LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: They Might Be Giants in Boston, MA (06.06.26)
There was a slight delay before They Might Be Giants took the stage at House of Blues Boston on June 6th, but nobody seemed to care. The room was packed shoulder-to-shoulder, buzzing with anticipation. Fans young and old filled the venue, some who had been following the band for decades and others who looked like they had only recently discovered the wonderfully strange universe that John Linnell and John Flansburgh have been building for over forty years.
The second the band walked on stage, any frustration about the wait disappeared. They kicked things off with “The Statue Got Me High,” and the place erupted.One of the first things that stood out was just how many musicians were packed onto the stage. This wasn’t simply two guys with guitars. There were keyboards, guitars, bass, drums, saxophones, and enough moving parts to make the whole thing feel more like a musical collective than a traditional rock band. Everyone seemed to be feeding off each other, smiling, nodding, and finding little moments throughout the songs to interact. It was obvious these musicians genuinely enjoyed being up there together.
At the center of it all was John Linnell, sitting behind his keyboard setup with his trademark black-framed glasses, looking exactly like the brilliant musical oddball fans have loved for decades. There’s something refreshing about Linnell. He doesn’t command attention like a typical frontman. He doesn’t need to. His personality, his voice, and the sheer uniqueness of the songs do all the work.
A few songs in, “Turn Around” got one of the biggest reactions of the night. The title itself became part of the joke as people literally turned around while singing along. It was one of those moments where you looked around the room and realized almost everyone knew every word. The song instantly lifted the energy another notch and turned the crowd into one giant singalong.
“Mammal” was another standout. The song’s playful lyrics and infectious rhythm had the audience grinning from ear to ear. The horn players in the back were having a blast, punctuating the song with bursts of saxophone while the rest of the band bounced around them. Watching the musicians interact was almost as entertaining as listening to the songs themselves. There was constant banter, sideways glances, and moments where it felt like they were trying to make each other laugh.
That chemistry carried throughout the entire night. Linnell and John Flansburgh spent plenty of time joking with each other between songs, throwing out sarcastic comments and little jabs that had the crowd laughing almost as hard as they were singing. It never felt rehearsed. It felt like watching two lifelong friends who still genuinely enjoy each other’s company after all these years.
What has always made They Might Be Giants special is that they never seem interested in being cool. They embrace the weirdness. They write songs about things nobody else would write songs about and somehow make them catchy enough that hundreds of people will sing every word back at them. That’s not easy to do.
As the set rolled on through fan favorites and deep cuts, the audience stayed locked in. There wasn’t much standing around with phones in the air. People were engaged. They were dancing, laughing, singing, and genuinely having fun.
For a band that’s been around since the early 1980s, there was nothing about this performance that felt tired or nostalgic. If anything, They Might Be Giants felt energized. The songs still sounded fresh, the humor still landed, and the connection between the band and the audience felt as strong as ever.
Walking out of House of Blues at the end of the night, it was hard not to smile. In a world that often takes itself far too seriously, They Might Be Giants continue to remind us that being smart, strange, funny, and completely yourself is still a pretty great way to make music.
Photos – They Might Be Giants at House of Blues in Boston, MA on June 6th:
