CHANGE UP YOUR SET LISTS!!!!!

[DaFunkyPrecedent]

I know that they know how to play more than 30 songs.  In fact I have personaly seen them play 'em (New Years Run, Okonokos and Bonnaroo).  Are they trying to win new fans over so they only play songs from Z, EU and selected songs from ISM, At Daw and TTTF? songs in which they consider user friendly?  Or do they not like playing those other songs?  Don't they know it was mostly their other songs that have won over so many of us obsessed fans?  

What ever happened to the hair ripping "The Dark"?  The show stopping It's About Twilight Now? The country lovers how down "Lowdown"? The intense "Stangulation?" My favorite rocker "Honest Man"?!?!  X-Mas Curtin? Sooner? O Is The One That's Real? Easy Morning Rebel? Just One Thing? They Ran? Covers?

Radiohead, have 59 songs they as a band have learned to play live and those are the 59 songs they select from before they walk onto stage.  What they will do is try to play the songs that fit the fans, the setting, the sound of the venue and what they are feeling at that moment.  Some nights they play Creep.  Some nights they dont.  Some nights Yorke will play acoustic.  Some nights it's all fuckin' rockers.  Granted they are promoting "In Rainbows right now...so right now they mostly, but not always will play "15 step" "Recokoner" or "House of Cards".  But as for previous material - it's all up for grab.  

So why not MMJ do they same - to keep us fans truely interested!! to keep us on our toes? dp oy so you make us want to go to more shows so we can wintness moments we have yet to experience.  For example - a randown Into the Woods acoustic or set closing "It's about Twilight"?  

Plus wouldn't you think they would have more fun playing new songs every night?  

Just sayin....

[YouAre_GivenToFly]

You've never been in a band, have you?

[BH]

How many times are we going to go thru this?

[DaFunkyPrecedent]

haha....

no, i have not been in a band.  and lets go through it ONE more time.  I missed something last time.

[YouAre_GivenToFly]

haha....

no, i have not been in a band.  and lets go through it ONE more time.  I missed something last time.

It is incredibly difficult for a band to rehearse a huge number of songs and have them good enough to perform them at the level MMJ does. Especially right after recording a new album, then touring europe, then the US, with no end in sight. They get 2, maybe 3 days off a week.

[pawpaw]

That's just the way they do it. The way I see it, if I'm obsessing over setlist variety to the point that I'm dissapointed in the band and questioning the greatness of a show, I'm thinking too much about it. And I know where you're coming from, I obsessed over Dead and Phish setlists for years, but MMJ just doesn't operate like that on the road, and may not ever. Enjoy the shows  :)

[searchinbig]

Gotta remember too that they are promoting the new album.

I think it's cool they toss in some oldies to keep everyone happy.

Well almost everyone!!!

[big hungry joe]

You've never been in a band, have you?

he doesn't need to have been. phish would pull a completely different setlist out every night from a group of over 200 songs. it's called the extra mile.

not that i'm complaining. i only plan on seeing mmj twice this year. but people followed phish around, so a change of set was necessary.

[j_rud]

You've never been in a band, have you?

he doesn't need to have been. phish would pull a completely different setlist out every night from a group of over 200 songs. it's called the extra mile.

not that i'm complaining. i only plan on seeing mmj twice this year. but people followed phish around, so a change of set was necessary.

Suggesting that this band doesnt go "the extra mile" is a joke.

[Jon T.]

You've never been in a band, have you?

he doesn't need to have been. phish would pull a completely different setlist out every night from a group of over 200 songs. it's called the extra mile.

not that i'm complaining. i only plan on seeing mmj twice this year. but people followed phish around, so a change of set was necessary.

Suggesting that this band doesnt go "the extra mile" is a joke.

Aye j-rud.  You beat me to it.  My sentiments exactly.

[pjl44]

2 things:

1.  I saw Radiohead a couple weeks ago and they played In Rainbows in its entirety.

2.  How many songs did Phish play each night, on average?  It was more about a degree of improv vs. blasting out 25 tunes.  Same with the Dead, no?

[ycartrob]

Has everyone here noticed how nice I have been the past couple of months? well, sorry

fuck phish
I'd rather listen to Jim James take a dump into a metal trash can over a pay phone while I'm outside in August in Mississippi than see 30 Phish shows in a row where they do not repeat 1 song on their set lists.

and change up your own set list




(there, I feel better)

[LaurieBlue]

Plus I think that 15%-20% ? (could be a little generous there in the numbers) are seeing them for the FIRST time this tour, and a LOT are familiar with the songs from Evil Urges right now.  I couldn't believe how many people I heard singing the opening lines to "Highly Suspicious" on the Philly stream.  Look around on the net, Google through the blogs.  Not everyone is on the forum here and know their back catalog...yet (and you know they will) :-).  But the press is all over them, and new fans are increasing in huge numbers oh so very quickly.   I'm sure after this tour they'll mix it up again...shoot...we already know how MMJ can throw in surprises left and right.  I think right now they are giving a whole lot of fans exactly what they came to see and hear..and then some.    And, of course they should and would be focusing on the new songs.  After just a short time, they've already become staples in their ever-growing set.   From now on out, there will always be something missing and we want to hear.  

Okay..off my rarely visited soapbox ;-).

[Roscog]

Im with you on this.  I do not understand why they don't mix things up a little more.  Flat out- this band wants to get bigger and to do so they are going to have to expand their nightly sets.  Im addicted to this band but this tour has gotten stale.  I am very tired of Sec walking, 2 halves - these songs are okay but every night is just boring.  In the beginning of this tour fans were syched to hear Phone Went West but after 30 or so times in a row it gets old.  I like the suggestions of adding some new and old tunes to the list.

As for the comment about the band learning only so many tunes and doing them professionally in cncert - well you do not know much about music.  There are ons of musicians that mix it up.  I personally believe the band is playing what they think the audience wants to hear.  Mr. James and the band are smart people but -- it may be time to listen to us - your fans and MIX IT UP ALITTLE!  Play some other tunes and stop playing some of the new ones -- some of them are not that good.

[DaFunkyPrecedent]

First off, I understand they're promoting their new album and I understand that they're gonna play a majority of their new songs in their sets.  I get that.  I'm okay with that.  But does Golden, Off The Record, OBH, Worless, Lay Low etc need to get played every night? Why not switch some of the older ones out??

Second - the band CAN perform their other songs. Sure they need to practice, but shit man, that's their fucking job.  They get paid to do this....paid lots of money. I mean Fuck, carl knew how to play every song BEFORE he joined the band.  They are all professional musicans and I have no doubt in my mind they could rock the shit out X-Mas Curtin tomorrow if they wanted.  

Third - If your gonna play the same songs over and over - at least change the order...for your sake and ours.  KEEP IT FROSTY!

Fourth - You dont have to defend the band in everything they do.  I complain because I care.  If I didn't expect more from the band I wouldn't be talking about this.  But I do expect more because I know they can do more.  The only reason I can see for them not to play other songs is because they think people wont "like" them as much.  This is where (if it were true) I would like to tell them they are wrong.  O Is The One That's Real is an amazing song and they should not hide it from thousands of people.  The same goes for most of the songs in which they have been keeping in the back of the their catalog for so long now.

Lastly - I love this band! I will always rock the hardest and any one of the shows.  I will always support them and will continue to go their shows so long as they're playing.  So what it really comes down to...I just really want to see Honest Man live.  Berkeley. 08.  for reals.  

[ycartrob]

good Lord, you people sound like you are actually attending every one of the shows on the tour and that's why you are upset about the same set lists.

No, you're upset b/c the songs they are playing, for other people, don't have enough variety.

baffling

[sweatboard]

Second - the band CAN perform their other songs. Sure they need to practice, but shit man, that's their fucking job.  They get paid to do this....paid lots of money. I mean Fuck, carl knew how to play every song BEFORE he joined the band.  They are all professional musicans and I have no doubt in their y mind they could rock the shit out X-Mas Curtin tomorrow if they wanted.  

It's NOT their JOB, It's thier LIFE.  I would hate for them to start thinking they owed their audience something.  I fell in love with this band because they weren't doing a job, they were releasing....Let's just keep job and professional out of the vocab when we talk about this band please.    

This remindes me of people bitching about Eddie Vedders in between song political rants......Just play the songs Ass Hole....The Ones we want....but mix it up...and stop speaking your mind...no one gives a shit......I spent $5 on a beer and I want to hear something off of TEN.  I know you actually care about this band so I don't group you in with those assholes but.....SERIOUSLY?

[doEVILslittle]

In the beginning of this tour fans were syched to hear Phone Went West but after 30 or so times in a row it gets old.

how addicted are you? because phone went west should never get old...it's one of the many varieties of heroin this band supplies its fans

also, how is it getting stale? if you've seen them enough times to see phone went west 30 times this tour you need to realize that this really isn't a band you follow around on tour religiously ...sure you should see them in the cities that surround where you live, or big venue shows like RCMH, Bonnaroo (two shows that couldnt have been more different) or Louisville and Red Rocks...but MMJ isnt Phish or the Dead ...they don't operate like that at all

Plus if you were REALLY listening, like say you only download boots religiously, then you would notice the subtle differences in every show...

and to whoever said we don't have to defend everything the band does? Well it's not like they slapped on some Nazi uniforms and mowed down a whole crowd of fans with AK's (no they prefer megaton bombs of rock...without the Nazism)...i mean jeez they're just doing what we love, playing shows

That's how a fanbase grows, let's say you've only been around since evil urges and you've just gotten into Z big time... your buddy in DC calls and says o man...just wait til you hear Dondante...i can feel a monster breakdown growing (which is what they actually did). then they get to philly and they play x-mas curtain instead? o wups...

if they never played that ridiculous version of DD in philly i guarantee you a shit ton of people would be complaining even more than had they changed the setlist. i mean dont get me wrong xmas is a great song, but they played it ALL THE TIME on the 06 tour...(where were all the complainers then?) that's how this band operates, they change from tour to tour with small changes every show within each tour.

and to whoever said switch it up and take OBH out....shame on you, you aren't a fan....that's right...I have no problem in calling someone out at the mere suggestion of removing that song from the setlist

[Roscog]

A lot of bitchin on here about honest comments.  I just read reviews from Boston that werent all that glowing.  Someone is even calling for the band to come back after their break with new setlists.

They have elevated their game to a point that a lot of us are watching and listening to what they are doing everyday.  I just see them getting better as they rotate a songs on a consistent basis verse the same songs over and over.  Extending a song or two that does not nomally go past 4 minutes would be a highlight too.

[freeport]

With the light show, it's tough to change the order every night. The cues have to be considered. Sometimes, drastically changing setlists can cause trouble. But....

This US tour has been pretty varied. The band in 2008 isn't the band from 2000. They are are a tighter band with a more focused, intricate sound. The songs that they play every night are there for a reason. They are staples of the new direction. That's the bands choice. Sadly, most of TTF songs don't work with what they're doing all the time. Same goes for AD tunes. They make their way in though.

I'm pretty sure the band knows that War Begun and Cobra are highly clamoured for. What did they doo, they brought them back and they show up almost every night! That was for the older fans. Knot Comes Loose showed up already. I was shocked when I saw that!

I'd love more variation too but the band has a mission and a direction for their sound. I'd say they bridge the gap very well. Enough variation and enough familiarity to suit everyone.