A Mighty Christmas Variety Show
I the Mighty put on a “Mighty Christmas Variety Show” at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. It was basically just frontman Brent Walsh’s dream show with all his best friends. Which is a GREAT thing, because all of his best friends are incredibly talented, and even without I the Mighty headlining, I would’ve gone to this show to see any of the other bands involved.
My friend Emily (who’s also friends with all the musicians at the show) was celebrating her birthday pre-gaming at a Coin-Op arcade before we all headed over to Bottom of the Hill. Toward the end of the pre-game, I let another friend Loni know where we were so she could join us on the ride over. She baked cookies for ITM drummer Blake Dahlinger, but the bartender made her hand ’em over while we were still chilling at the bar.
I might’ve been a little bit tipsy when we eventually got to the venue.
Devin and Veronica, my favorite Vegas COTFs, were already at Bottom of the Hill, and Devin was messaging Loni and I trying to get us to get over there quicker.
Devin: “The Matches are here.”
Me: “Uhhhh well Jon’s tap dancing sooooo yeah, they are.”
Devin: “And Green Day.”
Me: “Okay well now I know you’re lying.”
Devin: “And System of a Down.”
Matches’ bassist Justin San Souci was also in the audience of the show, so the first thing I did when I saw him was yell at Devin, “Hey, Justin’s in the Matches too! You weren’t wrong!”
Veronica was a little tipsy too, but she was more just excited that I was.
“I wanna be on Lindsay’s level! I’ve never seen you drunk before!”
Soon enough the show started. I didn’t know what to expect with a lineup so stacked, but there wasn’t really any changeover time between bands, and somehow it still ran late.
Brent came onstage in a Christmas suit, which was super cute, along with the rest of the I the Mighty boys in their own Christmas apparel.
They opened the show with a short acoustic set: “All I Want for Christmas is You,” “Slow Dancing Forever,” “Speak to Me,” and “The Dreamer.”
Tapper Dan (aka Jon Devoto of the Matches) came out and tap danced between bands. He is just the best. I love him.
And his Christmas suit was pretty wonderful too.
Stand-up comic from LA Peet Guercio came onstage next. He was funny. I liked him. He had a joke about a guy in NYC who yelled “Fuck you!” at a woman who was mid-sneeze for not thanking him for blessing her for the previous sneeze. Oh New York… That’s my future home, I guess.
Then Tapper Dan came back. He pretty much just filled the time it took to switch equipment onstage with a dance or two between every act.
Then guitarist Jules Leyhe played a few songs.
Oh yeah and also between sets were raffles. I the Mighty raffled off a prop from one of their music videos, posters, and a guitar.
There was also an ugly sweater contest. The ITM boys picked three audience members and brought them up onstage for judging.
The guy in the middle won.
This whole show felt like a family reunion to me. I was basically running around the venue from friend to friend giving hugs before being called away by someone else. A COTF Nae even introduced me to one of her friends calling me “popular,” which is a word I don’t think I’ve ever heard used to describe me before, but it felt nice. I started telling a few people at this show that I’m moving to New York soon, so I knew this was my last show in the Bay Area. Not only was the audience filled with all of my friends, but every band onstage were some of my favorites from the Bay. It felt like the perfect goodbye. Bittersweet for sure, but perfect.
Anyway.
Tapper Dan danced some more, of course.
Then came the Unlikely Heroes. They were the first band I saw headline a show in San Francisco after *officially* moving to the Bay. (My relationship with San Francisco is a bit complicated if we’re being honest.)
I got right up in the front row for their set. This was bassist Ruth Marin’s last show with the Heroes. I meant to ask her why she decided to leave the band, but I didn’t get a chance to see her again after they played. But while they set up, she grabbed my hand from the stage and called me “the ultimate.” I love her. I miss her already and wish her all the best in whatever next adventure she has planned. Frontman Enon Gaines thanked me for being there too before they started in on their set. I wouldn’t miss this for the world, are you kidding me?
Well I guess it has been a while since the last time I caught one of their shows. I couldn’t help but notice how much older guitarist Atlix Martinez looked. He was in high school last I knew. Has he graduated since then? Probably, honestly.
Ruth sang “Santa Baby” to start off their set, while Enon passed out Santa hats to the audience.
Honestly I was less familiar with these songs than what I’m used to seeing them play live, which made me a little sad. They didn’t play “The Interview” or “Up for Days” like I was anticipating. But again, it’s on me for missing their more recent shows. It was still a great fucking show. Enon lost his shirt and shoes pretty quickly, as he always does.
Veronica was really into them, which made me happy. Honestly she seemed pretty impressed by the whole lineup. That’s what I’d been telling everyone. It’s a really great fucking lineup.
Between the Unlikely Heroes and Demon in Me was, of course, the amazing Tapper Dan.
I switched places with Demon in Me frontman Kylle Reece’s girlfriend so she could be in the front row for her boyfriend’s set.
This is the one band on the lineup that I wasn’t super familiar with (I’ve met Kylle a handful of times, but never really talked to him or listened to their music), so I kinda left the stage area to find my friends during their set. I ended up spending a good amount of time chatting with ITM drummer Blake Dahlinger. He’s one of the few I told about my move back to the East Coast, and he was excited for me. He’s honestly like the sweetest human in the world.
One last Tapper Dan performance, then I the Mighty hit the stage for their real set.
Brent changed into a black shirt, but kept his Christmas pants on.
I stayed in the front next to Devin and Veronica for the entire set.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Where the Mind Wants to Go
Psychomachia
Ft. Kylle Reece
Lying Eyes of Miss Erray
101
Ft. Jackson Blankenship, drummer of the Unlikely Heroes, with Blake on tambourine.
What a throwback. I wish they’d play more music off We Speak. One day. According to bassist Chris Hinkley, “Soon.”
Pet Names
Chaos in Motion
These Streets Are Alive
Ft. Peet Guercio
Hearts & Spades
Ft. Jon Devoto. Apparently he played guitar on the original/official recording? Well that’s pretty fucking cool.
Silver Tongues
The Christmas Song
They recorded this for a Christmas compilation, A Foggy Holiday, years ago, and I love that they actually played it live. It’s a Christmas show, they kinda had to.
That was all that was listed on the setlist, but we called them back to encore and they closed with “The Frame I: Betrayal in the Watchtower.”
Oh yeah, and somewhere in there was some technical difficulty that lead to a cover of Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So.” Why not.
Beautiful. What an amazing show, all around. So much love for all the performers.
