Shows/2022-09-23

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Fan Recaps and Comments

Ampersand:

First of all, that may be the setlist, but that order is slightly wrong. I have no proof it's wrong but my mind that vaguely remembers a Damn Good Times segway to Ana Ng.
Also um THIS SHOW WAS FREAKIN' GREAT!!!! I got there an hour early so I was in the first row (I told you I was going to be wearing a burgundy TMBG shirt!). I'm glad I brought a sweatshirt because I was right in front of the fan. TMBG was a little late getting on stage, but Moonbeam Rays made me realize just how great it was to see my idols only a few feet from me (I was almost directly below John Linnell's keyboard!!)
We Want A Rock was the highlight of the show. That song is so fun live.
Before James K. Polk played, Linnell did an intro to the song:
JL: This next song is about the 11th president of the United States.
Audience: applause
JL: I'm assuming you're applauding the song and not the guy. He had accomplishments, some of them weren't good. If you want to ask the Mexican members of our staff, they can probably explain it better than me.
After a few songs, John Flansburgh recalled his trip into Millvale, in which he referred to his GPS as sounding like the Crypt Keeper and that he got off at the highway and then it told him to turn around, so that was a fun laugh. Linnell said he spent most of the day on the road, but would spend most of tomorrow thinking about all the great things he SHOULD be doing in Pittsburgh.
Speaking of Millvale, they didn't play the Mr. Smalls song. I'm pissed.
My family's utter confusion at their first live performance of Spy was hillarious.
When they played Stillub, JL informed us that this would be the first time he was also reading the title of the song backwards on stage.
Like I said, near the start of Set 2, Damn Good Times segwayed into Ana Ng, which was AMAZEBALLS. (In the second verse of Damn Good Times, I couldn't tell if Flansburgh was pretending he forgot the words or if he ACTUALLY forgot them)
My mother took a picture of me during The Darlings Of Lumberland in which Dan Miller is staring at me judgingly.
I don't remember which song had the euphonium solo but I loved it.
THEY PLAYED WICKED LITTLE CRITTA!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAAAAA
John Linnell kept a consistent high energy throughout the show; he kept screaming "WHOOO-EY!" lol
Intro to Doctor Worm:
JL: This next song is about a worm. He's not a real doctor, but he is a real worm, I think he's from New Jersey? No wait, that's a different guy.
(If you didn't realize, John Linnell casually dissed Nehmet Oz here)
The last noteworthy thing was that at the end of the show, my father got hit in the head by a rampant flying Marty drumstick.
Alright that's it. Show was magical. 17/10. Loved it.


GuyfromPA:

What a night!!! I kind of got away from TMBG the last few, well, decades honestly. I'd listened to them here and there, but that was it. Things happen and time flies. For whatever reason though, since the end of last year they've been about 2/3 of all my music consumption. I can't get enough. Rediscovering the old favorites and discovering all the new classics has been so much fun. Thanks to Stubhub I was able to score a ticket to this show and I'm glad I did.
I got to Millvale early to get a good parking spot (sold out shows at Mr. Smalls can be hard to find parking). Walked around (on what turned out to be a gorgeous fall night), had a good dinner at a local watering hole, went to the fantastic local record shop (Attic Records if business shout-outs are allowed on here. I'm not affiliated just a happy customer. FYI as of this writing they had new copies of Glean and Phone Power on vinyl if anyone is looking. I didn't browse the CD's but they always have a good selection too). I walked around a little more then headed in a little before 8:00.
I won't get too specific on each song, but it was all fantastic. The Johns were in great voice, the Dans and Marty played tight, the horn guys all sounded so good. Excellent banter, great use of video, just a fun night all around. A few highlights for me were hearing basically all of Flood (of course), Museum of Idiots with its great horns, and Wicked Little Critta. Even though I'm a Pittsburgher I love hearing the Johns sing about Bobby Orr.
Also, backwards Sapphire Bullets is so cool. Does anyone else think when they play it back in reverse it sounds like the weird dreams from Twin Peaks? Even more 1990's flashbacks there.
What a fun night. I wish I had the stamina to go to the Saturday show, but I'm old and tired. I'll definitely keep my ear to the ground for the next tour.