Today's song is...
Shoehorn With Teeth
Sometimes I am listening to bootlegs of old shows and I get really sad that I never got to see the glockenspiel routine that went along with this. Or the carpet hats for that matter. Then I remember Marty and his bells and everything is OK again.
This is a song that I believe I would just never think about if it weren't for all the wacky antics when it is performed. I think the lyrics are just a little too non-sensical for me and for the most part they don't grab me. Admittedly, the tune is pretty catchy and I do like "What's the sense of ever thinking about the tomb when you're much too busy returning to the womb?" But in general, I prefer it performed by puppets.
The first time I saw this live is on a list I've been compiling, of favorite concert moments I desperately wish I had captured on film (or video) because they were just too good to only live on in my memory. It was the first show of the fall of '09 tour in Ithaca. The first appearance of the Avatars, which was pretty awesome in and of itself. Linnell playing Dan's keyboard one-handed while singing and operating the puppet. But here is the bit that has really stuck with me.
There's Marty standing in the middle of the stage with his bell rig, looking so serious and approaching each "bing" of those bells like it was the most important note he would ever play. He has a flare for the theatrical, that one, and the routine would not have been nearly as funny if he was not so successful at carrying it off without cracking even the briefest of smiles. Meanwhile, Danny has gone back stage to remove the long sleeved shirt he was wearing under his tee. He appears back in the wings behind the drums, just as the song is finishing, visible only to those of us on the far side of the stage who happen to be looking in that direction. As Marty raises his hand for one last dignified "bing" on the bell on stage, backstage, Danny leaps in the air and crashes his hand down on an imaginary bell and then goes about his business. I just about died laughing and I don't think anyone else around me even noticed.
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What a great example of TMBG wordplay. Or, well, not wordplay, just playing with words.
ReplyDeleteNever heard this one live. *shrug*
Hee. I love Danny.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those songs that's fun to sing along with but doesn't really wow me otherwise, although I do love watching the Avatars perform it. And Marty's super-serious bell performance gets me every time.
Oh, here's a weird thing about this song: I always forget what album it's on. For some reason I always assume it's off Mink Car and I have to remind myself that it's off Lincoln.
I've never seen this one live either, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading your description. Marty is hysterical, and Danny even more so at his odd moments. This song is an oldie to me. Knowing TMBG originally through college radio (WXCI, UConn in Danbury, CT), the "popular" songs in my alternative musical world were always the ones the station chose to play. This must have been a favorite of at least one student DJ, as I heard it as often as Ana Ng or Purple Toupee on that station. So, though it's not a favorite of mine, I've always considered it a "hit". That's kind of funny, now that I think about it.
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