Shows/1990-03-27
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They Might Be Giants
Ventura Theatre in Los Angeles, CA
March 27, 1990
Fan Recaps and Comments:
"Giants Are Hitting Big Time" by Steve Hochman
Los Angeles Times, Mar. 30, 1990:
VENTURA - John Flansburgh, half of the duo They Might Be Giants stood on the stage of the Ventura Theatre this week, resembling a young Danny Aykroyd as he did a parody of a rocker exhorting the crowd: "Mumble-mumble-something HAVE A GOOD TIME TONIGHT?!"
The youthful fans who were crammed against the stage responded appropriately, screaming and stomping. But then John Linnell, the other Giant, dryly asked the fans, "Did you hear what John said? He said, 'Are you ambivalent about having a good time tonight?'" It didn't matter. Many of the fans screamed and stomped at that. And they screamed and stomped when the duo sang its witty ditties with lines like "My story's infinite / like the Longines Symphonette" set in sophisticated, funny melodies that tend to turn pop traditions inside-out. And that declared the two less-than-Greek-god guys as "Brooklyn's Ambassadors of Love."
In the 70-minute set Tuesday, the pair − Flansburgh on guitar, Linnell mostly on accordion, with tapes to fill it out − showed off the widened range of their newer material, from the absurd philosophy of "Whistling in the Dark" to the profound commentary of "Your Racist Friend." And they apparently have enough confidence in their material that they've now pretty much left behind the props and antics of their past in favor of a relatively straight-ahead presentation − though the three metronomes on stands behind them (which actually served as percussion on several songs) provided a loose connection to their arty background.
And by the end of the concert it seemed that this was not going over the fans heads, but that — almost despite themselves − the Giants have legitimately connected with an audience that sees them as more than just clever. And they're not necessarily your standard rock fans: During one encore, a young man climbed onto the stage, not to do the usual geeky dancing or stage diving. All he wanted to do was stand there and blow soap bubbles. He might be a giant too.
