Shows/2015-04-16

From This Might Be A Wiki


Fan Recaps and Comments:

Pittsburghmuggle

My first show in 14 years was AWESOME. Many of the active folks here on the wiki and elsewhere online in forums skew young, and I wondered (remembering the wild, active concerts when I was young), if I was going into a younger, more active crowd than I expected. I was so pleased to see such a diversity of ages there! Going was myself, and my daughter. I had given her the tickets in January for her 14th birthday (she was just old enough to attend!), and the concert was a week before my 41st birthday - so it was one big birthday gift to both of us. We both had a great time. We ran into a two friends at the show, one was at her first TMBG show and had brought her husband and over-14 kids, the other I found out afterwards it was her 21st show!

The band opened with "Answer" and "Number 3". Then they introduced themselves and talked about how they had a new album. They then mentioned that on Amy Schumer there had been a joke that the "worst thing to hear at a concert" is the band had a new album coming out, because that meant you weren't going to hear what you wanted to, instead getting a bunch of songs you have never heard before. "...and we are here to bring that to you." said Linnell.

Flans said that they had gotten word that the Mister Smalls show had sold out, which made them happy. Then they got word that Mister Smalls had added a balcony (Which Flasy pointed out was sort of rough-hewn) so all of a sudden the show wasn't sold out anymore. Then it was sold out again.

After a mix of songs, They played the first half of Flood. Dan Miller had an issue with his guitar he took and handled backstage early on in the show (It was after "Istanbul", so I think during "Dead"). During the bridge of Particle Man, Linnell did the "rocky theme". At the end of the first set, they said they were Sapphire Bullets.

It was very hot for the first set. I was dripping sweat and regretting I hadn't gotten my summer haircut yet - I'd meant to do it in the morning. During the set break I was feeling a little woozy and doing internal check as to how woozy I was - I have an anxiety issue in the first place I take meds for, and was trying not to think about passing out at the concert and what my daughter would think. When the second set started it started to feel noticeably cooler - someone had evidently turn on the AC in the venue, and the wooziness and my worries were gone.

In the second set one of the Johns (I think Linnell) said "here's a new song from us" and they started playing Bills, Bills, Bills. I was trying to listen to the lyrics and jamming to it when my friend Laura (who was at her first TMBG concert, and standing with us) grabbed my ear and yelled "It's a Beyoncé cover!!!" This surprised me because it was her first TMBG concert and I would have never made the connection without her telling me - Destiny's Child was evidently out of my range in 1999 when "Bills" came out.

They Might Be Giant's "mother" (Flans, from stage-rear) called several times during the show to discuss her confusion with "going commando" and her improv class, this culminated in a call (in the middle of "Older", see "Links" above the setlist) from "Beyoncé" about their "Bills, Bills, Bills" cover.

In The Sun is a Mass, Flans said the reaction is between "Jimmy Carter, and himself". He couldn't think of Henry Kissinger's name, who he wanted to add, and could only think of Henry Winkler.

During the finale, Flans tried to set up a camera looking over Linnell's shoulder onto the keyboard, showing on the big screen, but the connection dropped and he had to go back and fix it.

The band was handing out Dial-a-Song stickers at the end. I got one from Dan Miller for my daughter, and four personally from Flansy, and said "Thank you, John" to him. He was preoccupied in handing out stickers to the crowd to react, but it felt good to say it for all the years I've enjoyed TMBG.

We had wanted to hear Unpronounceable, but no complaints because it was probably still too new. I had most hoped my daughter would hear "Istanbul", "Mesopotamians", and "Ana Ng" live and they delivered! Seeing how few times they have performed "32 Footsteps" live according to the wiki, I was pleasantly surprised when they did it.