Shows/2008-10-25

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Links:


Setlist: (Songs with a (*) next to them indicate that horns were played on the songs)
Set 1 (Flood):

Set 2:

Encore 1:

Encore 2:

They Might Be Giants
(Le) Poisson Rouge in New York, NY
October 25, 2008 at 8:30 PM


Fan Recaps and Comments:

Odjdob:

First, to air my grievances: last month, TMBG started their set at about 9:30, after a 40 minute set by Les Chaud Lapins, a quaint little band that performs short 1940's-style ditties entirely in French and wears out its welcome in about 10 minutes. This month, my friend and I saw the line extending around the block, and decided to go to a bar and wait it out, so we wouldn't have to stand out in the rain. We went in at about five to nine, and much to our chagrin there was no opening act, and TMBG was already about 6 songs into their set. Sadly, I missed Lucky Ball & Chain, a song pretty much never played outside the context of the Flood album, which will be one of the great regrets of my life.
That being said, the remainder of the show was sensational. When else am I going to hear a performance of Hearing Aid, or Someone Keeps Moving My Chair. Rarely heard tunes were brought out for the second set, including Experimental Film and Dinner Bell. Dave Driver of People Are Wrong! even came out to sing lead on Mink Car, adding new life to a song that some people... the ones standing in front of me at the concert, at least... never really cared for. Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal and Mr. Me were incredible as always and deserve to remain a fixture to the set for some time.
I also should mention that the horn section was a nice touch, and you could tell the band went to a lot of pains to stick to the song arrangements on the record. As I mentioned, I missed Istanbul but I understand that they did a new arrangement similar to the single, as opposed to the complex rhythm of the standard live version. The horns added an extra layer to Hot Cha, a bit of a sleeper on the album, but came alive onstage with a sinister Frank Sinatra-style swagger. As for Hearing Aid, I honestly believe this could be a set regular- in its live incarnation you really get a feel for the reggae bassline, and it filled the dark New York basement club with a smoky atmosphere any weekend drinker could appreciate. It's a much more complex, interesting arrangement than it gets credit for, in all its haphazard, chaotic glory.
Once again, I wish they had started their set later- more consistent with their usual NYC shows- or at least that they play Lucky Ball & Chain again soon! I am ridiculously bummed out to have missed it. But the performance was top-notch, and at over 40 songs more than any of us could have hoped for. I'm traveling on business and will regrettably have to miss the November show, but you can bet I'll be there in January! And I'll get there early this time too.
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