Shows/1983-02-20
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Links:
- The New York Times listing; Feb. 20, 1983
Setlist:
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They Might Be Giants
— with Tyranny Pop, The Wild, Zanoni, DJ Seth K. co-headlining —
R.T. Firefly in New York, NY
February 20, 1983 at 10:00 PM
Fan Recaps and Comments:[edit]
This was John Flansburgh and John Linnell's third show as a duo, and their second under the name They Might Be Giants, following their debut at Dr. B's one week earlier. The show's date is listed on a promotional flyer created by the band in 1983, seen momentarily in the 2003 documentary Gigantic (A Tale Of Two Johns).
Linnell described the band's earliest shows in a 2013 interview: "The first few shows we did were really encouraging because we had audiences who were very friendly. I think it was partly that they thought we weren't that impressive technically, but that we were clearly struggling against the odds, in a way. So I think there was a huge amount of sympathy." Flansburgh added in a 2013 Tumblr post:
Before the East Village scene blew up with hot spots like the Pyramid, 8BC, Limbo Lounge and Darinka, there were just a few odd showcase clubs available to us. Dr. B's, RT Firefly and others I have blocked from my memory were the only places we could get gigs. Small, but friendly crowds, but very much an anonymous, who knows? kinda vibe.
R.T. Firefly was a short-lived showcase club and restaurant in the basement of 75 Bleecker Street, on the corner of Bleecker Street and Broadway. It first opened on October 30, 1981,[1] and ceased operation in around March 1984.[2] This was the first of two shows They Might Be Giants played there. Tickets cost just $1, as the show took place on a Sunday night. An article by Jim Zebora in the February 18, 1983 issue of the Record-Journal featured a rare contemporary description of the venue:
- The music just had to be in the basement. A traipse down the stairs of this daytime quiche and sprouts eatery (where a beer and a bourbon cost $5.50), through the door with a sign warning not to slam because the DJ's record will skip, and finally I had arrived in a good imitation of a darkroom overflowing with strange looking people. It was 12:45 a.m., and I was a critic on the scene, a seeker after the truth about New York rock. The first truth I discovered is that 12:45 is still very early in the Apple. Three bands were on the bill, and the second, the Sharps, had yet to go on.