It looks like we’ve reached the end of our time together. Last night was the conclusion of the NYC leg of the Bouncing Souls‘ “For All The Unheard” tour, where they played “The Gold Record” and “Ghosts on the Boardwalk.” After finishing the two records, they launched into a few of their non-album sings, including some off the splits with Anti-Flag and Hot Water Music, like “Punks in Vegas” and “Wayfarer.”
Going by the band’s own count, they played about 107 or 108 songs over the course of four nights. Not bad.
This might be a good time to reflect on the idea of album and legacy tours in general. They can be a great way to experience a favorite band, but probably aren’t best for someone you’re just a casual fan of. For example, a few years ago I went to the full album performance of The Pixies’ “Doolittle.” Now, I like the group. But I am not an obsessive listener and I don’t know the album front-to-back. So, even though they played a few non-album favorites as encores, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I probably would have a regular show.
However, if you are a really big fan of the group, like I am of the Souls, it can be a great experience. You get to hear songs that aren’t normally part of the group’s live repertoire and experience records in their entirety. There’s an element of surprise missing by knowing exactly what song should be next, though, so if you’re seeing the band for the first time it won’t be the same experience as a regular concert.
If you want to see photos from last night, check them out here. To look at the first three nights go here: night 1, night 2 and night 3.
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