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Hot Take: Encores Need a Glow Up – How To Bring Back the Magic
- LJ Portnoy
- Nov 23
- 5 min read
Article contributed by LJ Portnoy, Editor-in-Chief
Photos by various contributors of SoundCheck Mag.
Hot Take: Encores Just Aren't What They Used To Be
There was a time when encores felt like actual miracles. The lights went down, the crowd begged for just one more song, and the air buzzed with the kind of hope usually reserved for lottery tickets and marriage proposals. For a few glorious minutes, we had no idea if the band would return. It was a negotiation between us and them. A shared secret. A spark of live music magic.
Now we all know the truth. The encore is already planned. The lights dim on cue. The band disappears for a carefully timed minute. And then everyone returns exactly when we expect them to, pretending the moment is spontaneous.
We still love it. The thrill is still real. The cheering still strikes something primal in us. Yet the surprise is gone. Which means the moment needs reinvention. If artists want encores to feel special again, they need to treat them like part of the show’s architecture, not a setlist formality.
The good news is that the blueprint for a spectacular encore already exists. We simply need artists to commit to making these moments matter again.
Below is the full playbook for how they can do it.
Encore Ideas That Bring Back the Sparkle
1. Make It Unique
These encore choices are all about creating a moment that belongs only to the crowd in the room.
City Exclusive Song Swap
Choosing a different song for each city immediately transforms the encore into a collectible. A deep cut that fits the region. A B side tied to the local mood. A nostalgic track that local fans love. When we get a song no other tour stop receives, the encore becomes a signature from the artist to the city. Think Sabrina Carpenter, Nonsense.
The Chaotic Custom Bridge Moment
We love when artists improvise. A surprise verse. A playful rhyme about the venue. A line about someone in the front row. These small lyrical gifts feel alive. They remind us that the performance is happening in real time rather than following a rigid script.
2. Celebrate the Tour Family
Encores do not need to center only the headliner. They can honor the entire ecosystem that makes the night possible.
Spotlighting the Openers One More Time
Bringing the opening act back out turns the encore into a curtain call. It celebrates the full tour family. It feels wholesome, communal, and joyful. It lets us see the dynamic among the artists, which always deepens the emotional impact of the night.
Full Circle Opener Callback
We love symmetry. When an encore loops back to something from the opening set, the entire night gains structure. A shared duet. A call back to an earlier lyric. A cover performed together. It ties the evening together and makes the experience feel cohesive.
3. Keep It Unpredictable
Encores become exciting again when we cannot guess what is coming next.
Special Guest Roulette
A surprise guest instantly electrifies a room. The cheering becomes louder and the energy spikes. Even a single unexpected appearance on a tour can keep fans guessing about future shows and make the encore a space of possibility.
The Fan Choice Moment
Let the crowd decide the last song. A cheer off. A quick poll. A playful gesture from the stage inviting us to choose. When we help shape the final moment, the encore becomes a collaboration rather than a presentation.
The Tour Specific Mashup
Mashups built just for the tour turn familiar songs into new creations. A blend of old melodies. A nod to fan favorites. A reimagined chorus. These moments feel like secret tracks that only exist live. They give the finale a creative spark.
4. Go Softer, Go Deeper
Some encores do not need to be loud. Some are strongest when they are stripped back and emotional.
Acoustic Reset
A single guitar or piano can change the atmosphere instantly. The noise fades. The lights soften. We are left with a raw, unfiltered voice that fills the room. It is intimate, vulnerable, and deeply human.
The Everything Falls Apart Moment
Production fades. Screens go dark. Spotlights dim to a warm glow. The encore becomes a quiet, honest moment between artist and audience. This stripped ending has a way of sticking with us long after the last note fades.
The Epilogue Track
Some artists understand how to close a night like a book. The final encore becomes an emotional epilogue. A cinematic message. A musical thesis. We have seen how powerful this can be. When the encore ties the night together, we leave the venue feeling like we witnessed a complete story.
5. Give Us Something to Look Forward To
The best encores point toward the future.
The Mini Unreleased Teaser
A short preview of a new song can make an entire arena lose its mind. A single chorus. A soft melody. A thirty-second tease of what is coming next. Fans replay these moments endlessly and walk out buzzing with anticipation.
The Fan Spotlight Moment
Acknowledging the people who filled the room is more powerful than most artists realize, such as a sign being held up. A fan who traveled far. A moment of connection with someone in the crowd. It reminds everyone that live music is a shared experience between the artist and the audience. These moments turn the encore into something deeply personal.
Why We Care This Much About Encores
We love live music. We love community. We love that last rush of energy when the artist returns to the stage. We love the feeling that this moment, this night, this crowd, meant something to everyone in the room.
We simply want the encore to feel intentional again.
Hot Take: Encores do not need to shock us to matter. They just need to feel crafted. They need thought. They need personality. They need artists who treat the final minutes of the show as the emotional highlight rather than the expected formality.
When artists do that, we walk out of the venue with a sense of connection that lasts. We leave feeling like we were part of a moment that was truly ours. We replay the night on the drive home, talk about it with friends, and scroll through photos and videos because the ending meant something deeper than just “one more song.”
A great encore stays with us long after the lights come on. It anchors the experience. It becomes the memory we carry forward.
That is why it deserves the glow-up we are asking for.
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