When you go to a concert and watch the band perform their set, usually at the end they will leave you disappointed because they did not play their most well known song, or maybe they cut the set list shorter than you wanted. Most of the time it will be okay; you will get to hear those songs that just didn’t play because the band will leave the stage and come back out for a few extra songs when the crowd starts yelling ‘ONE MORE SONG.’
I have never liked the idea of an encore because I feel like they are slightly egotistical. A band doesn’t just come back on stage and play their songs perfectly; they have to practice like any other person, so the encore was planned while making the set list for the tour. The band had to pick the songs they were going to play and then pick the encore songs as well. The songs are not extra time added to the set time, they just cut the set short and the encore songs make up the full set time. So in reality, the bands are not playing more songs just because you loved them, but because they had already planned to.
The what-ifs of the encore make it unappealing to me; what if the band sucked live and no one wanted an encore? The encore means that the band knows people will want them to do an encore, so they are just saying they know they will do a good job and people will love them. I do have to add that I wouldn’t complain if a band did an encore, especially if my favorite song wasn’t played, but I would prefer no encore or one that isn’t pre-planned. I personally hate encores and think they are not necessary to a set. I love an anti-ego band that doesn’t expect people will want an encore, or just doesn’t think so highly of themselves to even plan one. A band that isn’t there for anything else but music is the most refreshing thing to watch. Bands like The Drums and New Order don’t/didn’t play encores and that makes them refreshing. They go on stage, play music and leave.
Over this past weekend I was able to experience both types of bands: the anti-encore and obviously planned encore. Last Saturday I saw the band Young the Giant, who played a super-secret show in Charlotte, N.C., which was one of the most amazing shows I have ever seen live. They captivated you without being flashy and over-the-top. The last song was one of their most well-known called “My Body” and after it was over they put down their instruments and walked off stage. The crowd yelled one more song for about five minutes until one of my friends asked the stage guys if they were coming back, the answer was no they were not. They ended the show with an amazing song, and I don’t think they could have outdone themselves more than they had that night.
On the other hand, the next night I traveled to Raleigh, N.C .to see the band The Head and the Heart. While they were completely fantastic and wonderful musicians, they had one of the most planned encores I have ever seen. At the end they walked off stage without playing their two most well-known songs. After the crowd yelled for a couple minutes, they sent one of the many vocalists/guitarists to come sing an acoustic song and followed that with two more songs. While they sounded fantastic, it was obviously planned before hand and didn’t really make my concert experience feel special. I
I think a band that doesn’t plan for an encore is the best kind, and when one does happen it is something that they are doing because they really loved the show and crowd, not because they are expected to.