They Might Be Giants - Music Hall of Williamsburg

I don't regard Flood as They Might Be Giants' best album, but, by Christ, it is their most popular. I didn't come by this realization by acknowledging that the album, released 25 years ago, has sold over a million copies, or the fact that the two videos for '

' featured on Tiny Toon Adventures, introducing Flood and TMBG to a whole generation of kids who are still diehard fans to this day.

None of that even registered. What convinced me was the fact that, for most of their show last Sunday at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, where they performed Flood in its entirety, it was a dead heat between who was louder, They Might Be Giants or their audience.

Standout moments included the band's decision to open with 'Dead' (arguably the best song off Flood) and then follow it with 'They Might Be Giants'*. Also 'Twistin'; 'Hot Cha'; 'You're on Fire' (from their utterly fantastic 2013 release, Nanobots**); 'Let Me Tell You About My Operation' (which featured the full, blazing glory of The Tricerachops Horns); 'The Guitar', and 'Number Three' (specifically because, although the horns were standing right there on the stage during a song that centers around a weird, little horn sample, none of them were playing their instruments. It was surreal and hilarious).

Another standout was Linnell and Flansburgh's banter. I've never seen a show of theirs without it, but that night it was strong; from announcing that every time an audience member yelled out a song title that that song would not be played, to discussions of Tiger Milk and how no one in the band but Linnell seemed to know what the hell it was, to the promise of 'Sexy Robert Durst' as a Dial-a-Song release coming in late December, when the band is in a blind panic and scrabbling to uphold their 'one new song a week for the entire year' promise***.

That night, the band only played one of their four brand new Dial-a-Song tracks, namely 'Underwater Woman', and, while they did a great job with it, I was hoping for 'Unpronounceable' or, maybe, 'I Can Help the Next in Line'. I feel strangely certain, however, that, at next month's MHOW show, my demands will be met, since They Might Be Giants will be celebrating the release of their 17th studio album, Glean (which can be pre-ordered in a variety of formats with a variety of delightful add-ons here), by endeavoring to play the whole thing live.

Good luck, Johns, Dans, and Marty. Be sure to drink your Tiger Milk.

* The point at which the band realized they were going to have to play louder.

** Seriously, if, at any point, you were a fan of TMBG and began to lose interest in the mid-2000s or whenever, your faith will be renewed and your cup will runneth over.

*** The Johns even played a bit of 'Sexy Robert Durst'... It was horrific.