Re: Overall lack of setlist variety so far
From a distance, just looking at sets it certainly seems that way. The first 3 shows were a big surprise, but it's plateaued since then at least in variety of songs.
It seems like the band is pretty adamant on playing old tunes for the acoustic set, which is cool. But it seems like they only have about 12 or 15 in rotation for it. I mean Recently, PFWYG, Ants, Tripping Billies, and Two Step all acoustic could happen for me every show, but at this point I know the shows I go to will get those songs.
I was under the impression they were going to blow the structures of these songs apart, and try different things with them. I just don't see that happening. They've tweaked a couple intros and outros, but the songs sound a bit restrained, and not loose and fresh like I thought they would.
I thought the members were going to rotate more, and possibly see just Dave and Stefan, or Dave and Boyd etc... It seems pretty dialed in as far as arrangements go and this is it.
Plus the formula of 8 songs and 15 songs really is set in stone. I thought the acoustic set might go long at times, and the electric set might be longer too! The electric set is not really anything different than the past. Why not get crazy with it?? I thought that was the point of this whole thing. To stop playing it safe. Cornbread, Spaceman, Jimi, You and Me, Squirm and Satellite all need to take a couple year hiatus. I don't hate those songs even. I'm just tired of a band with 100's of songs in their catalog playing 5 o 6 songs consistently that haven't changed at all in 5 years! If their going to jam on these songs, change the jams!
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