The Observer, November 30, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 12
UPB brings They Might Be Giants to rock Case's campus
On Nov. 17, the University Program Board put on their annual free fall concert for students, featuring opener Oppenheimer and headliner They Might Be Giants. Despite a fear of lackluster ticket sales, hoards of students and local Clevelanders packed to the front of Adelbert Gymnasium to get a good look at the Brooklyn-based performers.
The opening band, Irish synth-pop duo Oppenheimer, was surprisingly fresh with a set list consisting of songs from their debut self-titled album, released last year. Oppenheimer gained recognition with their perfect blend of new wave and pop, which made for a captivating and enjoyable opening set while everyone They Might Be Giants to take the stage. Noteworthy was Oppenheimer's minimal stage setup of drums, an electric guitar, and a MiniMoog synthesizer. Despite this small setup, they created large soundscapes with accuracy and grace. Standout tracks from Oppenheimer included "Breakfast in NYC," "This is Not a Test," and the closing song entitled "Saturday Looks Bad to Me."
After a warm reception, Oppenheimer left the stage and the crowd roared at each slight prospect of John Flansburgh and John Linnell taking the stage. Finally, They Might Be Giants came on and dove right into their set list. The vast array of various songs was sure to delight both casual and hardcore fans alike. Rare songs such as mournful "Maybe I Know," off the Internet-only release Long Tall Weekend, and new songs such as the pop-driven "The Mesopotamians" and "Take out the Trash" off The Else, were played side-by-side. Appropriately, the set list contained most of their well-known hits spanning mainly from their 1990-1994 era (consisting of Flood, Apollo 18, and John Henry). The crowd sang along to the likes of "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)," "Birdhouse in Your Soul," "Particle Man," "Fingertips," "Boss of Me," and "The Sun," among many others.
Even between songs, Flansburgh and Linnell proved to be incredibly entertaining. They coaxed the crowd to form a giant conga line; as well as took "Phone Calls from the Dead" live with Eleanor Roosevelt. Perhaps one of the highest points of the concert was when Flansburgh held out his guitar for those in the front rows to play. The segues between songs were not limited to witty banter and crowd interaction, but also featured skillful solos from the backing band, while Flansburgh and Linnell modestly stepped out of the spotlight. The band played two encores including the well-known favorite "Doctor Worm," with Linnell taking the helm on accordion.
Despite the crowd being greedy for a third encore, the lights went up and everyone seemed pleased with TMBG's excellent and charismatic performance that night. The inclusion of a multitude of different styles and song selections that have spanned the band's 25-year career proved to satiate many different fans in the audience. This semester's concert seemed to have the highest amount of consistent energy in the crowd in a long time. Everyone seemed engaged in the music throughout the show, thanks to both TMBG's interesting set list and incredible stage presence. The Oppenheimer lyric, "Saturday nights are over just before I look," seemed especially appropriate that night, as both bands put on amazing performances that made for one of the best UPB concerts in recent history.
