Review of the Flight of the Conchords 2009 Tour
HBO Comedy Duo Bret and Jemaine "Rock the Party" in Philadelphia
Apr 23, 2009
New Zealand's own psychedelic-funk punk-rock comedy-folk- rap duo the Flight of the Conchords played their goofy, spoofy songs to a highly receptive audience, demonstrating that their music doesn't need the silly plots of the Grammy Award-winning HBO series of the same name to achieve its high level of dry, anecdotal humor.
The Opening Act
The show opened with an amusing bit by comedian/ actress Kristen Schaal who plays the band's biggest, least subtle (and only) fan, Mel, on the popular HBO series. But Schaal didn't perform in the character of the oddly childlike and boundlessly devoted follower.
Instead she showcased her own comedic material. This consisted, among other escapades, of an anti-drug play in three parts, and a bizarre short she called "The Life of a Mattress," where she modified her character by dressing in a twin-size piece of foam rubber. The result: mattress personified.
Enter Bret and Jemaine
Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement are the songwriters, guitarists, keyboardists, and vocalists of the Flight of the Conchords and star as their own unsuccessful, unmotivated selves on the HBO series. Bret (pronounced Brit in New Zealand tongue) is the scruffy, passive yet more emotionally expressive band member, while Jemaine brings a strange stoic, faux masculinity to the show's absurd scenarios.
Fictionally, the band is so unsuccessful that buying a second tea cup bounces various utilities checks and eventually gets them evicted from their small New York City apartment. Realistically, however, Bret and Jemaine sold out every one of their double-booked shows across North America.
The Flight of the Conchords' Setlist
The Conchords kicked off their live concert by performing a more electrified version of the song "Too Many (plural expletive for male genitalia) on the Dancefloor" wearing makeshift cardboard robot helmets and metallic silver jackets.
And yes, their costumes were equipped with disco-balls in the assumed areas. After a quick wardrobe change, the duo went on to explain that the night would consist of music, "professional talking," and those unavoidable in-between pauses that they hoped to make as graceful as possible.
Hurt Feelings
Bret and Jemaine spent the rest of the evening prop-less and modestly perched on barstools, executing their witty musical parodies in a way that showcased their talent as both comedians and musicians.
Included in the setlist were "I've Got Hurt Feelings," a song that calls attention to the sensitive side of gangsta rappers. Jemaine sings, "I make a meal for my friends / try to make it delicious / try to keep it nutritious / create wonderful dishes / Not one of them thinks about the way I feel / Nobody compliments the meal."
Season One Songs
The majority of songs the Conchords played were from season two of the series with the exception of "I'm Not Crying," a somber number in which the boys conceal their emotions from the ladies who broke their hearts. "Sello Tape," also from season one, is a series of similes relating to life, love and office supplies.
Let's not forget the very memorable season one fairy-tale send off, "Albi the Racist Dragon," a whimsical tune about a dragon who, among other things, cries jellybean tears. And who would even dream of leaving out the infamous, Marvin Gaye-inspired "Business Time," or the almost too impressive "Bowie."
Season Two Songs
Among the season two songs were "Carol Brown," who, as the refrain mentions, "took a bus out of town," and a slower version of the hilarious "Sugar Lumps," during which the duo stepped down from their stools to impress the audience with their fly dance moves.
The Conchords also played season two's "I Told You I Was Freaky," a song that details the unusual escapades the boys are zany enough to take part in. They sing, "I'll take your body and cover it with honey / stick some money to the honey / now you're covered in money honey." Now that's freaky.
All Good Things Must End
After a lovely three-song encore the Fight of the Conchords had to bring the show to an end, not because they wore themselves out with all of that singing and "professional talking," but because they had another sold-out show to put on.
A very satisfied audience left Philadelphia's Tower Theatre that evening, feeling a bit freaky, and also a bit enlightened by Bret and Jemaine's deeply poetic observations like, "love is the very strongest adhesive."
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