They Might Be Giants

I’ve had the privilege of seeing They Might Be Giants perform live in three vastly different settings: a midwestern fair for children in the late 90s, an opera hall in Los Angeles a few years ago, and a small rock club in the university town of Cambridge, England last night. Their diverse catalog of music certainly supports any of those venues, yet the shows remain the same: energetic pop explosions which showcase their fine tuned musicianship and hilarious personalities.

John and John clearly have lots of musical chemistry, but the back and forth seems to require little communication between the two, as they put all their energy and focus into the audience. 34 years of performing live has not only perfected their musical skills, but also their quick wits. John Flansburgh took the piss out of the crowd, once towards an overzealous photographer and another time for odd requests, and the crowd clamoured for more.

This tour boasts diverse setlists that span their 18 studio albums, with some new extras thrown in, like the popular cover of Destiny’s Child’s “Bills Bills Bills” that they performed last year on AV Club. While popular hits like “Birdhouse in Your Soul” and “Racist Friend” may have the most sing alongs, every tune felt like big, broad number 1 hit. Despite an “adults only” policy this tour, “Alphabet Nation” from their children’s album made an appearance, which drunk grown-ups enjoy just as much as kids learning their ABC’s.

The band has one final show in the UK this tour, tonight at the Electric Ballroom in London, before heading back to the States. After that, they said they’ll be taking a bit of time off from touring. We hope the break is a short one. I’m already looking forward to seeing them in a wildly different setting with new songs yet again.