It’s funny how some of the best concert experiences involve artists playing somebody else’s music. Not that I’d want to watch a favorite act perform nothing but covers, but a couple of well-placed interpretations can really make a show.

A highlight of the recent Barenaked Ladies show I attended was a raucous late-show medley of recent chart toppers, including Taylor Swift’s ‘I Knew You Were Trouble,’ Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ and Macklemore’s ‘Thrift Shop.’ In a much different vein, Tift Merritt performed a lovely Joni Mitchell cover on piano.

Why are these moments so great?

For one thing, they are unexpected. You can predict most of the songs in a basic concert setlist, but unless you’ve been reading about the tour, you can’t help but be surprised by, say, an acoustic cover of Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer.’

Also, it’s exciting to see the musician as a fan, giving a nod to an influence or just banging out a fun tune that’s dominating the radio.

Throughout his career, Ben Folds has been compared to early Elton John, so it was nice to see him acknowledge that debt with this cover of ‘Tiny Dancer’ released on his first live solo album.