Or don’t play no song at all

Johnny Cash, the old songs stir emotional memories

CD Baby published a story Keep Your Old Songs from Going Stale which reminds us that fans come out to concerts to hear the old songs.

It’s more than sentimentality, the brain releases dopamine when we hear music we know and like, often on anticipation of a special musical phrase.

Some artists like Bob Dylan like to keep old songs fresh by changing the arrangements so they don’t get sick of them.

Not to second guess Dylan who’s made a lifetime of outsmarting most of us, but he may be cheating his fans of a pleasure rush. At a Dylan concert you spend the first part of the song trying to figure out which one he is singing, denying the dopamine release from anticipation and recognition.

Paul McCartney wisely recreates his hit songs when he performs in public. We were thrilled to attend the Halifax concert. It made you feel great.  A music critic for the Montreal Gazette surprised me when he wrote he was walking on air for weeks afterward. Wow that’s a lot of dopamine happiness.  

When your an aspiring songwriter, like myself, you realize pretty quickly that people would rather hear the old chestnuts than your latest and greatest creation.  However, if you plug your best songs long enough, people will recognize them too.

I’m the same way: nothing sends chills up my spine like an old Cole Porter, Gershwin or Elvis tune. Are those songs a little corny? You bet but I love them.

Tom LeClair, our bass player, discovered last year I knew some Johnny Cash songs. He likes to end every session with a big smile after playing Johnnie Cash’s 1958 song I Still Miss Someone because he remembers the song.

Each generation has it’s favourite songs. They might be U2, Nine Inch Nails or Tone Loc but they evoke powerful emotions when we hear them. That is exactly why a lot of attention is paid in movies to including music that spans many decades. It puts the movie audience in a good frame of mind, a happy space.

Only YOU are sick of your songs

By Chris R. at CD Baby

Here’s a simple suggestion: Determine what your most popular songs are and play them at every show.

1) If you’re wildly famous, your fans will feel cheated if you don’t play the hits after they paid $50 for the tickets and $40 for the sitter.

2) If you’re an unknown band fighting your way out of obscurity, you’ll want to keep showcasing those same tunes that have had the biggest impact on crowds.

Yeah yeah. We know. You’re tired of them. You’re really psyched about this whole new direction you’re going in. Well guess what: no one else cares. If you’re not famous yet, then ALL  of your songs are brand new to 99% of listeners out there (even if the tunes are 5+ years old).

Playing in your local market once a month is FAR different from the kind of carpet-bombing exposure a Major Label hit song will get. So maybe you’re sick to death of hearing Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.” But that doesn’t mean your fans are sick of your most popular song.

Believe it or Not, You are NOT Radiohead

Sure, Radiohead never plays “Creep” anymore. Van Morrison never plays “Brown Eyed Girl.” But you’re not them. Don’t be stubborn.

James Taylor once said that he has to put in the personal performance and practice work in order to keep infusing “Fire and Rain” with new life. He’s played it thousands of times on stage, but he knows his audience wants to connect with that tune. So, rather than being tortured by boredom or resentment, he chooses to make a musical and emotional challenge of that concert requirement. If I recall correctly, his live version has stayed pretty faithful to the original recording.

In contrast, Bruce Hornsby has found ways of meeting fan expectations while also feeding his own hunger for musical discovery. Aided by his amazing band, he’s been known to play extended, jammy, danceable, improvisatory medleys that weave together several of his hit songs over the course of 20 minutes or more. This is thrilling for the crowd. The audience is willing to follow his lead into the musical unknown, while also getting their fix of the familiar. The most daring musical moments of the concert are grounded by the most stable, concrete, crowd-pleasing mile-markers (his hit songs).

No More Moldy Bread!

So, the moral of the story is simple: play your popular songs. Find a way to keep them fresh.

We’d love to hear how you keep your old songs from growing old. Please feel free to let us know in the comments section below.

-Chris R. at CD Baby

Thanks to CD Baby for that short article. One of the advantages of being with CD Baby are the practical performance tips for musicians.