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 together, 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.