Sitting in on the sound check and getting a chance to finally meet Todd was a real treat.
The two of them discussing piano playing technique was a real hoot.
I saw someone was asking for a set list:
Joe Jackson: Hometown/Stepping out, Awkward age,Take it like a man, Different for girls, Obvious Song, Love at 1st Light, Hello who's your lady friend, Be my #2, Citizen Saint, Is she really going out with him
Todd: LOTCM, Cliche, Tiny Demons, Saw the Light, I don't want to tie you down, Black & White, (piano) Can We still be Friends, Viking, Hello It's Me, Bang my Uke, Afterlife, Lysistrata
Joe and Ethel: The Other Me
Todd and Ethel: Pretending to Care (joe does not play during that song)
All: While my guitar, Black Maria
I was so intent on my doing job, I couldn't have as much fun as I normally would at a concert. All of the sets were great. But as a group of friends after the show were commenting, when you have such a large catalogue of songs it's impossible to please everyone every night.
Yes I would have loved to have heard Joe do one of his Bowie songs, (Drive In Saturday?), and I really missed Real Men.
As far as Todd, yes Just one victory, and One World were missed by this fan. But you can't really argue once you have gems like Afterlife and Pretending to Care as being highlights Yes the voices were a little rough but after seeing Todd spend so much time outside with the fans in the chilly night air, one can expect the tour throat to creep in.
Some additional commentary:
Just to answer a couple notes regarding this show. I was running the lightboard that night. Ellen was one of the followspot operators. The lights were not connected to any computer.
They do set up an airport system onstage so everyone can check their emails. I wish the lights were better that night, I was given the light plot for the DVD shoot they had done in New Brunswick, NJ. It was still a lot of fun, but I would have come up with different color palettes, not ones that are needed for a video shoot. But as Todd commented, "Who knew?".
