After a “long and circuitous journey”, as the duo themselves termed it, They Might Be Giants ended a 12 year absence from Sydney by rocking a sold out Metro Theatre on Wednesday night.
In a show that featured extensive use of strange visual displays, a variety of instruments, and even a short puppet show, it made sense that the opening act bordered on the eccentric at times.
Pluto Jonze, in his second appearance at the Metro, produced an energetic performance that was right up the enthusiastic crowd’s alley.
Though beginning his set with eerie sounds, accompanied by three televisions showing images of butterflies, he soon settled into an easy indie rock groove.
Jonze’s frequent, and quite adept, use of the Theremin added another eerier element to his songs, contrasting nicely with his almost Britpop sensibilities.
Showing off a new single, titled ‘Hispedangongonajelanguiro’, whose title he has to read off a sheet of paper, Jonze continued to impress, demonstrating an upbeat, almost tropical sound.
Throughout the set, the musician made cheerful banter with the audience, joking about his failing microphone stand and keeping them onside through a few minor technical difficulties.
Closing the set on his single from late last year, ‘Eject’, which continued the Britpop feel present throughout; Jonze left a lasting impression on the crowd with eccentric flailing about on the Theremin and an eject symbol displayed in various forms on the televisions throughout the song.
The crowd grew restless in the long break between Pluto Jonze’s exit and They Might Be Giants’ entrance, but when they finally appeared, all was forgotten.
The New York duo, along with their backing band, proceeded to produce a vintage performance, mixing comedy, crowd interaction, and their trademark, punchy alternative rock tracks, all to the audience’s delight.
Beginning with the song ‘You’re On Fire’, from their latest release Nanobots, the set was off to a great start. Though the audience appeared to be largely older fans, the new material was well received.
From there, they went all the way back to their 1986 self-titled release for ‘Don’t Let’s Start’. This really showcased the punchy, upbeat guitar and organ riffs, contrasted with the melancholy, offbeat lyrics that make They Might Be Giants such a great band.
The set continued to bounce back and forth between the old and the new, with ‘Birdhouse In Your Soul’ and ‘Memo to HR’, balanced out by ‘Circular Karate Chop’ and ‘Call You Mom’, the drum solo of which was particularly impressive.
The performance of ‘Cloisonné’ continued to display They Might Be Giants’ ability to mix it up, taking the set in a brief, almost circus-like direction with the introduction of John Linnell’s bass clarinet. Quipping, “it’s not gonna hurt you,” as he dug it up from the back, and how right he was.
For the performance of the title track of their new album, Nanobots, John Flansburgh joked that he had “Roboticulitis”, beginning to speak, and then to sing like robots. This was followed by the band wearing sock puppets, named “The Avatars of They”, to perform ‘He’s Loco’. The banter between both the band members and the crowd became greater throughout the tune, to the point where the punters would just about have paid to watch them do stand up.
They then played ‘Fingertips’, a collection of songs under ten seconds, and it was time for the band to make their exit, but they wouldn’t be allowed out that easily.
Returning for the first of two encores, they split the band and crowd alike down the middle for ‘Battle For The Planet Of The Apes’, before playing ‘Mesopotamia’ and ‘Why Does The Sun Shine?’
The crowd showed no sign of tiring, and to their credit, neither did the band. Finishing a second encore with crowd favourite ‘Istanbul (Not Constantinople)’ They Might Be Giants bid farewell to a thoroughly satisfied crowd.
Though “the Flans” waited 12 years for They Might Be Giants to come back, the show was funny, engaging, and thoroughly enjoyable. Truly a credit to one of the longest serving bands on the alternative rock scene.
