Running with the devil
We just back from, I believe, my 37th They Might Be Giants show, in honor of Marisa's birthday (observed), with occasional-to-frequent TMBGers Michelle, Amanda, Rayme, Allison, and Anne. They've been playing monthly shows at Le Poisson Rouge in the west village, and this month's theme was "songs from every album." I'm pretty sure I've seen them try this before and it usually just meant "a couple of songs we only play sometimes." But tonight, check it, they really covered all of their albums, and not in the most obvious ways possible, either:
Sleepwalkers
Ana Ng
We Live in a Dump
Wicked Little Critta
See the Constellation
Apartment Four
Take Out the Trash
Snail Shell
New York City
Asbury Park
Cowtown
Dig My Grave
Particle Man
Bee of the Bird of the Moth
Meet James Ensor
Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head
Older
E Eats Everything
Don't Let's Start
James K. Polk
Lucky Ball and Chain
The End of the Tour
Pet Name
The Mesopotamians
---
Maybe I Know
The Famous Polka
Twisting
---
Museum of Idiots
Clap Your Hands
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
OK, so three songs in, I was thinking this was the awesomest TMBG setlist in years -- and then they played "Wicked Little Critta" AND I THOUGHT IT EVEN MORE. And really, they kept it up for most of the set, save that lull in the middle courtesy of "Bee of the Bird of the Moth," which still sounds like an ill-advised attempt to write a classic TMBG song. But mostly: eclectic, well-paced, good mix of stopping for banter and barreling through two or three in a row, and an actual career overview.
One downer: no "Birdhouse in Your Soul" for the first time maybe ever (in my experiences, I mean)? I should really sign up for the wiki so I can look this kind of thing up with greater ease. I certainly don't begrudge them skipping a song they've played probably thousands of times by now, but skipping "Birdhouse" while leaving in "Particle Man" and "Istanbul" kinda smarts. Mink Car got screwed a little, too (much as I love "Wicked Little Critta"), but that's nitpicking. I loved the return of "Pet Name" with the lights out (remember that from eleventh grade, a few of you?), I always love "Museum of Idiots" with horns, and I hadn't heard "Sleepwalkers" live in ages.
The Poisson Rouge crowd tonight was a little weird -- apart from the awesome people who came with us, I mean. There were more people shouting dumb shit than usual. Not just nerds calling for obscure songs during brief moments of silence; people all-out yelling crap while John and John were actually talking, which to me is a pretty strong indicator of drunken yelling versus calling something out that might actually make sense to the band or people around you (regardless of how impractical or, yeah, kind of annoying it might be). There were also a lot burly, beardy dudes for a TMBG show. That probably sounds superficial, except the biggest and beardiest dude in my sightline was also doing some of the dumbest, loudest yelling (e.g., bellowing "ISTANBUL!" in the middle of the set. Seriously? If you had one wish, it would be that the band drops what it's doing and busts into a song they didn't even write?!).
Anyway, it didn't ruin the show or anything -- it's just weird to see this newish club aim for artsy west village and instead get sketchy past-prime west village.
Now to Steve Martin on SNL. A good day for nerdery.
Sleepwalkers
Ana Ng
We Live in a Dump
Wicked Little Critta
See the Constellation
Apartment Four
Take Out the Trash
Snail Shell
New York City
Asbury Park
Cowtown
Dig My Grave
Particle Man
Bee of the Bird of the Moth
Meet James Ensor
Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head
Older
E Eats Everything
Don't Let's Start
James K. Polk
Lucky Ball and Chain
The End of the Tour
Pet Name
The Mesopotamians
---
Maybe I Know
The Famous Polka
Twisting
---
Museum of Idiots
Clap Your Hands
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
OK, so three songs in, I was thinking this was the awesomest TMBG setlist in years -- and then they played "Wicked Little Critta" AND I THOUGHT IT EVEN MORE. And really, they kept it up for most of the set, save that lull in the middle courtesy of "Bee of the Bird of the Moth," which still sounds like an ill-advised attempt to write a classic TMBG song. But mostly: eclectic, well-paced, good mix of stopping for banter and barreling through two or three in a row, and an actual career overview.
One downer: no "Birdhouse in Your Soul" for the first time maybe ever (in my experiences, I mean)? I should really sign up for the wiki so I can look this kind of thing up with greater ease. I certainly don't begrudge them skipping a song they've played probably thousands of times by now, but skipping "Birdhouse" while leaving in "Particle Man" and "Istanbul" kinda smarts. Mink Car got screwed a little, too (much as I love "Wicked Little Critta"), but that's nitpicking. I loved the return of "Pet Name" with the lights out (remember that from eleventh grade, a few of you?), I always love "Museum of Idiots" with horns, and I hadn't heard "Sleepwalkers" live in ages.
The Poisson Rouge crowd tonight was a little weird -- apart from the awesome people who came with us, I mean. There were more people shouting dumb shit than usual. Not just nerds calling for obscure songs during brief moments of silence; people all-out yelling crap while John and John were actually talking, which to me is a pretty strong indicator of drunken yelling versus calling something out that might actually make sense to the band or people around you (regardless of how impractical or, yeah, kind of annoying it might be). There were also a lot burly, beardy dudes for a TMBG show. That probably sounds superficial, except the biggest and beardiest dude in my sightline was also doing some of the dumbest, loudest yelling (e.g., bellowing "ISTANBUL!" in the middle of the set. Seriously? If you had one wish, it would be that the band drops what it's doing and busts into a song they didn't even write?!).
Anyway, it didn't ruin the show or anything -- it's just weird to see this newish club aim for artsy west village and instead get sketchy past-prime west village.
Now to Steve Martin on SNL. A good day for nerdery.