TMBG Shirt #39: Bird In Hand

This is a limited edition shirt that was available for purchase from the merch site only during the weekend of August 20, 2011. It features the hand of Join Us cover designer Paul Sahre gently grasping one of our fine feathered friends below the band name.

On the back, the hand has opened and birdie has flown the coop. Sorry, you can't get this shirt anymore but you can buy the brand new Ape themed tour shirt! I'll be purchasing it at my next show, #186 in Philadelphia this Friday. Look for it on this blog in the near future!

MP3 of the Week:
John Flansburgh's Shitty, Shitty Story

John told us this amusing anecdote at Mahaiwe* Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, MA on 9/9/11.
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*(pronouced "ma-HAY-way")

TMBG Shirt #38: Sailor Shirt

Avast, me heartys! This Monday, September 19 be International Talk Like a Pirate Day (and CapitalQ's birthday) and we be celebratin' with this shirt that you could be wearin' to be sailin' the high seas. This epic garrrment by none other then swarrrthy arrrtist Tony Millionaire comes complete with whale-flanked pirate ship and colorful tattoo "sleeves". 

Shiver me timbers! It be available only in off-white with long sleeves. The back be harrrboring some kind of ocean liner piloted by scurvy dogs that do be trapped inside a glass bottle. Yarrr, this be garrrb fit for any swashbucklin' buccaneer worth his salt, and I will be keelhaulin' the first son of  a biscuit eater that utters otherwise! 

Ahoy! Thar be one of my favorite performances of Why Does the Sun Shine?!

We be leavin' you landlubbers with a bloody helpful instructional video brought to you by the scallywags at loadingreadyrun.com.

MP3 of the Week:
Pirate Girls Nine

 By the powers! We be pressing on with our piratey theme. This musical numerical booty was performed on 2/23/08 at Borders in New York City.
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TMBG Shirt #37: Union County MusicFest '05

This week's blog entry comes to you from on the road; Paul and I are currently in Concord, New Hampshire for our third of four TMBG shows in four nights from September 8-11. Our TMBG weekend has been going pretty well so far. Anyway, here's a shirt from Union County MusicFest '05, which happened at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside, NJ on September 17, just over six years ago. Tomorrow is, of course the tenth anniversary of that dreadful day in history that changed our lives forever. While visiting Echo Lake Park we took a look at their respectful 9/11 memorial, which consists of two metal beams recovered from the wreckage, mounted upright to represent the fallen towers.

We saw Spiraling and The Smithereens open the show. I recall that it rained for a little while near the beginning of TMBG's set, but They pulled their gear back a little bit more under the stage awning and played though. There were a couple of annoying teenage girls that obviously came to the show for Joan Jett, but insisted on squeezing into the front row with us during They, and proceeded to talk to each other throughout the show. We went home and left them to it before headlining Jett took the stage. Good times!

MP3 of the Week:
 Birdhouse In Your Soul

 Performed at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster, PA on 7/28/11.
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TMBG Shirt #36: Debut Album

The Rodney Alan Greenblat cover of They Might Be Giants' debut eponymous album has quite a lot going on. You can stare at it for hours at a time for years and still not fully comprehend everything that is happening. From the infinite parade led by the giant John-toting blue dog to the "Truth or Sandwiches" road sign, this is an album cover for the ages!

It's a shame that the back doesn't continue the cover art as the liner notes do.
Can't have everything..

MP3 of the Week:
Clap Your Hands

 Performed at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster, PA on 7/28/11.
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