Shows/2004-08-13

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Fan Recaps and Comments:

N8dawg's Review:

If a TMBG show isn't a good reason to take the day off, I don't know what is. I made the 430 mile drive from Boise to Portland.
The Waterfront Park is along a river. The backdrop of the main stage hung off a bridge. There were lots of other stages and even a comedy tent and of course tons of food stands. Admission was only $5, and all proceeds went to support the Special Olympics. I got there in time to see most of Death Cab for Cutie's set. Then it was a mad dash to the front to wait for TMBG.
After the Orff Intro Marty came out and started the show with a drum solo. Flans said, "People of Portland. Allow me to introduce the next president of the United States. Mr. Marty Beller."
Clap Your Hands ended with "Everybody Scream" and "Everybody Mumble."
Oregonians love the James K. Polk song because it mentions the "Oregon Territory"
After Twisting:
JF:"I can't believe we already have frisbee throwing so early in the show. It's a sign of TMBG's best outdoor show ever. In fact it's one of the four horsemen of a great outdoor show."
As he says this, someone in the front gets hit on the head with a frisbee.
JF:"I think the trick is to thow it horizontally, so no one gets hurt."
JL:"We're going to ask everyone to stop that please. We were just kidding about the good show."
Flans then talked about 'The Spine' and introduced "Experimental Film" as 'Track 1'
Before Spine/Memo:
JF:"We're going to do these next 2 songs Prince style, where one song just segues into another. The first one is called Spine. The next one is called Memo To Human Resources. It would have been called 'I'm Down', but the Beatles already took that song title. That was the end of our good relationship with the Beatles. Now it's just a big rivalry between us and them."
Before Bastard Wants to Hit Me:
JF:"Now is the time of the show where parents want to cover their children's ears. There is no upside to this song. We're doing no good for children."
JL:"We're actually enhancing the children's life, but making it very hard for the parents"
JF:"The parents will have a lot of explaining to do on Monday at kindergarten."
Before Particle Man:
JF:"This next song features Dan Miller on accoustic guitar."
Dan Miller then plays a riff from "Crazy on You" by Heart.
JF:"That was cool. Play that Heart song again. From now on we're playing nothing but Heart songs the rest of the night!"
JL:"Oh no. Then it's hard to tell when to play 'Barricuda' and when to play 'Magic Man.' In fact, this next song is called Magic Man.
Linnell changed the last verse of Particle Man to say Magic Man instead of Triangle Man.
Flans then called for "The Famous Polka", which was not on the setlist.
The Guitar: Flans mentioned a dance contest, but there was no prize like at previous shows on the tour. Linnell did the Future of Sound thing and then Dan Miller played a "Future of 80's Thrash Metal" guitar solo. It sounded very Van Halenish.
Jazz Waltz in C:
Several people had gathered on the bridge above and behind the stage to watch the show.
JF:"People on the bridge, thank you for coming to the show. Sorry you got here so late. Sorry you can barely see the band or hear the music. Maybe you'll get here sooner next time. Shirtless guy in the front row, no one needs to see that."
Violin of course included the wave with a full rehearsal:
JF:"This next song includes the wave. Don't tell other bands about this because we have patened it as our own intellectual property. This is the part of the show we call rehearsal. Because we have had shows in the past that didn't go as well and we had to give 5 to 25 cent refunds."
By this time, people in the front were screaming for Istanbul.
JF:"This next song features an accoustic intro written by the shirtless guy in the front row, but it's going to be performed by Dan Miller."
After the show, fans were climbing on the front of the stage to get setlists. I was lucky enough to get Marty's setlist from a roadie. I talked briefly to Dan Miller. I didn't get an autograph because I forgot a pen (doh!). Flans talked briefly to fans after the show, but he said he didn't have time to sign anything.

Dan Miller wrote:

We've been looking forward to this show for some time. On the bill were our label mates (Barsuk Records) Death Cab for Cutie. We in the band love these guys and have never seen them live. They did a great job and if you looked around the crowd you saw the boys in TMBG in the audience grooving to the show - Check them out!!!
Our show, sans sound check, had a real raw, nervous energy to it. Not the tightest thing we've ever done, but at this point in the tour we can roll with most punches. What seem like mistakes are actually really huge mistakes that we can cover up so they only seem like minor mishaps. The crowd was great and really into the show - The Johns really gave it up and the crowd gave it back.
This is the IMAX of TMBG Downloads. The tape came out great and there is a certain amount of Yip Yap you can hear in the quieter parts - so It's exactly like you are there, standing next to some guy who has comments on everything. It only shows up a few times but if you listen closely the guy is saying some pretty hilarious things.