Setlist Appreciation Post: Reader Submissions

6/23/2021

Design by Andres Duarte

As a follow up to the Play It By Ear: Setlist Appreciation Post, we asked our readers to share some of their most cherished setlists in their collection. Check out these great submissions below, with setlists and flyers from the late '80s to present!

WITCH

Live San Francisco at The Chapel, 10/14/19

Being a huge fan since first hearing their Lazy Bones album in 2010, my mind was pretty seriously blown when I heard it announced that Zambian garage-psych legends WITCH would be embarking upon their first ever US tour in the Fall of 2019. Originally active in mid-late 70s Zambia as stadium-filling rockstars and then reforming under a slightly different lineup in the 80s as a disco group, the lineup for this American tour consisted of original vocalist Jagari Chanda and later-era keyboardist Patrick Mwondela backed by a string of highly proficient contemporary European jazz/kraut/psych rockers as Jacco Gardner, Stefan Lilov, Michael Rault, and Nicolini Mauskovic. Needless to say, most dates sold out quickly, but I was able to secure tickets for the SF show at the Chapel on 10/14/19. What struck me most was how musically tight the band was - with reunion tours, there’s always a fear that the band will end up phoning it in, but not so with WITCH. Opening with a bluesier, swirling, psyched-out version of the instrumental “Home Town” off their first LP, WITCH immediately set the tone of the night before running through an impressive and varied collection of songs from their original-lineup incarnation, spanning all 5 LPs and touching on one non-album single. Jagari Chanda, then in his late 60s, was surprisingly lively, living up to his reputation as one of Zambia’s most prolific rockstars, laughing, dancing, and rocking out with crowd throughout the performance.

There’s something immensely gratifying about watching musicians who should’ve been known internationally in their heyday finally getting the recognition they deserve, even if decades later. One got a sense when watching WITCH perform just how significant it was to both Chanda and Mwondela to not only get the opportunity to tour the US, but to sell out venues across the country to fans born on the other side of the globe decades after these songs were first recorded. All in all, what I remember most from that night was just how energetic and fun the show was, and how both the band and crowd fed off that energy, increasingly psyching one another up in the most positive of feedback loops. A surprising highlight of the night was the inclusion in the set list of one of the later-era, Mwondela-written disco tracks “It Feels So Good,” which captured the feel-good energy of the night, turning the entire room into one big dance party. I could go on and on, talking about the set song by song, but it wouldn’t do it justice. There’s vague talk of another US tour in the future when coronavirus conditions allow - take my advice: if you get the chance to see WITCH, don’t hesitate. It’s an amazing act of luck that you even have the opportunity.

- Shane Muldowney

Cave In

Live at Boston's in Tempe, AZ

In 2001 Cave In played as part of the Plea For Peace/Take Action tour in support of their new (at the time) album, Jupiter. Jupiter marked a major change in sound for Cave In, moving them more into the realm of heavy space rock as opposed to the crushing metal/hardcore of their earlier releases. Seeing Cave In perform the songs from Jupiter at this show completely changed my idea of what heavy music could be and forever solidified them as one of my favorite bands.

- Kellen Fortier

Useless Pieces of Shit (U.P.S.)

Not quite a setlist, but a lyric sheet from a U.P.S. show in Tucson. It was something we handed out at a show. It was from when we first started the band, maybe second or third show. I bet this is probably the only copy left.

- Slug Useless

(Slug also sent a link with a ton of great Tucson punk fliers from the late '80s and early '90s, check them out here.)

EMA

Live at Neumos in Seattle, WA

I caught this setlist from a trio called EMA that opened for Low. Everyone thinks they kissed setlist for me but the kiss was already there!

- Noé Loyola

All the setlists and fliers below were submitted by Brian Mock. Thank you to Brian for sharing this stellar collection with us!

My Name

Downtown Performance Center, Tucson. 1993 or 1994

The Adicts

1993 or 1994, DPC. Flier is from Phoenix the night before, but setlist is from Tucson at the DPC (Downtown Performance Center)

ALL

Two-sided ALL setlist (right), Club Congress, 1995

1991, Phoenix.

Huge shows in the parking lot of the Silver Dollar. Another venue that Fugazi would play a few months later.

Descendents

Setlist with two separate encore setlists. Signed by 3 members. Rialto Theatre, 2018

Chemical People

Chemical People. Hollywood Alley, Mesa, AZ 1997.

Bad Religion

1990, Phoenix.

Bad Religion no-showed. Big Drill Car (ex MIA) was added and ALL headlined. Probably 500 people in that Pipefitter’s hall that Fugazi had just played. Skinheads showed up to both shows and stabbed people, maybe killed? Shows were SUPER gnarly at that time in Phoenix.

Counter Punch

1991

Local AZ band I was in. Being in a very average hardcore band with a couple 7"s meant you could open for big bands. I’m really glad I held onto this and the set list CP played.