How long should a show be?
There are good shows and bad shows, and while bands and audiences may not agree on which is which, they definitely have their opinions.
For every Bruce Springsteen who views Herculean set times as badge of honor (or, maybe, just a really fun time), there are likely many bands groaning at the expectations they run through 25+ songs.
And like many other societally influenced debates, maybe the other side of the equation - the fans - are also not clamoring for concerts the length of operas.
I have seen shows where the band was clearly running on fumes towards the end of the set.
I have seen amazing shows that brought the energy from start to finish; but I was the one wishing the set ended 25 minutes earlier.
I direct you to Jack White's Instagram post below, where he discusses the false equation of show duration with show excellence. I concur.
We here at The Diffraction are strong proponents of bands and artists airing their issues (gripes, concerns) with any aspect of touring. They should neither suffer in silence, nor feel they're in such a privileged place that their opinion is irrelevant. This holds true no matter how famous or rich they are. A healthy live music environment depends on all parties being upfront about the community.
Of course, there are too many incidents of bands that quit after two songs or don't show up or don't show up in a position to play a worthwhile show.
I think it's an extremely reasonable compromise to say - any one headlining act should play at least 12-15 songs - and more if they'd like - but not obligation, which should be a running time of 1:30-1:45.
Of course, fans probably want to know this information, but, guess what, it's all possible, thanks to Setlist.FM - which can give you the tour average for every show.
As you can see below, Jack White is already putting in an 20+ song show averaging 1:30. That seems like a perfectly reasonable show. What more would you want from him?
Ideally, fans are more informed about the average times of show by checking things like Setlist.FM and bands keep consistent to what they have done at other shows. Thanks to the information economy and well-defined places to share information, it's never been easier to know what you're going to get out of a show.
And if you're looking for pure volume, you know who to skip. But, otherwise, trust someone like Jack White is going to deliver a great show, no matter how long he plays.
Thanks to Brian Ries for the tip.