhearted

Yeah.

To be clear -- I'm against a sledgehammer at every show, and even against a cover becoming a staple of a tour.

I just get the impression that some folks would prefer an all originals show/tour--and that's not something I'd want to be behind.

I think if we saw an all originals tour we'd end up with cornbread each night, or some other tunes that'd be bitched about.

Watchtower is pretty much always going to be, and IMO should be, it's as DMB as it gets when it comes to covers and they absolutely kill it. I would be all for an all originals tour.

[tyler3440]

Fuck every cover not named AATW, The Maker, LBV, or FTBOW

[tyler3440]

The other covers are just a waste of time. Played your own great songs instead

[ToySoldier#34]

Originally Posted by tyler3440

Fuck every cover not named AATW, The Maker, LBV, or FTBOW

I love when they play Exodus

[tyler3440]

Originally Posted by ToySoldier#34

I love when they play Exodus

And that one

[dmbnut21]

AATW can stay, that's a staple. It put them on map and gave them a strong closer when they didn't have a lot of harder/louder songs.

I enjoy an occasional cover, either because a guest has come out (Cortez/Exodus) or when the band has been screwing around together and says hey, I loved this song growing up, let's play it tonight. To me, that is a band having a good time and enjoying themselves, that is great.

I don't like having a bunch of covers just put on the set list over and over for the sake of it. You want to play something "different", you have 180 songs with over 60 of them missing for 3 years plus. Play one of those. If I wanted to hear Sweet Emotion I would fly my ass to Vegas and see one of the 20+ shows that Aerosmith is putting on there this year.

[grilldanmo]

Originally Posted by phoolhearted

Yeah.

To be clear -- I'm against a sledgehammer at every show, and even against a cover becoming a staple of a tour.

I just get the impression that some folks would prefer an all originals show/tour--and that's not something I'd want to be behind.

I think if we saw an all originals tour we'd end up with cornbread each night, or some other tunes that'd be bitched about.

I'm behind this, because every cover is another DMB song we aren't hearing. I can't think of a cover tune that I'd rather over anything on:

R2T
UtTaD
Crash
BTCS
tLWS/BS
BW
AFtW
CT

If the cover is replacing anything off of ED and SU, then I'm 100% behind it.

The other peer bands from the jam crowd of DMB do regularly play covers, but not at the same ones nor at the expense of HUGE portions of their catalog. You go to a two or three night run for Widespread Panic, you'll hear a cover or two each night, but you'll also hear a fair greater representation of their catalog and less of the same songs.

[snake911]

Depends on the cover for me. Songs like Watchtower or The Maker are essentially DMB songs to me at this point, so I'm fine with them sprinkled into sets ongoing. The other covers like Sledgehammer or Dont Fear the Reaper? I'm ok having 1 per night if they were to only play that cover for that tour and then hang it up. A new couple of covers each tour could be fun and I dont need to hear SH or Burning Down the House more than the 3 times I've already heard each.

[TimHonks]

If you haven't noticed, people like to complain on the internet. Covers get great reactions at shows and they play 1, maybe 2 at most a night.

[triplechin89]

Originally Posted by snake911

Depends on the cover for me. Songs like Watchtower or The Maker are essentially DMB songs to me at this point, so I'm fine with them sprinkled into sets ongoing. The other covers like Sledgehammer or Dont Fear the Reaper? I'm ok having 1 per night if they were to only play that cover for that tour and then hang it up. A new couple of covers each tour could be fun and I dont need to hear SH or Burning Down the House more than the 3 times I've already heard each.

This is how it should be. There are different covers that I think sort of define different eras/iterations of the band. Exodus early on, Angel from Montgomery in the 90's/Early 00's, Long Black Veil in the late 90's/00's and again a few years ago and Thank You in the Mid/Late 2000's. I'm not personally a fan of Sledgehammer, but it fits the sound of the band now.

[zrroot]

How did it go over when they were closing shows with Thank You in 2008?

[triplechin89]

Originally Posted by zrroot

How did it go over when they were closing shows with Thank You in 2008?

Not good.

[nikkidmb]

I enjoy pretty much all of the covers they are doing, they all seem to wake the band up and Dave puts a lot of energy into them. Granted, it would be nice if they revived their own songs with that same dedication rather than do 2-3 covers every night.