Artists: They Might Be Giants, Venue Songs, Corn Mo
Venue: The Music Mill
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Date:  7/13/05
Review By: Christopher Thomas!

You will find two kinds of people at a They Might Be Giants show: rabid, obsessed TMBG fans and people who remember liking TMBG when they were in college 10 years ago.  In any case, the coolness factor at a They Might Be Giants show is extremely low.  No studded belts, no Underoath t-shirts, no PETA pamphlets.  This is where the nerds hang out, where between bands there are conversations about the Lord of the Rings movies and how many TMBG shows someone has been to (I’ve been to at least 6), and where the band is known to play songs about Planet of the Apes and the ABCs. 

So it seemed entirely appropriate when Corn Mo, a thick man with long blonde hair and impressive mutton chops, took the stage in a sequined tuxedo and an accordion.  Hailing from somewhere in the depths of Texas, Corn Mo is the Jack Black of one-man accordion bands.  Between classic rock covers and songs about childhood friends, Corn Mo speaks to the crowd with the pseudo-nervous energy of a crack fiend who just took his first hit of crystal meth.  His surprisingly powerful classic rock-style voice was interesting against the sound of an accordion, and most of his songs were hilarious and kept the crowd laughing.  The highlight of Corn Mo’s set was, by far, his rendition of Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” during which he ranted furiously about his former job, why he hated it, how he quit that job to play accordion and go on tour, and how everyone in the crowd should quit doing what they hate and pursue what makes them happy.  Oh, and he also sang a heavy metal song (to a pre-recorded CD) called “Hava Nagila Monster.”

After an absurdly long break, They Might Be Giants took the stage under the moniker Venue Songs, and proceeded to play ten songs from their Venue Songs release with scripted narrations before each song.  Last year, TMBG hit the road to promote their latest album The Spine, and at each stop along they way they wrote a new song about that specific city or venue.  At each show they recorded this new song and later released the collection of live recordings online as Venue Songs.  (TMBG have a habit of being their own opening band, most notably as Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love, a band that plays only songs from their Flood album.)

After yet another long break, They Might Be Giants again took the stage, this time as They Might Be Giants.  Starting with “Istanbul (Not Constantinople),” a crowd favorite, everyone was immediately excited and singing along.  Working through a hefty setlist of old and new songs, the band was tight and fun, albeit a bit less excited than I have seen them previously.   Between songs John Flansburgh and John Linnel, the only two official members of TMBG kept the packed crowd laughing (especially two overzealous guys just behind me who had to scream their laughter at every little joke).  With self-deprecating jokes and small, good-natured jabs at the audience, John and John moved the show along excellently.

All the hits were present, and nearly all of the band’s 10 full-length albums got some attention in the setlist.  If there is one thing at which They Might Be Giants excels in their live show, it is adapting and rearranging older songs for a live setting.  This is particularly impressive when you consider that a large portion of TMBG’s back catalog incorporates sampling and a large variety of instruments.  Somehow, though, the band fits those expansive songs perfectly into a 5-piece rock band format.

15 songs and 2 encores later, the band finished up with “Violin,” a song from their No! children’s album which includes a band-and-audience wave (you know, like the wave they do at basketball games), and a collaborative cover of the strange classic rock novelty song “Hocus Pocus” by Focus with Corn Mo handling the yodeling duties (yes, yodeling). 

The show was tight, entertaining, and consummately professional, but somehow the Johns never cease to make a TMBG show more of a musical hang-out time than a performance.

Venue Songs setlist
Los Angeles
Anaheim
Dallas
Albany
Vancouver
Pittsburgh
Glasgow
Charlottesville
Asbury Park
Brooklyn

TMBG setlist
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
D--- Good Times
Alphabet of Nations
Dr. Worm
Memo to Human Resources
XTC Vs. Adam Ant
Snail Shell
Wicked Little Critta
Birdhouse in Your Soul
Clap Your Hands
Experimental Film
She’s an Angel
Stalk of Wheat
Drink!
Fingertips
Don’t Let’s Start
Boss of Me/Cyclops Rock
Bed, Bed, Bed
Working Undercover for the Man
---ENCORE 1---
Robot Parade
Turn Around
---ENCORE 2---
Violin
Hocus Pocus (Focus cover)