(TV) Wednesday night's setlist

["Philip P. Obbard" <pobbard@yahoo.com>]

Outstanding! I really enjoyed last night's show, but this one easily
topped it. Verlaine was much more engaged vocally and musically; the
band was much tighter as a result, right from the very start. There
were considerably less tuning, re-tuning, and equipment/guitar strap
problems. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves more, too - Tom
spoke and joked with the audience more ("Mr. Fred Smith - isn't he
handsome?"), Fred and Richard were both seen smiling from time to
time, and Billy was 'swinging' (to use Jesse's term) a bit more
tonight. 

They came on, as they did last night, around 10:05. The setlist
differed from last night:
- Swells (quite short)
- 1880 or so
- Venus
- Call Mr. Lee (interpolating the "Bond" theme briefly)
- I Could Sleep All Day
- Little Johnny Jewel
- Oh Mi Amore
- Prove It
- ? (new song; can't make out the words; seemed much longer tonight)
- Beauty Trip
- Rhyme (w/ an extended, driving coda I hadn't heard before)
- Marquee Moon (ending with an old-fashioned, over-the-top rave-up!)

Encore:
- Glory
- See No Evil
- Psychotic Reaction (first two verses were at the regular tempo;
second half was slowed down into a tight, bluesy piece - worked
surprisingly well.)

Last night's show was about 100 minutes (like the Chicago show).
Tonight's was roughly full two hours!

For me, the real highlights were "Little Johnny Jewel" and "Oh Mi
Amore", two songs that really came together tonight, much moreso than
last night. Verlaine's soloing was particularly impressive on the
first, and the entire band found their groove for "Amore" in a way I
didn't think they did last night. "Beauty Trip" sounded terrific too;
harder and more interesting than I had remembered. It's one of
several songs from the 1992 LP that improves significantly in concert
(though I like the studio cut, too, but in a very different way).

Of the two new songs, "I Could Sleep All Day" was even better than
last night - I'm really getting to like it. The "untitled" song
seemed much longer tonight, but it's not nearly as engaging. I'm
hoping it grows on me.

It was good to meet Jay (before the show) and ride back to Brooklyn
with Jesse (after the show). Jesse, incidentally, wins the "Billy
Ficca Award for Deceptively Youthful Appearance".

A great show all-around. UK folks, you really have something to look
forward to. And hopefully it will be less than 9 years before
Television plays their hometown again...!

--Philip


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