Sometimes, before I attend a concert, I like to check out a band's setlist from their last few shows to get an idea of what songs they will play.

This strategy does not work for a Bruce Hornsby concert. It sure didn't for his Saturday evening performance at Evanston's Cahn Auditorium.

Hornsby was once a member of The Grateful Dead - a band famous for rejecting set lists and playing different songs each night. Hornsby continues this tradition on his current tour with his band, The Noisemakers. On Saturday evening in Evanston, he played mostly audience requests.

Bruce is a talented musician and songwriter. His solo piano pieces this evening were impressive. I loved his piano interpretation of the Ornette Coleman composition, "Questions and Answers," and I loved the improvisational solo piano that led into his biggest hit, "The Way It Is." I enjoyed even more the times he stepped out from behind his grand piano to stand or sit at the front of the stage and face the audience, playing an accordion or an unidentified string instrument.

This band was at its best when the melodies took center stage. They were at their worst when they tried to outdo one another musically, creating a cacophony of sounds that didn't blend well. Although the show began with the latter – the musicians seemed more intent on impressing one another than on pleasing the audience. Fortunately, most of the evening leaned toward the former, as the focus shifted to the audience.

The quality improved steadily as the show went on. The encore concluded with an extended version of "Mandolin Run" - an excellent and satisfying way to finish.