Screw Dick Clark:Hard Rock was the place to be!
wash...@vax.sonoma.edu
think the couple hundred people who were also smashed in there agreed. We
stopped by HRC around 4:20 to make sure we were on the guest list and surprise!
THEY were there already doing soundcheck... an instrumental version of Out Of
Jail and The Guitar, then they sang Stompbox, The Guitar, Birdhouse In Your
Soul and a shortened version of Dirtbike. Before they took off, Flansburgh and
Brian Doherty both tried to see if the Los Lobos guitar on the wall would come
off (it didn't), and Linnell sarcastically announced that "there's a phone call
for Mr. Al Coholic..."
I have no idea when the place filled up...we got back around 10 and
there was a massive swarm outside wanting to be inside but the place was
already full. The roadies tossed out those fashionable New Year's hats and
horns and streamers to the crowd, and everyone restlessly awaited their arrival
on stage.
They finally showed up around 11:20, Flansburgh toasted us with a glass
of something and shouted Happy New Year, then they started the show......
1994 songs
Subliminal, Lucky Ball and Chain, Don't Let's Start, AKA Driver, Ana
Ng, She's Actual Size, Birdhouse in Your Soul, Snailshell, Spy.......
1995!! The best version I've ever heard of Auld Lang Syne (or however you spell
it) I've ever heard. We did a countdown on a little clock they were holding on
stage cos all the other clocks in the place had different times. They charged
on and most of us formed a few massive conga lines to No One Knows My Plan.
Brian Doherty played an awesome coffee cup with silver spoon on Shoehorn With
Teeth. They charged on with Meet James Ensor, Istanbul, Stompbox, Flansburgh's
"There comes a time..to introduce the baaand..", She's An Angel, Twisting, Dirt
Bike, The Statute Got Me High, Particle Man (with thrown in verse "Happy New
Year/Particle Man..", punk version of Why Does The Sun Shine? and The Guitar.
After they left and came back for their encore, I noticed Linnell was pointing
at his throat and making weird gasping gestures at Flansburgh..guess he was
starting to lose his voice. They played End of the Tour, Sleeping in the
Flowers and the Famous Polka...then had fun.
On the wall behind them were the guitars signed by Los Lobos, Depeche Mode,
Stone Temple Pilots, and Dave Sharp (The Alarm). Flansburgh got this wicked
look on his face, reached up, and plugged in the Los Lobos guitar to the amp.
He plucked a few out-of-tune notes on it, unplugged it, then plugged in the
Depeche guitar...same process, though this one was a bit better sounding. He
plugged in STP and did a short cover of..um..I don't know STP well, but it was
whatever their first single off the Purple album is. That guitar was in ok
tune, but then came Dave Sharp's...waaay out of tune, and Flansburgh made up
some weird song.."I'm Dave Sharp...from The Alarm...I'm Dave Sharp...from The
Alarm..not The Clash...but The Alarm.." while plunking away at the guitar.
Linnell told us to put our arms around our friends and the ones we love to
share the special moments and feelings of their last song..... Dig My Grave,
with accompaniment from Dave Sharp's guitar yet again.
Flansburgh was hyper and bouncy (I'm amazed that he didn't fall off the short
stage sometimes) and babbled with the crowd a lot..telling us about the new big
watch his dad gave him for Christmas among other things. Linnell seemed happier
than when I last saw them in Santa Rosa this year as well. It was a great time,
the moshers in front kept it to a dull roar, and everyone seemed to be having a
lot of fun. Quite a time considering it was free to get in and it was the best
show I'd ever seen them do out of the four times I've seen them (or was it
because we were all so drunk and happy?) Who knows, who cares..have a great
year :)
Nikki
Nikki