A review of Thom Yorke at Kings Theatre 11/27/18

I like Thom Yorke’s solo stuff better than his work with Radiohead.*
Leave now if you’d like.

I feel that, while Radiohead might have a deeper, fuller sound at times, Yorke’s solo work (The Eraser, Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, and I'm including Atoms For Peace) is a truer representation of the man, unfettered by anything. What we hear is exactly what’s in his head. I’d also like to think that the visuals from his current tour, crafted and performed live by Tarik Barri, is what Yorke sees in his mind’s eye when creating that music. Even if that’s not the case, holy shit was this a mind-bending experience.

When I saw Atoms For Peace back in 2013, I was astonished at how low key their visual set up was. When I see clips from Radiohead shows, I feel the same way, but this recent tour was exactly what I would have expected and what felt the most fitting for this music and the man who composed it.

Standout moments from this exceptional evening included “Interference” as the somber opener, “Black Swan”, “The Clock”, two of the half dozen unreleased tracks, “Impossible Knots”, and “I Am A Very Rude Person”, that latter with a really fantastic, bright guitar line, and especially “Amok” and, most of all, “Default”. While the connection between the music and visuals was perfect on every track, things came to a head on “Default", the penultimate song. Just utterly breathtaking.

Yorke is set to release a new solo album in early 2019. Hopefully with these new tracks on it.

* Although, please don't get me wrong, I think they’ve got some legitimately amazing music in their catalogue.

Live and Cold and Black and Infinite - Four Nights of NIN in NYC

Highlights

I bitch...so...hard...about Nine Inch Nails. I believe I've explained before that the reason I bitch so hard is because I know what Trent Reznor is capable of and, when he doesn't live up to the standards that he himself has set, I get disappointed. It doesn't come from a place of anger, it comes from a place of confusion. "Trent...you did such great things here, why aren't you doing great things here?"
That is why, when I saw NIN back in 2014 back-to-back and they performed the same set on both nights, I bitched. Hard.
Three years and two EPs later, they played Panorama and then a secret show at Webster Hall, again, back-to-back. Although the sets were different from one another, I still recall one of my favorite moments being that, on that second night, they didn't play "The Hand That Feeds". Again: one of my favorite moments of seeing Nine Inch Nails live...was the absence of a song. That is not right.
A year and one more EP* after that, NIN set out on their Cold and Black and Infinite tour. Right before that though, they did a small run of festival shows with a pretty standard set, except for three tracks off the new EP to spice things up.
Based on that festival run, the fact that they were playing for festival crowds and not "real" Nine Inch Nails fans, the fact that it wasn't a named tour, and the "Physical World" pre-sale event, I knew there would be something special about CBI. I did not know what and that's how I liked it.
At the aforementioned pre-sale event, Chris and I bought tickets to both shows at Radio City Music Hall. When the band announced two more back-to-back nights at Brooklyn's Kings Theatre, I decided to go for the second night and easily scored GA tickets. After that second Radio City Music Hall show, we debated and then bought tickets to the third show, thus setting ourselves up for four Nine Inch Nails shows in five days.
As I've already reviewed each night individually (see below), I'll just list some things I'll never forget.

• I saw "The Perfect Drug", my hands-down favorite Nine Inch Nails song, live, twice, played exactly as it should be, with a drummer who can hit every single beat and somehow find a way to instill the track with even more energy.

• I was lucky enough to see "Now I'm Nothing" transition into "Terrible Lie"**

• I heard all of Broken, a formative album for me, played front to back, including the cheeky hidden tracks.

• Additional highlights included: "Mr. Self Destruct", "This Isn't The Place", two thirds of Bad Witch, "Gave Up" (not that unique, but they fucking brought it this time around), "All The Love In The World", TDTWWA, "Burn", "La Mer", "The Becoming", "Burning Bright (Field On Fire)", "Happiness In Slavery", "Find My Way", "I Do Not Want This". "Parasite", "The Background World"

I'm sure the next thing from Reznor will let me down in some way, because that's who I am, but I'm going to keep this experience with me. I walked out of each night completely satisfied and genuinely excited at what was coming next. Did I leave at the start of "Hurt" on those final two nights? Yes. Because a. I've seen it at every Nine Inch Nails show but one, and b. Kings Theatre is fucking MILES from my home and getting a car when there's 5000 people out front as opposed to 20 is a lot harder.*** Aside from that, yeah, these shows were something special. Even if everything is lazy and boring and triple H from here on out, these shows happened and I was there.

Here are reviews from the specific nights of the tour, along with links to photo and video galleries.

Radio City Music Hall [Night 1]
Radio City Music Hall [Night 2]
Kings Theatre [Night 1]
Kings Theatre [Night 2]


* Bad Witch is an EP. Stop. Shut up. It is.

** The only downside being that I can never hear TL again without that intro.

*** Although I did feel like a parent sneaking out of his kid's school play for some really odd reason...

Cold and Black and Infinite North America 2018 - Nine Inch Nails @ Kings Theatre [Night 2]

Well, I just saw Nine Inch Nails play all of Broken in sequence. If that weren’t enough, they whipped out their cover of How To Destroy Angels’ “Parasite”, “Me, I’m Not” from Year Zero, and “The Background World”, the phenomenal closer from last year’s Add Violence. Somehow, after three unique and surprising sets, Trent motherfucking Reznor keeps things interesting. In four nights, I witnessed Nine Inch Nails play 53 unique songs, including over a dozen I’d never seen performed live, one of which, “The Perfect Drug”, has been my favorite song of theirs since its release over twenty years ago.

Back in 2009, NIN opened for Jane’s Addiction on the NIN|JA tour, then, deciding things were a bit too restricted between shortened set times and the daylight sapping the drama from their performances, they embarked on their Wave Goodbye tour. As far as production and spectacle, this was their most attic set of shows. There were no elaborate lighting rigs or interactive LED panels…not even a scrim on which to project abstract colors and shapes: just the band and an insane rotation of songs. Catching them four times in three months, I saw most of The Slip, a good chunk of The Fragile, and almost all of The Downward Spiral, but the four nights of the Cold and Black and Infinite tour blew those away. The depth of the deep cuts, the breadth of the material covered was literally astonishing at times. The only sure thing every night was “Head Like A Hole” denoting the end of the first set and “Hurt” closing things out*.

The only complaint any true fan of Nine Inch Nails could have about this tour is that they didn’t see enough of it. As I said when Bad Witch came out earlier this year, if Reznor did decide to call it quits after that album and after this tour, I could not be more satisfied with what he’s done and with what I’ve seen.

Photo/video gallery

* Or intimating it was safe to leave if anyone wanted to beat the traffic.

Cold and Black and Infinite North America 2018 - Nine Inch Nails @ Kings Theatre [Night 1]

There’s something to be said for collecting. I’m not a collector in the sense that I obtain things, keep them in their wrapping, and never touch them again. I don’t go to conventions to trade my unwrapped things for other people’s unwrapped things, but there is a part of me that yearns for completion. In that sense, I enjoy the idea of “collecting” an album's live performance, in other words, hearing all of the songs on an album played live; not all in one night or in order, but over the years. That was one of my reasons for seeing Nine Inch Nails at all four of their New York shows. There’s also the fact that, while Trent Reznor recently said he’s not planning on quitting music any time soon, life’s too fucking short and why would I not see Nine Inch Nails four nights in a five day period?
Plus…I needed to see “The Perfect Drug” again. I was not ready the first time.

Even though this was the first of their two Brooklyn shows, Reznor treated it as the third in a series of four, playing eight songs not heard at the two previous shows, including two tour debuts (“I Do Not Want This”* and “Something I Can Never Have” from 1989’s Pretty Hate Machine). Over the course of this third performance, the band played half of their debut album (if you count the little “The Only Time” interpolation in “Closer”), a Gary Numan cover (“Metal”), and opened with a rare gem, “Now I’m Nothing”, which was composed and performed for their 1993 Lollapalooza stint. This particular show opener, “Now I’m Nothing” into “Terrible Lie”, has only been performed live on two other tours, 2009’s Wave Goodbye and this current tour. It might be the most powerful opening number in their repertoire and I actually consider it a sort of honor to have witnessed it live.

After this, there was to be one, final New York show. I was convinced there was nothing left to shock me, but Trent Reznor has fooled me before.

Photo/video gallery

* The introduction of this into the tour’s rotation along with nine other tracks from the album indicates that another full performance of The Downward Spiral is imminent, perhaps during the band’s six night run at the Palladium in Los Angeles at the end of the year.

Cold and Black and Infinite North America 2018 - Nine Inch Nails @ Radio City Music Hall [Night 2]

Back in May, when tickets for Nine Inch Nails’ Cold And Black And Infinite tour went on sale only at the box offices of the venues where the handful of shows were being held, there was a poster for sale listing the locations of this so-called “Physical World” pre-sale event. Last month, once the tour had started, there was a different poster available at the shows. When the two posters were laid next to one another, it completed a larger image; it turned out each poster was only half of the full picture. The second night of Nine Inch Nails at Radio City Music Hall was that second half. Between the two shows, only three songs were repeated, all the rest were unique to that evening’s performance. And, like the first night, Trent Reznor did not seem to give the slightest of fucks about the more radio friendly audience members.

While the first night included two thirds of their latest release, Bad Witch, and half of the release before that, as well as some never-before-played* songs such as “All The Love In The World” from With Teeth and “The Perfect Drug” from 1997’s Lost Highway soundtrack, this second evening focused more on The Fragile (the beginning of the show was the first four tracks of that album in sequence), The Downward Spiral (including a blistering rendition of “The Becoming”), and Year Zero. The chaotic ending of “The Great Destroyer” has been retooled to include garbled bits of the current American president's already garbled voice, adding a real chill and sense of impending doom to the performance. As before, there was a handful of unique moments, namely the reappearance of “La Mer” which hasn’t been played in full, in almost a decade, a rare and heartfelt cover of Bowie’s “I Can’t Give Everything Away”, and a transition from “Help Me I Am In Hell” to the explosive and obliterating “Happiness In Slavery”, which hasn’t been played live in almost 25 years.

“This is a weird set, huh?” asked Reznor at one point. “Well, it just felt right”.
No complaints here, Trent. None.

Nine Inch Nails are playing two more nights in New York at Brooklyn's Kings Theater.
I will be there.

Photo/video gallery

* Never before this tour.

Cold and Black and Infinite North America 2018 - Nine Inch Nails @ Radio City Music Hall [Night 1]

The looks on the faces of every single person who was there expecting a typical Nine Inch Nails show…*

Oh goodness but the delight was just as creamy and sumptuous as a decadent creme brûlée...the puzzlement and consternation as the band drifted into “This Isn’t The Place”, one of the most fragile and gorgeous tracks to come from Nine Inch Nails in recent years, the shocked delight as the first pulsing guitars from “The Perfect Drug”** came skittering off the stage, the stunned silence that fell over the crowd as “Over and Out” began.
Yes, yes, they still played “Wish”. “March of the Pigs”, “The Hand That Feeds”, “Head Like A Hole”, and “Hurt”, but aside from those tracks, the night was replete with surprises for true fans of Nine Inch Nails. Reznor tossed a few scraps to the casual fan then turned his back on them for the rest of the evening, embracing his chosen, those that have been with him from the beginning, those that do not need to hear “Closer” again, those that have always supported his music and will continue to do so, especially after this outpouring of gratitude and love for his fans.

Sadly, a good portion of the energy was offset by the lackluster sound balance. Perhaps the World Famous Radio City Music Hall wasn’t meant for such punishing noise, but whatever the case was, fifteen seconds into the opener (“Mr. Self Destruct”) it was evident that the bass was in the wrong place and that the volume was pegged at a six when they should have been ten times that. Despite the less-than-perfect acoustics, Nine Inch Nails delivered a singular experience, one of the best performances I’ve ever seen.

Photo/video gallery

* Whatever that means.

** THEY FUCKING PLAYED THE PERFECT FUCKING DRUG!!!!!!!

A review of Eels at Brooklyn Steel, 6/9/18

Eels closed their first set at Brooklyn Steel with the final track from 1998’s autobiographical Electro-Shock Blues, “P.S. You Rock My World”. There’s a lyric from that song which, in my mind, could serve as a thesis for everything Eels’ leader, Mark Oliver Everett has ever done…”maybe it’s time to live”. It’s not as vapidly positive as “it’s time to live” or irritatingly motivational as “go out and live!”; it’s real and shows that there are options. “Yeah, things are shitty and you could end it all or…maybe it’s time to live.” There are no guarantees, but…maybe. That was the vibe throughout: hey, it could be better, but it could be worse…maybe it’s time to live.

As always, Eels served up equal parts well-crafted (if sometimes simplistic) rock and subtle reflection*. From Souljacker’s “Dog Faced Boy” to Shootenanny’s “Dirty Girl”, and Hombre Lobo’s “Prizefighter” to Electro-Shock Blues’ “Climbing Up to the Moon”. The chameleon songs returned in brand new wrapping, including what I keep thinking of as a Tool cover of “Novocain for the Soul". And speaking of covers, as usual the show had a handful. Most notably two Prince covers, “Raspberry Beret" which was fun, and the return of "When You Were Mine”, first played live on Eels’ 2005 tour. Originally, it featured a string quartet, but this time, it was stripped down and sorrowfully bluesy, absolutely beautiful. These days, it seems everyone is covering Prince, but as E has been covering him since the early 90’s, it somehow seems to mean more.

Although the arrangement was tight, the new album (The Deconstruction) wasn’t meant to be recreated with two guitars, a bass and a drum kit, and most of the more intricate tracks from that album were left off the evening’s set list in favor of the more rock-like songs such as “Today Is The Day”, “Bone Dry” and “You Are The Shining Light”. Standouts included “I Like Birds", the arena rock version of “Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues", “From Which I Came/A Magic World”, "Fresh Blood", “Daises of the Galaxy", “Flyswatter", "Bone Dry", "P.S. You Rock My World", and the mini-medley show closer of Brian Wilson’s "Love and Mercy", "Blinking Lights (For Me)”, and “Wonderful, Glorious”. 

Eels have just wrapped up their North American leg and are now off to Europe and the UK. If you’re hoping for a string quartet, horn section, or even a piano, you’re out of luck, but you should still see them, you should always see them, because they are Eels.

*Also an original song introducing the world to their latest drummer Little Joe entitled ”Little Joe!”.

A review of St. Vincent's "Fear The Future" tour at Kings Theater on 12/2/17

Annie Clark is a human. I can now say this with complete certainty. The last time I saw her perform, in 2014 at Terminal 5, I wasn't sure; she was too cold and calculating, like some multi-function automaton that had yet to truly master a mimicry of human behavior. Even when she was vulnerable and confiding, there seemed to be a barely audible click behind each teardrop and sigh. This time however, Saturday at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn, she was just a human. A guitar-murdering pocket apocalypse of a human, but a human nonetheless.

The evening started with an hour long Q&A and two-song acoustic performance*, both of which went a long way towards humanizing Clark. Then there was the very start of her first set, which featured Clark almost ridiculously overdressed in a matching pink, vinyl teddy and high-heeled boots**. As the set unfolded, so did the stage, mirroring Clark's confidence and command of the space. For the majority of the second set, Clark merely stood and sang and killed a score of guitars and utterly dominated the theater.

The first third of the show was an almost chronological tour of her past work, starting with "Marry Me" and ending with "Birth In Reverse", while the back two thirds focused on her latest. As much as I enjoy a well-varied and structured set list, hearing the whole of Msseduction from front to back was fantastic as every track had additional depth and highlights not found on the album. One downside to the performance was the overabundance of the not-so-stellar visuals, which consisted solely of extra footage from the albums' two videos and press material. Occasionally they added but more often than not they distracted.

Highlights included a reworked and almost industrial version of 2014’s “Digital Witness”, a heart-rending new string arrangement of "Strange Mercy", “Cheerleader”, and...well, pretty much everything on Masseduction.

Clark recently extended her Fear The Future tour to mid-2018, so if you can, check out a true virtuoso performing one of the best albums of the year.

Shitty photos here.

* "Laughing With a Mouth of Blood" and "the second in the 'Johnny Trilogy'", "Prince Johnny".

** She had mentioned in the Q&A that her look for the live show was a mix of "silly and sexy".

A review of Mother Feather at the Bowery Electric on 4/1/16

With Matt Basile, Chris Foley, and Gunnar Olsen as the oxygen, Ann Courtney as the flame, and Lizzie Carena as her smoke, Mother Feather engineered a conflagration in which one would be ecstatic to burn, a willing sacrifice to all the gods of pop cock rock that are or ever were.

It started with Basile, Foley, and Olsen (bassist, guitarist, and drummer, respectively) filing onto the stage, followed by Lizzie (vox and keyboards), and, finally, Ann, the front woman, shrouded in red. There was the jaunty ribaldry of “Trampoline”, the bass onslaught of “Natural Disaster”, a brand new track, “I.C.U.”, debuted at the band’s BBC Radio 1 performance*, the ever-rousing anthem "Mother Feather", the lustfully inspiring "Mirror", and more, ending with “Totally Awesome”, a song about New York City which would sound insincere or satirical coming from anyone else's lips. But they believe it. So you believe it. Days later, the energy given off by Mother Feather is still with me.

To put things differently: have you ever had sex with a fire? If you’d like to know what that feels like, go see Mother Feather live.

Mother Feather’s new video for “Living, Breathing” (filmed at the Bowery Electric in March) is live now, their debut LP is set for release on Metal Blade Records on 13 May, and later this summer, they will spread their fire across America on the Warped Tour.

* Listen quickly, it's timed.

A review of They Might Be Giants at the Williamsburg Hall of Music on 7/26/15 - "Lincoln Show"

"Should you worry when the skullhead is in front of you, or is it worse because it's waiting where your eyes don't go?" 
Jesus, that is still creepy.

July 26th was They Might Be Giants' Lincoln show at the Williamsburg Hall of Music. They performed all but one track from their stellar 1988 album, as well as a blend of tracks from their catalog, with a slight focus on their newest effort, Glean. Although they were, self-admittedly, under-rehearsed, I love watching They Might Be Giants fuck up more than any other band, as it always leads to something delightful.

Standout moments included 'Where Your Eyes Don't Go' (which might be the most unsettling song from their thirty plus year career), the stripped down version of "Kiss Me, Son Of God", "The World's Address", "Cowtown" (which Flansburgh stated was "his favorite"), "Lie Still, Little Bottle" (despite the lack of Stick), "You'll Miss Me" (for its glimpse into the long forgotten days of the bands' inaccessible, East Village, art fuck period), and "Twistin'" (which served as a fantastic closer). Other moments included Linnell's confession that all They Might Be Giants songs are inspired by/stolen from Erasure, Flansburgh's strange fixation on Donald Trump saying 'huge" on a loop in his head, and the Avatars of They addressing the recent Ashley Madison/hacker threat fiasco.
  
I've still yet to see a bad show by these guys, although two things bugged me about last night's otherwise great performance; namely, the lack of horns on certain tracks (most notably "Underwater Woman") or, I suppose, the choice to play these horn-driven songs without horns. This wasn't a deal breaker, there were just a few times throughout the evening when things felt a bit sparse. The other issue is something I've been worrying about, off and on, throughout the year: the lack of the dozen or so brand new Dial-A-Song tracks from the bands' Dial-A-Song Direct service*. Of course I understand they just returned from a week in the UK and they've been busy finishing up those new tracks for their upcoming kids album** as well as the last twenty or so tracks for the aforementioned DAS service, so, hopefully, as 2015 grinds to a close, we'll see some of this brand new (and, for the most part, really interesting) material played live, if not though...well...just because they're confident they could play "Birdhouse In Your Soul" without their heads, that doesn't mean they can't keep things interesting for fans.

They Might Be Giants is taking the next month off from performing, but will return on the last Sunday of September with yet another live show at the Williamsburg Hall of Music. 

* Which promises fifty two brand new songs, every Tuesday, for the entire year.

** The follow-up to their groundbreaking 2002 children's album, No!, which will be titled Why?

A review of They Might Be Giants at the Williamsburg Hall of Music on 5/31/15 - "The Else" show

In May of 2007, They Might Be Giants released The Else, their "least coziest" album, which had been produced by themselves, their long time friend and producer, Pat Dillett, and the Dust Brothers. It is, at times, a political album ("I'm Impressed", "The Shadow Government"), a classic TMBG album ("Bird of the Bee of the Moth", "Take Out The Trash"), and a TMBG/Dust Bros. collabo ("Withered Hope", "Upside Down Frown"). It also features a Monkees pastiche, the opening track from their scrapped work on the Coraline score, a Frankenstein experiment, and a song which resulted from a challenge issued on NPR. It stands, boldly, out from their later catalogue of work and, about eight years after its release, at the nigh-submersed Williamsburg Hall of Music, it was given its due...except for "Feign Amnesia", which was too hard to learn.

Highlights from an evening absolutely teeming with highlights included "Doctor Worm"*, the instant live classic "Unpronounceable", "Withered Hope" (even with the lack of horn support), the abrasive punk assault of "The Shadow Government"** , "Don't Let's Start", "Bills, Bills, Bills" (because I know it's fleeting and because I love how angry Flans seems to get when telling us about the "triflin', good-for-nothin' type of brother"), "Twistin'", "Rhythm Section Want Ad" and "Contrecoup", which, although Linnell said they didn't do very often because it was too difficult, they made sound easy.
Lowlights included the idiot girl on ecstasy who was alternately making "heart hands" at the band, snapping her head around wildly, and licking her poor-bastard-of-a-boyfriend's teeth throughout the evening.
The. Entire. Evening.

The real star of the show, however, was TMBG's drummer, Marty Beller. He can't be 100% human. Can not. The way he obliterated tracks like "Let Me Tell You About My Operation", "The Famous Polka" and, especially, "Upside Down Frown", with their combination of precision drumming and high BPMs prove this point.
He's a weaponized drum machine in the shape of a guy from Brooklyn.

Overall, I found their lack of horns disturbing; The Else, performed live, needs horns.
Bottom line.
Despite that fact, it was still a fantastic and varied show.

Next month, the band is performing two kid's shows and then, in July, a Lincoln show.

* I saw a lot of TMBG shows in 1999 and have heard this song, with and without horns, dozens of times, but I can't remember a time when the energy was this high. Either the coffee was doing its job or the band has fallen back in love with this track.

** A performance choice which really illustrates the unease and chaos at the heart of the song.

A review of They Might Be Giants at the Williamsburg Hall of Music - 1.25.15

Let's begin with the admission that I am completely spoiled. One of my very favorite bands lives within a fifteen mile radius of where I live and, therefore, end up playing a whole lot of shows near me, so I get to see them a whole lot.
That being said: this year, on the last Sunday of every month, They Might Be Giants will have a concert at the Williamsburg Hall of Music...a ten minute cab from my home.
I plan on going to all twelve.
The first of these shows was on January 25th, my birthday.
Another bonus: for the majority of these, there is no opener; doors are at 7, TMBG takes the stage at 8 and plays until just about 10. I showed up less than a half hour before doors and ended up dead center, seven feet from Mr. John Linnell's keyboard.

Now, onto the show: I hadn't seen They Might Be Giants since December of 2013, and I usually find that these shows, the "first in a long time" shows, tend to be something special. TMBG had wrapped up their Nanobots tour at the end of 2013, and, aside from three or four special shows in 2014, had sequestered themselves in the studio, creating two new albums set for release later this year as well as (I assume) the bulk of their 2015 Dial-A-Song offerings.
On the whole, this was a fabulously well-rounded show, featuring a handful of live staples ("Birdhouse In Your Soul", "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (featuring the Screaming Space Rock interlude)), some old favorites returning for the first time in a long time ("Spiraling Shape", "Cyclops Rock"), brand new, never-performed-live songs, most from TMBG's recently resurrected Dial-A-Song service ("Erase", "Music Jail, Part 1 & 2"), some newer live staples ("When Will You Die?", "Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal"), and, a few tracks I'd prefer to never hear again ("Damn Good Times" (with which they opened), "The Mesopotamians")*.

Standouts included "Cyclops Rock", "Man, It's So Loud In Here" (which I hadn't heard in its pre-Mink Car arrangement since 1999 or so), "We're The Replacements", "Spiraling Shape" and "Call You Mom". Also the banter...always the banter.

Next month is their "First Album Show".





* But, at least the Avatars of They appear to have been retired. They were funny the first five times but then...yeesh...

A review of Nine Inch Nails Live, August 1st & 2nd - OR - copy of a (setlist)

copy of a (setlist)

Trent Reznor does not want Nine Inch Nails to become a nostalgia act. He’s said this numerous times in recent years, as he nears 50, Nine Inch Nails nears 30, and his breakthrough album, The Downward Spiral, hits 20. What better way, then, to combat those creeping feelings of obsolescence then by co-headlining a tour with Soundgarden, another band from the 90’s who, also, released their breakthrough album, Superunknown, twenty years ago this March? Perhaps Reznor could engineer the tour’s setlist to focus on a number of well-worn, radio friendly “greatest hits”? Or maybe reuse the stage set up and lighting rig from the festival tour he embarked upon just last year?

Hm.

I’m beginning to think that Trent Reznor doesn’t know what the word “nostalgia” means…

Something I should mention up front: I am spoiled. These most recent Nine Inch Nails shows were my 14th and 15th since I first saw them in 2000 on their Fragility v2.0 tour. I haven’t missed a tour since and try my best to see them more than once whenever possible. After every NIN concert, I say, out loud, “how the fuck is Reznor going to top that?”, and he always, always does. Either with the next iteration’s huge, mind-blowing production (Fragility, the 2005 Live: With Teeth arena tour, Lights In The Sky, tension) or a massively diverse set list (the 2005 club tour, the 2009 NINJA and Wave Goodbye tours), so my hopes were, understandably, elevated for these shows, although I was expecting a somewhat truncated set, as this was a co-headlining tour. What I got for my time, money and effort was this, plus or minus Joshua Eustis and a song or two. 

That show was recorded over a year ago.

There’s also the fact that the setlists for both these shows, one on the first of August and one on the second, one venue a 90-minute drive from the other…were exactly the same. Something which hasn’t happened since 1989, when Nine Inch Nails had only a dozen songs in their repertoire. There’s more I could say about this odd and heartbreaking snafu, but, I don’t want to bore you more than you’ve already been bored; I apologize for having done so.

So, rather than make this (more) personal and bitch about getting to see one of my favorite artists two nights in a row (who on Earth wants to read that?), I’m going to switch perspectives and assume that of a more levelheaded and objective writer.

The shows were fantastic. Technically, Reznor managed to take the grandeur of the 2013 tension tour and minimize it so that it fit into an amphitheater, yet still managed to stun with its visuals and scope, especially during moments like the three minute aural assault at the end of “The Great Destroyer”, which featured Reznor, alone on stage, working out all his aggression on a series of buttons and knobs while, behind him, a pocket galaxy exploded on the row of 10-foot LED panels. Those panels, used in almost every song, were the visual theme that tied the whole show together; sometimes, like in “Sanctified”, they merely stood, utilized as flats, other times, they were a source of video, either forming one large screen (as with “Hurt” and “Disappointed”), or broken into several, individual units (as with “Terrible Lie” and “Gave Up”), and, once or twice, their full potential was met, when they were positioned and repositioned multiple times in one song in order to create a sense of depth and movement, such as with “Eraser” and “Closer”.

Musically, the band attacked each and every song with a seemingly bottomless reservoir of energy, sometimes scrambling across the stage to play different instruments during the same song. Stand outs included “Disappointed”, which featured a modified and evolved version of its visuals from the 2013 tour and an excellent and shockingly funky bass performance from Ilan Rubin (normally on drums, or, rather, normally tasked with utterly obliterating the drums), “The Great Destroyer”, and “Gave Up”, which still retains its jagged, explosive heart after its introduction to the band’s live set over two decades ago. As a whole, the setlist was a strong representation of the span of Nine Inch Nails’ career, centering mostly on their first two albums, Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral, and their most recent one, the extremely well-crafted and nuanced Hesitation Marks.

The only element that was lacking was that of The Fragile, arguably one of the band’s best album, which turns fifteen in a little over a month; its absence was palpable.

While one could contend that this was a “greatest hits” show or that the band is venturing dangerously close to becoming a “nostalgia act”, Nine Inch Nails redefines these (usually derogatory) terms, and makes them something to be proud of, something to strive for, an accomplishment rather than a detriment. Nine Inch Nails is still vital and still has the ability to surprise, whether you’re a seasoned veteran or brand new to Reznor’s unique brand of sonic— 

Okay, enough objectivity, back to my meaningless and vitriolic personal opinions. A few months ago, Reznor announced that he was going to be scoring the next David Fincher film, an adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. The film is slated for an October 4th release, which means the score has to be completely wrapped up several weeks before that. I attribute my disappointment to the fact that Reznor did something all us normal humans do…he overbooked himself. Sometimes, when you overbook yourself, you’re able to pull it off without anyone noticing, but, other times, it shows, and people notice you’re spreading yourself too thin. 

Trent, we can tell you’re spreading yourself too thin. It’s showing, now, plainly, on this tour. Casual fans aren’t noticing because they are just that, casual fans. But the obsessed fans, like myself and hundreds of others, are noticing, and they are bummed out by the fact that they aren’t utterly gobsmacked as they’re walking out of your shows. This is the downside to being an amazing performer who ups the ante and redefines what a live show has the potential to be every time he tours: eventually, you get distracted and divide your time and your hardcore, foaming-at-the-mouth fans notice and call you on it. But I don’t believe Trent Reznor needs people to call him on it. I honestly believe he knows, and, hopefully, he won’t de this in the future. I don’t think anyone is more disappointed in Reznor than Reznor himself.

Or, too put all this a touch more bluntly: that Gone Girl  score had better blow my brain out of my skull.

If you aren’t an overprivileged, obsessed asshole of a Nine Inch Nails fan like myself, go see Nine Inch Nails on their tour with Soundgarden, you’ll enjoy it immensely.*

A note on the pictures: I am not a good photographer. At all. Not only are my pictures of low quality, they don’t do the majesty of this stage set up justice. So, I’ve attached links to some equally blurry yet demonstrative video clips for the sake of context. It’s hard to appreciate just how amazing a Nine Inch Nails stage show is without seeing it in action. 

Terrible Lie

Find My Way

Disappointed

Closer

The Great Destroyer

Eraser

* And, just to prove I’m not always a whiny, unappreciative tool, here is my glowing review of the last time I saw Nine Inch Nails; on their tension tour, in October 2013.

A review of Beck at SummerStage 2014

Kicking in the door with "Devil's Haircut"

While I was almost 100% certain going in that he would play the hits, including "Loser", "The New Pollution", "Devil's Haircut" and  close with the extended version of "Where It's At"*, I never expected to hear Beck play another track from Midnite Vultures live again, as he seems to have matured away from the trashy, electro sleaze-funk of that incredible record**.
But, I keep forgetting that he is the second funkiest white man alive, and, therefore, can be wily.
When he first spoke, he told the crowd that the band didn't know whether to come out fast or slow, and that they'd decided that the show would be a "W". The 23rd letter of the alphabet has never been so honored.

"One Foot In The Grave"

The slower moments included selections from Sea Change and his latest album, Moring Phase, and, although he played almost half of the latter, I could have done with more, as everything from it sounded tremendous live, even "Country Down", one of my least favorite tracks from the album. The three high points of the "W" were made up of bits and pieces from most of his eleven albums, with a leaning towards Guero, and everything was...Beck. It was Beck.
What else can I really say?
 Nothing.

Beck and Justin Meldal Johnsen engaged in Funky Telepathy

So, let's do standout moments!

"Que Onda Guero" - I find the album version kind of annoying, perhaps, because I used to live in Spanish Harlem which sounds kind of like the song, but without any of the music or Beck and with more shouting and whistling, but his sweat-pouring enthusiasm just completely nullified all the negative associations.

"Paper Tiger" - Although I would have given my kneecaps for a string section (which probably would have sounded like nightmare cats fornicating because of the goddamn humidity), this worked out beautifully, such an amazing translation of one of my favorite tracks from Sea Change.

"The New Pollution"

"Girl" -> "E-Pro" - While I was kind of expecting "E-Pro", I was not expecting "Girl". I still maintain that "Girl" could be one of the all time best summer songs ever. Hearing it live with the soft breeze and watching the last traces of the sun still in the sky was, for me, a defining summer moment. Plus, I don't think I've ever seen "E-Pro" tackled with such ferocity. You were unable to not sing along with the chorus.

"Blue Moon", "Waking Light", "Heart Is A Drum" - These were all exquisite, although, again, without the strings, they felt a bit flat. Also, some of the bridge was cut from"Waking Light" (the part with all the strings), which bummed me out; I could have listened to a 15 minute version of that song.

"Lost Cause"

"Sexx Laws" -> "Debra" - What can I possibly say? Justin Meldal Johnsen (Beck's go to bass master for over twenty years) screaming about laws? The goddamn banjo? And then, a sprawling version of Debra, one of my favorite Beck tracks. At one point, while he was on his knees, trying to relate to us just how lovely of a lady she was and just how crazy he was driven by Jenny, Sean Lennon (from opener The Ghost of a Sabre Tooth Tiger) came on stage and draped a cape over Beck's shoulders, to which he remarked: "someone has put a cape on my mantle of loneliness".

"Someone has put a cape on my mantle of loneliness..."

Looking back, I would have loved to hear more of the new album*** and more of Midnite Vultures, and I would have also loved it if the fucking sound system at SummerStage hadn't have sucked quite so many balls, but, what can you do? It's not like people have been playing live music outside for almost a century.
But, none of that is Beck's fault and I don't want any of this sounding sour. Bearing witness to Beck, one of my favorite artists, performing with men who have created some of my favorite Beck albums over the past two decades was a truly unique experience for which I am eternally grateful.
Even if you've seen them before, see them again, they will surprise you.

* Yes yes, "Ooh la la sassoon", whatever you say, Mr. Hansen.

** To my great and unending sadness.

*** Should have gone to his show at the Hammerstein the night before, which included a few more tracks from Morning Phase as well as "Hell Yes" and "Get Real Paid".

A review of Damon Albarn at Irving Plaza on June 8th, 2014 -OR- Damon Albarn Threw So Much Water At Me

Damon Albarn & The Heavy Seas

There’s something about being in the presence of Damon Albarn that’s even more exciting than being in the presence of Trent Reznor or Thom Yorke. I consider all three in a class of their own as far as musicality and innovation, but Albarn is taking more risks and just seems to be having more fun. And that’s what it should be about, in the end.

Damon Albarn + a melodica = Gorillaz

On the evening of June 8th, I saw Damon Albarn and the Heavy Seas perform so much more than just tracks from his melodic, melancholic debut solo album, Everyday Robots. I mean, technically, Blur, Gorillaz, The Good, The Bad & The Queen, and Rocket Juice & The Moon are all Damon Albarn, so, technically, they all fall under the purview of Damon Albarn. I guess what I’m saying is that no lawsuits were handed out? 

No, I’m saying that this was so much more fun than I was expecting. The same appeared to be true for Albarn, who had a smile on his face the whole night and, between tossing what seemed like several gallons of bottled water at the crowd (mostly at me), said how happy and grateful he was to be playing for us. He also reminisced about climbing on the lighting grid the last time he played Irving Plaza, with Blur, back in the early 90’s.

Albarn & Vic Mensa doing "Clint Eastwood"

Stand out moments for me included all the Gorillaz stuff (I’ve never caught them live), but specifically, “El Mañana” and “Kids With Guns”, the latter just exploded off the stage, “You & Me”, “The History Of A Cheating Heart”, one of my favorite tracks from Everyday Robots, which Albarn played lovingly on his guitar while sitting on a piano, and “Mr. Tembo”, during which a choir joined the band on stage, as I had been hoping. Even though over half the set consisted of tracks not from Everyday Robots, this was still, undoubtedly, a Damon Albarn show, replete with the quirk, dedication and energy he brings to all his myriad musical endeavors.

If you have a chance to see him, I would highly recommend it.

Damon Albarn, locking eyes with me and deciding exactly how much water to throw at me. 

Videos, album ordering options (the deluxe version has some cool stuff on it, including a track-by-track breakdown of the album and four songs performed with a string quartet) and everything else can be found on Albarn’s official site.

A review of Mother Feather at Bowery Ballroom (1.25.14) and the new "Living Breathing" EP

I knew this was going to be good, but I didn't know how good until it happened to me.
Seeing pictures of a Mother Feather performance, one might think that they have an idea of how the show will play out, but, just as a picture of a sumptuous meal isn't the same as indulging in said meal...you get the idea.

Seeing Mother Feather live is like watching a bonfire; they smoulder and dance and explode and burn.
Along with heat, they emit a strange, aggressive, confrontational sexuality.
At times, lead singer, Ann Courtney, is a screaming, fist-pumping dynamo and, at other times, she appears as a chastened child...the kind who plays with matches, her voice is warm, impish, admonishing, dirty, flirty and often soaked in both sincerity and innuendo.

This might sound fractured, schizophrenic, but it all fits, it's all Mother Feather.

Ann and Lizzie (backing vocals and keyboards) work in perfect concert, like some ferocious, otherworldly clock, telling us to revolt and dance and live, rather than just what time it is. Their smirking, perfectly placed and executed interactions serve to expertly display their background in theater and how well they utilize it.

Highlights of the evening included the playful choreography of their opener, "Egyptology", the energetic sensuality of their infectiously catchy "Trampoline" and, as always, their massive, anthemic closer, "Mother Feather", which you really need to experience to understand. These ladies and their harem of talented instrumentalists are so much more than just what's on record, if you're just listening to the music, you're not getting all of Mother Feather.

And, speaking of the music...at their Bowery show on the 25th, Mother Feather debuted their new EP, Living Breathing.
This was a truly excellent birthday present.

Mother Feather's new Living Breathing EP

Like their first, self titled EP, Living Breathing contains four songs that range from fun to fiery and, also like their first EP, nothing here doesn't stand out. The drums aren't just keeping a beat, Gunnar Olsen uses every measure to do something to keep the listener present and engaged, and the interplay between Basile (bass) and Foley (guitar) is always riveting, never rote.  While it may not be as catchy or packed with instant hits as their debut, I was too caught up in reveling in new Mother Feather music to complain. One thing is does feature is a song called "Egyptology" (usually their set opener) and that's worth the price of admission alone. It's a blistering rocker centering around how funky the Egyptians were and containing the lyrics "I go where he go / follow my pharaoh / to the underworld disco / down in Old Cairo".

Yeah.
 Steve Martin and the Bangles wish they could write a song this awesome.
Someone find a song like this anywhere else, and I'll buy you a trampoline.
There's also "Mirror", which is as dark and intense as three plus minutes of uninterrupted eye contact with Ann herself, and the title track, another god damn awesome rock song with a fun, slinky, twisty climax that might be the sexiest suicide ever.

One aspect of Mother Feather I keep returning to is the fact that, after all the songs and all the music that have been, they have an originality and theatricality that doesn't seemed forced, we're hearing and seeing the real them; it's genuine and doesn't suffer from the pseudo-intellectual eye-rolling that plagues most of pop culture. They love and care about everything they create and that rings true in every facet of Mother Feather.

If you're interested, I interviewed the ladies of Mother Feather for my podcast a while back.
Check it out if you'd like to know about what makes these vixens tick.

digressive_obscenity - ep. 12 - mother_feather

A review of nine inch nails live: tension 2013 - OR - Fuck Every Show I've Ever Seen Ever

I attended both the Brooklyn, NY show and the Newark, NJ show on October 14th and 15th, respectively.

Here are the stand outs from each night:

Piggy - This is the first time the lights break the fourth wall, for lack of a better term. Up to this point, the lights have been utilized on the stage to highlight portions of the stage, but, here, they strafe out into the crowd in rays in time with the song's deep synth noise. Always with the gradual progression...

All Time Low - And here, specifically at the end, is where shit gets real.

Disappointed - CONTINUED REAL SHIT. 

Satellite - You know how you'll listen to a new album and there are songs that you just know will not be played live? This was one of them and when I heard the opening, I actually did a tiny, little girl hop. Then the ridiculous real-time wireframe visuals came up and...well, I kind of just stood and stared.
Holy fucking shit.
Roy, Rob, Trent...take your dicks out of my brain.

In Two - Not as surprising as "Satellite", but still surprising. The all out assault of lights on this was just stunning, breath-taking. And the added harmony during the break down is, without a doubt, my favorite use of the two backup singers. The results were absolutely beautiful.

A Warm Place - My very first thought was: Holy fuck! "A Warm Place"! I'd never heard this live before and I am so happy I got the chance. This was less like listening to a song as it was being swallowed whole by a song; a living, breathing womb. Utterly amazing.

Somewhat Damaged > Wish > Burn - Excellent choice of arrangement. There was so much visceral anger in these three songs that I found myself acting like some belligerent little pit shit for a moment. You can really tell Trent's been working on his vocal control with "Somewhat Damaged" and "Burn". Also, a quick note on "Wish". For a while now, this has been on my list of songs I could do without at a Nine Inch Nails show. I mean, I've been to 13 NIN shows since 2000 and it's been played at every one. So. I added it to the list, knowing that I was going to hear it yet again and that I was going to sing along and pump my fist at the appropriate time, but that my heart wouldn't be in it. Then, I saw it live and was swept up completely. And here's what I have come to realize: hearing "Wish" played live gets old, but seeing "Wish"played live? Tori Amos used to open her shows with an eight minute version of "Precious Things". It was...amazing. When her album, To Venus And Back, came out, the second disc had this eight minute live rendition on it as track one and I could never listen to the whole thing. You need to see it.
All this to say: please ignore any further complaints about the inclusion of "Wish" on future setlists. Thank you.

The Day The World Went Away - One of my favorite NIN songs. Any time I get to see this live, it feels like a gift and this time was no different. Just incredible.

There were some substitutions the second night, namely "Reptile" instead of "Piggy" (and I'm going to side with "Reptile" on this one. Goddamn does this still destroy the world live), plus "The Big Come Down", "Into The Void" (another favorite and another one that worked very well with the backup vocals sung by women), "Echoplex" (good to hear, but seemed to lack something) and "I'm Afraid Of Americans" (which was so loud, so deliciously loud...). In most cases, you could tell which songs were interchangeable by their lack of visual accompaniment.

The first and most startling aspect of my time at these shows I have to mention was the complete and delightfully shocking abandonment of the tried and true (and boring) three-part live formula*. This is the first Nine Inch Nails concert since the year 2000 where I've had no idea what to expect** and the feeling was just sublime...although I was pretty sure "The Hand That Feeds" was going to precede "Head Like A Hole".

Along with that, the vast number of "swing songs" has been impressive. At this point in the tour, we've heard about thirty-five, including the entirety of Hesitation Marks except for "Everything" and, according to Reznor, there are still around five or ten songs to be revealed over the next month.
Damn.

Then, we have the new additions to the tour line up, specifically, sleepy bass god, Pino Palladino and the two female, African American back up singers, Lisa Fischer and Sharlotte Gibson. I'm mentioning their race because this was something I was concerned about, that they would add too much "Gawspel" to the mix and, in some cases, that was a problem. It was not a problem on "Into The Void", however, as the album version actually featured an African American back up vocalist who added a lot to the original track. Their contribution was most felt, for me, on "In Two". Their presence transformed the bridge of that song into something just perfect. I only want to hear the live version now. As far as what else they lent to the tour, I'll need to hear a clean concert recording before I can really determine. Off the top of my head, I think they stood out in a negative way on "Disappointed" and "Black Noise" and blended perfectly on the aforementioned songs. Overall, I think they should have functioned as texture and not overtaken Reznor, which, in a few instances, I feel they did.

I also loved the visual references to past NIN stage setups, such as the Fragility v 2.0 "waves" during "The Wretched", the Fragility v1.0 lighting pods in "Somewhat Damaged", and, of course, the NIN logo (and the new version of said logo) during the end of HLAH from the 2006 Summer tour.
But, while Reznor, Bennett and Sheridan seemed well aware of and connected to past incarnations of NIN live, the show itself seemed to lack cohesion. While each song was, for the most part, jaw droppingly impressive with regards to the visual set up and the light programming, I didn't feel like this was anything more than a really amazing resume for Moment Factory; an opportunity to show the world how fucking awesome they are.
Is this a bad thing? I mean, I had an amazing time, I was awestruck by some of the things I was seeing, so, do I really need to feel that story had been told? I might be less concerned with this if the tour weren't named. Even after seeing two shows, I still don't get where the "tension" was supposed to be.*** I really , really hope this decision wasn't based solely on the merchandise...a lot of which had the words "tension" on it.
Perhaps if there had been one, static set piece that worked as a thematic anchor or more of a tie in with the Mills visuals from the album....

Okay, now, as this is a place where I go to piss and moan and find fault with the things I love, I suppose I'll have to find something to bitch about.
...uh...well, aside from the tiresome but completely unsurprising (and necessary?) inclusion of "The Hand That Feeds" into "Head Like A Hole" (which amounted to a single hair in an otherwise delectable meal)****, the fact that I didn't hear "Various Methods Of Escape", "I Would For You" and "In This Twilight" (my favorite songs from their respective albums) and the lack of cohesion I mentioned earlier...you guys, this was a unique and incredible experience for me, and will be for you too, if you manage to catch it live.

Before I wrap up, just a quick word about Godspeed You! Black Emperor!, who opened for NIN both nights.
I didn't know anything about these guys except that people seemed to have vague hatred for them. I did a little research, as I like to be at least somewhat familiar with openers and kept finding EPs, but no full length albums...until I looked a little closer and saw that these four and five and six track "EPs" were full length albums, most of the songs clocking in at around twenty minutes or so.
Ah ha.
They worked, overall; there was a hugeness and a great calm at the heart of their thirty minute, two song set, although I'm not sure if I'd call what they do self indulgent or hilarious or brilliant.
Probably not that third one.
Whichever their motivations for doing what they do, they seem dedicated to it.
Might interest you, if you are patient and / or into pot.





* Part one ending with "Gave Up", part two being all quiet and moody and visual, and part three starting with "Wish".

** 100% visually and maybe 80% on the setlist, thanks, primarily, to some cunt mouth from the This One Is On Us twitter account who POSTED ON TWITTER, AFTER HAVING COMMENTED ABOUT NOT WANTING THE SHOW TO BE SPOILED, SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT THE END OF THE SHOW. If they had just posted the spoiler, this would have been less shitty, but specifically mentioning it and then doing it? Fucking dick.

*** Unless you count the pre-show music, which included 80's horror movie soundtracks, selections from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo score (cool to hear on such a huge speaker setup) and other ambient, sparse electronic stuff.

**** And we're talking, like, the hair of a really attractive women whose hair you wouldn't mind eating...like Deborah Ann Woll.

A review of They Might Be Giants at Terminal 5, March 10th, 2012

Better late than shut the fuck up and read my review.

Saturday, March 10th marked the end of They Might Be Gants' Join Us tour and their last (real) show until December 2012, and they made it count as such.

Although I and the lovely Christina arrived three hours before doors to attain the best possible placement at Terminal 5, we were among about twenty fifth and sixth in line, respectively.

It was at that point I realized that I'm not as obsessed with They might Be giants as some people think I am...Will.

I also realized that a lot of these people really creep me out and, afterwards, Chris and I had a long discussion about these aspects.

But I won't bore you.

Eventually, we were joined by the Ultimate Tag Team: Jim Potenza and Jen Chua.

We had as good a time one can have in 40 degree weather and, eventually, were allowed in.

Jim and Jen were sent to the rooftop holding area, while Chris and I waited to obtain my special TMBG Instant Fan Club tickets to the show.

Because of a ridiculous lack of communication between the band's people and the venue (with more blame focused on the venue since I've seen this kind of thing work smoother at Madison Square Garden and Terminal 5 is NOT Madison Square Garden) the IFC members were asked to go BACK outside until our names appeared on a list.

While waiting to die slowly of exposure, Sylvia and Bryan showed up and, after a moment of discussion, went inside...the lucky ass bags.

About ten minutes before the normal people were allowed in, the IFC folks got their tickets, special goodie bags (a half-assed t-shirt "designed" by the band's current favorite minimalist graphic designer, Paul Sahre-- think heavily-outlined, day-glo objects placed on a white background and you've got this guy's "style" down pat, MORE window decals and a hand drawn "Certificate of Thanks" for being a member, signed by both Johns, obviously the winner of the bunch) and entrance to the venue.

I am happy to report that we were dead center, on the rail, my favorite place to be at a They Might Be Giants concert.

There was much waiting to be done, but, at some point, Jonathan Coulton hit the stage.

His set was, for the most part, enjoyable and his band totally brought it, playing "Code Monkey", "Still Alive (not as good without GladOS), "Re: Your Brains" and "I Feel Fantastic" as well as "Now I Am An Arsonist" with Suzanne Vega (1).

After a relatively quick set change, TMBG took the stage, opening with "Birdhouse In Your Soul", one of their standards that has yet to get old (for me, at least. Flans once commented in an interview that "if you severed the band members' heads from their bodies, we would still be able to play "Birdhouse"...we're saving that for our final show").

I'm happy to say that I pogoed for the majority of the song, much to the annoyance of the tiny girl to my right, but, seriously, fuck her, if this had been a Nine Inch Nails concert she would have been sliced open and served like smoked salmon where she was.

Then, "Cowtown", the first song Flansburgh and Linnell wrote together, another treat.

Other highlights included a new rendition of "Particle Man" which I'd never heard before and enjoyed immensely (I always marvel at the ways TMBG finds to keep these songs they've been playing for decades sounding fresh), "Snowball In Hell" (which featured an excellent spoken segment performed by the Avatars of They), "Ana Ng", "Don't Let's Start" (always a pleasure), "New York City" (I've probably seen them perform this song fifty times, but not for a few years and it always makes me happy to hear it), "When Will You Die?" (a new song that I hope grows into a live staple...did I already say that?) and just John and John (with an accordion) singing "How Can I Sing Like A Girl?".

Only two flaws on an otherwise perfect gem of an evening were fucking goddamn "Damn Good Times" and the starting-to-get-old show closer "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)".

I can think of, literally forty other TMBG songs I'd rather have in place of the former and about a dozen closers to replace the latter.

I also want them to start doing Factory Showroom shows and John Henry shows...with a FULL horn section, not just Mark "Smugman" Pender.

Anyway, yeah, amazing show; miles better than their lackluster 30th anniversary show back in January.

They're taking a working break as far as touring until December when they plan to do some "holiday shows", so I guess I'll be there, and they have a new album they are currently working on slated for an early 2013 release.

Once again, They Might Be Giants have delivered on the live front, no questions asked.

A review of They Might Be Giants' 30th Anniversary Show at Royce Hall at UCLA

Had a chance to see They Might Be Giants’ 30th Anniversary Show at Royce Hall at UCLA.
Here’s how it went…

Even though this show had a “Lincoln* theme” and therefore featured a slew of songs I hadn’t heard in a while over my fifteen years of fandom, the whole thing felt a bit lackluster for their 30^th anniversary playing together.
I honestly expected a full horn section, special guests…flaming tigers?
At one point, Robin “Goldie” Goldwasser popped out and joined the band for “Dr. Evil” (probably because she’d performed at the family show earlier that afternoon and had no plans for the evening) and Conan O’Brien’s pet trumpet player, Mark Pender was on-stage for a handful of tunes, but that was all.
This show marked thirty years to the day that these guys (Flansburgh and Linnell) have been playing together.
THREE DECADES.
And all they could muster was one trumpet player and Flans’ wife?Don’t misunderstand, both Pender and Goldwasser are exceptional performers, but this was to be a special night and it felt a bit flat.John and John offhandedly mentioned the significance of the evening once and that was it.I wasn’t looking for a VH-1 Storyteller’s session, but, come on, this band has been around for longer than some of its fans have been on the planet!It’s a massive achievement and I was a bit puzzled they didn’t take three minutes to pat themselves on the back is all.

Aside from the indifference towards this momentous occasion, the show was excellent. The Avatars of They came out and performed a song from their upcoming EP (a jingle for a new, fake drug called PANDOR) as well as the bridge of “Snowball In Hell”, a high point of the show. Some other great moments included a rallying game of Apes Vs. People (people won) as well as a John/John/accordion rendition of “How Can I Sing Like A Girl?”, plus some of the best tracks off of Lincoln (“They’ll Need A Crane”, “Pencil Rain” and “Ana Ng”) and their latest single from their second most recent release, Join Us, the shimmeringly aggressive, “When Will You Die?”.
Personally, I would have replaced the ridiculously overplayed “Damn Good Times” with “New York City” or “Don’t Let’s Start” or “No One Knows My Plan” or “The Lady and The Tiger” or “The Guitar” or even just three minutes of old school John and John banter, but that’s just me…and me thinks that they should stop playing that song.

Overall, the energy felt a little low, whether because of the afternoon show or the fact that this was a seated venue, but, other than that and the aforementioned failure to make a big deal about themselves, it was, like I said, an excellent show, as pretty much all They Might Be Giants shows are.
After thirty years, these guys can still sell out a venue and have their audience standing and stamping their feet for an encore.

This was the second date on the last leg of their Join Us tour and I’ll also be seeing them on the last date of said leg in March at Terminal 5.
There will be no show earlier in the day, the audience will be standing the whole time and it’s going to take place a mildly expensive cab ride away from the Johns’ homes in Brooklyn; in other words: no excuses.

See you in March, gentlemen.

*Their second album, released in 1988.