Geek rock founding fathers They Might Be Giants took over the Twin Cities for a four-night residency at First Avenue and The Fitzgerald Theater. Selling out all four shows, each set dug deep into their extensive discography of over three decades and 20+ albums.
To the uninitiated, one could’ve mistaken the band for a group of well-loved high school band teachers performing for an audience of studio art professors. Performing to a sold-out First Avenue main room on night one, the vibe was approachable and community-driven.
With no opening act, the night was broken up into two sets. One focused on their 1988 album Lincoln, with the other celebrating deep cuts and fan favorites. Superfans got everything they wanted and more with a 32-song setlist!
With a legendary career that has touched every aspect of the music industry- children’s albums – television themes – viral hits and more, They Might Be Giants stand tall. They love performing, and it showed through every note.
Brimming with joy, frontmen John Flanburgh and John Linnell connected with everyone in the audience. They pointed out vintage band tees, handed out signed vinyl, and made authentic stage banter that felt like we were just hanging out in the studio with them.
My experience with They Might Be Giants began as a kid. My favorite Nickelodeon show was a cartoon showcase called KaBlam. One segment showed the music video for their song Doctor Worm. The horns and the humor of the song has always made me smile – so hearing it live was abustle joy.
Of course, other fan favorites stood out such as Particle Man, Birdhouse for Your Soul, and Istanbul. I also really appreciated new songs from their latest album The World Is To Dig.
They Might Be Giants perform with infectious joy and connection. One of my favorite anecdotes about the band comes from Blink-182 frontman Mark Hoppus. His first-ever concert was They Might Be Giants, and it inspired him to start a band.
“There they were…Such a simple thing, but so enormous I could hardly comprehend it…Two guys got together and wrote some songs. They went to a studio and recorded those songs, and a label put them onto albums and shipped them to stores. I went to the store and bought the album, and now here I am,” Mark shared in his autobiography.
“Here everyone is, listening to them play those songs. Just for us. And it’s only right now. Right this second. Soon, the moment will be over and done forever. Everyone will go home, and the band will move on to the next city. But right now, we’re here and it’s happening.”
The way Mark describes his experience is exactly how I feel when I go to a show. And I totally get why They Might Be Giants made him feel this way. Years later, they still got it!
Overall, They Might Be Giants overdelivered over their four night stay in the Twin Cities!
