I agree with the previous review. I had caught the show in Atlanta two nights earlier, and was disappointed when I heard virtually the same setlist. The "sit down" portion of the set had one song difference and the encore included Sangri-La buy no real difference outside of that. Even the jokes about the tea were the same. I have never seen Springstein like the other reviewer, but from my days of touring with Phish, I can say that one of the best things was that each show was different. Each setlist was different. Nothing was repeated. Some shows were better than others but it was always fresh, with an energy unique to that particular show. That I miss, and that I would like to see from Knopfler. Also, while he is certainly the main attraction, it would be nice to see some improvisation from the other members of the band. I was also surprised that so few people in the audience got the references to Indianapolis during "Speedway." However, I realize that not as many people are as into his music as myself. I am probably in a minority of people who have almost all of his albums (DS and solo). On a different note concerning the audience, I can say that this was the most eclectic gathering of people I have ever seen at a concert. Every person from every element of society was represented; a testament to quality of the music in that it has such a broad appeal. This was the case both in Atlanta and in Indianapolis. Disappointment about the "canned routine" aside... to quote one of his own lyrics, "... the boy can play!" He is deserving of his title as a guitar legend, and he remains my idol with the instrument. So many guitarists focus on being fancy with their licks and runs and forget that hitting the correct note perfectly is more of a driving force behind music. Mark is certianly not guilty of this. His attention to the tune being played is unmatched from any I have seen, and every element of every note is spot on. He has usurped the level of showing off and arrived at an almost nirvanic level of perfection. He doesn't have to worry about being fancy to impress an audience. He's just that good anyway. It's always euphoric to listen to the work of a master artist, and not just a top notch musician. He doesn't disappoint in this regard. Would I see his again? Absolutely. Without a second thought. Even hearing the same setlist would not deter me from returning to hear him again. As I said... he's just that good.

This was my first show on this tour, but since I have followed the set reports from the beginning it was as if I knew the show by heart already. No surprises in the set, as has been the routine; it is a little disapointing that MK doesn't shake things up a little more as far as song selection. Compared to an artist like Springsteen, who might play 7 to 8 different songs from one night to the next, Knopfler's set has remained virtually unchanged from the beginning of the tour. Indy did get "All That Matters" and the closing "Shangri-La", which I understand have been rarer numbers. In the middle "sit down" section the show really drags; for all of the social relevance of "Song for Sonny Liston" it's still a pretty boring tune. Same goes for "Rudiger" - plenty of nice, Steely Dan-esque chops on display, but ultimately sleep-inducing. I thought it was humorous the way MK introduced that one; he said "we'll try this one...I don't know how it'll go, it's different every night...I just hope nobody gets hurt..." - I'm thinking "wow, are they really gonna pull one out of the hat, something like 'Two Young Lovers' or 'Ticket to Heaven'..." - but no such luck. It was a song they had played almost every night on the tour, but you wouldn't know that unless you had followed the tour on this site. The same thing happened after "Money For Nothing" - the band huddled together, there seemed to be a discussion about what to play, with some differences of opinion, head shaking "no, yes, no..." - but then they played "So Far Away" - a song that has been played every night! Once again the crowd is tricked into feeling an atmosphere of spontanaiety...oh well. Those quibbles aside, the show was very enjoyable, "Sultans" was especially powerful - it was beautiful the way MK wove the iconic, familiar guitar runs of that song into newer melodies in the solo; every time he played one of those classic runs I got chills down my back. "Speedway to Nazareth" was also thrilling, with an intense, "gee whiz" type of climax that blew me away compared to the studio version's fadeout. I was a little surprised that more people in Indy didn't get the "brickyard" references in the song, but there was some scattered applause of recognition. All in all it was a great show - I just wish that MK would take a few more chances with the set list...