They Might Be Giants Bring the Jokes and Tunes to a Sold-Out Chicago Crowd
They Might Be Giants performed to a sold-out crowd on May 1, the first of three nights at the Vic Theatre in Chicago, IL. The two-and-a-half-hour-long celebration of the band’s discography was filled with trombone solos, goofy stories, and equal parts laughter and cheers from the crowd.
The show didn’t include a supporting act, instead when the group took the stage, they said they were opening for themselves. Guitarist and vocalist John Flansburgh encouraged the audience to treat them as such, asking them to cross their arms and shake their heads disapprovingly.
Flansburgh and pianist and vocalist John Linnell, the original duo of They Might Be Giants, spent the first several minutes of the set cracking jokes and chatting about how their day in Chicago had been. As I stood in the photo pit chuckling with each quick quip, I wondered if this was what it’s like to photograph a comedy show instead of a concert. Flansburgh even joked that because of how long they’d been chatting, the photographers up front would only get to be in the photo pit for the first two songs instead of three — thankfully this joke wasn’t enforced by security.
After getting the crowd laughing, it was time to get them singing as the New York-based rockers jumped into the first half of their set. They explained that their opening set has been dedicated to different albums of theirs throughout this tour and tonight’s was their 1988 release Lincoln.
The album included an eclectic mix of tracks, showcasing They Might Be Giants' range as artists. There was the guitar-driven “Ana Ng,” the suspenseful jazz of “Lie Still, Little Bottle,” and the short and sweet folk song “Stand on Your Own Head.” And intertwined with it all was a sense of humor.
“Shoehorn With Teeth” brought out drummer Marty Beller from behind the drumset to center stage. With him he brought a school alarm bell and a drumstick. He readied in position, primed and waiting to play his three notes throughout the track, making a show of each time he got to hit the bell, rightfully so.
They also included the lead single, “Wu-Tang,” off their latest album The World Is to Dig released April 14. I was at the back of the venue at this point in the show and heard two fans in front of me asking each other if they had heard this new release yet. They hadn’t, but both nodded in approval of the new song, despite Flansburgh’s earlier request to shake heads in disapproval.
For a band that’s been releasing music for forty years, it’s a pleasure to watch them continue to create new music that resonates with fans.
They Might Be Giants closed out the first half of their set with crowd favorite “Particle Man” from their album Flood released in 1990.
After a half hour intermission, the band took the stage once again with “Stuff Is Way.” This debuted their projector backdrop set up for this half of the set where they displayed some traditional camera angles, such as a straight on shot of the stage, and some more unique angles including close-up shots of Linnell’s hands while playing the piano and of Flansburgh’s mouth while singing.
The group went on to play the delightfully playful track “Birdhouse in Your Soul,” a personal favorite.
The second half of their set was just as playful and diverse as the first, but featured songs from thirteen different albums rather than just focusing on one. This highlighted the musical range that They Might Be Giants carries across their discography, unafraid to venture into new sounds and unafraid to be themselves.
They Might Be Giants closed out their set with “Get Down” off The World Is to Dig, but after insistent cheering from the crowd, the group returned to the stage in a flood of red lighting.
Trombone player Dan Levine was first to the stage and wooed the audience with an impressive trombone solo. He soon traded places with Stan Harrison on the saxophone giving an equally enthralling saxophone solo. Finally the rest of the band joined on stage to perform “Istanbul (Not Constantinople),” which wouldn’t have been complete without one more solo, a trumpet solo from Mark Pender.
As the song rang out and the house lights rose, the kind woman who had been dancing next to me throughout the set leaned over to tell me that sometimes they do a second encore. Sure enough moments later, after persistent cheers from her and the fellow fans who stuck around, the house lights dimmed once again.
They Might Be Giants took the stage for their second encore performing “She’s an Angel” from their 1986 self-titled album and “Doctor Worm,” off of Severe Tire Damage released in 1998. With this, they closed out their show with the wise words, “I’m not a real doctor, but I am a real worm.”
After a thirty-two song set, I walked away knowing that you don’t have to do everything, but if you’re a little goofy, a little weird, and a whole lot yourself, then maybe you too can headline three sold-out shows in Chicago.
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