Re: Covers, keep in mind...

JH6056

Last night was just beyond phenomenal.  Mostly I think most people loved the covers as well as the originals, but for the people who say there are too many covers, yes, of course, you're entitled to your opinion.

But something you should also keep in mind, which was ABUNDANTLY CLEAR last night at Seattle 2, is that covers also keep things interesting for the band!  When you've been playing music together live for 25+ yrs, and you want to BRING IT, you have to keep changing things up a bit onstage or it gets freakin' boring.

The covers last night brought even more emotion and life and joy and frickin' energy to what was already such a highly charged set, but it took it over the cliff into interstellar overdrive.  Covers are not your enemy, and last night with their old friends (and Wed with new friends like Brandi Carlisle) they keep the band on ther toes and also just raise the emotional capital of the whole show.

I don't like every cover they do, and I enjoy some guests way more than others.  But I will never complain about covers at a show like last night (well, a) I loved ALL of them!)  but also b) everything I already wrote was just so clear.  If we want this band to keep touring, they have to keep changing it up for them too, not just for us.

PeArLgOoNeR

They have a boatload of really good originals that they never/very rarely play that they could also choose to dust off to keep things interesting.. 

I like most covers and love seeing the band happy on stage, so I'm basically with you.. But please give the material you created the last 20 years (binaural onwards) some love! 

JH6056

I hear ya, but many of those songs they wrote but rarely play may not inspire them. Playing someone else's song that they rock out to themselves is different, that's all I'm saying.

danceswithsquirrels

OP is 100% correct. The band enjoys playing these songs. They've always played covers. Most bands do. They idolized bands and had favorite songs growing up and now they can play them at their own shows. If anyone was at that show last night and is complaining about the covers... their life must be pretty perfect because that's being extremely nitpicky. That show was insane. Listened to the whole thing on Periscope and enjoyed the fuck out of it, including every cover. Really great song selection last night. 

curmudgeoness

Great point, OP. There's a "Songs you're tired of" thread going on the Porch, and I was tempted to add "Crazy Mary" to the list; I just don't like the song and never need to hear it again. BUT if the band enjoys playing it, and if their getting to play it means I will get to hear 30-odd other songs that I AM happy to hear, I'll just be quiet, listen politely, and wait for the next song on the set list.