The Frank's Wild Years tour was Waits's most complex yet, both musically and technically. Props, masks, costume changes, pyrotechnics, special effects all came into play. Having mounted Frank's Wild Years , the musical, Waits had an even greater appreciation of the theatricality of a concert. He'd stand on the stage, lean into his mike, and perform a jerky, knee-knocking stomp, something between a religious testimonial and an epileptic seizure. He'd use props and even characters to bring a song into focus.
People get like that with artists.
We are a product-oriented society. We want it now, and we want an abundance of it in reserve. But there are limits to what you can do. There's something to be said for longevity. For some people, being in pop music is like running for office.