Shows/2005-12-31

Venue: Northsix	City: Brooklyn, NY
Date: 2005-12-31	Artist: They Might Be Giants
Time: 7:30pm and 11:30pm	Opening Acts: Jeb Parrish (early show)

• Robin Goldie Goldwasser narrated the Venue Songs set from an all-new script.

[edit] Fan Recaps and Comments:

Reynoldbot:

This is a review of the downloadable audio offered on the site. When I am considering shows to download, I consider three things: Venue/show's personal relationship (I went to the show, I live near the venue, it's my favorite venue etc.), set list (good songs, rare occurances etc.), and recording quality (clipping, distortion, live feel, fullness etc.). Dan Miller, in his recap, usually mentions the quality of the recording briefly. Those are what this review focuses on.

Okay, I'm pretty much just going to review the audio quality for both of these shows, since that's pretty much the deciding factor here.

Dan Miller, in his review, states that the first show has better sound and that the second one had some problems in the low end. I agree to an extent. The bass in the second show is a bit off, but it doesn't take away the enjoyment of the show at all. Both sets are incredibly entertaining from start to finish. The first set, however, is plagued at random times by feedback. I personally find the feedback of the first show to be much more distracting then the bass in the second show.

The sound quality in general is pretty good. It has a good live feel to it, not too clinical sounding. The mix is pretty decent, not as full as some other shows, but not bad at all. I wouldn't rate the sound quality to be spectacular, but it certainly isn't dull. In the first show, since the monitors weren't working, you can sometimes hear the johns straining to find the right note while they sing.

I would definitely recommend the second show over the first one. I feel that the recording is a bit fuller, and it doesn't suffer from the feedback that the first show does. Plus, it has a slightly better set list. But I highly recommend that any self-respecting TMBG fan download at least ONE of these shows. There are too many gems to pass up.

M.Mahle:

Fun show for sure that featured several Flansisms including "Estrogen, Estrogen and Estrogen" during The Sun, and "Optimus Prime" during Fingertips.

Goldie was great. The new intros to the venue songs were really funny. I've only seen Sarah Vowell do this before and its a tough call to say which was better. Their deliveries are quite different but equally enjoyable.

Highlights for me included Pictures of Pandas Painting, Ana, Snail Shell, New York City (this was the first TMBG show with my wife + her first TMBG show + we live in Manhattan) and the slice of pizza we got at the pizza joint near the L Train. Real NYC pizza is in Brooklyn people.

Flans didn't quite have his act together in the beginning (guitar issues I think) and goofed about it a little on stage (similar to Trey Anastasio's Jedi guitar thing).

The show itself started at about 11:59:57 though the John's were messing up the countdown on purpose:

Flans: 9 Linnell: 5 Flans: 3 Linnell: 6

(numbers are guesses)...this led into Auld Lang Syne. Lyrics were handed out at the door (foam fingers/hands were given out at the Merch. table). I'd no idea how bizarre the lyrics were. Johns tried to explain/define some of the lyrics before they started playing.

Great show.

Flily:

The show was great, as are all TMBG shows, but Northsix sucked. I wouldn't go back there. Maybe I just expect too much from rock clubs, but it was way too tiny for the number of tickets the sold, the bathrooms were gross, and if there had been a fire, we'd have all died.

Rosefox:

I completely concur with Flily's assessment of Northsix. It's nice to hear TMBG up close--and we were right up front, so we got to hear them VERY up close--but that was really too tiny a venue, especially given how many people were at the show.

I also wasn't very impressed with the crowd. This was my first TMBG show in New York after three years in California, where the fans are a) pathetically dedicated because they're all transplanted New Yorkers and desperate for anything that reminds them of home and b) super nice because California has rubbed off on them. The fans at Northsix were less friendly, less polite, and considerably more drunk, and not a single one of them was wearing a "Friends don't let friends play 'Lady of Spain'" anti-accordion t-shirt. Very sad.

Technical problems abounded, including Linnell breaking a key on his accordion and having to play Particle Man on the keyboard instead, but it was still a damn fine show.

Dan Miller wrote:

Early show:

The show went off without a hitch. Wouldn't it be great if this were true. Unfortunately, we had hitches a go-go. Finally joining the electronic world (three of use still use gas-lighting), we used a digital console for the first time. For those not in the know, these are the latest in audio technology, supposedly doing for audio what the plough did for farming. This NASA looking piece of gear was gleaming in its sparkly chassis with lots of blinking lights and self-moving sliders. I was most impressed and looked forward to hearing ourselves in digital splendor that goes well with a glass of 2006.

Much like NASA, the board proved to be a fine piece on paper, but not in practice. Those who were there, and close enough, can perhaps remember the desperate pleas from the band towards Will our monitor engineer. Almost supplicating, we offered him our first born, anything to stop the sonic bombardment that was shredding our ears. I'm guessing that there was an aggregate 20% hearing loss by the boys that evening.

We walk off stage after struggling though the set, and sit, somewhat dejectedly in the dressing room. Dreading the battle that is the second show we consider going without monitors... perhaps without our ears. A whole gig by Semaphore? Not a terrible idea compared to what we'd just been through. Ever the scrappy band, with pluck to spare. We pull ourselves out of the funk, hit the stage between shows and see how we can help fix the audio monster that is this digital board. The crew, best in the business, were already busy at work on the issues. The problems disappeared during the second set, so someone did something right. Personally, I think it was me berating the console to 'stop yelling.'

Why am I putting all of this on the record? Because in the back of my mind I'm thinking, "can't put this one out". Both for technical and performance issues, I was sure this was one show destined for the scrap heap. At one point in the gig I swear I was picking up the show from next door in my earphones. Imagine my pleasure when listening back, the show sounds GREAT! Solid performances by the boys and a good sound to boot. A really diverse set list, the songs covering a couple of oldies from the first albums (The Day, Hope I get Old), all the way up to the latest single. The Johns voices are in fine form for the duets and they start the New Year running with a few classic raps (check the sample section). Of the two shows, the second was my favorite to play, but this one is way better to listen too. Enthusiastic crowd exemplified by the guy screaming for specific songs the entire set, especially during the playing of other songs. It pleases me to no end that at no point did we play his requests.

Late show:

Crazy late start. I walked up to the club and 11:45 and the line was still going. We hit the stage @ 11:59 and Danny's pocket watch counts the New Year in. Let the show begin. We have a mixed history of NYE shows. The first year I was in the band we did two NYE shows at the old Tramps (NYC). This stands as one of my favorite shows ever. For some reason lots of people wore costumes, the band sounded incredible and the break between the shows was long enough for me to hit a friends party. Good times. Others, think Baltimore 2003, were joyless exercises in band perfunctory. Not us you understand, but playing in front of a crowd whose sole goal is to figure out a way to jump the line at the keg is not a dream date for me.

But, in keeping with the keeping of good times, I'm now adding this show to the latter list. The second show, free of monitoring snafus went off like the party you hear your friends talking about. Super crazy long, the tunes just keep coming and coming. This one is clocking in around 40 tracks. Robin G. does a phenomenal job of venue songs, complete with a newly tweaked libretto. The Johns are giving it their all as we play into the wee hours of the morning. If you were not satisfied with this show then... what gives brother!?

Smiles all round from Danny and Marty as the show glides along. The in-ear issue is resolved, it's getting later and later, the band is grooving, the crowd is digging it - what else do you want?

I've put up a nice sample of this one. I'm not so psyched about how we captured the low end. This one took a bit of getting together as the tape had some sonic issues check it out and see what you think. The show is fantastic, super long, with one of the best set lists we've ever done. The Johns, Danny, Marty, myself and the crowd are in the party mood and the energy throughout this show is great.

Hope everyone there had as good time as us.

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