Band fansites have compiled setlists for years, but Setlist.fm, calling itself “the setlist wiki,” has aggregated user-submitted setlists into a searchable database that can be added to, edited, and embedded into websites. A lot of work is left before Setlist.fm becomes the authority on live performances–it currently has 42,524 setlists, not exactly a comprehensive history–but leveraging the collective knowledge of passionate fans and/or those with too much time on their hands has enormous potential.

The site has its share of geeky charm, including artist statistics so you can tell that the most-played Modest Mouse song on the site’s setlists is “The View,” with a play count of eighteen. Yet the site doubles as an archive of videos and lyrics, accessible with a click on any setlist. You submit the setlist, and Setlist.fm automatically searches for a stream of the song and lyrics available online.

Like any wiki, its success depends on the community that contributes. But even as a tourist on the site I found it irresistible to follow the contributions of some individual users, whose musical histories are now online–statistics are kept for contributors, too. That should encourage users to complete their concert resumes, reaching for the oldest and most obscure shows, which only benefits the rest of us.