Shows/2006-05-01

3 wikians attended: Epeterso2 IHaveNoMuffins Kushboy

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Setlist:

• Alphabet Of Nations
• Doctor Worm
• Careful What You Pack
• Bee Of The Bird Of The Moth
• Why Did You Grow A Beard?
• Anaheim
• Los Angeles
• Asbury Park
• Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes
• Everything Right Is Wrong Again
• Boss Of Me (long version)
• Older
• Fingertips
• James K. Polk
• Meet James Ensor
• Why Does The Sun Shine?
• Experimental Film
• Damn Good Times
• Dead
• Cyclops Rock
• We're The Replacements
• Drink!
• Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Encore:

• Purple Toupee
• Birdhouse In Your Soul

Encore 2:

• Space Jam
• Snail Shell
• New York City

They Might Be Giants
— with Michael Leviton opening —
Revolution in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
May 1, 2006 at 7:00 PM

Fan Recaps and Comments:

ePeterso2:

I got to see TMBG last night ... it was the first time I'd seen them since they came to Ft Lauderdale in 1992 (I missed it when they passed by in 1995). They're older than they've ever been, and now they're even older, but that doesn't stop 'em from rockin' just as hard as they always have.

Opening for TMBG was Michael Leviton, a ukelelist from NYC. Kind of an odd choice at first, I thought, but his songs are priceless. Imagine a dude in stiff white shirt, high-water gray slacks, playing the ukelele, singing torch songs, but with wry biting lyrics of what he calls "Nautically Themed Love Songs". I mean, what's not to love about songs with titles like "I'm in Love with the Tip of Your Iceberg", "Boring Island", or a song about married couples called "You'll Pay for Your Day at Pleasure Island"? Oh, and I forgot the song: "If Sense Were Really Common, More People Would Have It" (I think that was the title). PS: If you want to buy stuff from Michael, bring cash - the man isn't equipped to take credit cards yet.

I got a copy of the Venue Songs DVD/CD set autographed by the entire band. WOOT.

The set list is in no particular order ... I wasn't in enough of an anal-retentive mood to keep track of it sufficiently.

Some of the highlights included:

• "This next song is brand new, from our forthcoming next album, and we're debuting it tonight for the entire state of Florida. If you've heard it already, then be aware that you are now on an FBI watch list."

• They previewed two songs from their upcoming album: Careful What You Pack and Bee Of The Bird Of The Moth, and also played Why Did You Grow A Beard? from the Podcast.

• Linnell has this funky percussion box on his keyboard, which he played (along with Marty on drums) to build up a pretty damn cool intro to Snail Shell. (Edit: I see from my fellow TMBWikians that this is the tune Space Jam.)

• Best lyric of the night, from Why Does The Sun Shine?: "The heat and light from the sun are caused by the nuclear reaction between: a failed foreign policy, a failed domestic policy, and a failed presidency!"

• They gave us a brief preview of what their eventually-will-be-made-someday VH1 Behind The Music rockumentary will look like ... "In May 2006, the rift between them began in Florida ..."

• Confetti cannons fired from the stage during James K. Polk at the line "And when the vote was cast, the winner was <BOOM!> Mr. James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump".

All in all, it was, in fact, damn good times.

-eP