The opening act was, hopefully, chosen for a reason. Their job is to take the audience from zero to 50 on the excitement scale. If the opening act is unable to get people warmed up, the burden will fall solely on the headliner. If the headliner has to expend unnecessary effort to get the crowd where they need them, they may run out of juice before the end of the show. And if the opening band has been given the tools that they need to give their best performance, they have a far greater chance of achieving their goals. Give the opening band as many tools as you can. Give their LD time to program whenever possible. Don’t give them access to your big guns, but DO give them the time to at least properly aim their peashooters. Treat the opening band with respect. They may be the headliner sooner than you know. They will remember you if you are cordial, and they will blacklist you if you are disagreeable.
-Chris Lose, from “The Show Before the Show,” PLSN, “LD-at-Large,” Aug. 2018, page 68
