After starting a nationwide controversy by putting alleged Boston bomber Dzokhar Tsaernaev on the cover, Rolling Stone played it considerably safer with the follow-up issue, going with one of the most American Americans of all-time, Bruce Springsteen. The reason for his appearance on the cover - ostensibly, at least - was because he came in at #1 on the magazine's list of the 50 best live acts currently touring. The list was a more-or-less agreeable mixture of acts old and new from a diverse set of genres and while I may have had a few beefs with it (no Flaming Lips?!), as someone who has had the distinct pleasure of seeing The Boss live, I can happily tell you they didn't screw up the top spot.

I saw Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band on November 22, 2009 at HSBC Arena. It was the final show of the Working On A Dream Tour, and the last show Clarence Clemons would ever play with the band. It was by far the best show I've ever seen. During those three and a half hours, we were blown away by the endless amount of energy and soul that one man was capable of delivering. But saying that a Springsteen show is a religious experience is hardly an original statement, however true it may be. So, let's talk about something different: what makes a live act a transcendent experience.

In the case of Springsteen, it was many things. Singing along to all of the songs I know by heart was fun, but it was the force behind those songs that made it more than a by the book greatest hits affair. The appearance of several obscure cuts and covers didn't hurt either.

At times, the "Greatest Hits" concert can be fun, even if it's predictable. When I saw Alice Cooper at Darien Lake last summer, he played a set heavy on songs I was already quite familiar with, and that was just fine. In that setting, hearing the songs - as well as the special effects - we're all familiar with was a great experience because it allowed me and everyone else in the crowd the experience of seeing a quintessential Alice Cooper Show.

On the other hand, a show can also be special because of the lack of popular songs. I've discussed this before when Tom Petty made the choice to break out the deep cuts on his latest tour. The first time you see a beloved act, you might crave the greatest hits package, since those are the songs that likely introduced you to the band's music, but the second time around it gets predictable. Anyone who truly cares about a band or musician has deep cuts by that act that rank among their most treasured songs, and hearing them in concert - especially when you don't expect to - can be a truly marvelous experience.

Sometimes, it's not the set list that matters, so much as the effort that goes into bringing it to life. I'd be lying if I claimed to hold the same reverence for Dave Matthews that his most hardcore fans do, but I can certainly understand why his live shows have such a wide appeal. Hearing completely different versions of the songs you've come to know and love stretch on into euphoric jams would obviously be a great experience if you happen to be into that sort of thing. There are so many bands that thrive in the live setting but struggle to capture the same vibe in the studio to the point where you pretty much have to seem them live to get a true understanding what they are capable of.

If Springsteen is the best show I've ever seen, #2 would probably be Adrian Belew's gig at the Tralf in October 2011. His expert guitar playing, as well as the amazing groove he and his band mates were able to capture blew me away. A lot of times, virtuosity like that is hard to appreciate when listening to a studio recording. That's why acts like Joe Bonamassa and Robert Randolph tend to be better in concert than in the studio. To watch a virtuoso in motion is just more electrifying and exciting that simply listening to a guitar solo on record, regardless of how much expert playing might be going into that solo. It's just the magic of being there.

A great concert can be great for any number of reasons. Maybe it's because the band brought out one of your personal favorites that you don't get to hear much. Maybe they went into a 20-minute jam that you'll be telling your grandchildren about. In any case, the thrill of live music comes in many forms, and it's safe to say, it will outlast all of us.

In a recent issue of Rolling Stone, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers discuss their current tour and how they've decided to make a bold choice with their set list or rather, several bold choices. They've chosen to eschew the well-worn hits that have served them well throughout big arena shows for the past three decades. As guitarist Mike Campbell puts it, "we're free from 'Free Fallin'."

Now, I've seen Petty twice in my life (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers are actually my favorite band of all-time, but that's for a later discussion), and each time, I enjoyed the hit parade that made up the gig. Who wouldn't? Petty has the one more durable sets of greatest hits around. "Refugee," "American Girl," and "Running Down A Dream" all sound just as strong today as they did when they came out.

Still, I had to admit that the second time around, it all felt a bit predictable. I mean, of course he's going to play "Free Fallin'." It's his biggest hit, and in all likelihood, the song most associated with him. Knowing this, it's easy to also understand that Tom Petty might have gotten really, really sick of playing "Free Fallin'" every damn night. So, he made the decision that a lot of performers likely consider; consciously choosing to not play all the constants that everyone expects to hear. The fact that he chose to do this at a set of venues quite smaller than what Petty & The Heartbreakers normally play gives us a strong indication of two things: 1. This is on a trial basis. 2. Petty isn't sure if he wants to do this among large crowds of more casual fans.

You could understand why on both accounts. The person going to see Petty at a smaller theater gig would theoretically be the more serious fan, while the person seeing him in a large, open air venue may have just heard that Tom Petty was in town, and thought "why not." That second fan might be also be a more insistent on hearing "Free Fallin'." But since the Heartbreakers tour of clubs and theaters isn't coming to Buffalo, and the only local venue I've seen them play in recent years is Darien Lake, I'd like to see him try this approach at the larger shows, too. Shaking up the set list a bit is a healthy thing, and all of Tom Petty's fan should a get chance to hear of play some the obscure gems we've grown to love over the years. Personally, I'd give my left nut for a live rendition of "Keeping Me Alive."

Moving away from Petty to popular music in general, one of the biggest issues plaguing the current scene is the idea of "shut up and the play the hits" (as LCD Soundsystem's career ending concert film was dubbed). When we see bands with a fair amount of hits in their catalog, we expect to hear the songs, we feel entitled to hear them. Most often, the band obliges that demand, leaving the set list stale and predictable, and the overall experience rather sterile. You could understand why the casual fan just wants to hear the hits, but it's more fun when there's a greater element of surprise.

Bands that have few hits can be affected by this as well. Fountains Of Wayne are a well-respected power pop band, but the majority of the public just knows them for "Stacy's Mom." This was all too obvious when the band came to Thursday at the Harbor last year. They played plenty of great tunes, but a large portion of the crowd was just there for "Stacy's Mom," and that became abundantly clear when they finally obliged the crowd, playing it as their penultimate song of the night. The stage was quickly mobbed, as dozens of fans who had been anemic throughout the evening suddenly decided they care about the music. There were some serious FoW fans there, as well some open-minded casual fans, but the "Stacy's Mom" crowd drowned them out. When the show was over, FoW frontman Chris Collingwood joked about the situation on Twitter by saying "we play all the hit."

Bands can often feel chained to their hits, and the circumstances aren't fun for anyone. The band is forced to plow their way through the same tunes night after night, while the serious fans are denied the element of surprise. Petty's decision to play the deep cuts is what the concert scene needs. Seeing a band should be about more than just hearing the songs you've heard on the radio a thousand times before. It should be about experiencing a musical entity performing on its own terms. The drab experience of exchanging upwards of $100 for a set of songs you can see coming from a mile away sucks life out of the music industry, and cheapens the concert experience. More bands need to follow Petty's lead, and pick set-lists on based on what they want to play, and not what they think we want to hear. And if the casual fans don't like it, they're welcome to stay home next time.