Webmaster's Reply:

I don't really have an answer for you. I've never heard Jackson address this question.

I think that from the late '70s for more than a decade he often performed The Load Out/Stay as his final song or encore. I saw a number of shows from the Running On Empty tour, the Hold Out tour, and even the Lawyers In Love tour where it was performed... though I seem to recall that at some point the final encore song at some point became Little Steven's "I Am A Patriot," which Jackson seems to have resurrected as his closing song for his recent tours.

Jackson's catalog of albums and songs has become large enough that it's simply impossible for him to sing everything. He actually does a larger variety of songs on his solo acoustic tours, but on band tours he is limited to those songs that the band has rehearsed and knows. So during band tours, there is not much deviation on the set lists from show to show. During his solo acoustic tours he does sometimes take requests from the audience -- though he often knows what he wants to play and can make it look like he's taking a request when he intended to play that song anyway. (In other words, he plays what he wants.)

Certainly "The Load Out/Stay" was one of his bigger hits and everyone loves to hear it in concert. So I'm not sure why he hasn't been playing it more lately. I expect that he will recycle it back into his sets at some point. I remember for a while he wasn't performing "Doctor My Eyes" during his shows and then started including it again just prior to the Naked Ride Home tour.

I think variety is one of the things that keeps Jackson touring. If he had to do the same songs every show, every tour, he'd have given it up a long time ago...

Sorry I don't have a better answer for you. Maybe someone out there will have a better reply?

Best wishes,

Russ

Webmaster's Reply:

Some -- but not all -- Guacamole events have a "meet and greet" that Jackson will attend. But you have to be sure that this is part of the deal. Sometimes Guacamole tickets are JUST tickets (with the money going to a good cause). Info on Guacamole tickets can be found at: www.guacfund.org

Most people who have written in with stories about meeting Jackson have done so by waiting near the tour bus or backstage door after the show. At some point, Jackson has to leave the theater and return to his tour bus. This can be an hour or more after the show, so patience is a virtue when attempting this. Sometimes, he will stop and shake hands. Sometimes, he will stop for pictures. Rarely, he will even stop to give autographs. A lot of this depends on the time and his energy level -- and the tour schedule. Lots of times the bus needs to leave to get to the next location. Sometimes he's simply too tired. (It can be frustrating to wait for an hour or two just to have Jackson whisked by through security personnel.) But often he will take at least a few moments with fans who have waited patiently. It's just that there is no guarantee.

Best wishes,

Russ