EDITS inserted.

More on the double-header at Southpaw.

Carmina Burana/Asbury Park/Damn Good Times/Bee of the Bird of the Moth/Fingertips/We Live in a Dump/Birdhouse in Your Soul/E Eats Everything/Why Did You Grow a Beard?/We're the Replacements/Till My Head Falls Off/She's an Angel/Experimental Film/Robot Parade/James K. Polk/The Day/Spy/Older/Why Does the Sun Shine?/Alphabet of Nations/Dr. Worm/Meet James Ensor/Famous Polka/Drink!//Feast of Lights/Santa's Beard/Snail Shell/This (flubby-lip) Band/Twisting//Don't Let's Start/Turn Around

So, I left the early show right after Istanbul to get back in line since the venue said they were going to empty out between shows. Some people were already on line, including iownyouboth and friends, who had gotten on the guest list so they wouldn't have to hang around.

One of the TMBG crew, who I think is a tour manager, gazed sardonically at the crowd outside like we were nuts. No, it wasn't Bob, the beer belly smoking guy. This was the cachectic smoking dude, who also worked the Cornell show and was pretty sympathetic while we were getting rained on, but who last night looked like he hated everyone. Or maybe that's how he always looks.

By this time, the air was pretty chilly and it was difficult to stay warm. I left to grab some soup at a fast-food Chinese place and then warmed up some more with a mocha from the local cafe, Gorilla Coffee, who conveniently had a restroom.

Again, the door time was incorrectly stated by Ticket Web, so we were admitted about forty-five minutes later than expected. The other crazy thing is that we were told that anyone under 21 had to go check his/her coat. But, I didn't quite understand so I just went downstairs to check my coat when they shooed me in that direction. Then I found out that it was because they thought I was under twenty-one, which I got a real big kick out of. Finally, I was able to get inside and this time, I got my usual spot in front of Flans and Dan, while my claustrophobic husband roamed the halls and took advantage of the basement lounge.

While we were waiting, I spotted M., whom I haven't seen in almost a year since the North Six New Year's Eve show. So we chit-chatted for a while, discussing bioethics and the legal reality. Also got to speak with A. for a bit about her doings.

Last Car came on at 10 p.m. and performed some new songs. I wanted to ask them if they were at the Loser's Lounge Elton John tribute, since Amy, Chris, and Robin performed there on Friday, covering separate songs. Amy and Chris did Don't Go Breaking My Heart and Robin covered a newer song I didn't recognise. But, I realized they would not have had time to do the Loser's at Joe's Pub and then hightail it back to Park Slope.

Finally at 11 p.m., TMBG came on for a very loud and rocking show. When I mean loud, I mean fucking, the-wrist-band-rattled-and-nearly-cut-into-my-skin loud. Especially when Carmina Burana played. Part of the problem was that they didn't use their normal equipment, which I've noticed are pretty easy on the ears, comparatively speaking.

Fortunately, the first song was Asbury Park so I had time to recover before the onslaught of Damn Good Times. Dan Miller was Johnny Chops for most of the night. After the song, iownyouboth's friend from Kentucky flashed her "Mnk Car" license plate at Flans.

Flans: I think you should share that with the class, Kentucky. As I was driving home (from a show at the Tower Theater in Philly) back to NYC, I saw a lady with a vanity plate that said TMBG (NJ). We both pulled up to light and I got out of my car and rapped on her window. And she just screamed and drove away as fast as she possibly could. I was kind of hoping she didn't recognize me.

During Fingertips, Flans added a new schtick to "I'm Having a Heart Attack"

Flans: That sandwich was twenty-one years old

Linnell: I'm having a heart attack

Flans: You know what I'm talking about, baby

Linnell: I'm having a heart attack

Flans: That chick is too young to fry

Then Flans introduced Dump

Flans: This next song is part of the TMBG podcast, which is just about celebrating its first anniversary in the world. If you don't know what a podcast is, we can't even talk to you. Quit looking at me if you don't know what a podcast is...

Well, one out of two ain't too shabby. E Eats Everything didn't get its second wind as Flans missed his lines around LMNO, but he recovered pretty quickly to finish out. Danny's riffing makes the song.

Tonight was the first time I've heard Till My Head Falls Off live. Very adrenaline-injected. Followed by a lovely Angel. Linnell introduced it as a "little jazz song that we cooked up". So, the intro was nicely drawn out on the accordion. And then he said, "Oh I didn't get to see the license plate. Everybody saw it and I wasn't able to...Awww!"

Robot Parade started with a wonderfully melodic keyboard solo and crescendoed to a rocking finale. Flans had us spell R-O-R-O...Ro-ro. My husband tells me that he went to the basement lounge to get away from the loudness of the show. So he watched on the big screen monitor. Apparently, there were two guys also there probably having a drink, but sporadically watching the show as well. However, they weren't fans because they kept laughing at the band and making disparaging remarks. "Boy, that fat guy can really move." And then during Robot Parade, they were saying, "Look at him. He's really going now." I was extremely amused when he told me all this.

Linnell dumped a ton of confetti on the crowd during Polk, a lot of which landed on my head since I was kind of in front of it. And then came another pleasant surprise.

Flans: Normally, we don't take requests.

Audience: *Insert any TMBG song here*

Flans: And this is situation normal. But last time we were here, we were performing at another benefit performance, somebody shouted out this next song and we performed it. And then we realized we wanted to perform it this time we were here.

So, The Day and Spy were played in succession with Flans and Linnell taking turns at conducting each other and the audience. Tambourine Man was thrown in there for good measure. EDIT: In another senior moment, Flans forgot the second verse and repeated the first. You could tell he was struggling to remember and then just said in his mind, "Fuck it. I'll just repeat the first verse and it'll eventually come to me." For Tambourine, he may also have forgotten the lyrics. Seems like he let Linnell prompt him. Then he sang the second verse and after "my toes to "stoned" to step, he sings "and my mind too mind too mind" and then picks up where he left off. Oh that Flans, loves to beat a joke. He introduced The Sun as the first track off their new album and it was called "Too Mind Too Mind Too Mind."

Within the accordion set, Flans mentioned that the shows were a benefit for the Generation school. He also joked that he hoped the schools would be named after They Might Be Giants.

When they retuned for the first encore,

Flans: That's a very small room back there. We held out as long as we could.

Linnell: We actually don't like touching each other. It's a lot more comfortable onstage.

So they played Feast of Lights and Santa's Beard, which I recorded on my digicam. They did mention it was the second time in twenty-four hours they played the songs. Linnell substituted "we'll listen to electronica and we'll pass some chocolate coins". But it almost sounded like he wanted to sing "we'll pass a chocolate joint." I couldn't make out his words for the second chorus. EDIT: Thanks to therealtdk and his video of Feast, that second chorus goes, "It's you and me and Monica".

I love how Snail Shell has become this year's standard on the setlist. As well as This Damn Band and its variations. Tonight Marty was playing some weird future of the sound of drums that messed up Flans.

Flans: I can't remember anyone else in the band.

Interestingly, the second encore didn't require Johnny Chops' presence for DLS and Turn Around, so I guess he got to satisfy his nicotine cravings early with cachetic dude. But it didn't matter because both songs rocked the house. I think that as much as TMBG ridicule their fans for being devoted, at least they can say much of their audience know more than just Don't Let's Start or Birdhouse in Your Soul.

The setlists were snatched up pretty early, including the extra ones that were made. aliste, you're right about La La, who incidentally cut off his unruly ponytail and now looks like a well-manicured drug dealer instead of the scruffy street guy who he used to resemble. :P.

:( All good anticipation must come to an end and now this brings an end to TMBG shows for the year and perhaps for a while. Hopefully, they'll do some more to raise more money for the school over the winter.

EDIT: Again, I've moved the photos here to be viewed.