Encores
There was something about the last two shows that I went to that was kind of unique: neither featured an encore. Typically, I'm there cheering right along with the rest of the crowd for one more song after a band finishes their set, but at these shows, I left more satisfied than usual even without the expected addendum to the regular set.
The first of these shows was Mars Volta at the Electric Factory in Philly. They played for 2:30 straight. No breaks, no pauses, no banter. Just music. And an amazing performance. An encore would have been anti-climactic. Everyone else must have agreed, because there were no chants or cheers. Everyone just turned around and left. It was kinda like the silence after a profound speech. Their set was so well-conceived that an encore wasn't only unnecessary, it would have been unwise.
The second show was Mastodon at the Recher Theatre in Towson, MD. They played about 1:15 without much of a break. The crowd kind of milled around for a few minutes and then the closing track of Levithan came over the PA and then the house lights came on. The show was over. The set was brutal in its heaviness and, while there was some noise for more this time, I can't imagine anyone left without their fill. An encore would be unlikely to improve upon the evening.
I never thought about it before, but after seeing it twice in a row, I kinda think that might be the way it should be. Just give me a full, solid set and then cut me loose. Don't make me stand around and stomp and yell and clap like an idiot to get you to play a song you intended to play anyway. Every now and then a band will come back out and play another 30 minutes or so and the encore takes on the quality of a second set. That might be the exception to what may become my new "no encore" rule. But bands who aren't willing to do that ought to just pack it up. If they didn't win me over with the regular set, what makes them (or me for that matter) think an encore is going to improve things? Maybe it's just a tradition, but a lot of encores are anti-climactic anyway. The buzz of the show has begun to wear off before they return to the stage. Finish strong and be done with it. I'm not 100% sold on this, but the last two shows have finished with a blast and I've left at least as satisfied as I ever have with an encore. It's just something to think about.
The first of these shows was Mars Volta at the Electric Factory in Philly. They played for 2:30 straight. No breaks, no pauses, no banter. Just music. And an amazing performance. An encore would have been anti-climactic. Everyone else must have agreed, because there were no chants or cheers. Everyone just turned around and left. It was kinda like the silence after a profound speech. Their set was so well-conceived that an encore wasn't only unnecessary, it would have been unwise.
The second show was Mastodon at the Recher Theatre in Towson, MD. They played about 1:15 without much of a break. The crowd kind of milled around for a few minutes and then the closing track of Levithan came over the PA and then the house lights came on. The show was over. The set was brutal in its heaviness and, while there was some noise for more this time, I can't imagine anyone left without their fill. An encore would be unlikely to improve upon the evening.
I never thought about it before, but after seeing it twice in a row, I kinda think that might be the way it should be. Just give me a full, solid set and then cut me loose. Don't make me stand around and stomp and yell and clap like an idiot to get you to play a song you intended to play anyway. Every now and then a band will come back out and play another 30 minutes or so and the encore takes on the quality of a second set. That might be the exception to what may become my new "no encore" rule. But bands who aren't willing to do that ought to just pack it up. If they didn't win me over with the regular set, what makes them (or me for that matter) think an encore is going to improve things? Maybe it's just a tradition, but a lot of encores are anti-climactic anyway. The buzz of the show has begun to wear off before they return to the stage. Finish strong and be done with it. I'm not 100% sold on this, but the last two shows have finished with a blast and I've left at least as satisfied as I ever have with an encore. It's just something to think about.
posted by bob_vinyl at 12:01 AM
3 Comments:
I think I'm with you on this. I've never seen anything along the lines of the Mars Volta show (neither had you, though, before that night), so I can't say for certain, but the encore just seems so contrived.
What would be impressive if a crowd kept cheering when the lights came on, refusing to acknowledge the implicit signal of "show's over". If the band came out and played more, then I'd know it was an honest-to-god connection between band and fans, not some scripted bullshit.
When I saw David Bowie at the Electric Factory in Philly (same place you saw MV), he did the split set thing. I thought he was really lame for ending after about 90 minutes, but then he came out and played for another 90 minutes. And no encore at the end of the second set, just lights on go home. It was a powerful show and a powerful way to pace it.
I've come to see the light on this too. On my blog of the Mastodon show, I made the same comment Bob did here...hey you WERE there with me, weren't you, lol? I thought it was crafty of them to get the hopes of the crowd up then tease them in a farewell by playing the overhead track, which is a totally appropriate finish to the album. Since Mastodon ended up playing the whole Leviathan album in concert, though rearranged, it was only fitting we hear the final track on our way. That was killer.
I can say that in NJ, Anthrax did a double encore and both were 20 minutes long. Pretty cool. They were more into the fact that they were playing at home and couldn't bear to leave the stage. I commented on my blog on how misty-eyed Dan Spitz was. That was great.
An encore can also ruin a performance. When I saw Megadeth open for Judas Priest in 1990 they played a great, tight set and then went off. When they came back I was hoping for maybe a song from the first album but unfortunately they played Anarchy in the UK. Ending on a bad note like that did taint an overall great performance.
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