Re: DT16 Timeline Thread - John finished recording guitar parts

[crystalstars17]

Well no offense, but yeah it does come off as complaining.

Pardon me for offending, then. I don't want to argue with you. Can we please agree to disagree? If I state a strong opinion about something, it's not meant as personal towards anyone here. Can't we all get along despite having different preferences? If we all went out for an ice cream cone and I exclaimed "YUCK! I hate chocolate", would everyone jump on me for preferring and ordering vanilla?

Regarding unique shows, how about you focus on just the show(s) you attend instead of worrying about any other shows that you don't go to (and therefore will not be affected by) if it bothers you that much? Just pretend that the show you're seeing is exactly what everyone else is seeing.

No. I'm sorry but this does sound vaguely patronizing. Just "pretending" those other shows don't exist, or that we're all getting the same show... no.  Obviously we'll never understand each other on this matter, and that's ok.

And I notice you avoided responding to my point about how you admit to having gone to multiple shows on the same tour. How is not seeing a wider variety of songs over multiple nights not better?

I never avoided anything. Apologies for not seeing this one the first time as it's a valid question. More songs is not a bad thing, no, but that's hardly the problem I have with it.

[gzarruk]

It's almost 3 full weeks since they gathered at DTHQ together, it'd be really interesting to know where they're at in terms of writing the album. Mike and Jordan are also scheduled to play at Cruise to the Edge at the end of next week so I'm curious if their plan is to complete the songs before they leave or if they plan to go back and keep writing ater that. On one hand I don't want them to rush the process and just wing it with the LTE mindset of let's jam and see what we can come up with as fast as we can, but I also don't want the album to be pushed to 2025...

[crystalstars17]

But hey, one's trash is another's treasure, right? I hope we can agree to disagree amicably.

Oh, of course! I don't think you're wrong about anything. We just have drastically different personal preferences. 

And as much as I may struggle to understand your point of view, I very much enjoy reading your responses.

Likewise! I see a lot of passion here in the posts on both sides of this issue. It's good to see, even in the midst of concerns that the tickets aren't selling.

[The Letter M]

Well no offense, but yeah it does come off as complaining.

Pardon me for offending, then. I don't want to argue with you. Can we please agree to disagree? If I state a strong opinion about something, it's not meant as personal towards anyone here. Can't we all get along despite having different preferences? If we all went out for an ice cream cone and I exclaimed "YUCK! I hate chocolate", would everyone jump on me for preferring and ordering vanilla?

I don't think anyone would jump on you for your preference(s), but if you insisted that everyone eat vanilla because that's what you want/like, then yeah, folks might be a bit defensive. Like Scotty said, if you just go to one show and one show only, and disregard any other shows and don't even bother to look at their setlists, then what you get at a show was YOUR show. You never have to submit yourself to knowing what else they might have played at nearby shows before and after yours. You can have your vanilla, while everyone else can have their chocolate and strawberry.

But as your edit says in your earlier post, you'd be okay with a few songs being rotated out from night to night, perhaps akin to what Rush did in their 21st century setlists? Have an A-set and a B-set, and maybe a C-Set, and cycle through those over the course of the tour. Then maybe during a follow-up leg in the same territory, they change it up a bit more. I don't think the band would do any more than that, and certainly nothing as wild as they used to. As stated previously, if they EVER do another album performance again, it would be pre-announced (as they were before), and usually on the 2nd night of a two-night stand in one city.

I think most folks are just excited to see the band play like 15 song over the course of a tour leg, and do 11-12 of them each night, but swap a few each night. That's all, nothing too extravagant. Now, if there's an improv/jam section that is slightly different each night (like the TOT Tour "Beyond This Life" jam), is that something you'd be upset about, being that it might be different from show to show? I remember the 2008 LTE shows all had pretty different jam spots in their sets, which tended to evolve over the course of the tour, so maybe something like that might happen again, in which case, every night would be unique because Mike is always changing up his grooves and fills for those kinds of improv jams.

-Marc.

[TAC]

I'm personally not a fan of A List/B List rotation. What Dt did with MP before was so much more than that.


As far as the rotating not rotating setlist thing goes...
Look, I go to ONE show. Boston. That's my show whether they rotate or not. In the non rotating setlist era, I see what they play, wait for my show, and then bam I'm done and disengage for the rest of the tour.


What rotating setlist do for me is...Dream Theater is my favorite band (they are either 1a, 1ab, or 1c depending on my mood).

Watching the setlists throughout the tour keeps me engaged throughout the entire tour. I love seeing the different combinations. Also, I like listening and collecting live shows from throughout the tour, and well, having a static setlist makes this quite unsatisfying. I try and get a great sounding show and my show and that's it. Checking the setlists each morning was like checking the sports scores each day.

Certainly not all setlists are created equal, and if the city before you gets your favorite song, yeah, that blows, but whatever. Like I said, whether they rotate or not does NOT affect my show one way or the other, but I'm way more engaged as a fan with the various setlists used throughout the tour. It makes me pay attention for the duration of the tour, and I don't check out after my show.

[porcacultor]

It feels almost embarrassing to chime in on the rotating setlist thing, but rather than saying I'm for or against (can you already tell I'm for?  ) since I've been on the arguable two sides of the experience, maybe I can bring something to the table: in 2008 I got a bunch of favorites in São Paulo that the folks in other Brazilian cities (I think Rio the day prior and Belo Horizonte or Brasília the next day) didn't get, and in 2010 I got a setlist that was less geared towards my personal favorites than the Rio setlist the previous/next day.

I do have a general perception that the concert with more songs that I hold dear to my heart was better than the other one... but that didn't make the 2010 gig a lesser DT gig. I missed out on Solitary Shell, Mirror/Lie and In the Name of God, but in São Paulo we got the extended Hollow Years and a big chunk of Act II of SFAM (Dance of Eternity, One Last Time and Spirit Carries On), along with the Pull Me-Tropolis medley (which I dig). Both shows were just as Dream Theater-y (the major advantage of 2008 was that it was a longer show), both shows had big tour-specific touchstones (start with ANTR, end with TCOT), they definitely delivered on the promise of playing a Dream Theater concert. That's what I feel MP aims for on ALL setlists he pens – and really, what the band angled for even with the static approach. Changing or keeping it simple, it's always those five guys on stage (and the crew) making magic happen.

Like TAC, I'm also not one to travel for other DT gigs. I know people who do, and more power to them, but that's just not in the cards for me. So I take what I get, and like TAC, to me it feels like a plus to keep tabs on what they're playing, watching/listening to bootleg recordings of shows with different setlists... It's like a little treat even if you're not there.

crystalstars17, I wouldn't want you to change your opinion on the matter just because it's different than mine, but what I hope is that the band can show us all that whatever the setlist approach, they're a force to be reckoned with onstage. I think the craziest exploits like playing a full album by another band are behind them at this point (unless, like Scotty said, it's something announced in advance), so the perspectives seem positive (still rooting for JLB to shift gears and get back on track pitch-wise, but that's another issue entirely).

[HOF]

It had been too long since we had a good throw down about set lists!

[DoctorAction]

It had been too long since we had a good throw down about set lists!

Yes! Those fucking set lists, man... Oof!

[NoFred]

As an old who’d be willing to see a second show per tour? Yes please give me (predictable) alternating set lists, at least 3 different songs. That’ll get me into two shows. But don’t make it more complicated than that - ideally I can hit two stops and see the full offering.

[MirrorMask]

It's almost 3 full weeks since they gathered at DTHQ together, it'd be really interesting to know where they're at in terms of writing the album. Mike and Jordan are also scheduled to play at Cruise to the Edge at the end of next week so I'm curious if their plan is to complete the songs before they leave or if they plan to go back and keep writing ater that. On one hand I don't want them to rush the process and just wing it with the LTE mindset of let's jam and see what we can come up with as fast as we can, but I also don't want the album to be pushed to 2025...

I'm with you, I hope their approach is not "we have to fnish the album before the cruise", they should follow their muse and write until they're satisfied.

[gborland]

I'm with you, I hope their approach is not "we have to fnish the album before the cruise", they should follow their muse and write until they're satisfied.

Until we're satisfied. 

[crystalstars17]

I don't think it's good to underestimate the excitement that comes from having rotating setlists.

See I think this is what I've failed to communicate here. For me (and I can't be the only one for whom this is true), it's the announcement of the setlist that holds that excitement and anticipation.

And a band can arguably create fan excitement over the announcing of their setlist, even drag it out a little bit. Iron Maiden did this to perfection for the Legacy of the Beast tour.

You could well be right that James' recent performances were a factor and if that be true, how incredibly unjust to Mike Mangini.

This crossed my mind as well. 😓

[gborland]

See I think this is what I've failed to communicate here. For me (and I can't be the only one for whom this is true), it's the announcement of the setlist that holds that excitement and anticipation.

OK, this is an important clarification. 

I was forming the impression that you had some weird OCD FOMO thing where you couldn't stand the thought of someone else experiencing a different setlist from you.

[crystalstars17]

See I think this is what I've failed to communicate here. For me (and I can't be the only one for whom this is true), it's the announcement of the setlist that holds that excitement and anticipation.

OK, this is an important clarification. 

I was forming the impression that you had some weird OCD FOMO thing where you couldn't stand the thought of someone else experiencing a different setlist from you.

Lol, no! 

Glad I could clarify.

[Setlist Scotty]

I don't think it's good to underestimate the excitement that comes from having rotating setlists.

See I think this is what I've failed to communicate here. For me (and I can't be the only one for whom this is true), it's the announcement of the setlist that holds that excitement and anticipation.

And a band can arguably create fan excitement over the announcing of their setlist, even drag it out a little bit. Iron Maiden did this to perfection for the Legacy of the Beast tour.

So then imagine that excitement and anticipation for *every* show, and not just at the beginning of a tour!   

That's what TAC and I were trying to convey happened with the rotating setlists that would be discussed for a much longer period of time than with a static setlist.

[crystalstars17]

I don't think it's good to underestimate the excitement that comes from having rotating setlists.

See I think this is what I've failed to communicate here. For me (and I can't be the only one for whom this is true), it's the announcement of the setlist that holds that excitement and anticipation.

And a band can arguably create fan excitement over the announcing of their setlist, even drag it out a little bit. Iron Maiden did this to perfection for the Legacy of the Beast tour.

So then imagine that excitement and anticipation for *every* show, and not just at the beginning of a tour!   

That's what TAC and I were trying to convey happened with the rotating setlists that would be discussed for a much longer period of time than with a static setlist.

I do see what you're saying and I give you due credit for being an excellent salesman  But, has anyone considered whether James can even do this?!? One of the things my husband actually said when we discussed it yesterday was, "James can't even keep up with one setlist". LOL, he kinda has a point... 

[Indiscipline]

It's possible wisely rotating setlists could actually help James a lot.

[crystalstars17]

It's possible wisely rotating setlists could actually help James a lot.

🤔💡

[Lonk]

It's possible wisely rotating setlists could actually help James a lot.

Agree. If they notice he struggles on a certain part of the setlist, they can change the order, add a song that gives him more breaks with instrumental stuff and less demanding vocal melodies.

[Setlist Scotty]

I don't think it's good to underestimate the excitement that comes from having rotating setlists.

See I think this is what I've failed to communicate here. For me (and I can't be the only one for whom this is true), it's the announcement of the setlist that holds that excitement and anticipation.

And a band can arguably create fan excitement over the announcing of their setlist, even drag it out a little bit. Iron Maiden did this to perfection for the Legacy of the Beast tour.

So then imagine that excitement and anticipation for *every* show, and not just at the beginning of a tour!   

That's what TAC and I were trying to convey happened with the rotating setlists that would be discussed for a much longer period of time than with a static setlist.

I do see what you're saying and I give you due credit for being an excellent salesman  But, has anyone considered whether James can even do this?!? One of the things my husband actually said when we discussed it yesterday was, "James can't even keep up with one setlist". LOL, he kinda has a point... 

That is one of the things that MP was always mindful of when it came to creating setlists because he wants to make sure the *band's* performance - not just his - is going to be great. So not only would he make sure the songs varied from show to show, and flowed well, but also to make sure that JL would be able to manage. One example was on the 2007 tour to play an abridged version of Take the Time, skipping the second verse (because it's brutal for JL), except for a handful of shows where they played Images and Words front-to-back in celebration of its 15th anniversary. And even with general song placement within a setlist, he's good about making sure to not give JL more than he can handle. So no need to worry.   

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

i'd be down to travel and see a few gigs with the rotating setlist..back when i was 18; now that i'm a decrepit, creaky, 33-year old i'm happy with the same setlist, as i'd only go to one show, if i could even afford to

[Stadler]

how about you focus on just the show(s) you attend instead of worrying about any other shows that you don't go to (and therefore will not be affected by)

This is not directed at anyone - and certainly not you, CrystalStars; I get your point even if I don't agree with it, and I respect that - but as a general proposition, this has been an evolution of my life.   I don't think it was chronic, but there was certainly a "FOMO" aspect to my life when I was younger; not a bad thing, it led me to do some great and fun things (as well as some dumb things) that I get to tell as stories today.   Love it and grateful for it.   But in terms of my sort of mental wellness, I can't worry about what I don't have. It's like Schroedinger's Cat, you know?   The setlists at other shows don't matter and may not even exist until someone hears them.  I can only vouch for my show, and enjoy my show for what it is. 

There are so many dynamics to a band that we can never know; even some of the band members may never FULLY know.   I just know that I'm probably going to see multiple shows this next time around for a combination of reasons, and "setlist" is only one of them.  I want to see those five play together.  I want to meet some of my friends before the show and have a beer.  I want to hear the songs they choose to play (including, hopefully, some new ones).   It's all a package that I'm excited for, and I hope they all rise to the occasion (I expect they will, if history is any guide).

[Madman Shepherd]

how about you focus on just the show(s) you attend instead of worrying about any other shows that you don't go to (and therefore will not be affected by)

This is not directed at anyone - and certainly not you, CrystalStars; I get your point even if I don't agree with it, and I respect that - but as a general proposition, this has been an evolution of my life.   I don't think it was chronic, but there was certainly a "FOMO" aspect to my life when I was younger; not a bad thing, it led me to do some great and fun things (as well as some dumb things) that I get to tell as stories today.   Love it and grateful for it.   But in terms of my sort of mental wellness, I can't worry about what I don't have. It's like Schroedinger's Cat, you know?   The setlists at other shows don't matter and may not even exist until someone hears them.  I can only vouch for my show, and enjoy my show for what it is. 

What if the show, for what it is, has a crappy setlist? Then you find out the show after you, which is about the same distance from where you live, had an awesome setlist? Double whammy.

I don't know, maybe if they announced the setlist beforehand. I know, unrealistic, but it would give people a chance to decide what songs they wanted to see. Nobody would force you to have it spoiled ahead of time.

As it stands, DoT tour had a somewhat underwhelming setlist, but the fact that I knew it beforehand allowed me to prepare, recognize that they injected new energy into songs I didn't like, like ANTR, and truly appreciate it. Sure, I would have had a similar feeling had I not known the setlist and been surprised at how good it was, but that would have taken time to get over, analyze, lose focus and keep pondering how they were gonna do the day after day part, etc. 

[hefdaddy42]

how about you focus on just the show(s) you attend instead of worrying about any other shows that you don't go to (and therefore will not be affected by)

This is not directed at anyone - and certainly not you, CrystalStars; I get your point even if I don't agree with it, and I respect that - but as a general proposition, this has been an evolution of my life.   I don't think it was chronic, but there was certainly a "FOMO" aspect to my life when I was younger; not a bad thing, it led me to do some great and fun things (as well as some dumb things) that I get to tell as stories today.   Love it and grateful for it.   But in terms of my sort of mental wellness, I can't worry about what I don't have. It's like Schroedinger's Cat, you know?   The setlists at other shows don't matter and may not even exist until someone hears them.  I can only vouch for my show, and enjoy my show for what it is. 

What if the show, for what it is, has a crappy setlist? Then you find out the show after you, which is about the same distance from where you live, had an awesome setlist?

I mean, what if it does?  Individual tastes vary.  Sometimes you get a show that's a banger, and sometimes you don't.

[Madman Shepherd]

how about you focus on just the show(s) you attend instead of worrying about any other shows that you don't go to (and therefore will not be affected by)

This is not directed at anyone - and certainly not you, CrystalStars; I get your point even if I don't agree with it, and I respect that - but as a general proposition, this has been an evolution of my life.   I don't think it was chronic, but there was certainly a "FOMO" aspect to my life when I was younger; not a bad thing, it led me to do some great and fun things (as well as some dumb things) that I get to tell as stories today.   Love it and grateful for it.   But in terms of my sort of mental wellness, I can't worry about what I don't have. It's like Schroedinger's Cat, you know?   The setlists at other shows don't matter and may not even exist until someone hears them.  I can only vouch for my show, and enjoy my show for what it is. 

What if the show, for what it is, has a crappy setlist? Then you find out the show after you, which is about the same distance from where you live, had an awesome setlist?

I mean, what if it does?  Individual tastes vary.  Sometimes you get a show that's a banger, and sometimes you don't.

My point was it sucks extra hard knowing a day later they got an amazing show.

It's not fomo if you're main "worry" is spending 600 bucks on two tickets, gas, food, and hotel when you're forced to listen to Just Let Me Breathe followed by Honor Thy Father with a 20 minute Astonishing Medley

[crystalstars17]

It's not fomo if you're main "worry" is spending 600 bucks on two tickets, gas, food, and hotel when you're forced to listen to Just Let Me Breathe followed by Honor Thy Father with a 20 minute Astonishing Medley

This, 💯. The FOMO argument is ludicrous. It doesn't have to be that way, that one city gets a "banger" and for the next city "it sucks". Just have a setlist and stick to it. Then change up a couple of songs maybe, like have a three song encore where maybe my city gets, ok, Constant Motion and Lines in the Sand (my two most hated DT songs, fwiw) and Madman's gets ANTR and another song he despises, but we ALL get Octavarium (thank heaven!), and still everyone goes home happy.

[BlackInk]

Super late to the party and feel like I'm adding a really basic opinion to this thread, but I am really just excited to maybe get some groove back in DT. Listened to some DT again over the past few days, and the difference in how alive and dynamic the drums feel on MP's albums compared to MM's stuff is quite astonishing. Calling MM a drum machine is a bit of a tired cliche at this point, but I have heard many drum machines with more groove than MM. The drums aren't the only reason why I don't really listen to DT that much anymore, but it is a reason.

Would be fun to be excited about a DT release again though, I haven't really felt that in like a decade.

[Mosh]

I've seen Dream Theater on every tour besides ADTOE since 2010, so all static setlists. They have done such a good job digging into the back catalog that at this point it's really unlikely they could come out with a static setlist that would particularly excite me, especially taking into consideration that Portnoy clearly wants to play the classics again (and to be clear, just seeing Portnoy back in the band is going to be worth the price of admission no matter what they play). I also enjoy enough of the band's catalog that I'll enjoy whatever they throw out there. Heck, Ministry of Lost Souls is one of my least favorite DT song but the novelty factor alone made it a nice surprise when they pulled it out a couple years ago. So I don't really get the calculation that rotating setlists will result in better or worse shows unless you're more casually into the band and only like a few albums.

Also, I would take a look at the setlists on MP's website from when the band was rotating songs. I think a lot of the hypotheticals in here are just not accurate to how DT built setlists in the past. If they pull out a big fan favorite that hasn't been done in awhile like Octavarium or The Glass Prison, they're probably going to play it at every show. It seems like a lot of the songs that were swapped back in the day were of comparable rareness and comparable reverence among fans. Everybody is going to get the same big set highlights, I don't mind a some surprises sprinkled in there even a song I like a lot better gets played somewhere else. It's still a Dream Theater show and I'm going to have a great time no matter what they play.


BTW I think if they do bring back rotating setlists to the same degree that existed before, they really need to be ready to dig deep into the Mangini era. As I mentioned earlier, the band did an incredible job digging into their back catalog. I&W, Awake, Scenes, BC&SL have all been very well represented over the last decade, while there are a bunch of songs off DT12 and D/T that either haven't been played live or were played live only on the initial touring. If they're going to rotate setlists again, I hope they take the opportunity to represent a larger breadth of the catalog than they were doing with static setlists. It'll be kind of a drag if they're doing FII era deep cuts while one of their best songs, Surrender to Reason, still hasn't been played live.

[hefdaddy42]

It's not fomo if you're main "worry" is spending 600 bucks on two tickets, gas, food, and hotel when you're forced to listen to Just Let Me Breathe followed by Honor Thy Father with a 20 minute Astonishing Medley

This, 💯. The FOMO argument is ludicrous. It doesn't have to be that way, that one city gets a "banger" and for the next city "it sucks". Just have a setlist and stick to it. Then change up a couple of songs maybe, like have a three song encore where maybe my city gets, ok, Constant Motion and Lines in the Sand (my two most hated DT songs, fwiw) and Madman's gets ANTR and another song he despises, but we ALL get Octavarium (thank heaven!), and still everyone goes home happy.

Well, I can't stand Constant Motion, or ANTR, but I love Lines in the Sand.

That's why it doesn't matter.  They've never made setlists that EVERYONE likes, because tastes vary so much.  If I know the setlist isn't going to change because they just don't do that, and I already know what the setlist is and it contains a good number of songs that aren't my favorites, I have no hope.  But if I know they are changing it up somewhat, then I have hope, and then if I get stuck with some songs I don't like, it isn't any worse than if it was a static setlist with songs I don't like.

You never answered my question from before.  What if the show at your local venue was the first stop of the tour?  Would you just not go, because you wouldn't yet know the setlist?

[MirrorMask]

Also, I would take a look at the setlists on MP's website from when the band was rotating songs. I think a lot of the hypotheticals in here are just not accurate to how DT built setlists in the past. If they pull out a big fan favorite that hasn't been done in awhile like Octavarium or The Glass Prison, they're probably going to play it at every show. It seems like a lot of the songs that were swapped back in the day were of comparable rareness and comparable reverence among fans. Everybody is going to get the same big set highlights, I don't mind a some surprises sprinkled in there even a song I like a lot better gets played somewhere else. It's still a Dream Theater show and I'm going to have a great time no matter what they play.

Exactly. At one show you got Never Enough, at the other I Walk Beside You. If at one show you got Wait for Sleep and Learning to Live, at the other you got Pull Me Under and Metropolis. They never swapped A Change of Seasons for You Not Me or something along those lines.

Even without MP, in the Dramatic tour they rotated the acoustic interlude - Beneath the Surface and The Silent Man, vs Wait for Sleep and Far from Heaven. In both cases, a classic and a (then) new song. It's not that they swapped Breaking All Illusions for Build Me Up Break Me Down.

[hefdaddy42]

Also, I would take a look at the setlists on MP's website from when the band was rotating songs. I think a lot of the hypotheticals in here are just not accurate to how DT built setlists in the past. If they pull out a big fan favorite that hasn't been done in awhile like Octavarium or The Glass Prison, they're probably going to play it at every show. It seems like a lot of the songs that were swapped back in the day were of comparable rareness and comparable reverence among fans. Everybody is going to get the same big set highlights, I don't mind a some surprises sprinkled in there even a song I like a lot better gets played somewhere else. It's still a Dream Theater show and I'm going to have a great time no matter what they play.

Exactly. At one show you got Never Enough, at the other I Walk Beside You. If at one show you got Wait for Sleep and Learning to Live, at the other you got Pull Me Under and Metropolis. They never swapped A Change of Seasons for You Not Me or something along those lines.

Even without MP, in the Dramatic tour they rotated the acoustic interlude - Beneath the Surface and The Silent Man, vs Wait for Sleep and Far from Heaven. In both cases, a classic and a (then) new song. It's not that they swapped Breaking All Illusions for Build Me Up Break Me Down.

Exactly.

[gzarruk]

IIRC, at first they were rotating BAI or Outcry for The Great Debate, but they quickly fixed that

[Setlist Scotty]

IIRC, at first they were rotating BAI or Outcry for The Great Debate, but they quickly fixed that

Actually, they were swapping BAI and Outcry - TGD was static in the setlist originally. Seeing all the complaints that BAI wasn't being played at every show, JP made the decision to drop TGD and move Outcry into its slot, and have BAI close every show (main set).

[gzarruk]

IIRC, at first they were rotating BAI or Outcry for The Great Debate, but they quickly fixed that

Actually, they were swapping BAI and Outcry - TGD was static in the setlist originally. Seeing all the complaints that BAI wasn't being played at every show, JP made the decision to drop TGD and move Outcry into its slot, and have BAI close every show (main set).

Thank you!

[DTwwbwMP]

I don't think it's good to underestimate the excitement that comes from having rotating setlists.

See I think this is what I've failed to communicate here. For me (and I can't be the only one for whom this is true), it's the announcement of the setlist that holds that excitement and anticipation.

And a band can arguably create fan excitement over the announcing of their setlist, even drag it out a little bit. Iron Maiden did this to perfection for the Legacy of the Beast tour.

So then imagine that excitement and anticipation for *every* show, and not just at the beginning of a tour!   

That's what TAC and I were trying to convey happened with the rotating setlists that would be discussed for a much longer period of time than with a static setlist.

EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!