Shows/2022-12-30

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• Setlist

Setlist:

Set 1:

Set 2:

Encore 1:

Encore 2:

They Might Be Giants
The Strand Theatre in Providence, RI
December 30, 2022 at 7:00 PM


Fan Recaps and Comments:

Redheadedsnippet:

My last show was the Providence show of the original uncanceled Flood tour in February 2020. That was one of the last normal things I did before everything shut down, and it was good, but surreal, to be seeing Them again. (I'm sure I wasn't the only one.)
I also want to say how grateful I am that the band has been continuously beating the drum about wearing masks. I'm high risk and there are so many fun things I miss doing, and I'm glad TMBG shows are something I can do. (That said, mask-wearing was about 50/50. But I was in my best N95, and it was still more masks than I see at the grocery store.)
On to the show! I attended with my wife (she was my fiancée in my last recap), who is not a fan per se but supports my obsessions, and a good friend of ours, who is a fan. The show started with a bang, a new-to-me intro, and a very loud version of Damn Good Times.
JF: It might be early to say this, but this is my favorite show ever. To the lady who asked, 'Wanna get high?', YES. The answer is yes. Let's talk after the show.
Early on, the Johns wished each other a Merry Christmas and asked each other what presents they'd gotten.


JL: I got a new pair of shoes! (I craned, but could not see the shoes in question from where I was. Converse? Something else? I may never know.)
JF: I got a set of pajamas from Robin that is so colorful and loud, it's really more for her to look at.
JL: Well, my gifts were from Santa. Santa knows my shoe size.


The venue was notably cold, though those of us in general admission were able to warm up pretty quickly. This did not seem to be the case onstage.


JF: Is it really cold in here?
Audience: YES.
JF: *spreads arms wide* What the fuck.


Later, he commented that he was grateful to the 1500 of us who were here providing our body heat.
JL: Yeah, you all are like that creature from Star Wars that you cut open and crawl inside of. You're that to us. (Various audience members: Tauntauns!)
Early on, Linnell also asked Flansburgh to check his hair.
JL: John, how's my hair? *fluffs it*
JF: He had really bad hat hair earlier.
JL: It does different things at different temperatures.


Before Man It's So Loud in Here, Flansburgh said he thought the next song was from Mink Car.
JL: I wouldn't know, I wasn't in the band yet.
(My wife: Is that true?)


Stilloob (or Stillub? Is that what we're calling it now?) had undergone some tweaks since I saw it last. They introduced it with some banter along the lines of "Is it entertaining? No! Will we continue doing it now that we've gone to the trouble of learning it? Yes!" The version I saw in 2020 was simpler, and they encouraged us to record it ourselves and reverse it to enjoy on our own later. I was pleased to learn the current version includes backwards choreography to go with the lyrics and a recording that is played in reverse during the second half of the show.


Jokes about the venue's temperature continued, with Linnell and Flansburgh commenting that their fingers were too frozen to play.
JL: I keep expecting to see like, slabs of frozen meat coming through.
JF: They're filming Rocky VII here tomorrow!


Linnell also commented at one point about the conspicuous red dot near the top of the projection screen behind them.
JL: That dead pixel looks ominous. It's like the screen is about to be assassinated. I mean, I don't care. As long as I'm fine.
JF: Very Trumpian of you.


JF: So how about those Trump NFTs? It's like, you can get Trump as John Wayne Gacy, Trump as Sirhan Sirhan. You know, I'm gonna miss him...as he leaves.


Flansburgh introduced 2082 as "the song I used to refer to as two thousand eighty-two."
JL: Yeah, twenty eighty-two just fits better, has a better rhythm.
Linnell then sang the final line of the song as "in two thousand eighty-two."


Istanbul was with the horns in full force, and it's the freshest version I've seen. I always enjoy the Miller intro, but this had three separate improv intros on saxophone, trombone, and trumpet that was just on a whole new level. It also had a new ending—Curt Ramm holding an extremely long note on the trumpet, which the friend I was with tells me was achieved through circular breathing.
Flansburgh announced a short break between sets and said he was headed to Lowe's for a space heater. "It'll be my gift to the venue."
In the second set, they played my two favorites (Birdhouse and Let Me Tell You About My Operation) almost back-to-back. Horns shows are always a good time for my faves that way.


JL: Earlier I was asking John how my hair was, but I forgot I have this little mirror here. *points to the circular mirror on his keyboard* It's a rearview mirror; I use it to check on how Mr. Marty Beller is doing, but I can also do this *leans way over to the side until his face is level with the mirror*. I like to check that I still look like me, like one day I might look and see that I've turned into Barbra Streisand. 'Oh no, it's happened.'
JL: Speaking of... *bends down past keyboard and squints at setlist* Yes! I was right, that is the next song we're going to play. It's called Marty Beller Mask.


It's nice to see Marty Beller Mask has been un-retired. Enough time has passed that we can respectfully enjoy it and give Marty his time in the spotlight again.
Wicked Little Critta was introduced as a very New England song, and when they announce it like that I'm never sure if the next song is going to be Wicked Little Critta or A Self Called Nowhere. It led into a little banter about Linnell's Rhode Island/Providence days as a member of The Mundanes.
JL: I was told I should go to Haven Brothers and order their special, which was called Baby Fingers. And I was like... 'Oooh, Baby Fingers, I like the sound of that, I'll try that.' So I went to the counter and I ordered Baby Fingers, and... they don't exist. She was pranking me.


After the song, they picked back up about Haven Brothers.
JL: They were known for, after setting your order down, they would say, *aggressively* 'You're all set!'
JF: You sounded like the Crypt Keeper there.
JL: *wheezy old man voice* You're all set.


Darlings of Lumberland was a delight live. I believe we were advertised a few deep cuts for this show, but I wasn't expecting this one to be unearthed. I can't argue with a song about ghouls.
Somewhere near the end of the second set, Flansburgh personally thanked an audience member who ended the previous song with "a blood-curdling scream." (I really thought when I looked over the setlist I'd remember which song, but I don't. Maybe When Will You Die?, but that seems on the nose.)
JF: I wonder if we can use the power of the internet to end the song with that scream every time. It would be an improvement.
JL: Or end every song that way, with blood-curdling screams.
Throughout this exchange, several enterprising audience members offered their best renditions of blood-curdling screams for consideration.
Mr. Me was a nice surprise during the first encore. It was the first song I ever heard them play, wayyyyy back in 2003 at a Johns-and-Marty instore appearance, and suddenly I was right back there, 15 years old, standing in between bookshelves and trying not to burst from seeing my favorite band live for the first time. Seeing it with the full band, horns, and my wife by my side was pretty damn good too, though.
Then it was swaying along to Dead and a rollicking version of Dr. Worm and it was time to go. I say this every time and I guess I always will, but: amazing show.
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