Shows/2024-12-13

Fan Recaps and Comments:

Flans noted in their forty years of performing this is the first time he instructed the audience to sit. He later passed on a message from Stan Harrison asking that the audience levitate during the next song.

Rosefox:

They sold out Kings Theatre, which is pretty massive, and because friends couldn't go, we ended up with their tickets in the very front row.

Most of the show ranged from good to excellent. The band was tight, the equipment all worked, patter was minimal (Flansburgh claimed it was because he was shy in front of such a big crowd, which is adorable) but that was okay. For a John Henry spotlight show, I felt like there wasn't a lot of John Henry content, but maybe that's just because I missed "AKA Driver" and "I Should Be Allowed to Think"; "Snail Shell" was nasty and great, "The End of the Tour" was beautifully wistful, and they did dust off "Unrelated Thing", which they haven't made a part of their usual lineup since 1996... for good reason, in my opinion, but it gave us all a chance to sit down and check our texts.

Non-John Henry content was on point as always. Flans brought out the Stick for "Lie Still, Little Bottle", to great acclaim, and all three horn players did particularly stellar solos for "Istanbul". We sang along to "When Will You Die" a little more wearily than we did in 2016, but it was still cathartic. When Dan Miller picked up his electric guitar, I spent three songs whispering "damn good times damn good times" and then they played "Damn Good Times" with Dan up in the balcony for the solo!! and it was a fucking great time, actually.

And also. And also they played "Last Wave".

When I first listened to "Last Wave" seven years ago (almost to the day), I ran to the interpretations page and poured my heart out. I can't express what it was like to watch them play it, from so close to the stage, and to sing along. I took my ear plugs out for the full sonic experience, and it was like a snowblower to the face. I had tears in my eyes. I have tears in my eyes again now. This is what music is for, not just the art but the communal experience of it, and tonight that meant thousands of people all screaming in unison about the inevitability of mortality. "We die alone," we all sang together, and we do die alone, the grave is the loneliest place, but we weren't alone tonight, and that's what makes the thought of that final solitude bearable.

"Last Wave" is such strong medicine that I don't listen to it often, but tonight I was reminded that sometimes strong medicine is what you need. I needed it. It healed me. Thanks, TMBG and TMBG fandom. We were in it together tonight, and there's nowhere I would rather be.

IAlsoLikeFun: This was my second concert ever in my life but I doubt any other artist could top it. Honestly, my favorite part was probably when Dan Miller somehow went to the balcony during Damn Good Times. There were some flukes in the concert though. Istanbul (Not Constantinople) went on for too long and my father almost went to sleep during it, and I didn’t really get great pictures since I was sitting in Row T. But enough negativity! Spy was awesome, Dead was awesome, and seeing everyone singing about our own mortality in Last Wave was awesome. Everything else was awesome too. I just wish it was *longer.*

LukeHennisch:

This was my 7th TMBG concert in total and strangely enough the 2nd time I’ve seen them on Friday the 13th. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen them in a seated environment and although it was a nice rest, it felt a little awkward as I danced in my chair and belted the lyrics to each song. Needless to say, however, they were superb as always. One of the components I’m always so excited by is the relentlessly endearing banter between Flans and Linnell, and while I would’ve loved even more (I do think Flans was being genuine when he said he was nervous) it was top notch.

They announced previously that the show would feature songs from John Henry, which just so happens to be my second favorite TMBG record and just one of my favorite records ever. Hearing those opening syncopated horn lines of “No One Knows My Plan” wash over the vast theatre, it felt like a whisper saying, “you’re home.” Everything they played off John Henry was really a dream come true, many of these I didn’t expect would ever be played again. “Out Of Jail” and “Unrelated Thing” are two specific examples of songs I would’ve never thought would grace the stage again before their returns in May. Thinking about that felt oddly poignant and powerful, that there was this 30 year span of time for those songs and I was lucky enough to see them return. “Dirt Bike” was by far the most powerful to me of the JH tracks, with the whole theatre being silent as the soft, yet powerful horn intro of the song rang out. “Snail Shell” was another highlight, especially with it being a song I grew up hearing, with Direct From Brooklyn being constantly on in my childhood home. The only thing I must say I was disappointed in was the lack of “Subliminal”, a favorite of mine. It was expected though, as Flans had confirmed a day prior on TikTok that it would not be performed.

Every song was magnificent, there’s seriously never a dull moment with this band. It just always feels so powerful to be able to sing my heart out to each song. Other particular highlights in my book included:

• “Last Wave”: this was exhilarating to hear after its recent debut. What a powerful song. Singing “we die alone, we die afraid, we live in terror, we’re naked and alone, and the grave is the loneliest place” along with many others was a uniquely beautiful experience
• “Memo To Human Resources”: a favorite of mine that I’ve always wanted to see in person
• “Man, It's So Loud In Here”: it keeps on giving every time it’s played live. This live version is especially special to me as I performed it at my first live concert ever, and at a performance with my school band. It absolutely ROCKS
• “The Darlings Of Lumberland”: it’s never been one of my favorite, but I’ve always respected the technicality of it. But holy shit, it gained a big fan tonight. Their harmonies especially stood out to me on it, with Dan Miller joining the two Johns in singing it. The horns were insane as usual, and Linnell’s accordion licks are so tasteful. Great shit
• “Spider” / “Spy” / “Lie Still, Little Bottle”: this was no doubt my favorite section of the show, which I did not expect. They basically intertwined these two songs into something super performance art-esque, which each song lended itself really well to. The Spy jam was the best I’ve ever heard, and it had the whole audience rolling with Linnell’s strange 30s swing references. THE STICK made its anticipated appearance, with it either descending from Heaven or ascending from Hell to visit us all on stage. I’ve always wanted to see the Stick in action and in action it was. What a performance.
• “The End Of The Tour”: needs no explaining. What a perfect song.

It always ends up going too fast, I seriously could’ve sat through days more. I hope they return to their home turf soon again, it feels like it’s been way too long. While their performance at Daryl’s House in 2022 will always hold a special place in my heart as the best concert I’ve ever attended, this holds a strong 2nd place. Great vibes all around, especially as the audience “waved their (digital) torches” during “Dead”. Thanks for bringing us together through the power of your music, Johns, Dan, Dan, Stan, Danny, Marty, and Mark.