RileyLewis

I would have chosen some different songs for some albums, I think. I think it's all personal preference.

I would definitely attend another acoustic show, and I think I speak for everyone who enjoys your music in saying that live recordings are fantastic to have. You want to know the #1 song I listen to of yours? Symbolistic White Walls, performed in 2003. Judging from the views, it's also the one everyone else loves from that show, too! Your albums are great, but some songs just translate so well to live performances. And if bootleg recordings like the above video are so loved, and viewed tens of thousands of times, then official well-recorded tracks will be appreciated even more.

Due to an unforeseen event I can't make it to the Regina show tonight, and I have VIP ticket. Obviously I won't get to meet Matt or see the show, but is there anyway to get the merchandise I paid for? Does anyone know who to contact?

Unless they had a sheet of steel metal on the stage to hit, then it will never sound the same! :P

I agree that regardless of what Matt feels, as a fan the instrumentation on AOB is very good, especially the guitar work. While the power chord-type sound on some songs is just a part of that era and forgettable, there are interesting hooks that you don't see as often any more. Even something like Under the Influence, where the lead guitar during the chorus is very different than what you'd expect for the singing. It almost doesn't quite match up (and maybe that's something Matt didn't like at the time, was that warring between people over their own parts), but I think it's quite interesting.

Most definitely. I also remember him being a bit slow on some parts, and a little sloppy on others. He sounds great in all of these recordings.

Always nice to see new additions! With those 2 new songs, he's now played as many songs on the first 9 shows of this tour as he did for the same amount of shows as the last tour (22). So I'd say he's right on track. And it's normal for new songs to be slowly added as days go by.

While I'm sure most of us here would pay $100 to see him (and indeed, many of us are for the VIP tickets at shows), many casual fans may not. There's definitely a demand curve for different ticket prices. And assuming that he could make the same amount of money, which do you think he'd rather have: 100 people paying $100, or 500 people paying $20? As a dancer myself, I would rather have more people in the audience than a smaller amount paying less. So it's definitely a trade-off. I would love having an extra few songs, but I understand the realities facing performances.

Oct 22 Peterborough, ON: Letters In Wartime Hello Time Bomb Arrows of Desire So Close Hey Hell Heaven Born Losers Non Populus Had It Coming We're Long Gone Weapon Via Dolorosa The Future Is X-Rated While We Were Hunting Rabbits Encore: Garden of Knives Apparitions Guns of Carolina

Comparing it to the LOES tour: From the first 6 shows: AOD: 20 different songs LOES: 22 different songs AOD songs played per show (average): Around 8 LOES songs per show: Around 5-6 So he's playing a slightly less diverse show, but playing 2 or 3 extra album songs. I am ok with that. After 6 shows (non-album songs highlighted): AOD: Garden Of Knives Arrows Of Desire While We Were Hunting Rabbits Born Losers Non Populus Had It Coming Weapon Letters In Wartime Apparitions Load Me Up Guns Of Carolina Mutineering So Close Via Dolorosa We're Long Gone Hey Hell Heaven Alert Status Red Last Parade The Future Is X-Rated Hello Timebomb LOES: Shallow's Low What if I Can't See the Stars, Mildred? Zero Orchestra Non Populus Set Me on Fire Born Losers Weapon Load Me Up Apparitions While We Were Hunting Rabbits The Future is X-Rated Lights of Endangered Species Giant Hornets The Boy Who Could Explode Hello Timebomb How it Goes Last Parade A Silent Army in the Trees Great Whales of the Sea Alert Status Red It's Been a While Since I was your Man So 10 non-album songs vs 15 non-album songs. However (a BIG however), he's also playing 2-3 more songs per show. Obviously that's because the AOD songs tend to be shorter on average that the LOES songs, but I'd rather have 16 or 17 shorter songs than 13 longer ones. That's just, though.

The bass sounds like it could have been on Last of the Ghetto Astronauts. Anyone else hear that? It sounds great, and adds a different vibe to it.

Holy crap Had It Coming was sped up for live performance.

I couldn't understand it on the 1st listen through, but yeah, it's "barely got out of that one." I love the atmosphere of that song.

I'm really happy that Non Populus is becoming a staple for live shows.

I do it so that it organizes by % likelihood to be played. However, MG seems to always play more "mainstream" shows in Regina compared to say, Vancouver or Toronto. So we tend to get Hello Time Bomb, Everything is Automatic, etc, rather than say, Rabbits or Blue Skies. On his last tour we were one of only a few locations to not get a few deeper cuts, and instead got the radio hits. :\ Not his fault, I guess he feels Regina has more mainstream fans compared to long-time fans, or something. Must think it's a different crowd.

Here's the set list from tonight, according to setlist.fm: Garden of knives last parade hello time bomb (followed by a rant on Rico when an audience member yelled it out) so close mutineering born losers non populus arrows of desire via dolorosa alert status red weapon letters in wartime while we were hunting rabbits. Encore: Apparitions Load me up Had it coming Guns of caroline

I hope there are some little differences. I really enjoyed how Great Whales of the Sea had the extended outro at the live shows, it really added to the song.

Wow, that's a very interesting set list.

Nice! I always like to make a little spreadsheet to see what the chances are of a song being played at my show based on how common they were at previous ones!

Not really. Change of Season has a more "echoey" quality to it. Letters in Wartime sounds a bit more like a standard song, too, except for the extended bridge part.

Hello Timebomb Weapon Rico Jenny Rico Indestructible Rico Rabbits Born Losers -- Giant Rico Rico Or so I've heard. :P

I think my favourite live song of his ever performed is this one: I just love this interpretation of it, and the new stuff he added to it. I've always hoped he'd bring back something similar for a new tour!

I don't think it has anything to do with that, I think you're reading a bit too much into it. I could be wrong, though. Also, I assumed the lyric was "Done a little bad for sure, but never for no greater good."

Absolutely Mike was a positive influence. He realized that the atmosphere of songs matters just as much as the actual melodies. One thing Bob Rock did was tell Raine to lose the falsetto, and because he stopped practising it he's never been able to get it back to where it used to be. That was one thing that made them kind of unique, and then for 2 or 3 albums in a row he basically was monotone. Such a dumb decision. They are still one of the best acts around to see live, however.

I almost feel like the song would be stronger without the "hey hell heaven" part, and simply continued the "whole nights caught in a capture, so far down a collapsed blur" part with a bit more instrumentation as the actual chorus. But I'm not complaining, it's a good song. And yeah, Garden of Knives might be nice with a bit more variety in vocal range, but honestly even as it is, it's probably top 10 for MG songs. It's a very intense song. I love the horses coming to mow the road part, very very intense.