Encore (concert)
Encyclopedia
An encore is an additional performance added to the end of a concert
, from the French
"encore", which means "again", "some more"; multiple encores are not uncommon. Encores originated spontaneously, when audiences would continue to applaud and demand additional performance from the artist after the concert had ended. In some modern circumstances, encores have come to be expected, and artists often plan their encores. This is sometimes necessitated by noise curfews at venues, which may also sometimes require an artist to forgo encores if the concert has gone long. Traditionally, in a concert that has a printed set list for the audience, encores are not listed, even when they are planned. Though the word derives from French, French-speaking people commonly use either une autre, un rappel or the Latin bis in the same circumstances, but sometimes scream "encore!" to ask the artist for an encore.
s or classical music groups like orchestra
s often show off their artistic potential by playing fast, high or loud pieces in the encore, but sometimes they also close the performance with slow and calm pieces to let the applause ebb down. It is also common to play a popular music song or the most famous pieces of a composer in the encore. A well-known example is the performance of the Radetzky March
and The Blue Danube
at the end of the Vienna New Year's Concert
by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
; both pieces are never listed in the official setlist, but are traditionally played every year.
and pop
artists to give an encore; especially in large settings such as stadium
s and arena
s. Artists often plan their encores in advance, and they are commonly included on the artist's setlist; one common practice is to leave one or more of their most popular songs for an encore.
Some artists include their encore as the second half of the concert. For example the Jamaican reggae
musician Bob Marley
and his band The Wailers were known to play the concerts of their last two tours in 1979 and 1980 in two halves: after the first half was performed they stopped performing for some minutes to tune their instruments again or to have a break, while the audience was demanding for more. They continued to play the concert with the "encore" which lasted about an hour. Sometimes they even played one or two additional songs (a "real" encore in the traditional sense, rather than an inevitable performance staged as an encore) after the planned encore. Similarly, former Guided by Voices
frontman Robert Pollard
generally plays songs from his solo career for the first half of his shows, and then, for the inevitable encore, will play a lengthy selection of Guided by Voices songs, with the two halves generally having roughly equal duration.
In the early days of modern rock music, Elvis Presley
never played encores; a practice his manager Col. Tom Parker felt was the best manner by which to leave audiences wanting. The now-famous phrase "Elvis has left the building
" was used at the beginning of his career when Presley was not the headliner, followed by a plea for the audience to return to their seats so as to watch those artists following Presley. Once he became a headliner, it was invariably followed by a polite "thank you, and good night", to imply to those present at the concert that there was not going to be an encore.
Jimmy Buffett
is known for his intimate second encores at his infamous shows. He and his band leave the stage after performing their set and return for a typical encore of usually two songs and band introductions. Then they leave the stage again and Buffett comes back out on stage by himself for a second encore and performs an acoustic ballad to end the show. This final song is usually what his hardcore fans look forward to the most because it's a different song every show and it’s usually an obscure selection, and many fans consider Buffett’s ballads as his best songs despite not being among his famous songs. encores
, a collection of Buffett’s second encores, was released in 2010.
Boston
played a show with four encores back in 1985 and The Cure
has played up to five encores on a handful of occasions.
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
, from the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
"encore", which means "again", "some more"; multiple encores are not uncommon. Encores originated spontaneously, when audiences would continue to applaud and demand additional performance from the artist after the concert had ended. In some modern circumstances, encores have come to be expected, and artists often plan their encores. This is sometimes necessitated by noise curfews at venues, which may also sometimes require an artist to forgo encores if the concert has gone long. Traditionally, in a concert that has a printed set list for the audience, encores are not listed, even when they are planned. Though the word derives from French, French-speaking people commonly use either une autre, un rappel or the Latin bis in the same circumstances, but sometimes scream "encore!" to ask the artist for an encore.
Classical music
SoloistSolo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
s or classical music groups like orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
s often show off their artistic potential by playing fast, high or loud pieces in the encore, but sometimes they also close the performance with slow and calm pieces to let the applause ebb down. It is also common to play a popular music song or the most famous pieces of a composer in the encore. A well-known example is the performance of the Radetzky March
Radetzky March
Radetzky March, Op. 228, is a march composed by Johann Strauss Sr. in 1848. It was dedicated to the Austrian Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, and became quite a popular march among soldiers....
and The Blue Danube
The Blue Danube
The Blue Danube is the common English title of An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314 , a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866...
at the end of the Vienna New Year's Concert
Vienna New Year's Concert
The New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic is a concert of classical music that takes place each year in the morning of January 1 in Vienna, Austria...
by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
The Vienna Philharmonic is an orchestra in Austria, regularly considered one of the finest in the world....
; both pieces are never listed in the official setlist, but are traditionally played every year.
Popular music
In most circumstances, it has become standard for rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
artists to give an encore; especially in large settings such as stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
s and arena
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
s. Artists often plan their encores in advance, and they are commonly included on the artist's setlist; one common practice is to leave one or more of their most popular songs for an encore.
Some artists include their encore as the second half of the concert. For example the Jamaican reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
musician Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
and his band The Wailers were known to play the concerts of their last two tours in 1979 and 1980 in two halves: after the first half was performed they stopped performing for some minutes to tune their instruments again or to have a break, while the audience was demanding for more. They continued to play the concert with the "encore" which lasted about an hour. Sometimes they even played one or two additional songs (a "real" encore in the traditional sense, rather than an inevitable performance staged as an encore) after the planned encore. Similarly, former Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
frontman Robert Pollard
Robert Pollard
Robert Pollard is an American rock musician and singer-songwriter who is the leader and creative force behind indie rock group Guided by Voices, who disbanded in 2004, only to reform in 2010...
generally plays songs from his solo career for the first half of his shows, and then, for the inevitable encore, will play a lengthy selection of Guided by Voices songs, with the two halves generally having roughly equal duration.
In the early days of modern rock music, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
never played encores; a practice his manager Col. Tom Parker felt was the best manner by which to leave audiences wanting. The now-famous phrase "Elvis has left the building
Elvis has left the building
"Elvis has left the building!" is a phrase that was often used by public address announcers following Elvis Presley concerts to disperse audiences who lingered in hopes of an encore...
" was used at the beginning of his career when Presley was not the headliner, followed by a plea for the audience to return to their seats so as to watch those artists following Presley. Once he became a headliner, it was invariably followed by a polite "thank you, and good night", to imply to those present at the concert that there was not going to be an encore.
Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
is known for his intimate second encores at his infamous shows. He and his band leave the stage after performing their set and return for a typical encore of usually two songs and band introductions. Then they leave the stage again and Buffett comes back out on stage by himself for a second encore and performs an acoustic ballad to end the show. This final song is usually what his hardcore fans look forward to the most because it's a different song every show and it’s usually an obscure selection, and many fans consider Buffett’s ballads as his best songs despite not being among his famous songs. encores
Encores (Jimmy Buffett album)
encores is a live album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. 22 songs compiled from Buffett's intimate second encores, that he ends his concerts with, are featured on the album. All songs are taken from the 2008/2009 tours...
, a collection of Buffett’s second encores, was released in 2010.
Boston
Boston (band)
Boston is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists...
played a show with four encores back in 1985 and The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
has played up to five encores on a handful of occasions.