Re: [Harp-L] Set Lists - I'll Show You Mine if You Show Me Yours

[pdxharpdog@xxxxxxxxxxx]

My band has been together for more than a few years, and we have played hundreds of gigs. the guitar leader ofÂthe band hates set lists - the best we can get him to do is to make a list of songs that "might" be in the set and then he generally goes off that list. During the show he "calls audiblesÂat the line of scrimmage" Âafter reading the audience mood throughout the show. I used to hate this, but have come to realize that he is a bit of a genius at reading the crowd and giving them what they want. He usually has surprises in there that he has planned, but not told most of the band about. Keeps us on our toes and focused - I like that. 



Case in point - at one memorable night's gig,ÂÂthe guitarist had pedal board issues and there was a hole in the show while he fixed it.ÂNot wanting dead air, the bass player/singer started tellingÂa story about growing up in Chicago andÂabout a lime green jumpsuit that his grandma made him when he was in kindergarten to match his beloved Italian grandpa's lime green jumpsuit. Turns out that he was soÂproud to show it off to his classmates that first day he wore it to school that during the day'sÂfield trip outing he wasn't watching where he was walking and fell head first into a freshly poured sidewalk'sÂwet cement. We were all howling duringÂthe story when the guitarist came back online about halfway throughÂand deftlyÂthrewÂa guitarline to the story and the bass player and the rest of us moved it right into a song andÂquickly evolved into one of the best impromptu songs we have ever done.ÂThe crowd went nutz at the transition and we have now made it a fixture in our shows. 



point is - don't get so attached to a linear approach to a show if the crowd dictates something different. After all, it IS about them, not the band. 



harp content:Â i find it very hard to play while grinning. 



pdxharpdog 

www.myspace.com/sassparillajugband 








----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rick Davis" <bluesharpamps@xxxxxxxxx> 
To: "David Payne" <dmatthew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
Cc: "Harp L Harp L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2009 11:22:28 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific 
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Set Lists - I'll Show You Mine if You Show Me Yours 

I think Tom was making a rather funny point... 



On Sun, Jul 12, 2009 at 12:07 PM, David Payne < 
dmatthew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: 

> 
> A list of songs you'd play on stage. If you played out a lot, you'd have 
> more than one, one for dive bar, one for the church picnic, etc. It's the 
> reason musicians typically don't draw a blank on stage "OK, what do we play 
> next?" It's there on the list. During the concert, you just work your way 
> down the list. 
> I'm getting together with some guys tonight to make a set list for a show 
> we are playing Thurs at the Texas Roadhouse in Vienna. We play a bunch of 
> songs we know and say "Hey that was good, put it on the list" at the end of 
> the session, we'll have a list of songs that we will play Thursday. 
> 
> Dave 
> ________________________________ 
> www.elkriverharmonicas.com 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ---- 
> From: Tom Ball <havaball@xxxxxxx> 
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
> Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2009 1:32:56 PM 
> Subject: RE: Â[Harp-L] Set Lists - I'll Show You Mine if You Show Me Yours 
> 
> "Set lists?" 
> What the hell is a "Set List?" Â:) 
> TB 
> _______________________________________________ 
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org 
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx 
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l 
> 
> _______________________________________________ 
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org 
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx 
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l 
> 



-- 
-Rick Davis 
The Blues Harp Amps Blog 
http://www.bluesharpamps.blogspot.com/ 
_______________________________________________ 
Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org 
Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx 
http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l