It was a cold night in Boston as the Orpheum was home to night one of the two night extravaganza, as They Might Be Giants took the stage for a night of music and entertainment.
They Might Be Giants (TMBG) offered fans an unforgettable evening, delivering a two-part concert that showcased their quirky genius, musical versatility, and undeniable charm. From start to finish, the show was a masterclass in how to entertain while pushing creative boundaries. The band consists of John Flansburg on vocals, and rhythm guitar, John Linnell on accordion, bass saxophone, baritone, clarinet, and keyboards, Dan Miller on guitarist, Danny Weinkauf on bass, Marty Beller on drums.
The first half of the concert was a nostalgic journey through TMBG’s extensive catalog. Opening with the infectious “Synopsis for Latecomers,” the band immediately transported the crowd back to the golden days of alternative rock. Flansburgh and Linnell, ever the dynamic duo, brought boundless energy, engaging the audience with their witty banter and humorous anecdotes.
Their next songs were “No One Knows My Plan,” which is considered by fans as their anthem and “Snail Shell,” and they stood still and didn’t move from their current position.
During the next song “Cyclops Rock,” John Flansburgh forgot to do the second verse. He said to the crowd, “At sound check I messed up and didn’t do the second verse. I’m ruing the show. I’m tapping the breaks before I touch the steering wheel.” Before the next song, “Drink!” Flansburg said to the crowd, “Everyone stand up! Stretch it out. My father always said do not split the audience. I need everyone to split into sections Balcony and orchestra. He said follow my instructions. When I say Drink then the balcony will say drink then the orchestra will say drink then the entire crowd will say drink. This happened through the entire song every time the word Drink was sung. ” They played a few more songs, then Flansburgh came back to the mic and said “The next song is from the album Flood. Backwards masking style it took a long time so we are going to keep doing it that way. It is called “Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love.” They sang the song in reverse. There was a camera recording them while on stage and the background was them on stage.
One of the hallmarks of a TMBG concert is their witty banter, and this show was no exception. Between songs, the Johns joked about everything from the quirks of songwriting to random musings about life, eliciting laughter throughout the night.
The point of the next song, “Wicked Little Critter,” is the music students will go Ahh. “Music graduates we hear ya. The song is about Boston area. It is done with affection. Doesn’t seem that way though. Painful scars but lets talk Ernie Boch. He was a car dealer and his son took over the business.” He talks about Ernie Boch for a min then goes into the song. During, “Let Me Tell You Bout My Operation,” they bring out the trumpet and the saxophone. Marty Fuller on the drums and then does a small solo. The horns do a small solo as well. He said they were rocking the horns cam.
The next song is off the title track of our new album Mink Car. “Not all the songs have the sway back and forth quality. We are gonna give it 90-95 percent. Didn’t mean to use swear words.”
During the next song, “Working Undercover for the Man” The audience participated in the song with “Sha La La La La.
Once this song was over. He came to the mic and said “We are exhausted and we can’t go on. We are gonna take a 20 min break. Now is a good time for the bathroom line to get going. They go on to play the last song of the first set “Brontosaurus.”
As soon as the break is over they come back on stage with the video from “Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love” that they had recorded earlier only playing it forward. They played the song in its forward version. Beller, the drummer did a drum solo for a minute.
Flansburg came to the mic and said the show is gonna change completely. Everyone in the audience get yourself a new seat. I want people in the back to come to the front of the venue. It is gonna be different and we are not going back. There is plenty of room upfront. All the people in the audience started making their way to the front of the venue. The aisles were lined with people filling the bottom half of the venue. They went into “Can’t Keep Johnny Down.”
After they were finished he started to introduce the band members. He has a hoarse voice. He said “this is a song off our first album, put your hands together for this one. It is called “Two songs in Me.” The audience claps loudly.
They played a few more songs before the encore. The encore included ” Istanbul (Not Constantinople) which included a sax solo and a trombone. “Dead” and “Doctor Worm” finished the night off. The audience clapped and cheered as the band walked off stage. This was a night that the audience will remember for a long time. The memories of this night will last forever.
