# Ever been to a concert where the headliner did not play an encore? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 14, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935 "2016-03-14T01:25:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/61 "2016-03-16T04:37:52Z")
When I saw Roger Daltrey do some solo shows a few years back, he made a point of saying that he didn’t believe in doing encores, since they never did them back in the day and he thinks it’s just a waste of time to walk offstage and then come back again. He said something to the effect “I think they’re a load of 'orseshit, and I’m not going to do one tonight - I’m just going to stay right here until I run out of songs to play.” ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/62 "2016-03-16T11:20:31Z")
I was at a concert where Ice-T promised the cops (who were providing security for the event) that he wouldn’t do “Cop Killer.” Of course, he did it as his encore. The cops’ eyes rolled pretty hard. This was around 1997. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/63 "2016-03-16T13:57:16Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Not sure if he did encores but they used to announce “Elvis has left the building” to the crowd to let them know that was the end of the show. I have read that that was also announced in the hallways and/or over the building PA system so that groupies who lingered near the stage door or elsewhere, hoping for a post-show glimpse of The King, would just go home already. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/64 "2016-03-16T18:00:36Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’ve heard the stories that Elvis Presley didn’t do encores. He’d come out, do his set, and then leave. But the routine of a performer leaving the stage and then coming back for an encore was already well established so the audience stayed in their seats waiting for Elvis to come back. So venues began making announcements that “Elvis has left the building” in order to convince people the show was really over. This is accurate. He didn’t do encores. He finished the set and went straight to the limo and off he went. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus\_alba](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quercus_alba/32/4061_2.png) [@Quercus\_alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus_alba)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/65 "2016-03-16T20:51:55Z")
Was just at Springsteen’s ‘River’ tour here in MN last month–and it was debatable. Either they didn’t play an encore, or they had played an hour-plus of highly energetic encore after they’d finished the ‘River’ material. In either case, no one left the stage for 3.5 hours… ---
**Author:** ![jsquire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jsquire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsquire)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/66 "2016-03-16T21:47:38Z")
I can’t remember for sure, but I think Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman & Howe (basically Yes without Chris Squire) didn’t do an encore when I saw them at Pine Knob (now DTE Music Theatre) in 1989. Due to proximity to suburban residential areas, it has a strict 11:00 cut-off time for concerts, and IIRC they played a 3-hour show right up to the curfew. No intermission, no encore, just maximum playing time they could squeeze out of the schedule. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/67 "2016-03-16T22:10:50Z")
> [@Meurglys](#): > > On a Mutton Birds live cd it’s too awkward for the group to leave the stage (the hall is packed and they’d have to leave and return through the crowd) so there’s a humorous interlude while the lead singer asks the crowd to pretend they’ve left the stage and then come back on, which the crowd play along with 🙂 > Pere Ubu did a similar thing at a gig I was at, although David Thomas was a bit grumpier about it! At Chicago beloved _Schuba’s_, it is impossible to get on or off the stage without either going through the crowd, or out onto the street. So most performers have to hunker down on the side of the stage in the darkness, hoping people can’t see them before they “return”. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/68 "2016-03-16T22:26:42Z")
Screaming Females last year did no encore. It was a tiny venue and there was no “backstage” area, so that might be part of it, but they didn’t call it out either. Just ended, broke down their gear, and left. I’ve seen a few other shows with no encores, but they always called it out. When I saw Bon Iver last year, Vernon made an announcement like, “normally we’d all leave now and get water for five minutes, but there’s too many people on stage to coordinate that so we’re just going to stay here and play our last songs.” At music festivals, encores are usually not done because the sets are short and can’t go over. I’ve only seen two bands actually structure their sets so they did an actual encore: Die Antwoord and Charles Bradley. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/69 "2016-03-16T22:49:34Z")
I saw Cheap Trick when they played at Georgia Tech campus in 1988. They did _not_ play “She’s Tight” during the regular concert. We called for an encore, figuring maybe they’d play it as an encore. They didn’t do an encore. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/70 "2016-03-16T23:33:28Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I know of two acts who knew that any encore would get the crowd fired up and insist they come out again. > > Pink Floyd was one. When they finished up the concert I was at (eight songs, two hours), the crowd was wild. The came back for the encore, and played a first-class extended blues jam. But it wasn’t Pink Floyd music, so there was no clamoring for more. what?:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: I would have [kermited](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4810hS8weQ)my ass off if they stayed and played the blues. I was at a Steve Miller Concert and not only did they do encores but one of them brought a chair and played a steel guitar to much appreciation. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/71 "2016-03-17T00:32:17Z")
Off the top of my head, Cornershop and The Wedding Present. Apparently The Wedding Present never do. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/72 "2016-03-17T01:40:17Z")
On their first tour Boston only had 1 album out. I heard at one show they played all those songs and a few more. They did an encore with a few more songs and then said “sorry, we don’t know any more songs” and left the stage. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/73 "2016-03-17T04:55:43Z")
This reminds me of an MC Hammer concert some friends got duped into paying money for back in the early 90s. The concert was billed as having four acts. Three warm up acts for the great Mr. Hammer who would finish out the show. Three of the acts canceled at the last minute and the show organizers did not find anyone to fill the space on the program. Instead the concert attendees were treated to 2 hours of a coke bottle filling itself over and over again on the jumbo tron. MC Hammer had refused to go on stage before his contracted time. He then did his one hour set and walked off the stage. He came back for one obligatory encore. The crowd tried to get him to play more, but the house lights came on. For this travesty, my friends had paid $80/each, in 1990 when most concert tickets were running in the $30 range. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/74 "2016-03-17T16:04:35Z")
Went to a concert with 3 acts. The first act was allotted 30 mins but they wanted to play 45 so they started the show 15 mins early. They were the 1 hit band Black Oak Arkansas. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935/75 "2016-03-18T04:38:22Z")
I saw Willie and the group in Pittsburgh last summer and he did not do an encore. To be fair, it was a pretty lengthy concert and he stood through the whole thing playing every song. It was so shocking to me because he did not play “Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain” the one song I was particularly wanting to hear so I was sure he would do it as an encore. He didn’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-to-a-concert-where-the-headliner-did-not-play-an-encore/748935.md?page=3)