Seeing the favourite band

On a last minute whim on Thursday night, only having realised a couple of nights prior that my favourite band were again going to be back in Brisbane, and having only recently started listening to them again, I went into this cool venue in the city (for the first time):

to see if any tickets were still available for They Might Be Giants.

There were!

So I joined the (no doubt somewhat older than usual) crowd in this venue (the Johns are both late
50's) waiting for the two set show to start:

And I was not disappointed. 

I've seen them twice before, but age has made these guys more likeable than ever, if you ask me.

There story is pretty remarkable for the music industry - having met in high school, going on to busking in Brooklyn as young adults, breaking into the college music scene and then just never stopping (they appear to be particular darlings of Hollywood with their songs turning up quite often  on television shows over the years; most recently with their famous version of Istanbul in the first episode of Umbrella Academy).   So 40-odd years of song writing, playing and touring together and there appears to never have been any drama between them.   They chat and make jokes on stage like they are genuinely each other's best friend.   Here they are (in blurry phone camera mode) doing their acoustic bit:

The show comprised songs from the 80's for the first set (meaning lots of live versions of songs from the first album - which I still listen to), and the second set was mainly songs from the teens.  (Recent ones, but a good selection of the better ones that recently convinced me they still had it in them.) 

The second night (Friday) they were doing another show with songs from the 90's and noughts - I think I've read they've written 600 or more songs, and done some covers too, so there is no shortage of material.

They seem to tour with some band members who have been with them a long time now - it was all good, charming fun with an appreciative audience.

Thinking about it, perhaps their long-lived success springs from them having just the right amount of fame and fans - if a music act grows too big, the fame and money surrounding the enterprise must almost inevitably cause strains and unhappiness.    TMBG, however, seem to continue to sell at least enough new music to continue touring every year (at least through America) at small-ish rock venues that are on a manageable scale and doesn't give any of them too big a head.   Sort of ideal, as long as they enjoy touring, at least:  but it feels as if they do.

Long may they live.