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The Troubadour
June 19th, 2003

::Song #1
::Dynomite
::Alive
::A is For Action
::Scream
::Let's Talk Turkey
::Black Jetta
::Sex Symbols On Parade
::STD Dance
::Spearmint
::12=3 (Here Come The Doctors)
::Here Come The Bombs

Hey Phob -- it was good seeing you and Drac tonight. Hope you guys had fun. Thanks a bunch for the CD, drac!!!

Oh and STD Dance was the shit. What a great show. I'll write more when it's a little less 4:30am.

STD Dance. That's a fun one!

Yeah, man...good seeing you...glad some .net'ers made it into the show. I really feel for those that were screwed out of it.

It was fun seeing you guys, as well. And Mdub and Chonk and Denesie and all the rest. That was a good one, wasn't it? Certainly the band appeared more polished than ever...they seemed to be like a new gift opened right out of the box that works exactly to manufacturer specs. A labored way of describing that this performance had them at their height--all that rehearsal time paid off as there were very few breaks noticed, smooth transitions between songs, and tight tight tight instrumentation.

The one notably sucky aspect to the night was that apparently the label bought out a big block of tickets for the show, leaving a lot of fans who had expected to be able to buy tickets that day empty-handed and waiting outside the venue. Alex alluded to it onstage, when he peered over the crowd and announced that there were a lot of good people waiting outside so why couldn't they fit more people in the room? And they could, really, there was plenty of space and it wasn't nearly as full as the other sold-out shows I've seen at the Troub. It just seems like if someone had this big pile of extra tickets, you know, make them available somehow to fans and fill the place up. Ima Robot hasn't exactly been playing weekly shows like they did three years ago, yet there were people who were there from the beginning who couldn't make it in last night. End rant.

Highlights from the set:

* Alive - Has a crazy new bridge to the chorus or something. It's very angular/baroque and mixes the song up a lot. Like the addition of backing vocals that we heard in Europe, this new twist is another tiny change that throws the entire song into a different light.

* Black Jettas - Awesome crowd response to this one. And definitely a more cohesive performance than the few others' we've heard of the song. Alex has really perfected the sound of tires squealing around a corner, an effect that shows up at least twice in "Black Jettas." We may have witnessed the best crowd response to this song, better than Dyno even...

* Sex Symbols - Alex cuts Joey off one bar in, makes like he wants to tell his infamous Tijuana tale of androgeny, Joey in turn cuts him off and re-starts the song. Goofy, goofy, goofy stuff from a band who truly looked like they were having a ball out there. They seemed to be way past the point of awkwardness and could interact with each other naturally while still picking up their cues.

* STD Dance - Another song that is going into the "one-legged puppy" category--it's likely one of the B-sides that's going to be on international releases of the single, yet it's quality enough to stand on its own. It's the cute puppy with one leg that you get for free at the pound but you love it and nurture it and give it prostheses and it wins the Special Olympics the next year. This song has heavy electronic elements, hand-claps, copious opportunities for poses, and has a bit of an Electric 6 feel to it, which doesn't hurt. It was followed by another potential B-side:

* Spearmint - nutso, Gang of Four-style tune with a militaristic harshness about it that takes Ima Robot in an entirely different direction, at least when compared to the more melody-driven stuff we've been hearing as of late. This one sounds like it came out of 1982 East Germany--powerful, disjointed, icon-building. I think this is the one where Oli made it out from behind with guitar? Anyway, we asked him before the show what he thought of these new B-sides, and he mentioned that he always gets attached to the new stuff right when it's done and good and ready to go. The two new songs we heard tonight were the real deal and incredibly in tune with the whole Ima Robot sensibility for being so fresh.

That's it. They went on before Jet, keeping in line with their new rep for headlining a show but taking the good timeslot for people who have to get up early the next day. Pics on their way and psst--there is a recording of this one.

--->>>Some Photos From The Troubadour Here<<<---

This may shed a little more light on the night if you were one of the unlucky ones stuck peering through the windows. I'll fix them up and add them to the Ima Robot Photo Gallery over the weekend.

No idea on the sounds quality, but it will be liberated. Finally. Patience.

Sounds like a radical show, too bad I was stuck at home while some fat cat was sitting on extra tickets. What's up with this "recording"?

The entire set will be posted over the weekend. Keep coming back. It's the least we can do since so many did not make it into the show.

I didn't get in, but as a friend said, "Thank goodness for plan B's". To me hangin out in front with the guys is a good 30%. Justin & Tim were hangin in front for a good while, and is it just me or was this guy in the plaid shirt on the top right hangin out last night?:D

I wouldnt be sooprised if that big dude was there, Ive seen him at a bunch of shows before. No one knows his name, but everyone calls his Parker Lewis.

parker lewis dude, I knew it!!!!! he was hitting on some chick, put on some extra pounds too. LOL I cant believe u caught that too. I was the crazy dancer.

zack

Zack and Alex shared a *moment*. It was precious.

Apparantly we all shared a moment. Front and center.

Kubiak!

Isn't that the guy from ER? Is his name Abraham Benrubi?

Good to see Phobiac and Draconian at the Troubadour last night!...Thought the show was one of their best. The sound was clean, tight and polished. Talked to some people after the show and all thought "Black Jettas" was the highlight...I thought "A is for Action" and "STD Dance" sounded particularly good as well...

Quote:

Originally posted by seacaptain Kubiak!

I , I , captain.:D