media Jonathan Coulton at the Birchmere

Posted September 1, 2007 • Comments Off on Jonathan Coulton at the Birchmere

I didn’t think Jonathan Coulton could fill the Birchmere, but he damn near did. Empty seats here and there in the center section, and more in the wings, but he did well. Good for him.

It was a really fun show. I had a lot more fun with Paul and Storm’s set than I usually do; they had one or two new things, which was refreshing, and their asides and comments were raunchier, more topical, and therefore significantly funnier than at Jammin’ Java. I suppose the venue counts for a lot. I also noticed, thanks to David and to some snide remarks they made to each other, that Paul does not in fact play his guitar; it’s not plugged in, he doesn’t strum it, it’s a prop. He does play the piano, and at one point the harmonica, but the guitar? Nope.

Storm: “Oops.” Paul: “Ha ha!” Storm: “Hey. How many chords have you played tonight?” Paul: “At least I’ve fucked up less of them than you have!” Storm: “That’s true. Call it even.”

Coulton’s set was less energetic at first than Paul and Storm’s, but the crowd was absolutely with him, and they’d come prepared. During every monkey song (there are three; he sang two) and during “Octopus” (apparently never played live before), he was pelted with small stuffed animals, many with notes and money pinned on. After “Re: Your Brains” he was pelted with gummy brain candy.

One stuffed animal hit Paul’s shoe, and he declared that it touched his foot, so “it’s mine now … no, really, I was just looking for extra toilet paper.” I played the Explainer explaining this joke in the car on the way home. See? Topical and raunchy. Apparently my blasé reaction to them at Jammin’ Java all this time was just because they were holding back the blue for a “family” crowd. I can’t get over how much better they were tonight. I finally almost understand why the first time I saw them they were the headliner and Coulton was the opening act.

One stuffed monkey had on it four dollars and a note, which read something like “Will you play my bachelor party in exchange for a room in a three-star hotel on the Vegas strip and a $149 daily gambling stipend?” Coulton responded with “let’s not discuss this now, send me an email.” To which the thrower called out, “That’s the same thing Neil Diamond said!” Following which there was much chuckling about Jonathan Coulton being the guy’s second choice.

Following which they played “Sweet Caroline” with no apparent advance planning whatsoever and the entire place went apeshit. (“So good! So good! So good!”) It was awesome.

It was really nice to watch Lisa’s and David’s faces while these guys were playing. It’s so rare that something we do, a subset of our group, is my idea, something I know that I’m sharing. I can’t actually think of the last time that happened at all. It feels good. I see why Lisa does it all the time.

And between Paul and Storm’s song about Easter and the “Sweet Caroline” serendipity, I’m quite sorry Cindy couldn’t come along.