Shows/1988-10-27b
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Setlist: (Incomplete!)
They Might Be Giants
— with The Rosebloods, Right to Left opening —
Second Story in Bloomington, IN
October 27, 1988 at 9:30 PM
Photo by David Whittemore.
"The two Johns get the most out of the wide-eyed crowd when they played Bloomington, Indiana in 1988. I like the little smirk Linnell's giving me."[1]
"The two Johns get the most out of the wide-eyed crowd when they played Bloomington, Indiana in 1988. I like the little smirk Linnell's giving me."[1]
Fan Recaps and Comments:[edit]
John Flansburgh recalled that the audience at this show was especially unruly, stating in a 1989 interview: "When you get in an out-of-hand situation, like our last Second Story show, you begin to think that these tribal dancing people don't really care who's playing, as long as there's someone on stage belting out fast, hard music."
Early in the set, a sound cable was accidentally unplugged by the crowd, prompting the band to play a few acoustic songs. Audience member Lee Lodyga recalled in a Facebook comment: "They were touring "Lincoln" and their backing tape was having trouble. So they had to wing it for the first few numbers. When they finally got it going (for "Ana Ng") even the guys commented about how bad it sounded."
Review from the Indiana Daily Student, October 31, 1988:
- Zany duo manages to surpass musical limits by Andrew Nord
- Playing live music to prerecorded accompaniment is as limiting as it sounds. Good timing and synchronization are essential, which does not lend much room for spontaneity. This is true for They Might Be Giants, a zany duo from New York. But guitarist John Flansburgh and accordianist John Linnell manage to work around limitations and create a unique event each time they perform, as they did Thursday night at Second Story, 201 S. College Ave.
- In past appearances, They Might Be Giants used a variety of visual aids to enhance shows, such as a pair of felt-covered cylinders worn as hats. But anyone expecting the usual props and funny hats might have been disappointed this time. The duo has discarded the cardboard cutouts and elongated fezzes fans have become accustomed to seeing in favor of a more direct approach to its music.
- "We've gone prop-free," Flansburgh said after the show. "We didn't want it to get to the point where people say, 'Oh yeah, big hats.' Now there's more emphasis on the songs, it's easier for the audience to understand what's being said." Props or no props, They Might Be Giants managed to mesmerize an otherwise unruly crowd, gaining almost frightening control over the sweaty mass. For example, during the band's second encore, the song "Hope I Get Old Before I Die" was performed using a set of cue cards on which the lyrics of the chorus were written.
- Encouraging the audience to sing along, the band had a once uncontrollable mob holding hands and swaying, whispering the lyrics "It's a long, long rope they use to hang me soon I hope/And I wonder why this hasn't happened why, why, why /And I think about the dirt that I'll be wearing for a shirt/And I hope that I get old before I die."
- Strange indeed, but it's just a "normal" part of the inspired lunacy making up a Giants performance. Thursday night's show was, despite technical problems early on, hilarious and downright entertaining. The near-capacity crowd, warmed up by sets from area bands the Rosebloods and Right to Left, piled up in front of the stage long before the headliners picked up their instruments. At 12:20 a.m., coffee mugs in hand, Flansburgh and Linnell took the stage to a taped introduction that proclaimed "They Might Be Giants welcomes you!"
- "We're going to do a quiet song, and then we're going to blow the place up," stated Flansburgh matter-of-factly, and, after performing "Kiss Me, Son of God" to Linnell's accordian accompaniment, the two musicians nearly did just that. Rather, the fans almost did. Pushing and shoving forward, the crowd grew to near-melee proportions, interrupting the show after one song because all the wires for the taped music to which the band plays had been pulled out by shuffling feet. Several times the band encouraged the audience to move tables back to make more room.
- "Sorry there's so much room up here," said Flansburgh jokingly, but with a touch of disgust. "Please, push the tables back to enjoy the rocking dance floor we are creating." However, even fans tumbling onto stage could not douse Giants' energy. With manic energy, the two played a good portion of their two albums and two EPs, as well as a couple unrecorded tunes. For most of the show Linnell, who handled most of the lead vocals, stood swaying with his accordian while Flansburgh danced jerkily about the stage.
- They Might Be Giants' bizarre humor was most evident on two numbers performed to taped music alone, "Shoehorn with Teeth," from their new album Lincoln, and "Number Three," from their eponymous debut album. Singing and doing a dance made up of synchronized hand gestures and something like a mutated jig that just sounds silly if you didn't see it, They Might Be Giants displayed their brilliance as humorists as well as pop musicians.