Damn Good Times! (Longer TMBG concert writeup; includes photo and video clip)
A longer write-up from the show, as promised:
trshtwns01's new car plays MP3s. Neat! After she picked me up, we jot over to the neighborhood of chkchkdylan and Ingrid for them. I helpfully observed that Ingrid looks a lot different than the photos I'd seen of her. We got down to the West End around 6:20 and made a couple of loops around the House of Blues trying to find the handicapped spot, which turned out to be right in front of the restaurant entrance. (We asked the valets but misinterpreted their pointing kind of up and behind them -- they were pointing at a handicapped spot sign that was facing away from us and only saw when we pulled in for valet parking and ping! there it was.)
There are a ton of steps into the restaurant entrance. Trish deserves a medal for scaling them with her cast and cane. We sat at the end of the bar with me on the corner, which was just like Thanksgiving, only with booze. Everyone had adult beverages except for me, because liquor makes me sleepy (I'm a lightweight), and we shared spinach artichoke dip and flatbread topped with veggies. (The menu said it has prosciutto too, but I didn't taste it. No biggie.) After drinks and noshing, we took our Skip the Line receipt over to get our tickets scanned and have Trish's drink poured into a go cup.
Dylan and Ingrid stepped outside for a smoke while Trish and I took the elevator down to the merch table. I got Laurel her own No! shirt and another one for me since my kids' XL one is AWOL at home; Trish got a hoodie for her and wallets for her kiddos. They rejoined us while we were in line with Have you accepted Cthulhu as your savior? , but I was on my toes and replied No, I'm Pastafarian. We got our stuff and took the elevator up to the balcony, where I fell behind looking at things (did I mention I'm kind of like taking a well-behaved toddler out in public? I get into stuff) and pushed open a double door and startled the crap out of myself because, hello, Flansburgh was sitting on a couch in there! I was so surprised I didn't think to ask him to sign Trish's cast and ducked out. (Later poking around the House of Blues site has led me to believe I unintentionally popped into the before and after lounge program in the Foundation Room.)
I am totally sitting in the balcony for future shows just for easy access to the bar. Anyhow, we settled in and saw the opening act, Oppenheimer. They were nice but not terribly memorable, and I stand corrected that Rocky O'Reilly, the not-drummer member, is male. (I thought he was a slightly chubby cute-in-an-awkward-way girl for the duration of their set. Whee.) After they finished, I changed into my new No! shirt in the ladies' room and called home, thrilling Laurel with the promise of swag.
Here's what I remember of the setlist, very vaguely in order: Shadow Government, Doctor Worm, Particle Man, Memo to Human Resources, Boss of Me (35-second version) Cyclops Rock,The Mesopotamians, Birdhouse In Your Soul, Ana Ng, New York City, One Dozen Monkeys, Apartment Four, Alphabet of Nations, Damn Good Times, Older, Take Out the Trash, How Can I Sing Like a Girl?; Encore: Clap Your Hands, Istanbul, Maybe I Know, Why Does the Sun Shine?
I was mildly paranoid about the no-photography warning that came with the online ticket purchase, so I didn't pull out my camera until the encore. Here are the Johns during "Maybe I Know":
And the chorus of "Why Does The Sun Shine?">:
trshtwns01's new car plays MP3s. Neat! After she picked me up, we jot over to the neighborhood of chkchkdylan and Ingrid for them. I helpfully observed that Ingrid looks a lot different than the photos I'd seen of her. We got down to the West End around 6:20 and made a couple of loops around the House of Blues trying to find the handicapped spot, which turned out to be right in front of the restaurant entrance. (We asked the valets but misinterpreted their pointing kind of up and behind them -- they were pointing at a handicapped spot sign that was facing away from us and only saw when we pulled in for valet parking and ping! there it was.)
There are a ton of steps into the restaurant entrance. Trish deserves a medal for scaling them with her cast and cane. We sat at the end of the bar with me on the corner, which was just like Thanksgiving, only with booze. Everyone had adult beverages except for me, because liquor makes me sleepy (I'm a lightweight), and we shared spinach artichoke dip and flatbread topped with veggies. (The menu said it has prosciutto too, but I didn't taste it. No biggie.) After drinks and noshing, we took our Skip the Line receipt over to get our tickets scanned and have Trish's drink poured into a go cup.
Dylan and Ingrid stepped outside for a smoke while Trish and I took the elevator down to the merch table. I got Laurel her own No! shirt and another one for me since my kids' XL one is AWOL at home; Trish got a hoodie for her and wallets for her kiddos. They rejoined us while we were in line with Have you accepted Cthulhu as your savior? , but I was on my toes and replied No, I'm Pastafarian. We got our stuff and took the elevator up to the balcony, where I fell behind looking at things (did I mention I'm kind of like taking a well-behaved toddler out in public? I get into stuff) and pushed open a double door and startled the crap out of myself because, hello, Flansburgh was sitting on a couch in there! I was so surprised I didn't think to ask him to sign Trish's cast and ducked out. (Later poking around the House of Blues site has led me to believe I unintentionally popped into the before and after lounge program in the Foundation Room.)
I am totally sitting in the balcony for future shows just for easy access to the bar. Anyhow, we settled in and saw the opening act, Oppenheimer. They were nice but not terribly memorable, and I stand corrected that Rocky O'Reilly, the not-drummer member, is male. (I thought he was a slightly chubby cute-in-an-awkward-way girl for the duration of their set. Whee.) After they finished, I changed into my new No! shirt in the ladies' room and called home, thrilling Laurel with the promise of swag.
Here's what I remember of the setlist, very vaguely in order: Shadow Government, Doctor Worm, Particle Man, Memo to Human Resources, Boss of Me (35-second version) Cyclops Rock,The Mesopotamians, Birdhouse In Your Soul, Ana Ng, New York City, One Dozen Monkeys, Apartment Four, Alphabet of Nations, Damn Good Times, Older, Take Out the Trash, How Can I Sing Like a Girl?; Encore: Clap Your Hands, Istanbul, Maybe I Know, Why Does the Sun Shine?
I was mildly paranoid about the no-photography warning that came with the online ticket purchase, so I didn't pull out my camera until the encore. Here are the Johns during "Maybe I Know":
And the chorus of "Why Does The Sun Shine?">:
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