8.1.11
7:35 pm
Those three things made up my extended (Friday taken off because I was sick with Thepeopleiworkwithareidiotsandspendingtimearoundthemiskillingmyspermitis) weekend.
The first two were mostly experienced at the Williamsburg Waterfront, where Christina, Micole (and eventually Barrett), Sylvia (sort of), Gia (and her portly/porky friend, Alex...her words, not mine, I thought she was a lovely girl), Linza and Josh got wetter than an Atlantis made of vaginas at a Tom Jones concert*.
Eugene Mirman started things off by explaining that God is a 12-year old boy with Asperger's, then he introduced Jim Gaffigan (a complete surprise to me) who started to do his thing (talking very quietly about how overweight/pale/hungry he is) but was soon interrupted by the skies opening and trying their damnedest to obliterate each and every human being there. It got so bad that Gaffigan actually commented on it and tried to do some improv...about rain.
Didn't work too well though and he then tried to get back into his routine, but he'd been derailed by the rain.
It began to clear up (not that it mattered to the audience, we were, literally, soaking wet, all of us) as Mirman introduced Kristen Schaal, who doesn't take the way-too-overdone-and-obvious route for female comics ("I said 'cunt', isn't that funny because I'm cute?!") and who was genuinely touched that we were all still here, despite the shit weather.
Her set was great, but again, things got a bit distracting towards the end when the Poison Skies took their second, less-obliterating-but-still-pretty-obliterating dump on us. There must have been some time crunch because she cut herself off and launched into a her one-woman performance of Flashdance, complete with Eugene Mirman dumping buckets of water on her when she required it.
I'd love to see her again when I'm not drowning.
I find her adorable and hilarious and a wonderful stand-out in the world of comics.
The, Mirman came out and brought up Todd Barry...who I have never heard of before.
I can remember, literally, nothing of his set, except for him pointing out that this guy was trying his best to protect his iPad and that he was an idiot for bringing it with him to the show.
Funny or not, I was inclined to agree.
Then, Patton Oswalt.
At more than one point in his fifteen minute set, I was unable to breathe because I was laughing so hard.
This guy is my favorite comedian out there and, if you don't know his stuff, your life is missing something.
This isn't an opinion, a scientist told me.
And, speaking of scientists...when we were all seated before the show started, we were handed a strip of paper with fields for our name, age and "a science question".
We were puzzled.
After Patton got off the stage (actually, this guy was on before Patton Oswalt, but that segue is far too tasty to rewrite simply to be "accurate"), Mirman brought up Neil Tyson, the President of the Hayden Planetarium (or something).
Eugene proceeds to say that Tyson is there in honor of the 53rd anniversary of something Eisenhower did regarding the space program and then he starts answering the science questions that Mirman reads to him.
One question: "Is the earth trying to kill us ?", was answered in the affirmative, with examples and proofs.
After the science, laughing and rain stopped, Jonathan Coulton was brought up and did a tiny set (four songs).
He was actually kind of a dick about the fact that we were soaked and he wasn't. Anyway, after he made his dry ass way off the stage, They Might Be Giants hit it about ten minutes later.
A side note: everything ran with very little down time, it turns out it's because the huge stage is about 100 feet from a posh apartment building.
I can't tell if it's ironic that hipsters have to end all their parties here by ten or just funny.
Anyway, for those in the group that hadn't seen TMBG much/often/in a while, it was a great show, but for me, it felt a bit short and the Johns didn't have their usual back-and-forth going on.
It was a truncated performance, but they did bring it (and, seriously, this was all free, so I have no right to bitch...but I will).
The set list:
Birdhouse in Your Soul (odd that they opened with this, but it certainly gets you into the mood)
Clap Your Hands (all the clapping/stomping/jumping probably saved us from getting arthritis caused by sitting around in wet clothes for two and a half hours)
Can't Keep Johnny Down (you know, I still don't love this song. It's a shame they have to play it at EVERY SHOW ON THIS TOUR)
Damn Good Times (why this song is still being performed live, I really have no idea. At least it's not "Drink!")
Don't Let's Start (this made up for "Damn Good Times", xmax. It's an amazing song, even better live)
Judy Is Your Viet Nam (a song from the new album that has totally grown on me, it's pretty rocking live...even when Flans messes up the lyrics...)
The Mesopotamians (I have a funny feeling we'll never hear anything from 'The Else' again. Too bad as it's a really solid album. This is still a great song though).
Never Knew Love (Same deal with "Can't Keep Johnny Down". Also, neither of the Johns can really make this sound like it should...less screamy. With so many great tracks on the new album, I'm not sure why this seems to be settling into their rotation...)
When Will You Die (Yes. Yes yes yes yes yes. I heard them do this at sound check and was waiting for it the whole time. Just as awesome as I knew it would be, even without horns. I love this song)
Spoiler Alert (If they had just done this, it would have been a bit off, but they performed it as The Avatars of They- hand puppets on a Jumbotron- and it worked perfectly)
Ana Ng (Always wonderful to hear this one.It also seems to be a fixture on this tour so, Jade, whenever they get there, I think you'll be happy)
You Probably Get That a Lot (another favorite off the album and they nailed it. CEPHALOPHORES!!!!)
Cloisonné(Still needs some work, or, more likely, some horns, but Linnell did what he could his with bass clarinet)
Graveyard (aka Band Intros/Audience Thank Yous, during which Flansburgh thanked me and decided that I was 12 feet tall, a fact he repeated several times before the "song" ended. Score.)
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) (some weird guitar fart from Dan's acoustic cut his crazy intro a bit short, but they got the job done)
Encore:
Fingertips(before this happened, Flans reintroduced the band. When he got to Marty, the drummer, he informed us that Marty has come all the way from New York to hear us scream, then he wanted to hear all the ladies scream, and then Flans told us that Marty wanted "the eight foot guy to scream". I looked to make sure I wasn't standing near anyone who might be confused with me and then obliged. Nice. The song, as always, was excellent.)
Then, Chris and I went home to get dry and let my sister in, who had come up for Saturday's Eels show.
We were all half dead from drowning and half dead from rocking, so then we slept.
The next day was a leisurely one, Chris and I woke at about 2:30, had Brunch and then met back at our place with Kathy to head over to the Music Hall of Williamsburg, where Eels, a contortionist and a band called The Submarines would be playing at nine.
We got there only an hour before doors (to my horror) and ended up being the third, fourth and fifth people into the place and about one inch from the stage.
I guess Eels fans aren't as obsessive as They Might Be Giants fans...
Then the contortionist brought Kathy up to make sure it was a real lollipop he was jamming into his nasal cavity before having her lick it while still in his nasal cavity.
Then he offered it to me.
I declined his kind offer.
The Submarines came on soon after and were actually pretty good. They consisted of a guy (non-descript, good at guitar and occasionally twiddling with a laptop for extra beats) and a girl (the sunniest sunbeam you ever have seen, she made Megan Boggia look like an evil asshole). They did six songs or so and we ended up buying two of their three albums after the show.
I don't think I've ever seen an opener at a venue this tiny with three fully produced and packaged albums.
I might tell you more about them, if their music warrants it.
Then Eels took the stage...and proceeded to explode my genitals with sound.
I saw them some time last year with my sister and they consisted of The Chet (multi-instrumentalist and guitar GOD who has been with E since the Blinking Lights tour), Peeboo (or maybe it's Pee Boo), Krazy Al (on bass) and E (on loud guitar, louder guitar and the guitar he uses for "Souljacker, Part 1" and no other song).
This was the same line up, but with two horn players (and Pee Boo occasionally picking up his trumpet).
The horns added a lot of nuance and allowed the band to stop murdering us with rock every once in a while.
It was amazing.
Aside from the addition of the horns, the fact that half the set list wasn't from their three latest (and not greatest) albums was also good.
There were hits, their were deep cuts plus a few surprises and even a Sly & The Family Stone cover or two.
The set list:
In Gratitude for This Magnificent Day (playing over the PA as the lights dimmed and they took the stage)
That's Not Really Funny (Surprise! 'Souljacker' is one of my favorite albums and this track is one of my favorite songs from it. It set the tone for the evening, that tone being LOUD AS FUCK)
Flyswatter (the horns took on the main melody and it worked wonderfully)
Somebody's Watching You (I don't know Sly & The Family Stone, but this is by them, and, if the audience is to be any judge, Eels does a great cover of it)
Grace Kelly Blues (good to hear, but not a favorite of mine)
Packing Blankets (sort of the same as GKB, but I like this one more)
Prizefighter(see above)
My Beloved Monster (E does a different arrangement of this song on every tour, this one, while fun and rocking, doesn't really stand out)
Fresh Feeling (from 'Souljacker', another favorite. The horns took the string section and it worked well. Beautiful song.)
I'm Going to Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart (a super-drawn-out-slow version. Kind of funny, but not that funny)
Tremendous Dynamite (throbbing garage rock sex!!!)
Love of the Loveless (another surprise. From 'Shootenanny!', kind of their forgotten album in my mind)
Saturday Morning (a super-fast-speed-rock version, most likely to make up for "I'm Going To Stop etc.". So loud at times I sort of couldn't hear the words...or the individual notes...rawk)
This Is Where It Gets Good (one of the only tracks from their most recent album, 'Tomorrow Morning', and one of the few I really dig. Some killer bass and...killer flute...if that's a thing.)
Climbing to the Moon (yet another surprise. This is one of the most heartbreaking songs off of 'Electro-Shock Blues' and it was astounding how they jumped from a solid wall of noise to this quiet little gem. Tearjerkingly sweet.)
Hot Fun in the Summertime (two Sly & The Family Stone covers in one Eels show? Who are these guys?)
Talkin' 'Bout Knuckles (a song written, sung and played by the drummer, Knuckles. I need to get the lyrics some time...it sounds fun...but I'd still give anything to have seen Butch)
Novocaine for the Soul (yes, WITH the album instrumentation and arrangement. Not a weird salsa version, not a backwards waltz, the most "album version" version of this song I've ever heard live, which was amazing and incredible, even more so because E seems to have a real love/hate relationship with this one and doesn't always enjoy playing it)
Souljacker, Part I (complete with that really long and awkward moment where E just sort of stands with his arms at his side for a full two minutes while his guitar makes an awful noise; this is the closest thing to Art Rock I will tolerate)
I Like Birds (EVEN LOUDER than "Saturday Morning". This is the sweetest, most delightful song from 'Daises of the Galaxy' and these guys rocked the living shit out of it. Well done, gentlemen, I say well done.)
Beginner's Luck (a surprise, simply because it seemed like a track that E would have just forgotten. But here it was.)
Losing Streak (the second of only two tracks from Eels' epic 'Blinking Lights and Other Revelations' album. Not the one I would have picked to play live, but it seemed to go great with "Beginner's Luck" and there was a wonderful, triumphant moment where E raised his guitar over his head and yelled "Did you hear me? I said my losing streak is done!")
Encore:
It's a Motherfucker (a nice, gentle, touching song. The horns took on the role of the strings and, as before, did a great job)
P.S. You Rock My World (one final, amazing surprise. This is the closer from 'Electro-Shock Blues' and the most uplifting track from the album. And it's awesome live)
Encore 2:
Fresh Blood ("KILL THEM ALL" is kind of the vibe I got from this performance. This song is so dark and sensual. Oh, also loud as fuck, this song was dark, sensual and loud as fuck. I'm hoping this song popping up on the True Blood soundtrack with get Eels some more air time)
Looking Up(E removes his mic from the stand for this gospel show closer, singing and screaming joyously in case people don't believe his upbeat lyrics. I couldn't tell if my ears were ringing with hope or hearing loss...but I'm leaning towards the latter)
So, every time I've seen Eels, they've totally switched their plates.
The first time, on their "Tour of Duty" in support of the 'Shootenanny!' record, it was two guitars and a bassist along with a drummer, all wearing cowboy hats and playing some simple, dirty rock.
The next time was with Phil at Town Hall for their "Eels With Strings" performance which featured E, two multi-instrumentalists (playing the organ, the piano, a suitcase, a garbage can, an upright bass, lap steel and more) plus a string quartet.
Next, just E and Chet with a piano, a drum set and some guitars.
Then the show last year with this current line up, minus the horns.
In essence, this show was last year's plus some of the arrangements from Eels' Daises of the Galaxy tour, which featured a mini-orchestra.
Although this isn't, technically, a totally different show, I missed that one and have always regretted it.
I can't say this is the best Eels show I've ever seen (the With Strings show takes that particular taco), but this goes up there.
Barring some horrible disfigurement, I'll never miss these guys in concert again.
After the show, we three headed back home and watched The Chronicles of Riddick from some stupid reason.
Mindless, sci-fi pap...with Judi Dench.
We were all pretty confused.
The rest of the weekend was sleeping and playing Mortal Kombat (with the three new downloadable characters, a psycho-chick made of blood whose fatalities are genuinely disturbing...and not even in a funny way, some blind dude with a magic sword and a purple ninja named Rain...yeah, like Purple Rain).
I realized last night that I haven't had a full five day work week in over a month, and I surmise that this week (this full, five day week) is going to suck dragon balls.
Speaking of dragon balls, I'm now going to finish the second book in the Song of Fire and Ice series.
Dragon balls.
*Fucking quote me.
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