They Might Be Giants for the Children: 9-Year-Old Twins Review a TMBG Concert

They Might Be Giants (Credit: Jon Uleis)

“Holy shit there are a lot of kids!”

With this statement, John Flansburgh—one of the two Johns of They Might Be Giants, along with John Lindell—was correct: there were an expletive-worthy amount of kids at their show on Saturday, May 17 at Los Angeles’ historic Orpheum Theatre. I don’t remember it being like this back when I last saw the band live in the ‘90s and early 2000s, but it makes sense. TMBG’s had a few children’s albums throughout their career, and I have fond middle school memories of their songs on Tiny Toons. More than that though, They Might Be Giants’ brand of funny, eccentric music is a budding music fan’s perfect gateway to the worlds of college and alternative rock.

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At least, this is how it has been for my 9-year-old twins. My daughter Chloe’s supercool third grade teacher has introduced the class to several TMBG songs like “Don’t Let’s Start,” “Mammal,” and Chloe’s favorite “Doctor Worm.” She shared these with her brother Clark, who then himself got really into “Birdhouse in Your Soul” and “Particle Man.” Together, they added TMBG to our home’s regular rotation, especially Flood and Apollo 18. I was excited, but tried not to overdo it, for fear of scaring them off. So I sat back with pride as they got the humor, appreciated the eclectic styles, and even talked about how some songs sound fun but are actually sad or serious (thank you, “Dead” and “Your Racist Friend”). As an old TMBG fan and general music geek, it was the moment I was waiting for: when fan and parenting overlap.

They Might Be Giants (Credit: Sam Graff) — (Credit: Sam Graff)

So when I saw the band was playing L.A. on a non-school night at a reasonable hour, I had to go for it. A chance to take the kids to their first official rock show (no offense to their prior concerts, Kids Bop and a Billy Joel cover band). Chloe and Clark loved the idea and even suggested sharing their reviews of the show with me to write up for SPIN (thankfully, my editor liked this pitch too). This was going to be a grand night out, and again, I was clearly not the only fan/parent thinking this way. Chloe, Clark, and I were so excited for this right of passage.

Until two minutes before the show started, when Clark said he needed to go to the bathroom.

Not ideal timing, but we ran down and back, returning during the opening number, the driving, full-band showcase “Subliminal.” It was an unexpected choice, for what turned out to be an unexpected evening. Back at our seats, Chloe is giddy and bopping along, but Clark…is off.

This current tour, “The Big Show,” has a standard format: two sets, each night. The first set focuses on tracks from one of their 18-plus albums, while the second set is a mix of hits, rarities, and songs that lend themselves to the tour’s horn section. For our show, set one was going to be the band’s 1994 album, John Henry, and set two “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis,” joked John Flansburgh. John Linnell corrected his partner, but later joked they’d focus on a classic album for the second set, “Maybe… [Guns N’ Roses’] The Spaghetti Incident?” These kinds of music-geek jokes killed with the adults in the audience, and led to some teachable moments for the children

Per that first set, John Henry is a fan favorite. It was the first time the two Johns recorded with a full band. When I first heard John Henry in high school, it also stood out as decidedly harder and darker than previous albums, sharpening their quirks into edges. Those edges were intact at the concert, but the songs also felt electric and fresh. The grooving bass of “Snail Shell” had the audience up and moving, and became a new favorite song of both my kids. 90’s-style rocker “Out of Jail” is a relative rarity live, but felt so thunderous and alive it should become a standard. About halfway through set #1, the Johns and their regular band were joined by a three-piece horn section, to bring even more energy and life to the show, in particular turning the expressionist anthem “Meet James Ensor” into a celebratory crowd-pleaser.

As hoped, the band infused their unique style into every aspect of the concert. Each song had its own enchanting lighting cues and video installations. The Johns filled the space between every song with witty banter that made adults AND kids laugh. And the audience’s energy was perfectly in sync with the band’s, ebbing and flowing in just the right way to fill the theater with an expansive wall of fun. It’s exactly what I wanted for Chloe and Clark’s first concert.

Chloe loved (and danced to) all of the above, but her favorite moment: John Flansburgh conducting the band and then later the audience for a hilariously epic ending to “Spy.”

“It made me feel like I was part of the band,” Chloe told me later. Other Chloe highlights: swaying her hands to “Dirt Bike,” and the videos that accompanied each song, “Except the one of somebody’s mouth. That was creepy.” For a band that’s been at this for four decades now, TMBG showed that they are still bringing it like this is their first tour. Only now, they carry themselves with a comfortable confidence of knowing how to keep every night on the road fun for both themselves and their fans. It was as positive a vibe as you can ask for for your kids first show…

Which is why it was terrible when halfway through, Clark had to go to the bathroom again. His stomach was hurting now. “Shit,” I thought, hoping he’d be fine after another bathroom break. But he wasn’t. We saw the rest of the John Henry songs, but during the set’s final track, the “The End of the Tour,” Clark rushed out of his seat. Chloe and I followed, getting to him just as he threw up in the aisle. We got him to the bathroom where he threw up again, this time thankfully in a toilet. I felt terrible, for both kids. Clark is inexplicably sick and Chloe is explicitly furious.

My dream of fan and parenting overlap had become a nightmare. I was frustrated at the situation and trying to figure out the next best step. But, to be clear, I was not mad at Clark. He didn’t mean to get sick and, hey, I’ve vomited at shows before (granted, it was my 20s). If my wife had been in town, she could’ve picked up Clark to allow Chloe and I to stay…but she was away for work. Fan Me suggested that I let Clark rest for the intermission between sets…then go back into the theater for set two. Fortunately, Parent Me knows Fan Me can be a selfish jerk. So Parent Me took over and brought both my tired, sick kid and angry, disappointed kid home.

Once we get home and they’re both asleep, I immediately can feel Parent Me and Fan Me’s judgments. Parent Me is all: “You shouldn’t have brought them.” Fan Me can’t believe I left the show early. Parent Me feels for Clark. Fan Me for Chloe. I give up and accept that this is life when you’re a fan and a parent. You want to share what you love with your kids, especially when an unforced opportunity for bonding presents itself. But life will intervene. It always does with kids. And that kind of message, plus the funny-sad dichotomy of having our big show cancelled by vomit is, well, the spirit of many a They Might Be Giants song.

The author's kids outside of the Orpheum Theatre (Credit: Brendan Hay) — Clark and Chloe outside of the Orpheum Theatre. (Credit: Brendan Hay)

So I can’t fully deliver what the kids and I pitched, two generations of TMBG fans reviewing the concert. Chloe and Clark did still want to offer their rapid-fire reviews of the first set, though:

On the venue: “Really nice! It looked like a giant mansion” — Clark

Audience: “The people who sat in our aisle and had to keep standing to let us go to the bathroom were very nice” — Clark

“Also, everyone was loud, obviously.” — Chloe

Visuals & Lighting: “From the stuff I got to see, the lighting was really cool.” — Clark

“There were some white lights flying all over the place that were like ‘Whoa.’ They did a good job.” — Chloe

Personal Experience: “Really fun. Loud and a bit overwhelming, though.” — Chloe

“I really liked the songs. I wish I did not get sick.” — Clark

Favorite song: “Snail Shell.” — Chloe and Clark

The band’s performance: “I liked how they joked a lot.” — Clark

Anything You Would Change: “I wouldn’t get sick.” — Clark

“And maybe not that mouth video.” — Chloe

Any message to the band: “I really liked the concert.” — Chloe

“I really liked the album you played. I never heard it before, but now I want to listen to it again.” — Clark

Should parents take their kids to They Might Be Giants concerts?: “YES.” — Chloe and Clark

The next day, missing the second set became an extra bummer when we learned it included all of Chloe and Clark’s favorite songs, closing with what a friend who was there told me was a fantastic version of “Dr. Worm.” But also, Clark was feeling better so we put on John Henry. Successful first show or not, the band will still be a place for us to connect.

And hey, at least now my kids have a memorable answer for “What was your first concert?” Maybe that’s the most important thing for a music fan parent to pass down.

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