Let me begin by stating how great the Illinois show of the Solo and Down Low Tour was. As always, Stephen blew me away and left me convinced it was the best show I had ever been too. I've been to nearly 200 shows in my short 21 years, but his performance may have been the best I've seen. Absolutely astonishing.
Now to even criticize Stephen Kellogg goes against my very nature. Yet I have one complaint that I'd like to bring up to see if I'm alone in feeling.
When the tour was announced, the newsletter announced a Facebook contest to vote for songs at each show. As it said, "SK will take the most requested song for each show and play it, no questions asked." Why then, I ask, has this not happened?
At the Illinois show, he brought up the contest. Knowing that my hopes of having Pedal Steel played were crushed by the majority of votes for Girlfriend as Pretty as You, I sat as he explained the contest. Then he began to play Diamond (a song which, among a multitude of others, only recieved one vote).
Confused, I compared the archived setlists from this tour with the facebook votes for each event. MA didn't get their top vote. Richmond didn't get theirs. TN didn't. DM didn't. Only a few shows have had their top-voted song played so far. And those were usually whenever the winning song was already in the normal setlist (i.e. Satisfied Man, Diamond).
I realize this complaint is horribly petty. Yet I just feel if the fans are promised a song "no questions asked," they should get it. We are in no way entitled to anything, and I truly believe the artists should have complete control over what they play, but when a promise is made, I feel like it should be upheld. Thankfully it didn't bother me too much because Pedal Steel didn't win the vote, but if it had, I would have been really dissapointed not to hear it.
Again, I don't want anyone thinking this is a criticism of SK. It is simply a criticism of the contest. I feel sometimes musicians can forget how exciting it can be for a fan to get to hear their favorite song. Yet I must say, every song SK plays is good enough to make this cimplaint take the back seat.
