The Conchords take Flight at TBPAC

At concerts, I'm a lot of That Guys.

I'm That Guy Who Screams the Lyrics Along With the Singer. I'm That Guy Who's Always Holding a Digital Camera in the Air, Snapping Blurry Photos. I'm That Tall, Sweaty Guy Who Insists on Blocking Your View of the Stage.

One That Guy I am not, however, is That Guy Who Screams Random Words and Phrases at the Band, Thus Completely Derailing the Show. That Guy, I most assuredly am not.

Unfortunately, That Guy was in the house Monday night at Flight of the Conchords' show at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. He was there, and he brought friends.

And that's how things at the concert got a little tense.

See, this was opening night of Flight of the Conchords' national tour, which meant the band had plenty of kinks to fix, songs to iron out, and timing and stage banter to tweak. These things don't work themselves out overnight*, and they generally require a little patience on the part of the audience.

Last week, I asked Kristen Schaal**, who plays the band's obsessive fan Mel on their HBO show, if she based Mel on anyone in particular. She said no; Mel was actually an amalgam of some of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie's real-life fans. "They would just tell me stories about their fans, and then I sort of tried to meld the personality together," she said.

I believe it. It's impressive enough that the band just about sold out the 2,610-seat Carol Morsani Hall at TBPAC, but I saw a bunch of fans with homemade costumes, T-shirts and props (i.e., a ukelele). All that was missing was Mel's disturbing fan art.

Their enthusiasm, it seems, simply could not be contained.

TBPAC is ostensibly a classy venue, a world-class theater that next week will host David Sedaris, classical violinist Midori and a performance of Charles Gounod's Faust***. One would think Flight of the Conchords knew what they were doing when they booked a show there.

But it seemed not everyone was willing to let atmosphere dictate behavior. On multiple occasions, the band had to shush the audience from shouting out song suggestions -- sometimes cheekily, sometimes with a little more pepper.

"If you want to talk," Jemaine joked, "write a note."

"Send it to Bret and Jemaine, New Zealand," Bret added.

That didn't stop them. The chants kept coming.

"Business Time!"

"I love you Jemaine!"

"Bring it, Bret!"

"Shush," Jemaine said. "What did we say about the notes?"

"That's no way to talk to your friends," Bret said.

"You're making it hard to concentrate," Jemaine said at one point. "This is our first show of the tour. We've barely got it together."

Shortly thereafter, Jemaine apologized, tongue in cheek, for getting snippy toward the audience. Which did nothing to stop the screams.

"Doggy Bounce!"

"Freekie!"

"Hiphopopotamus!"

"You guys have a completely different setlist than us," McKenzie said.

To be fair, the same could be said of the band. There were setlists taped to the stage, but the duo seemed to abandon them midway through the show. There were stretches between songs where they mulled what to play next. Even when the band did pick a song, there were slipups. Clement dropped the lyrics to a few songs, including If You're Into It.

And then there was Carol Brown. A lovely bossa nova ode to ex-girfriends in the vein of 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, the song requires Clement to play a complicated electronic instrument that looks a bit like a miniature boogie board covered in knobs. It's also got a drawn-out fermata**** near the end of each chorus, which is supposed to go: "Carol Brown just took the bus out of townnnnn ... but I'm hoping that you'll stick around."

Here's what happened Monday:

Bret and Jemaine: "Carol Brown just took the bus out of townnnnn ... "

That Guy: "Australia!"

Bret and Jemaine: (lose the beat and have to stop the song)

Bret: "Good one. Look what we did. Security? Security?"

Now see here. Shouting "Australia!" at a band from New Zealand, especially a band that pokes fun at Australia-New Zealand relations on its TV show, is bad enough form in its own right. To do so in the middle of any song is just insulting. To do so in the middle of a song like Carol Brown is flat-out sadistic.

So yeah, things got a little weird. The band knew it, and they knew it was affecting the gig. After a brief, ad-libbed performance of the Flight of the Conchords theme, Bret told the fans: "Well, that must have reminded you of being at home, watching TV. The TV show is more reliable."

"If I was a reviewer," Jemaine said, "I'd say this show was meandering."

"Inconsistent," added Bret.

"Cavalier."

"Handsome."

Duly noted, gentlemen. And it's worth noting that the consensus opinion I heard from fans leaving the venue was overwhelmingly positive. Mishaps aside, Flight of the Conchords are the most legitimate comedic rock stars since Spinal Tap, and songs like Business Time, Think About It, and Hurt Feelings killed. Totally worth the price of admission, and then some, even if we did have to put up with That Guy.

And besides, not all the fans were total That Guys. Check out the Tough Brets: From left, USF students Matt Ferrara, Brittanie Drinosky, Sarah Coit and Liz Hubbs.

Fearsome though they were, the Tough Brets couldn't hold a candle to 9-year-old Nicholas Plummer of Tampa.

The humans are dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead dead!

Next up on the 50-50 Club: Lady Gaga, Tuesday night at the Ritz Ybor.

-- Jay Cridlin, tbt*

* As I know from my many years on the rock 'n roll highway.

** Please watch your toes, as I seem to be dropping names all over the place.

*** Full disclosure: Last fall, TBPAC also hosted Carlos Mencia.

**** Oh, yes: I took band.

Comments

[Hypnophonic]

Wow that's suprising. I didn't even know these guys were well-known enough to sell out TBPAC and unfortunately thats why I procrastinated on getting tickets. Did they play the humans are dead? We do a cover of that song, it's so awesome.

[Kristen]

I went to the show in Orlando last night and I had the EXACT same experience. People were totally disrespectful and you could tell Bret and Jemaine were put off by it. To make matters worse, we had a group of drunken yahoo's in front of us that talked amongst themselves during the entire show.

Despite all that, I did enjoy the show and would probably try to get seats closer to the stage next time.

[Elaina]

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[Miriam]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Miriam

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[Andi]

To the blog writer,
What about Tenacious D for comedic rock? Or are you only counting comedy bands w/ accents? I'm only screwing w/ you but seriously Tenacious D should be on that short list.

[Crystal]

Bret and Jemaine did eventually come out and talked to us and gave us autographs, you just didnt wait long enough. It was awesome. I loved the show, shouting people and stumbling comedians alike. I also liked the home made New Zealand t-shirt, will you make one for me?

[T]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who was utterly annoyed by "That Guy"...and yeah...they definitely aren't coming back to Tampa after that.
Overall I was pretty pleased with their performance though...although it did seem like they really wanted out of there at 9:30.

[tampagurl]

IT was all in good fun... i dont think THAT GUY was taken as seriously as everyone is making it out, it added a little something extra that fans in other cities might not get to experience

[Rhine]

Anybody have the complete setlist?

[Ann]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Ann

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[Sarah]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Sarah

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[Andi]

The show was amazing. It was exactly what I expected well, maybe more. This is COMEDY rock! Did you expect them to shimmy and rock at the same time. Everyone was just excited to see them and that's why the crowd was somewhat roudy (not in my opinion). It's a show and if you let flashes and and screams bother you maybe you should stick to the telle.

Nickbot, you were the most amazing kid out there very unique and funny. After all you got a standing ovation, Kristen shaal didn't even get that. YOU ROCKED NICKBOT.

[2ndBalcony]

Yes, there were some obnoxious folks yelling out for songs, but I thought the guys handled it well. Their deadpan humor (well, at least I took it that way) doesn't come across in the article, as I thought their responses to the crowd were pretty funny. Is it just me, or perhaps the goofiness was all part of the show? Their whole shtick is that they're a mediocre band that hasn't hit the big time. So fumbling with equipment and discussing the set list added to the charm for me. And I'd rather see that, than another show that's so scripted that there's no point in seeing the band live.

[bullitt2002]

The screaming fans were all too noisy as often they drowned out the lyrics and much of the melody for those of us in the rear sections of the house. That being said does anybody know the set list or know of a place where the set list is posted?

[Brittanie]

Hey, Tough Bret here. I don't see a problem with people taking pictures with their cell phones, especially if there is no flash. We were there to see a concert, for chrissakes, and I don't think the band has a problem with someone quietly holding a camera phone in front of their face to record a song or two or to capture the moment.

Also, it's Bret, like,"B-R-E-T." It's a point commonly emphasized on the show, haha. And I also don't see a problem with people getting excited about the show, assuming that they don't heckle.

Also, do I hear a hater from the mezzanine? We bought our tickets the literal SECOND they became available to the public and paid full price, so why shouldn't we be allowed to enjoy the show as much as everyone else? And if that means cheering appreciatively after each song, singing along, and laughing as loud as we feel like, then so be it. We weren't disrupting the show and I refuse to take any heat for enjoying myself.

The man at the beginning said, "No flash photography," so we didn't flash. But the Flight of the Conchords have been a Sunday staple since they've first started for us, and we'll be damned if we don't capture the moment somehow.

I thought the show was good, even though some people had to ruin it for the crowd. I love FotC even if they don't love Tampans like me. And even if their performance was a little sloppy. It was the beginning of the tour, so I expected that they had some kinks to work out.

And even though there were a few hecklers, the crowd still went wild after every song, regardless of how badly the band flubbed up. It was a good show. And even if it was a bad show, it was certainly memorable.

[donkey]

i think some people who are complaining about the 'loose' nature of the show are forgetting that they are going to see a primarily comedy band, not an orchestra or bruce springsteen. as for the fans, 'that guy'-ness has been a running theme throughout all of their gigs in the past couple of years, and it wouldn't surprise me if they gave up touring after this one. so thanks a lot for that, idiots.

[Jeff Odell]

Tough Bretts - don't hold you responsible for the entire crowd - there were plenty there worse than you guys. But I was RIGHT ABOVE YOU in the mezzanine and saw it - cell phones and all. Not going to debate it further... glad you enjoyed the show.

[Chelsea]

Sure, the crowd was obnoxious at times last night. No argument there. But I read a blog review of a New York show the Conchords performed last year, and they endured some of the same antics from that audience. As a comedy act, after all, it comes with the territory to learn how to "manage" hecklers. Surely by now they realize that the lowest common denominator in an audience does not represent everyone in the theater.

The audience can't be scapegoated for last night's sloppy show. I was sorely disappointed by the performance, which I found rushed and perfunctory. I enjoy their deadpan humor, but at times deadpan slid into detachment. Bret and Jemaine are gifted performers, and I wish we had been offered more than a few brief glimmers of that talent at the Tampa show.

The shows are bound to improve as the tour goes along. If that doesn't happen, it means one of two things (maybe both): they have succumbed to their celebrity, or they are wallowing from having to perform songs that clearly don't inspire them any longer. They owe it to their fans to figure out how to rise above those two problems.

[liz]

As one of the "Tough Brets" pictures above, I am really insulted. Yes there were people around me taking pictures, but no, I was not one of them. That being said, I think that it being dark, you probably didn't see the 9 year old (as said above) sitting beside me screaming her heart out. You call that a bad fan? I call passion. So no, we weren't "screaming like 15 year olds at a Hannah Montana show", I think you mean like a 9 year old at a FOTC concert. :]

That being said, Yes, I agree, it got very annoying when people were shouting out what they wanted to hear. But I can only speak for myself when I say I did not contribute except for the WOOs! cheering the band on. Thanks for blaming us for the whole rudeness of the crowd. :]

[Sheryl]

I was actually sitting right next to the "Tough Brets," with my husband and 9-yr. old daughter, and I thought they were incredibly well-behaved. Before the show, they chatted amicably with my daughter, asking what her favorite song and character was, etc. At one point, one of them asked us, "Do you think it's alright if we sing with them?" and I told them that of course, that would be fine. I didn't hear them calling anything throughout the show, except excited laughter and "Wooo!"s after performances. I noticed them taking a few flashless pictures and videos, but I think they were definitely the RIGHT kind of excited.

I thought that the show was very good, if a little unrehearsed, but it gave the audience the feeling of jamming out with their close friends, something I didn't think would happen at TBPAC. Granted, I was in the seventh row, but I feel like all 2,000+ members were part of a loving community banned against the thirty or so hecklers. Pointing fingers doesn't help anything, just rains on some poor kids' parades.

Overall, I thought the venue was an odd choice for a comedy show, but the Conchords made it feel homey. Also, it was a laid-back sort of concert, so people taking some pictures shouldn't ruin anyone's show.

I thought it was well-worth the forty dollars, and I found that the Conchords fans are among the best in the world, and a few hecklers shouldn't give us all a bad name.

[David Jenkins]

Wow, sounds horrible. Actually a little glad I didn't go now. I don't get why people would pay $40+ to do nothing but scream and yell and act the fool instead of enjoying the show they paid for. As for "that guy" I can't believe he wasn't removed from the theater. Wow.

[Ashley]

So I was one of the "tough brets" i wasn't in the picture, but i was a part of the group....we didn't have cameras...at least i didn't, i had a crappy camera phone which i gave up on. They were funny, i laughed. They sang songs I knew, I sang along. Them just being there did make me squeal from time to time because I was excited and I really enjoyed the show. By the way...the slightly blurry picture of two guys with robot heads was well worth it

[SJB]

I actually prefer the Conchords live (as in the HBO special they did), so I wasn't disappointed in this show at all. Loved it. They're even funnier when it's looser. Doubly glad I went because the guys may never play Tampa again after last night, and no one would blame them. Fans are great; jerky fans, not so much. In addition to throwing the guys off now and then, they annoyed the pretty healthy number of non-jerks in attendance.

[Jeff Odell]

DM - Show started pretty much on time at 7:30PM. Kristen (sorry I misspelled her name in my first post) did about 20 minutes and immediately introduced the Conchords with no break in between.

The Conchords played until 9:30PM - in fact they were stalling during the encore to finish after 9:30PM as "our contract says we have 6 more minutes". Never saw performers want to get off stage more desperately.

[rabb]

I totally agree elZaphod - liked the looseness of the show. I have the DVDs; I know the words by heart. I liked that the robots hadn't taken over the world completely and things didn't run like a well-oiled machine. I was there to see a LIVE show. Bret had it going on, Jemaine was bumpable and Kristen Schall was a scream! Young Mr. Plummer was in the row behind us and said his costume was "specially fabricated" for the show. What a great kid!

I did want to specially fabricate a sign to wear on my way out saying that I was not one of the moron Tampons that kept shouting throughout the show. The only screaming I did was in delight at seeing the band, Kristen and Nigel!

[AC]

It was pretty annoying last night. While I enjoyed the show I went in with low expectations.

I love the show, love the album, but kind of knew what to expect (performance wise) from the live tracks on the EP. That being said, Bret and Jemaine should be ashamed of how shabby they played some of those songs. Yeah, we know it's a comedy show with music, but some songs fell apart. "Bret, what note does this song start with?" You didn't even practice before the tour?

As for that guy, I waited for that guy to shout "Freebird" all night and it finally came with about 3 songs left. I knew that guy wouldn't let me down.

Bret and Jemaine were right. We are the Tampa Tampons.

[DM]

Can anyone who was there list how long Kristen (aka Mel) performed, what time the Flight of the Conchords came on, and how long they played or how many songs they played, etc.?

[mdawg]

I was sitting a few rows behind the "Tough Brets" and to be honest...they were "those guys" too. The annoying fans and camera flashes aside, I think the Conchords were great last night, all things considered.

[Supastajr]

A good show, definitely not great. The HBO show has obviously been a boost to their careers so why not play a few more of those songs? Also, while the song selections were mostly good, the pacing of the show needs improvement. "Stick Around (A Chorus of Ex Girlfriends)" is one of the most original songs written in recent years. Why was it played third, almost a throwaway? Would have love to have heard "Too Many Dicks..", "Ladies of the World" and "Hiphopapotamus" as well.

[elZaphod]

On the bright side, the heckling seemed to more of a I'm-a-pale-skinned-lunatic-who-has-a-shrine-built-to-you-in-my-parent's-den worshipful variety. Not to say the fools weren't annoying. My buddy and I hung around the stage door a few minutes to see if we could snag an autograph along with the other hundred or so hopefuls, only to be told by security the boys weren't emerging until the coast was clear. Can't say I blame their wanting to steer wide of the overzealous. They heard them all night, why subject themselves to seeing them as well. It was a pretty young crowd and drinks were flowing. Apparently the freshmen haven't yet learned how to enjoy a good show without screaming requests like they were witnessing the Beatles first gig on Ed Sullivan.

All four of us in my group loved the show. I actually enjoyed the loose feel of some of the songs. It gave the feel you weren't just hearing rote-memorized songs that had been played infinitum, but more an impromptu comedic act with a very catchy riff running throughout. I haven't yet seen the second season (monthly HBO is low hanging fruit when it comes to cutting costs), so there were a few songs that were new to me. The only one I didn't particularly care for was about a tour guide. Other than that, everything was a spot-on good time. Kudos to Bret and Jermaine for making the big time.

And yeah folks, stuff the flashing cameras where the sun don't shine.

[Jeff Odell]

The reviewer captures the antics of the dumba$$es in the audience at TBPAC last night. I have never seen rudeness like this at a concert - especially the constant shouting out. I don't blame the band for being irritated!

Note to Tampa concert fans - YOUR FLASH ONLY TRAVELS 20 FEET! If you insist on bring a camera and ruining the show for everyone else - at least turn the flash off. And the red eye reduction that causes it to flash multiple times per shot. You might even get a real picture of the band rather 30 shots of guy in front of you.

Those "Tough Bretts" - the USF students in the picture accompanying the article - sat right below me. They were among the worst offenders - cameras flashing away and cell phones on throughout the show. I'm sure Brett really appreciated it. I hope that blurry Facebook photo you ran home and posted was worth it.

Oh - and screaming like 15 year olds at a Hannah Montana show does not make up for it. Performers prefer actual feedback to what they are doing.

That off my chest, sadly, the show was - at best - pretty mediocre.
It was the first show of the tour - the boys were rusty. I suspect it will be a good show in a couple weeks - the banter will be better, the paying tighter, the band looser in dealing with new, larger audiences and Kristin funnier. They will have to breathe life into their older material that recent fans to the band still want to hear - Robots, Business Time, etc. even if they are tired of them.

And where was the Hiphopopotomus?