Behind the Setlist

Veteran singer-songwriter Juliana Hatfield joins Behind the Setlist to talk about her upcoming album, her concert setlists and her long career in music. Juliana will release her 20th solo studio album on Nov. 17 — Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO, a collection of 10 covers of songs by Electric Light Orchestra. It's Juliana's third album of covers songs after Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John in 2018 and Juliana Hatfield Sings the Police in 2019. Her career began with the Blake Babies while she was a student at Berklee College of Music in Boston. After a brief stint playing bass in The Lemonheads, her breakthrough came in 1994 when her song "Spin the Bottle," released by The Juliana Hatfield Three, appeared on the soundtrack to the Winona Ryder-Ethan Hawke film Reality Bites. More recently, she paired with Paul Westerberg, known best as the frontman of The Replacements, to form a duo called The I Don't Cares and release an album, Wild Stab, in 2016.

Links

Juliana Hatfield home page

Juliana Hatfield tour dates

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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Grace Potter's '70s influences come through on her new album, Mother Road (out August 18 through Fantasy Records). The Vermont native built her name as the leader of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, sang on a hit song ("You and Tequilla" in 2010) with country star Kenny Chesney and had a song ("Something That I Want") on the 2010 Disney movie Tangled. Now with countless tour dates and five solo albums under her belt, Grace joins Behind the Setlist to talk about the meaning behind Mother Road, the new material, how she chooses songs to play in her sets, her '70s and '90s musical influences, her music festival and advice a record executive gave to a young Grace Potter.

In this episode:

4:50 The meaning behind Mother Road

5:30 What Grace did during the lockdown

9:00 Playing Red Rocks Amphitheatre

10:30 How the setlist changes night to night

13:00 Considering photographers when choosing the first three songs

15:00 Her parents record collection and making mix tapes

19:00 Covering Lee Hazlewood’s “Some Velvet Morning” with Lukas Nelson

22:50 Playing “Something That I Want” at Red Rocks

25:30 Playing the (at the time) unreleased “Rose Colored Rearview”

29:40 Singing “You and Tequilla” with Kenny Chesney

31:00 The status of the Grand Point North Festival?

34:00 A young Grace Potter getting advice from a record executive

40:00 Picking the songs to close a set

Links:

Grace Potter home page

Grace Potter tour dates

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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Rock-folk-blues musician Peter Case began busking in San Francisco in the '70s, co-founded the Nerves ("Hanging on the Telephone") in 1974 and the Plimsouls ("A Million Miles Away") in 1978 and has been a solo artist since 1986. Since three albums for Geffen Records, Case has recorded for indie labels such as Vanguard, Yep Roc and, most recently, Sunset Blvd. Records. On his 16th studio album, Doctor Moan (released March 31, 2023), Case trades his acoustic guitar for a piano and Hammond B3 organ with often stunning results. His life and career were examined in the excellent 2023 documentary Peter Case: A Million Miles Away.

Links:

Peter Case home page

Peter Case tour dates

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

Billboard podcast page

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Les Claypool is the co-founder of the rock band Primus and is currently touring with the return of Colonel Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, one of his many bands and collaborations that showcase his unique skills on the bass and a penchant for psychedelic, absurdist and oddball music. 

The Fearless Flying Frog Brigade tours through July 15 and breaks until a gig at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA, on Oct. 11. That tour continues through Nashville, TN, on Oct. 31. 

Inside the episode:

3:10 The origins of Colonel Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade

6:00 Les talks about his music influences: Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, John Paul Jones, Larry Graham and Louis Clark, among others. 

8:20 The origins of his music’s humor and absurdist qualities came from his love of British comedy. Where did the psychedelic element of Primus and other Claypool come from?

11:18 Les talks about his equipment, first the Rickenbacker 4001, then a Carl Thompson, and later designing his own instruments. 

13:52 Why do so many musicians want to collaborate with Les?

15:45 The current set lists includes Pink Floyd’s Animals but gives the band room to play other material and improvise. 

19:00 They want to do a longer set in the fall, without an opening band, to have more room to play songs other than the songs from Animals. 

20:25 Who goes to the Fearless Flying Frog Brigade shows?

22:26 Les talks about his winery, Claypool Cellars.

Links:

Les Claypool home page

Les Claypool tour dates

Claypool Cellars

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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Arguably the best band named after a Monty Python sketch, Toad the Wet Sprocket sprung from Santa Barbara, CA, to popularity in the early '90s on the strength of the platinum albums Fear ("All I Want," "Walk on the Ocean") and Dulcinea ("Fall Down," "Something's Always Wrong") that captured the spirit of the alternative rock of the era. Their latest album, Starting Now, was released in 2021 and shows the band hasn't lost a step. Singer Glen Phillips and bass player Dean Dinning join Billboard's Behind the Setlist to discuss the band's distinctive sound, the songs they've been playing on tour, covering the Kiss song "Rock and Roll All Night" and much more. Toad the Wet Sprokcet is touring the U.S. through July 19th and starts another run on Sept. 8 in Omaha, NE, that runs through Oct. 14 in Mount Vernon, IL.

Links:

Toad the Wet Sprocket home page

Toad the Wet Sprocket tour dates

Jay Gilbert at Label Logic

Glenn Peoples at Billboard

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Known for the metal anthems "Last Resort" and "Scars," Papa Roach is an enduring figure in the turn-of-the-century nu-metal scene. The band's 2000 album Infest went triple-platinum in the U.S. on the strength of "Last Resort." That was followed by Lovehatetragedy in 2002 (certified gold) and Getting Away with Murder in 2004 (certified platinum). Their concerts are a non-stop barrage that covers the band's twenty-plus years and, recently, a blazing cover of "Firestarter" by electronic act The Prodigy.

In a great interview with Billboard's Behind the Setlist, Papa Roach singer Jacoby Shaddix and guitarist Jerry Horton talk about their stage show, maturing, starting their own record label and what T-shirt sells best on tour.

The band is hitting the road this summer with European dates through before the opening for Shinedown on The Revolutions Live Tour starting Sept. 3 in St. Lous, MO.

Links:

Papa Roach home page

Papa Roach tour dates

Jay Gilbert at Label Logic

Glenn Peoples at Billboard

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Bear Rinehart is the singer and co-founder of NEEDTOBREATHE, a commercially successful rock band founded in South Caroline in 2001. Known for their uplifting, spiritual music, NEEDTOBREATHE has had a string of top 10 albums (The Outsiders, The Reckoning, Rivers in the Wasteland and Hard Love) and performs in arenas and amphitheaters around the U.S. As a solo under performing under the name Wilder Woods, Rinehart takes a rootsy, Americana bent while retaining NEEDTOBREATHE's ability to move and inspire. His second album as Wilder Woods, FEVER/SKY, was released March 24 by Dualtone Records.

Wilder Woods will perform at the The Roxy in Los Angeles on May 16, Red Rocks Amphitheatre (supporting the Avett Brothers) on July 8 and the Moon River Music Festival in Chattanooga, TN, on Sept. 10.

NEEDTOBREATHE's 2023 dates includes July 12 in Myrtle Beach, SC, Aug. 13 in Fort Wayne, IN, and Sept. 8 at the Kansas State Fair.

Links:

NEEDTOBREATHE home page

Wilder Woods home page and tour dates

NEEDTOBREATHE tour history at Setlist.fm

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

Billboard's podcast page

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Blues musician Joe Bonamassa just had his 26th No. 1 album on the Billboard Blues Albums chart with Tales of Time, a live recording of his 2021 album Time Clocks recorded in 2022 at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. Joe talks to Behind the Setlist about his latest tour, the concert that became Tales of Time, covering songs by Tom Waits and ZZ Top, which younger blues musicians he thinks are exciting, and his not-for-profit, Keeping the Blues Alive, that raises money for music education and helped cash-strapped musicians during the pandemic. 

Joe is currently on tour in Europe and will perform in Germany on May 5 and 6, Luxembourg on May 7 and France on May 10. He will play five dates in the U.K. from May 9 to 14 before returning to the U.S. to perform at the Capitol Theatre in Yakima, WA, on May 26 and the Backroad Blues Festival with Kenny Wayne Sheppard in Bend, OR, on May 27. 

Links:

Joe Bonamassa home page

Joe Bonamassa tour dates

Joe Bonamassa tour and setlist history at Setlist.fm

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

Billboard's podcast page

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The "Queen of Country Pop," Shania Twain talked with Behind the Setlist about preparing for her upcoming tour, her latest album (Queen of Me, released Feb. 3 by Republic Records), how performing other artists' songs early in her career helped make her the entertainer she is today and how she overcame adversity to become one of the biggest country stars. Twain's trio of albums from 1995 to 2002 rewrote the rulebook on what country music looked and sounded like. The Woman in Me from 1995 (featuring "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" and "Any Man of Mine") has sold more than 20 million units worldwide. Come On Over from 1997 produced 12 singles (including "You're Still the One" and "That Don't Impress Me Much") and has sold more than 40 million units worldwide. Up! from 2002 spent 5 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and spent a total of 93 weeks on the chart. Twain's tour supporting Queen of Me begins April 28 in Seattle, WA and runs across North America through July, heads to the U.K. and Ireland in September and returns to the North America in October and November.

Links:

Shania Twain home page

Shania Twain tour dates

Shania Twain tour history at Setlist.fm

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

Billboard podcast page

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Alex Gaskarth is the singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band All Time Low. Formed in 2003 in Maryland, All Time Low released its ninth studio album, Tell Me I'm Alive, on March 17 on Fueled By Ramen. Gaskarth talks to Behind the Setlist about the new songs' heavy use of piano, playing crowd favorites like "Dear Maria, Count Me In," and touring through some of Europe's great cities. The band tours the U.S. from May to July and will perform at the When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas in October.

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Michael Fitzpatrick is the singer and founder of the Los Angeles band Fitz & the Tantrums. Known best for the singles "Out of My League," "Handclap" and "The Walker," Fitz & the Tantrums' career spans retro soul to '80s-inspired pop. The common thread is the band's knack for memorable hooks and tight, punchy songwriting. Its latest album, Let Yourself Free, is its fifth studio album and fourth for Elektra Records. The band is hitting the road this September with Goo Goo Dolls. In addition, they will perform at the Moon Crush festival in Miramar Beach, Florida on April 23 and Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 23.

Links

Fitz & the Tantrums home page

Fitz & the Tantrums concert history at Setlist.fm

Jay Gilbert & Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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John Rzeznik is a co-founder of the rock band Goo Goo Dolls. He produced much of the band's 2022 album, Chaos in Bloom (Warner Bros). Rzeznik is best known as the voice behind a few big hits from the '90s: "Name" from 1995's A Boy Named Goo and "Iris" from 1998's Dizzy Up The Girl. The band is hitting the road in the summer of 2023 with dates in Ireland and Great Britain and will cover the U.S. in the Big Night Out tour with O.A.R. and Fitz & the Tantrums.

Links

Goo Goo Dolls home page

Goo Goo Dolls at Billboard

Goo Goo Dolls tour history at Setlist.fm

Billboard podcasts

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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Kim Thayil was a co-founder and guitarist of rock band Soundgarden. Kim joined Behind the Setlist to talk about the songs and setlists of the band's final tour in 2017. Formed 33 years earlier in Seattle, Soundgarden played its final show on May 17, 2017 at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, MI. Singer Chris Cornell died the next morning.

In addition to helping spawn Seattle's grunge scene in the late '80s and reshape popular music in the '90s, Soundgarden had an incredible string of successful albums in the '90s: 1991's Badmotorfinger, 1994's Superunknown (No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart) and 1996's Down on the Upside (No. 2 on the Billboard 200). It had three songs reach No. 2 on the Alternative Airplay chart: "Black Hole Sun" in 1994, and "Pretty Noose" and "Burden in My Hand" in 1996.

Links:

Soundgarden's tour history at Setlist.fm

Billboard's podcasts

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

Glenn Peoples @ Twitter

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Behind the Setlist is rebroadcasting its first episode from May 2022, an incredible conversation with the one and only Andy Grammer. You may have recently seen Grammer perform at the 100th annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington D.C. And you probably know Grammer for such songs as "Keep Your Head Up" and "Don't Give Up On Me." Billboard talked to Grammer earlier in 2022 about putting people in a good mood at his concerts. “The word positive is cheesy," he said. You’re at a loss to begin with. You’re just starting down 20 points.” But, at the same time, “we all need optimism." Grammer also talks about how he chooses songs to put in a setlist and how he uses poetry to connect with his audiences. If you missed this episode the first time around, you're in for a treat.

Links:

Andy Grammer talks positivity, poetry and Louis Prima on debut Behind the Setlist podcast

Andy Grammer home page

Andy Grammer tour history at Setlist.fm

Billboard's podcast page

Glenn Peoples at Billboard

Jay Gilbert at Label Logic

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Chris Isaak loves holiday music. This year he released his second studio album of holiday tunes, Everybody Knows It's Christmas, and hit the road for his standard holiday tour to share his holiday and non-holiday music with fans. Chris joined Billboard's Behind the Setlist to talk about writing holiday songs such as "Almost Christmas" and "Help Me Baby Jesus," working with famed producer Dave Cobb in Nashville on the recordings and meeting some of his musical idols such as Roy Orbison.

Isaak is best known for his timeless song "Wicked Game," from his 1989 album Heart Shaped World that reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991 after it was featured in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart. Heart Shaped World is certified double-platinum with more than 2 million sold in the U.S. His 1995 album Forever Blue is certified platinum in the U.S. and spawned two well-known singles, "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" and "Somebody's Crying."

Links:

Chris Isaak's home page

Chris Isaak's tour history at Setlist.fm

Jay Gilbert at Label Logic

Glenn Peoples at Billboard

Billboard's podcast page

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Jim Kerr is a co-founder, singer and songwriter for the Scottish rock band Simple Minds. Known best for the track "Don't You Forget About Me," which propelled from the film The Breakfast Club to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1985. The band followed that with more Hot 100 success from the 1985 album, Once Upon a Time: "Alive and Kicking" (No. 3), "Sanctify Yourself" (No. 14) and "All The Things She Said" (No. 28).

Simple Minds' latest album, Direction of the Heart, released on October 21, 2022, is a wonderful collection that showcases the band's time-tested ability to write and perform compelling, emotional rock music. It includes a song written in the band's early days but never released, "Act of Love," and a cover of the 1983 single by The Call, "The Walls Came Down."

Links:

Simple Minds website

Simple Minds tour history at Setlist.fm

Billboard podcasts page

Jay Gilbert at Label Logic

Glenn Peoples at Billboard

Glenn Peoples @ Twitter

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Sunny Sweeney is country singer-songwriter who released her fifth studio album, Married Alone, on Sept. 23, 2022, through her own Aunt Daddy Records label. Her music has the sounds and storytelling typical of classic country and Americana roots music. She cites Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings, Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks as her biggest inspirations.

Her 2006 debut, Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame, was self-released and reissued by Big Machine Records. The follow-up, Concrete from 2011, came out through Republic Nashville and featured the song "From a Table Away," which reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Married Alone's beautiful title track is a duet with the legendary Vince Gill.

In this episode, we focus on Sunny's Oct. 15 show at The Loft at City Winery in Philadelphia, PA. The 16-song set included the new track "Tie Me Up" and the Randy Weeks' song "Can't Let Go" that Lucinda Williams recorded for her breakthrough 1998 album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road and Sunny included on her 2014 album Provoked.

Links:

Sunny Sweeney's home page

Sunny Sweeney's tour history at Setlist.fm

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Twitter

Billboard podcasts

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Myles Kennedy & Mark Tremonti are one half of the rock group Alter Bridge. The band is currently on tour in Europe in support of its seventh studio album, Pawns & Kings, released on Oct. 14 via Napalm Records. The well-reviewed album reached No. 35 on the Billboard 200 U.S. album chart, No. 2 in Switzerland, No. 5 in Austria, No. 6 in the U.K., No. 7 in Germany and No. 15 in the Netherlands. The band wraps up its European tour on Dec. 12 at the O2 Arena in London. A U.S. tour starts on Jan. 25, 2023 in Tampa, FL, and extends to an April 1 show in Highland, CA.

Tremonti's career started with the band Creed with Alter Bridge bandmates Brian Marshall (bass) and Scott Phillips (drums). That trio and Kennedy co-founded Alter Bridge in 2004. Kennedy was previously in the rock band Mayfield Four. Kennedy has recorded and toured with Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash since his 2010 solo album. Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators released their latest album, 4, in Feb. 2022.

Links:

Alter Bridge's home page

Alter Bridge tour history at Setlist.fm

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Twitter

Billboard podcasts

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As Soccer Mommy, Sophie Allison released her third studio album, Sometimes, Forever, in June of 2022 on the Loma Vista Recordings label. The album has received widespread acclaim. Paste magazine gave it 8.5 out of 10. Pitchfork’s review, an 8 out of 10, noting Allison’s "characteristic humor and wit amidst bitterness and melancholy." The Guardian’s four-out-of-five star review called it "warm, toothsome pop with icy blasts of angst."

Soccer Mommy had a busy 2022 on the road. Allison and her band spent the spring touring North America and played the Governors Ball festival in New York in June before heading to Europe for festival and club dates through the end of September. Back in the U.S. Soccer Mommy performed at the Pavement museum in New York City on Oct. 1 — covering three Pavement songs. Sophie talks a bit about Pavement and ‘90s indie rock, a few other bands she covers, how she approaches building a setlist, writing songs on the road and much more. 

Links:

Soccer Mommy's home page

Soccer Mommy at Setlist.fm

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Twitter

Billboard podcasts

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Nick Hexum and Chad Sexton are from the rock band 311. Hexum, lead singer and guitarist, and Sexton, drummer, helped form the band in Omaha, Nebraska in 1988. The group's third album, 311 (the blue album) from 1995, made them famous on radio and MTV success of the songs "Down" and "All Mixed Up." The follow-up, Transistor from 1997, reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 album chart and produced three tracks that charted on various radio charts, the title track, "Prisoner" and "Beautiful Disaster."

Over the decades, 311 has made a name for themselves through their energetic live shows that showcase the band's mix of rock, metal, funk and reggae. With 13 studio albums in its catalog, and the ability to bust out a cover song such as The Cure's "Love Song" or Human Rights' "Who's Got the Herb?," the number of songs they might play in a given year has crossed 100, Hexum tells Behind the Setlist. In 2022, 311 is performing six albums in their entity on stage. The first two performances were the albums Music and Grassroots in New York City on Oct. 1 and 2. In Chicago on Oct. 22 and 23, the band will play Blue and Transistor. In Los Angeles on Nov. 11 and 12, they will perform Sound System and From Chaos. Each show will be live-streamed. Go to 311streamsystem.com for information about purchasing streams and merchandise packages.

Links:

Billboard's podcast page

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Twitter

311's official website

311 concert history at Setlist.fm

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Gavin Rossdale is the co-founder and frontman for the rock band Bush. The Art of Survival, Bush's ninth studio album, is out Oct. 7. Its first single, the politically minded "More Than Machines," has been a mainstay on the band's set on tour with Alice in Chains and Breaking Benjamin. About half the set is sourced from the 2020 album The Kingdom. The group's smash 1994 debut album, Sixteen Stone, which is certified six-times platinum in the U.S., is also well represented in recent concerts.

Gavin, who joined Behind the Setlist from somewhere in Michigan, talks about the financial difficulties of touring in 2022, playing the role of a "baby band" as the tour's opening act, addressing political and social issues in song lyrics, the joys of playing cover songs and the much more.

Links

Billboard's podcast page

Glenn Peoples @ Twitter

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Bush's official website

Bush concert data at Setlist.fm

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Lee Loughnane is one of the founders of the long-running band Chicago. He is joined by Peter Pardini, director of the new documentary on the band, The Last Band On Stage (out Sept. 30) as well as a 2017 documentary about Chicago, Now More Than Ever, that captures the band as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the band's non-stop touring schedule.

Lee talks about being off the road, what it was like returning to the stage in Sept. 2021, performing with the Beach Boys in 2022, the band's new album, Born For This Moment (released in July 2022) and much more. Pardini provides insights into the making of the films and, as the band's videographer, seeing the band perform countless times.

Chicago has released 26 studio albums since its 1969 debut, Chicago Transit Authority, that featured such classic songs such as "Questions 67 and 68" and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" That album went on to double-platinum status in the U.S. after exceeding sales of two million units, according to the RIAA. Gold and platinum albums continued over the years, peaking with the 1984 album, Chicago 17, which is certified six-times platinum in the U.S. and spawned the hits "Hard Habit to Break" and "You're the Inspiration." Among the band's many live albums and greatest hits, both Chicago IV-Chicago's Greatest Hits from 1975 and Greatest Hits 1982-1989 from 1989 are certified five-times platinum.

Chicago was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

Links:

Billboard's podcast page

Glenn Peoples @theglennpeoples

Jay Gilbert (Label Logic)

Chicago's official website

Chicago at Setlist.fm

Peter Pardini's official website

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Michael Sweet is a founding member of the heavy metal band Stryper. The band was formed in 1983 and released a six-song EP, The Yellow and Black Attack, in 1984 on Enigma Records. That was followed by a string of successful albums in the '80s: Soldiers Under Commend from 1985 and In God We Trust from 1988 are certified gold in the U.S. To Hell With the Devil from 1986 went platinum in the U.S. Against the Law in 1990 would be the band's latest album until Reborn in 2005. The band's latest studio album, Even the Devil Believes, came out in 2020. Their newest album, the 11-track The Final Battle, will be released in October.

As Michael puts its, Stryper was a band in the early '80s Hollywood scene that became Christians, not Christians who formed a heavy metal band. "I think that kind of sums it up right there," he says. "There's a big difference in the way we think, the way we write, the way we produce, the way we sound, the way we perform, who we perform with -- everything we do."

In 2022, Stryper played across the U.S., most recently at the Monsters on the Mountain festival in Gatlinburg, TN in August alongside veteran rock and metal bands such as Extreme, Night Ranger, Queensryche and Yngwie Malmsteen. They're back on the road on Sept. 25 in Witchita, KS, starting a string of U.S. dates before heading to Latin America (Costa Rica on Oct. 8 and Colombia on Oct. 10). Then it's back to the U.S. for the Kiss Kruise XI from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3, a few Southern California dates in early November, and the Hell and Heaven Metal Fest in Toluca, Mexico on Dec. 4.

Links:

Billboard's podcast page

Glenn Peoples @theglennpeoples

Jay Gilbert (Label Logic)

Stryper's website

Stryper concert list at Setlist.fm

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You may not know his name, but you know his songwriting. Nashville songwriter Brett James has more than 25 No. 1 songs to his credit and a 2006 Grammy for co-writing the Carrie Underwood hit "Jesus, Take the Wheel."

Brett joined Behind the Setlist at his office in Nashville to talk about co-writing "Out Last Night" with Kenny Chesney on a Caribbean island, how "Jesus, Take the Wheel" came together and impacted his career, what it's like to co-write songs with Carrie Underwood and Dierks Bentley, the work ethic of Nashville songwriters, and much more.

He launched his career as a solo artist with an album for Career Records, an Arista Nashville imprint, in 1995 and released his latest solo album, True Believer, in 2020. Brett has had more than 500 of his songs recorded by some of the biggest artists in the world, such as Underwood, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Bon Jovie, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Kip Moore, Faith Hill, Dierks Bentley, Backstreet Boys, will.i.am, Martina McBride and many others. In all, his songs have appeared on albums that have combined sales of over 110 million copies.

Links:

Billboard's podcast page

Glenn Peoples @theglennpeoples

Jay Gilbert (Label Logic)

Brett James' Wikipedia page

Brett James' Instagram page

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If you were listening to pop and rock music from the late ‘70s to the early ‘90s, you undoubtedly heard John Waite. He hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1984 with “Missing You” behind massive radio play and a boost from heavy MTV rotation. He also reached No. 1 in 1989 as a member of rock supergroup Bad English with the song “When I See You Smile” (penned by legendary songwriter Dianne Warren). John was making great music in the ‘70s with the rock band The Babys, known best for their albums Head First (1979) and Union Jack (1980). 

John is the seventh Behind the Setlist episode released but was the first to record an interview (as a pilot in 2021 to test our idea of having a podcast). When Jay introduced John as “vaccinated and caffeinated,” he was speaking at a time when vaccinations were new and the pandemic was still raging. You'll also hear some musical interludes that we don't usually insert into interview segments. We eventually got Behind the Setlist off the ground and are thrilled to release this incredible conversation with this accomplished and (arguably) under-appreciated storyteller, songwriter and singer. 

In 2022, John is touring with the U.S. with Rick Springfield and Men at Work through Sept. 3rd before a run of dates in the Netherlands in the second half of September. He returns to the U.S. with dates in Edwardsville, IL on Nov. 3rd and 4th and runs through the Northeast before ending up in Cincinnati on Nov. 20th. 

Links:

Billboard's podcast page

Glenn Peoples @theglennpeoples

Jay Gilbert (Label Logic)

John Waite's home page

John Waite's page at setlist.fm

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Josh Groban should have his own podcast. What a story teller! The incredible singer was kind enough to join Billboard's Behind the Setlist podcast from Northern California during his U.S. tour that concluded at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on August 2. Josh talked about his affinity for British pop and rock music, his friendship with composer Stephen Sondheim and songs from his set lists that borrow heavily from his 2020 album Harmony (such as Frank Sinatra's "The World We Knew (Over and Over)," Robbie William's "Angels," Sting's "Shape of My Heart" and Charles Aznavour's "She").

Josh is a multi-platinum recording artist with nine studio albums dating back to his 2001 self-titled debut. He has also released five live albums, including 2004's Live at the Greek, which is certified gold in the U.S., and 2019's Bridges Live: Madison Square Garden. People also know Josh from his televised concerts, such as "Josh Groban in Concert," which aired on PBS in 2002, and his appearances on the television comedies. He sang a duet of Rod Stewart's "Forever Young" in The Office's 2011 episode "Garden Party" (but has not played the song at his concerts, he says). Among his other acting credits, Josh played himself in the shows It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (in 2013), American Dad! (in 2014), Parks and Recreation (in 2015) and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (in 2020).

Thanks for joining us, Josh, and thank you for listening to Behind the Setlist.

Links:

Billboard's podcast page

Glenn Peoples @theglennpeoples

Jay Gilbert (Label Logic)

Josh Groban at Setlist.fm

Josh Groban's web page

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Hailey Whitters is an Iowa-born, Nashville-based country singer-songwriter with a handful of solo albums and a Grammy nomination to her credit. Earlier this year Hailey had her first headlining tour from February to May (including some dates in the U.K. and Ireland for the C2C: Country to Country Festival in March). Next, Hailey is going out on a national tour opening for country star John Pardi starting in Irving, Texas on July 14 and finishing in Nashville on October 1.

Her third album, Raised, including the single "Everything She Ain't," was released in March on her own Pigasus Records label in partnership with Big Loud's Songs and Daughters imprint. Holler gave the album 9 out of 10 and called it "a generous and unabashed celebration of growing up in a big family in a small town, that cements Whitters as a true country songwriter of note." She was nominated for a 2022 Grammy for Song of the Year for co-writing the song "Beautiful Noise" performed by Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile.

Links:

Billboard's podcast page

Glenn Peoples @theglennpeoples

Jay Gilbert (Label Logic)

Hailey Whitters at Setlist.fm

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Ani DiFranco is an American singer-songwriter and founder of Righteous Babe Records, through which she has released two dozen studio albums and EPs since 1990 in addition to numerous live albums that capture her rousing, emotional live performances. Ani's latest album, Revolutionary Love was released in January 2021. She wrote the title track for her friend Valarie Kaur, a civil rights leader who was working on a book called Revolutionary Love Project. "I actually wrote her three songs," says Ani. "And that one, I felt spoke so much to my own mission and my own work and my own life. It kind of became my mantra as well."

Ani started a U.S. tour on June 17 that will take her up the West Coast, to the East Coast and across the Midwest before a stop in Colorado at Planet Bluegrass Ranch on August 13 followed by the Etheridge Island festival in Playa Mujeres, Mexico from August 30 to September 5. She will perform as a trio, as she has for many years, with Todd Sickafoose on bass and keyboards and Terence Higgins on percussion.

Links:

Billboard's podcast page

Glenn Peoples @theglennpeoples

Jay Gilbert (Label Logic)

Ani DiFranco at Setlist.fm

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Curt Smith joins Behind the Setlist to talk about Tears for Fears' new album, The Tipping Point, his excitement to play the new songs live, how to choose songs for concerts, his opinion on encores and much more.

Smith and bandmate Roland Orzabal first hit the charts in the U.K. in 1982 with "Mad World." For a time, the band performed the song to sound like the darker Gary Jules and Michael Andrews version that was featured on the soundtrack to the film Donnie Darko in 2001. They have also performed the song acoustically and with a full choir. "To me, it's the strength of a song that allows it to be done in many different ways. If the song doesn't fall flat, then obviously the song itself is the strength, it's not necessarily the recording," says Smith. To his point, "Mad World" has been covered by Adam Lambert, Kelly Clarkson, Pentatonix, Susan Boyle, Brandi Carlile and most recently Demi Lovato.

These days, "Mad World" is one of a handful of tracks from the group's 1983 debut, The Hurting, that's certain to played on the band's current U.S. tour and the U.K. tour that begins in July. "Change," "Pale Shelter" and "Suffer the Children" are setlist standards. So are "Break It Down Again" from 1993's Elemental and two songs from 1989's The Seeds of Love: "Woman in Chains" and "Sowing the Seeds of Love." Fans will also hear the band's hits from the group's 1985 smash album, Songs From The Big Chair: "Shout," "Head Over Heals/Broken" and "Everybody Wants To Rule The World." In years past, Tears for Fears usually covered Radiohead's "Creep" in their sets. That may not make the final cut as the band makes room for new songs.

As for new material, Smith is excited to find out how they transfer to the stage. "The fun part of the first week to two weeks of touring is, you may not have got it right," he says. "And you may want to change things for the first bunch of shows. So until you get in front of an audience, you don't know 100% what's going to work."

Links:

Billboard's podcast page

Glenn Peoples @theglennpeoples

Jay Gilbert (Label Logic)

Tears for Fears' website

Tears for Fears at Setlist.fm

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Ann Wilson, co-founder of the legendary rock group Heart, joins Glenn Peoples (Billboard) and Jay Gilbert (Label Logic) to talk about the set list from her show at the Neptune Theatre in Seattle, WA on Oct. 13, 2021. Ann played three songs from new album, Fierce Bliss, released on April 29, "Greed," "Black Wing" and a cover of Queen's "Love of My Life." And, of course, she performed a number of Heart favorites, such as "Crazy On You," "Barracuda," "Even It Up" and "Love Alive."

"Some make the transition to live and some just don't work," Ann said of her choice of Heart songs from the '70s over other periods. "I think that the Heart songs that are in this set are ones that transfer to live the best."

The Neptune Theatre show had a mix of rock standards and icons, including John Lennon's "Isolation," The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again," Aerosmith's "Dream On" and Led Zeppelin's "Going to California." After decades of live shows, Ann has a good sense of how to pick songs and choose their order. "You want to give people an experience," she says. "You want to have an experience yourself. And if the set is designed right, it’s just like a natural momentum."

The show had some surprises, too. Ann led off the show with Steve Earle's "The Revolution Starts Now," which she recorded in 2020. She also played Jeff Buckley's "Forget Her" and "Permission" by Sixx: A.M., the side project of Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx.

Links:

Billboard's podcast page

Glenn Peoples @theglennpeoples

Jay Gilbert (Label Logic)

Ann Wilson

The Neptune Theatre, Oct. 13, 2021 at Setlist.fm

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Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Andy Grammer hit the Billboard Hot 100 with such tracks "Keep Your Head Up" and "Honey, I'm Good." In recent months, he released four new tracks through his own Giant Soul Records imprint through his longtime label S-Curve Records.

On Behind the Setlist, Grammer talks about the art of creating a setlist -- which includes highs, lows, new tracks, a cover song or two and even his own poetry. 

"We all need a reason to jump out of bed," he says about his shows' positive energy. "We all need to go into our soul. It's just that it comes with so much cynicism that unless you're doing it at such a high level and so aggressively, it doesn't get in. But if you do get in, you'll have fans for life that'll show up every single time you come through."

He starts a U.S. tour on May 31, 2022 in Austin, TX that concludes in Tucson, AZ on Aug. 28, 2022.

Theme music: "Spinnin'" by Alex. Used with Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

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Billboard has a new podcast coming up called Behind the Setlist where artists talk about the songs they play live. Sometimes we talk about a specific concert. Other times we discuss how the artist approaches building a setlist and taking the audience on a journey. And we always talk about the cover songs artists play and why they choose them. Our initial episodes will be Ann Wilson (from Heart), Andy Grammer, Curt Smith from Tears for Fears, Simple Plan and John Waite of Bad English and The Babys.

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