Have you ever been to a show and the band takes a really long time to bust into their current hit or best known song? The band does this to try and disguise the hit or just to change things up because playing 867-5309 (Jenny) 26,000 times a year for Tommy TuTone gets older than Rue McClanahan.

If you listen to the slow roll into the hit, you can generally make out the cords. You can anticipate the song before the band breaks into it, but what I don't understand is why everyone else at the show can't seem to hear it. My ears aren't that keen anymore from all the audible assault I have put them through. I can't even hear myself fart anymore because the ears have been blown out due to shows.

It isn't until the most obvious chords where the crowd reacts by cheering or clapping. You heard those chords 10 seconds ago, why didn't you clap then? Let's give you an example. In 2008, Philadelphia's The Hooters recorded a concert at The Electric Factory and performed And We Danced. The song has a long build up like I mentioned, but if you know the song (and it's one of their most famous ones), you'd be able to pick up on it. Also at the show would be Hooters fans. There is a classic case of this phenomena. However, I can't find a version of that song on YouTube, but found one similiar example using the same song and the same band.

This performance is from Decades Rock Live on VH1. You get a feel for the build up and you can hear how obvious it is that the song is And We Danced. The crowd doesn't cheer until the melodica is played. I can forgive the crowd in this setting because they were there to see Cindi Lauper and not The Hooters and the crowd looked young enough to not know who the hell they were. 

The Hooters performing And We Danced: