‘The Set List’: Bands’ Stories Unfold on a Single Slip of Paper

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

M Theory Entertainment, Bumin-Murray’s digital arm that was launched in 2006, scoured this year’s SXSW to find some of the best live bands and then asked them to share their inspiration behind how they crafted their set lists for the night. This combined with fan reactions were filmed, edited together, and resulted in over a dozen 3 – 5 minute episodes that make up the documentary web series The Set List.

The series is being released exclusively for the next month on Dailymotion through their music section and SXSW hub. The season kicks off with Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, a band that has been described as being “like a modern-day version of Tina Turner stroking the microphone in a spangled mini-dress while fronting the Rolling Stones circa Sticky Fingers.” Potter fronts the band with a husky yet sultry crooning and could very well be Joni Mitchell reincarnated. One fan exclaims energetically in the episode, “”I hope I get my face melted off”.

Potter and band-mate Matt Burr explain their process of putting together their list of songs for the night with passion and humor. “It’s like making a mix tape,” explained Potter. “I’m talking about sitting there with a tape recorder and a tape cassette and all your favorite records and going through them one at a time and putting your heart and soul into it. That’s the process I like to think of when I’m writing a set list.” But prankster Burr sometimes likes to derail that process. Potter playfully expresses her amusement at finding surprises interjected into her well-crafted work…like that “Jazz Odyssey version of Free Bird,” laughs Burr.

The Set List launched on March 22nd and will release episodes all month on Dailymotion. Some of the other bands featured will include The Very Best and Mike Snow.