This has been a really interesting discussion, especially hearing from people who would prefer to have as many songs squeezed in as possible and don't really like introductions or patter in between songs.

I talked a lttle bit about this before, but the reason I go to a concert is to be taken on a journey. The journey might be musical, but it also is about me allowing the performer to take me wherever they want to go. And usually, if the performer is at all attuned to their audience, where they go has everything to do with what the audience is ready for. They might sing exactly the same songs as the night before, but the journey will be different because they are singing to different people, possibly in a different place, they feel differently that night, and so on.

Last night I went to see the excellent French Canadian band Genticorum. They are fantastic musicians who play beautiful songs and tunes. I loved the music. But what made their performance was not just their amazing musical chops - it was also the way they interacted with the audience, the stories they told about the songs, the way they joked around with each other.

So for me, in addition to hearing the musician's interpretation of the song live, I want to get to know the performer in some way. That might be through the way they play the music or interact with the audience while they are singing/playing, but it also is likely to be through the things they say and do in between songs.