[zach]

I think the crowd requesting an encore through continued applause is becoming the polite thing to do everywhere except really informal venues. Kind of like how in classical recitals/concerts everyone knows to keep clapping after the performers leave the stage, until they come back and bow etc. again. Then, when the performers leave for the second time, the audience finally stops clapping. It's built into the performance liturgy.

So you should rather assume it was scripted. And considering the artist, it's almost a given they would have planned it out.