Why do Rochester shows also have to be so...interesting? :-)

After listening to the WBER interview at noon, and lounging around the apartment all afternoon, I sauntered down to the venue at 5:30. Nothing beats being ten minutes away from where the show is. There were about five people in line at this point, and doors weren't supposed to open till seven. More and more people started showing up, and fairly soon the line got very long, and we were all freezing our tushies off...

Doors opened a little past seven. My mom and my godmother came to the show with me, and we headed up to the balcony area; no seats, but a great view of the stage. All of the other people that were there: Jenn, Heather, Jered, Jo, Laurie, Zac, Spidey, Katie, Sarah Hoffman, Kelly SL, Sam Park, my boss (whom I love :-) and his brother, and a bunch of other people whose names I've forgotten.

Tory Cassis was the opener and he went on around eight. The crowd seemed a little disinterested, in my opinion. The place was packed but everyone was talking during Tory's whole set. :-( He played for a little less than an hour, and, as always, I enjoyed his set greatly.

Fruvous come on pretty much as planned, a little past nine. They played a two hour set, and the crowd was into it for the most part. At first, the crowd seemed like they had all taken a community valium or something; they were so dead! But as the show progressed, things kicked in.

After the show (around eleven), we all chatted for a bit, but the venue kicked us out fairly soon, unfortunately. At that point, the night took an interesting turn. Jered, Jenn, Heather, Laurie, Kelly and I attempted to drive 5 cars from the city to a Perkins near where I live. We all ended up getting separated, and two hours later, and after getting lost, locking keys in cars, etc..., we finally all met up at the Perkins for some much needed food.

Jen, Jered and I headed back to my place and finally hit the sack around three in the morning. Ughh... What a night. The show was decent (the crowd seemed a little so-so in my opinion), and the after show 'festivities' definitely made this a show to put in the fruvous archives.

From Jered Floyd:

Well, now for my whirlwind review and comments before I head off to sleep; Rochester was fun (although I wasn't feeling that great), but the crowd really irked me. Many people were really rude and obnoxious, talking through Tory's set and songs like "Fell in Love". I couldn't really hear Tory that well (I was up on the balcony that night), so I'm glad he opened on Saturday too.

I had an interesting time getting directions to the venues. I normally use MapQuest for directions, but they denied the existance of Andrews Road (where the Harro East is), and ended up using Maps-On-Us Big mistake! Besides the facts that MapQuest is easier to use and makes nicer maps, the directions I got from Maps-On-Us were just _wrong_ as far as I could tell. Well, lessons learned...

From Freetime magazine (11/5-11/19/97, Vol. 21, No. 12, pg. 10):

Harro East, November 8

Before being signed by Warner Music Canada, quasi-acappella group Moxy Fruvous had reached "gold" (50,000) units in Canada with its six-song eponymous indie cassette release and had opened for the like of Bryan Adams and Bob Dylan.

In 1993, the Toronto groups's debut album Bargainville, went platinum in Canada while the band toured sold-out theaters across Canada and garnered a Juno nomiation for Group of the Year. They followed this with non-stop touring throughout the U.S. and Europe allowing Moxy to hone their skills and develop a fanatical fan following who are known internationally as the "Fruheads."

In 1995, the band released their second album, Wood, a more intimate and personal record and have just put out their third full-length record, You Will Go To The Moon. The experimental sounds of Moxy Fruvous combines "gansta banjo hip-hop", "accordion love songs", "Persian epics" and "solid pop songs" into one cohesive package.

From City magazine (Volume 27, Number 7 - November 5-11, 1997; pg. 19):

Fruvy?

Moxy Fruvous is a band that has won over an awful lot of fans by nature of it eclecticism and wacky sense of humor. On the other hand, Moxy Fruvous haters say this self-consciously eclectic outfit is just plain annoying, and the jokes aren't that funny anyway. Well, at least they're getting a reaction. Moxy Fruvous plays the Harro East Ballroom, 155 Chestnut Street, 8 p.m. Saturday, November 8.

From Rochester Democrat & Chronicle (Weekend 11/6/97; pg. 3)

Moxy Fruvous. This Canadian quartet has grown into one of the more popular acts to regularly pass through Rochester, offering a blend of unique pop sounds, amusing lyrics and pointed political commentary. Moxy Fruvous performs at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Harro East Ballroom, 155 Chestnut St. Tickets are $12.50 and are available at Record Archive, Lakeshore Record Exchange, Fantastic Records, RNK Music and Aaron's Alley and Ticketmaster (232-1900). Call 454-0230.

Thanks to Sarah Newhouse for this one:
• The scanned setlist
  Thanks to Chris & Moe for these:
• Tory Cassis
• The King looks confused!
• Mr. Cheese and Sam duke it out
• Mike does Boo Time
  Thanks to Sue Lasota for this one:
• Jian during GE&H

• I've Gotta Get a Message to You (A Cappella)

• Poor Mary Lane
• Chatter
  • Mike: Here's a song for my beloved, who happens to be here tonight.
• On Her Doorstep
• Chatter
  • Jian: Thank you American humans and corporate concentration activists and detractors, alike. We are Moxy Fruvous, from Iceland! We come from Iceland, eh? After Bjork, we're the biggest export from Iceland. The Icelandic economy depends on us. Moxy Fruvous are Icelandic words. If you say Bjork Moxy Fruvous, that means "Yes, I'll take size ten". If you're in a store in Iceland, like the Gap, and happen to be a size ten, and they ask you, in Icelandic, "what size are you?", you say 'Bjork Moxy Fruvous'.
  • Mike: That's the way you shop in Rejykavik (sp?).
  • Jian: This has been our year of coming to America. But, we've always had friends in Rochester.
  • Jian talks about how the next song has had a bunch of radio play.
• Michigan Militia
• Chatter
  • Jian: We're a protest group. And our latest cause is against the anti-food people. We believe in food. Do you believe in food?
• Johnny Saucep'n
• Chatter
  • Murray: Here's a song about a great American pastime, which is passing time.
  • Jian greets Bytor back to the stage.
  • Jian shakes Bytor to hear the wonderful sound he produces.
  • Jian: He likes when I do that. He likes the violent tendencies.
  • Murray: Bytor's a head banger.
  • Jian: How many people have a stereo that rocks? How many people want a stereo that rocks? How many people would just cheer for stereos that rock?
• Lazy Boy
• Boo Time (Jazz Version)
  • Murray, before the intro: Once more with the snap...snapping the fingers.
  • Mike, intro, audience call and response: Hoot owl noises. Dog noises. Cat noises. Squeaks. 'Fruhead'. Gun noises. 'Joe'. 'They got my leg'. 'Big Jim'. 'Sports Gambler'.
  • Mike: I hear a hoot owl. I hear a hoot owl, Lord Bayden Powell, Vanna White buyin' us another big vowel, with a new one on top, let it drop, with us, with us...
  • Mike & Dave call and response: Various scat lines. Babbling at one another.
  • Mike & audience call and response: Various scat lines. Dog sounds. Goodbye Kodak. Play it Kojak. Smarmy smarmy. Groovy Army. Gonna get wailed. On Genesse Cream Ale.
  • Final improv line (repeated 4x): Big boo feast at the Harro East!
• Chatter
  • Murray: Thank you. Very kind and very responsive.
  • Murray: We live in a disposable society. When the year 2000 comes around, we'll throw it all way. Everything we've worked for, we'll just throw away. Because, there's a place we can go to.
  • Dave: It's not Xanadu.
  • Murray: It's not Narnia.
  • Jian: I wish it was Narnia.
  • Mike: Bora Bora.
  • Dave: Brigadoon.
  • Jian: Nirvana.
  • Murray: Well, where is it, if it's not Brigadoon?
  • Dave: It rhymes with Brigadoon.
  • Murray: It must be the moon!
• You Will Go to the Moon
• Chatter
  • Mike mentions the radio interview at WBER they had that day.
  • Jian talks about how great the station is.
  • Jian: But, if you're having troubles of the heart, Dave listens to WLUV in Toronto. It's talk radio.
  • Dave: The advice they give warms the cockles of your heart.
  • Mike: If you lookin' for hot cockles.
• Your New Boyfriend (Slow Version)
• Fell in Love
• Chatter
  • Murray asks the balcony-goers how they're doing.
  • Jian: That's a cool place to be.
  • Mike: The people in the balcony are 'the beautiful people'.
  • A quick Marilyn Manson tease ensues.
  • Dave sings a 'groovy people' jazzy number.
  • Mike sings 'Shiny Happy People' in a whiny voice.
  • A tease of a TMBG song (from 'Lincoln') occurs briefly.
  • Mike shakes his tambourine and reminds himself of a Beatles' song.
  • The guys join in and sing a quick Beatles tune.
  • Jian: The accordion should be in every hit song. If only Prodigy had an accordion.
  • Dave sings 'Feelings' and 'You're only making plans' on the accordion.
  • Dave plays some accordion while Mike sings the Spice Girls.
  • Jian: I don't think even the accordion can help the Spice Girls.
  • Mike: The could use the accordion as protection when they throw those darts around.
  • Jian: If we were on tour with them, they'd let us borrow those boomerangs.
  • Murray: They're good singers...and dancers.
• No No Raja
• Jockey Full of Bourbon
  • Dave and Murray do a bass and accordion instrumental segue between the last song and this one.
• Video Bargainville
  • Mike, during the intro, speaks some prose/lyrics from some song I don't recognize. "And in the depths, as the last corpses lie rotting on Fogs' hill, no more celluloid..."
  • Jian repeats the intro, in order to get a bigger response from the audience on the word "Two!".
  • Jian drolls the word Roger before saying the first "At Video Bargainville".
  • Jian says "ya ya ya ya ya" instead of the last "just ask for Roger".
• B.J. Don't Cry
  • Dave, during the drum intro: Tell me what you want, what you really really want.
  • Jian, during the drum intro: Somebody, somebody, somebody, somebody scream! (the last 'scream' occurs right before the drum hit that occurs right before the song kicks in; during that silence, the audience screams)
  • "bullet and a brush"
  • Mike uses his megaphone for the "Now on the street..." section.
  • "looked just like Uncle Fester...but he'd rather rock down in Rochester"
• Chatter
  • Jian: Some of you may know that Moxy Fruvous are Repulicans. We're Repulicans in the current Australian sense, and the Jeffersonian sense. The founding humans threw off the chains of the British monarchy. We're sick of the monarchy. We hate having the Queen's face on our money.
  • Jian: Actually, there was one monarch. An ex-monarch now, he's a guy that we really do like. Is this the shah of Iran? No, he died of cancer in 1980. Is it Fredinand Marcos? Wasn't a monarch. Is it the Princess Bride? We wish it was Robin Wright, or Sean Penn, but it's neither. Put your collective Rochester bodies and hands together for the introduction!
  • Mike: Here come the story about a guy who has a striking resemblance to a fellow who co-wrote a song with our opening act, Tory Cassis, the King of Spain!
• King of Spain
  • Jian, during the intro: In a tibetan hat.
  • Mike, during the intro: The hassle for the castle with the tassel.
  • Murray, during the intro: I can't believe I'm on the same stage as the real King of Spain. What a thrill.
  • "there's a balcony overhead...Dave Matheson"
  • "give all of these people chocolate eclairs!"
  • Dave sings "Matilda" briefly before the epilogue.
• Chatter
  • Murray: If you were my king, you'd be my king for life.
  • Dave: Somebody in the court might tell me to "Get in the car".
• Get in the Car

• Psycho Killer
  • Jian, during the intro, thanks the crowd, thanks the venue, Cal, Lazlo, "our favorite whipping boy" Marcus, Artie, and Marsal. Jian promises that the band will return in the spring.

• Chatter
  • Mike: Is there anyone out there who happens to be a big fan of the books of Danielle Steele? of Ian Fleming? of Bytor's favorite author, the late great Dr. Seuss?
• Green Eggs & Ham (Full Version)
  • Murray, talking to Cheese: It's a tough crowd tonight.
  • Murray: Mr. Cheese is a fan of the politics of the Republicans. The music of the Spice Girls. And the fashions of Prince Charles, in the morning.
  • Murray: The other! Seen riding that big juicer thing you have on that building, I don't know what that is.
  • Jian: When I was 15, with my wilted pumpkin. When I was 16, with...my...duck.
  • Murray: Be careful when you're choosing your heroes.
  • During 'Not the Beatles', Jian: This is upstate NY, there's a lot of left over hippies here and stuff. Everyone else is an Oasis fan.
  • Jian cites a bunch of 'Beatles' songs: New Year's Day, Pride in the Name of Love, Lemon.
  • Mike does a Paul McCartney impression, talking about Linda.
  • Jian does his John Lennon impersonation.
  • When Dave says "Say!....", Mike sings "Everybody dance now..."
  • The audience chants when Jian is deciding whether or not to eat the GE&H.
• Chatter
  • Jian talks about how six years ago, Fruvous was buskers, and how GE&H was one of the first songs they ever did, and how they have never done the full version in Rochester.
  • Jian: People are saying, "Why were they doing a skit?"
  • Mike: They're doing a skit, I think they're thespians...
• My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors
  • "I was lookin' straight."
  • "Pulp Fiction"
  • "Who needs a grave? He's Robertson Davies!"
• Chatter
  • Jian thanks Tory Cassis and plugs his mailing list.
  • Jian plugs the recording of the live album.
  • Jian: There's one special guest star who hasn't joined us yet on this tour.
  • Jian: He's from NYC. He's a former member of the Velvet Underground. He's the poet of NY. Please welcome, Lou.
  • Mike, as Lou: I want you to know my colleague on the stomach spineway, when I come toward you, I do not mean you any harm. I just wanna rub my good luck charm. Hopefully, these guys won't fuck it up.
  • Jian: Should we play, Mr. Reed?
  • Mike: Do the thing.
• Dancin' Queen Medley

• Chatter
  • Jian: Here's a song from 'wood', that will be released in the spring in America.
  • Jian talks about the video they made for the next song, and how much they liked it.
  • Jian: We'll have to have a Rochester airing of it sometime.
• Fly
• Chatter
  • Jian: Here's a final tune, with the consent of the person next to you, you might want to link arms, and sing along.
• The Drinking Song

Some other tidbits from the performance include:

• Feel free to help contribute to this section!