Similar Setlist Thoughts?

[negative1]

[yeah maybe this should go in the moments forum?
(or stay here for more visibility)]... anyways...

ok, as i tend to do around album and release time..
(more so for the last couple of albums), i try to
stay away from the boards and news...

why? because i found that in the past, looking
at things too closely or too long tends to dull
the excitement, and enjoyment of the 'new' material..

sure, a lot of what is out now is just the evolution
of a lot of material from the past.. but still.. i digress..

i guess it really says something about this group,
that i remember people complaining (and i was one
of them), back in the 'beaucoup fish' era, that sometimes
(not often) they really didn't expand on their setlist...

well, it really hit home with 'a hundred days off'' album ..
i remember tracking the percentages of the songs
that were the same from show to show !!!

so here we are a decade later... same band (somewhat)
as UW MK2 (with 1 replacement).... and we see the
band 'settling' with playing a similar, and sometimes
exact same SONGS for each of their shows!

well, since i didn't bother to check out the songs this time..
I REALLY ENJOYED THE SHOW... yes, i've seen them
several times now....and regardless, no matter how big
the crowd, or the venue, they always put on an energetic
and entertaining show (at least here in the US/Canada)....

i just saw them last night, and will see them again
tomorrow....and you know what, if they do play the
same songs.. i won't mind (well not much).... sure
hearing 'dirty epic' live for the first time is special...
[i've never heard them play it before...darnit.. but now
i can cross that off my list... hopefully 'juanita' someday]...

maybe i'm older, sadder, wiser, jaded... or is it relaxed,
or sedate about the whole thing.... trust me, if i was
really disenchanted, or disinterested i wouldn't bother
going...i did drive 6 hours to see them you know....
[and no, i'm not justifying that as a reason that i
enjoyed it]....

maybe they've come to terms that this time around..
(like in the past)... that this generation, or this audience
doesn't really mind the setlist, or song selection...

YES, the fan in me wants the older way, with the improvs,
and long sets... but unless they go back to a 'riverrun' phase...
[which i totally dug]... i just don't see it happening again any
time soon..

of course, i could be wrong, because i know they tend to mix
it up a lot more for non-US audiences.... but the last few times
(3 now)... when the album/singles came out... they tended to
go back to the formulaic style for their concerts..

maybe that's why i don't get my hopes up too high.. but i still
got some nice surprises from the show... i'll let you find them
out, and not spoil it completely.. they do have other things
(and not just the visuals)... that will always make want to
go see them regardless of the setlist....

later
-1