Shows/2024-11-13
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Setlist:
Set 1:
- They Might Be Giants (Alt. Version) Intro
- Synopsis For Latecomers
- Particle Man
- Snail Shell
- Moonbeam Rays
- Women & Men
- Twisting
- Someone Keeps Moving My Chair
- Let Me Tell You About My Operation
- Whistling In The Dark
- Hot Cha
- Shoehorn With Teeth
- Why Does The Sun Shine?
- Your Racist Friend
- stelluB
- Road Movie To Berlin
- Brontosaurus
Set 2:
- Video of stelluB reversed
- Hearing Aid (Alt. Version) Intro
- Memo to Human Resources
- Man, It's So Loud In Here
- Letterbox
- Minimum Wage
- We Want A Rock
- The Darlings Of Lumberland
- Lucky Ball & Chain
- When Will You Die
- Lie Still, Little Bottle
- Don't Let's Start
- 2082
- Number Three
- Theme From Flood
- Birdhouse In Your Soul
Encore:
Encore 2:
They Might Be Giants
Leeds Beckett Students' Union in Leeds, UK
November 13, 2024
Fan Recaps and Comments:
I was at the barrier--Flansburgh's side--and it was magical. SUCH a dream setlist. For my first tmbg show (squee!) it seemed almost serendipitous. Everyone I talked to was super friendly and sweet-hearted. Even in the line there was a palpable atmosphere, like glitter in the air. On my way over I'd heard Drown the Clown (soundcheck) pouring through an open back door. The venue was cool. I hardly got crushed. Screaming "I don't want to live in this world anymore" with a new friend beside me during Don't Let's Start felt near-religious. Tmbg fans are the loveliest people.
I totally freaked out when the band first emerged on stage. I felt like one of those girls in the footage of old Beatles audiences. But I think it's understandable; the band members are darlings. You can tell they're good friends. Stan Harrison kept doing these funny little dances and, when he saw me giggling, grinned wide right at me! In general there was a lot of warm looks and smiles, which came as a pleasant surprise. Linnell's eye contact is just as soul-drilling as people say...it's intense, but cool. I believe he sort-of-smiled at me when I uncontrollably mouthed "oh my gosh!" in my excitement at the start of We Want A Rock. Maybe.
Every performance was just incredible. Miraculous synergy. Marty's drumming replaces your thoughts and the beating of your heart. Dead was so tender with everyone swaying along. The security guard near me was singing along to Birdhouse. During Twisting, Flansburgh winked (!) and sounded almost identical to his album-version vocals. Darlings of Lumberland is soo pretty live...those harmonies! In general I adored the mix of non-Flood songs they played. Just perfection.
The banter was adorable and funny: stuff about their past experiences in Leeds (gas siphoning, an early-days show in an overpacked pub, etc), the Johns exploring the Corn Exchange marvelling at its architecture, something about bamboo cutlery, finding bamboo spoons useless but potentially helpful in portion control...? They raised the lights to look at the audience and play "beards vs glasses", which Linnell suggested could become a battle royale. The evening is a blur, but a beautiful blur.
