★★★★★ Would use this restroom again.
You know the drill. You are at an outdoor concert or festival, nature calls, and somewhere in the distance sits a row of blue plastic closets baking in the sun. You lower your expectations, hold your breath and enter and exit with urgency. Paper products are never guaranteed. The foot-pump handwashing station technically exists, but somehow you leave feeling less clean than when you arrived. One of my favorite bands was playing in Park City as part of Concerts on the Slopes. Although we have attended hundreds of shows over the years, this was our first concert at Canyons Village. It was nearly 100 degrees. After a great barbecue dinner and drinks, the inevitable venue scan began for the dreaded blue boxes. But these were no ordinary porta-potties. Air conditioning. Flushing toilets. Running water. Clean counters. Enough room to turn around without making physical contact with three different surfaces. They even smelled great! These portable restrooms were nicer than my first apartment. So much about the evening was off-the-charts awesome, yet somehow I could not stop talking about the bathroom experience. It would have been easy to roll in the standard blue boxes and call it good. Instead, the organizers understood their audience, considered the conditions and adjusted the experience accordingly. Great venue operators know that the customer experience is not defined by the stage alone. It is shaped by every detail, especially the ones guests normally dread. Concerts on the Slopes did not just provide a restroom. They provided a restroom worth writing about.
★★★★★ Concerts on the Slope
About the Author Dan Rodgerson writes about placemaking, guest experience, leadership, entertainment and the unexpected moments that make destinations memorable.
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The Value of the Set List
By Dan Rodgerson
At the end of a concert, there is often a rush toward the stage. Fans point, plead and occasionally compete for one of the evening’s most coveted souvenirs: the set list.
A handwritten or printed set list pulled from the stage can become a wonderful keepsake. It may include a last-minute change, a handwritten note or some other small detail unique to that particular performance.
But what if the set list were even more valuable before the concert?
What if you knew almost exactly when the band was going to throw down your favorite song?
What if you knew the unfamiliar song you were hearing was followed by three songs you absolutely loved?
What if you could determine whether the encore was worth waiting for, when to make a quick restroom run or whether leaving early would mean missing the biggest song of the night?
And what if spending just a few minutes preparing before the concert could help you enjoy songs you might otherwise overlook?
For many established tours, that information is surprisingly easy to find.
No, you do not have to be a mega fan. You do not need to join a fan club, follow the band across several states or immerse yourself in every corner of its social media universe.
Although, in the interest of full disclosure, I have done some of that with Air Supply.
Their fans are called Airheads. I did not choose the name, but I have accepted it.
There are a variety of websites that provide recent set lists from concerts. One of the most popular is Setlist.fm, a fan-supported site where concertgoers share the songs artists have performed around the world.
The information is not an official promise from the artist, and one performance may vary slightly from another. Still, once an established tour is underway, the songs and their order are often remarkably consistent from night to night.
Knowing the probable set list does not ruin the surprise. For me, it improves the experience.
A concert is still a live performance. Songs may be rearranged, stories change, musicians improvise and the energy of the audience can influence the evening. Knowing which songs are likely to be performed does not tell you exactly how the show will unfold.
It does, however, give you an opportunity to become familiar with newer or lesser-known material before the concert.
Most fans know the major hits, but nearly every artist includes a few recent songs, deeper album cuts or personal favorites that may be less familiar to the general audience. A song that might otherwise feel like filler can become a highlight after hearing it a few times in advance.
You begin to recognize the opening notes. You understand the lyrics. You notice the instrumental details. Instead of simply waiting for the next familiar hit, you are able to appreciate more of the entire performance.
It can also help newer fans. You may know four or five songs by an artist without realizing that you have heard several others over the years. Reviewing the set list in advance can turn a casual listener into a much more engaged member of the audience.
The set list also provides some practical intelligence.
You can identify the safest time to grab a drink or visit the restroom. You can estimate how much of the show remains. You can see whether the artist typically leaves the stage before returning for a two-song encore or whether the biggest hit is being saved for the very end.
If traffic, babysitters, work schedules or an early morning require you to leave before the final bow, you can determine whether slipping out early means missing a song you specifically came to hear.
This becomes particularly useful during weekday concerts. A Tuesday-night show can be terrific, but the alarm clock is still going to ring on Wednesday morning. Knowing whether there are three songs remaining or another 45 minutes of music can help you make a more informed decision.
I learned the value of that information during a Barry Manilow performance in Las Vegas.
I had stepped away and was making my way back down the stairs when I heard the words, “I remember all my life…”
There was no need to consult the set list. I knew immediately that “Mandy” had begun, and my leisurely return to my seat suddenly became much more urgent.
I would not recommend running through a theater, but there are moments when a slightly faster walking pace becomes completely understandable.
There is, however, an important piece of set-list etiquette, particularly when sitting in the front row or anywhere clearly visible from the stage.
Many concertgoers assume performers are blinded by the lights and cannot see the audience. That is not necessarily true. Artists can often see what is happening in the first several rows. They notice enthusiasm, singing, dancing and engagement. They can also notice someone repeatedly staring at a phone.
The last thing you want is to appear uninterested or inconsiderate while trying to determine whether the next song is your opportunity to find the restroom.
Take a screenshot of the anticipated set list before the show. That allows you to glance at it periodically without opening a website, searching for the artist, scrolling through pages or staring at a bright screen.
Keep the brightness low, check it discreetly and return your attention to the performers.
You may notice people looking over your shoulder, wondering whether you are with the band, have inside information or are simply some sort of mega fan.
There is nothing wrong with preserving a little mystery.
Of course, the lists posted online are not guarantees. An artist may change the order, substitute a song, shorten the performance or respond to something happening in the audience. That small degree of uncertainty is part of what makes live music exciting.
The goal is not to script the entire evening in advance. It is simply to arrive better prepared to enjoy it.
The set list collected after the show may eventually be framed and displayed on a wall. It becomes a reminder of where you sat, who attended with you and what the evening felt like.
The set list viewed before the show serves a different purpose. It can help you discover unfamiliar music, manage the evening and experience more of the performance rather than merely waiting for the songs you already know.
Both have value.
Only one can prevent you from missing “Mandy.”
About the author- https://www.linkedin.com/in/danrodgerson/
Here is a link to Setfm.com Simply include the artist name and look for the most recent shows. https://www.setlist.fm/
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