Tarrytown USA

May 9th found us in Tarrytown, NY for both a family and rock show at The Music Hall. Tarrytown is one of those lovely little towns that actually still has a Main Street with little shops and restaurants and such. The venue was next to a tiny little curio shop and a yarn store. This is exactly the kind of place I would live to live. The parking was a little weird (metered but very long times) and it was funny watching the theater employee outside before the show trying to give people directions on where to park.



While we were waiting to get into the theater we saw one of the techs leave and then re-enter with a brand new broom he seemed to have purchased at a hardware store down the street. Seems they forget to bring a broom with them on which to create Broom. I have wondered from other shows it they actually usually just borrow a broom from the venue because he always seems to have a different face.



The family show featured almost exactly the same setlist as the last family show I attended at LPR but with the addition of John Lee Supertaster which I had not heard live before. It has never been one of my favorites but it is better live than it is recorded.

Setlist: Alphabet of Nations - Seven - I Never Go To Work - Pirate Girls Nine - Istanbul - Apartment Four - E Eats Everything - No! - Clap Your Hands - Paleontologist - Older - Particle Man - Fibber Island/Zilch - Four of Two - Robot Parade - Alphabet Lost and Found - Broom - John Lee Supertaster - WDTSS? - 813 Mile Car Trip - Doctor Worm

This was a seated venue so it was a very relaxed show. The audience only stood when they were asked to and for the encore. Flans asked everyone to remain standing for Paleontologist after Clap Your Hands because they were going to play a new song and it is tradition to stand for a new song (it is??). Then he told everyone to pretend like it was their favorite song and cheer really loudly even though they had never heard it before. Linnell did the dinosaurs a little differently this time but it was just as funny.

I don't remember much of the rest of the show so I will let some pictures speak in my place.














What was really exciting about this day was what happened between the shows. We went to a little Chinese food place that was three doors down from the theater for dinner. It was counter service but they had about six tables inside where you could eat and a few outside. We were about half way through our meal when I caught sight of Marty out of the corner of my eye (my back was to the door). We had seen him and his family outside the theater after the show and they had apparently come into the same restaurant we were eating in to get food. I could see my boyfriend's eyes growing large and he was just giving me this look like "you wont believe who is behind you" and I heard Flansburgh's voice discussing what they should order. I was too terrified to turn around but all I knew was some portion of the band was now seated about two feet behind me. I didn't even know how many of the guys were there because I was afraid to ask my boyfriend, in case they heard me. We basically didn't talk again until we left the restaurant. I think we were afraid we might give ourselves away as fans (though it was probably obvious from my hoodie.

I tried very hard to be polite and not eaves drop but we did hear Flans saying something about needing to order more confetti and a very cute conversation he tried to have with Marty's little girl who was refusing to eat. We finished our meal long before they did and when we got up to leave I realized that Danny was with them as well. So I can sort of say that I ate dinner with 3/5 of the band! They were hanging around on the sidewalk outside the restaurant later while we were waiting to get back into the theater and a few fans stopped to talk to Danny, who didn't seem to mind, but I am far too chicken for such things.

We had seats on the end of the second row for the evening show (specifically purchased for their easy out access should we be invited to approach the stage). The opener was Jedediah Parish, a sort of folky rock singer/guitar player. He was quite good and his banter was funny. He did a song about a train I especially liked and had a funny joke about searching for his name on iTunes which I don't remember properly.

When TMBG came out we were invited to came stage side right after the first song and we got a great spot right in front of the keyboard. Only down side was I couldn't see Marty at all. He was completely behind the keyboard and Linnell's legs. Linnell had on the best, geekiest T-shirt with the molecular structure for caffeine on it. I want one.



Setlist: Twisting - Fingertips - Mesopotamians - Cyclops Rock - Withered Hope - Memo - Don't Let's Start - Dinner Bell - Asbury Park - Seven - Dr. Worm - The Guitar - Clap Your Hands - Ana Ng - Istanbul - Hey Mr. DJ - New York City - Birdhouse - WDTSS? and WDTSRS? - Damn Good Times - Drink! - Particle Man - She's An Angel - Sleepwalkers

If I remember correctly this is the other show I saw where Dan climbed up on the speakers for the end of Fingertips. They were quite high but he didn't seem concerned. He did need help getting down though.

Marty "was wrecking his best shit" during the band intros to quote Flans. I think it was the second best I have seen him do. And I could see him for the only time in the show because Linnell stepped to the side and I could squat and look under the keyboard at him.



Danny caught me taking a picture of him at one point which always makes me nervous. I was sort of hoping he'd make a funny face for me like I have seen him do in other fan photos but he just stared. I am really addicted to my camera at shows and I am always paranoid that I am annoying either the band or other people in the audience. I try to be very good and never use flash and don't hold the camera over my head so people can't see. I've turn off all the camera's external lights which makes it harder to focus but I figure irritates the band less. I try not to use the camera in venues that don't permit it (though I did sneak some pictures at one show while no one was looking). I'm just terrified that the band is going to think of me as "that annoying girl with the camera," if they ever think of me at all. Not to mention the other people in the audience. Sometimes I feel like I get so caught up taking pictures I forget to enjoy the show. I think that may be why I don't remember this show very well even though it wasn't that long ago.

On another Danny related note. I LOVE his red pants. They are the best pants ever. He should wear them at every show except then they wouldn't be special and cool. That is all.



I apologize that I don't remember any of the good banter from these shows. If I think of anything later I'll add it in. They were both excellent shows and these write-ups don't do them justice. Hopefully the photos will speak for themselves.












It is my intention to blog the last May LPR show and my June triple hit weekend tomorrow and then my one July show on Wednesday. Don't know if that will happen since I also need to pack for the trip out to New York. We'll see. Only one more day until I leave, two before the first show!