BRAIN: Billy Hilfiger/Today's Altoona show

[Steven Tice]

I just got back from the Brain Surgeons appearance in Altoona, PA.  What a
great show!  I'll get to the details in a minute.  Re: Billy Hilfiger, he
played some fantastic guitar at the concert and showed no signs of any
problems.  Albert told me after the show that Billy had been diagnosed with a
brain tumor, but that the Brain Surgeons gigs were helping him keep his mind
off of it.  Let's all wish him the best of health!

Now, to the show!  Due to last minute complications this past week, the venue
and time for the show were changed, and the crowd was kind of sparse.
 Actually, by the time the Brain Surgeons hit the stage, only a dozen or so
people were in attendance.  (I for one was rather glad the moshers had left,
since their goofy gyrations were obscuring my view of the band!).  It was
really exciting to finally see Albert, Deb, and company playing this great
music live.  The set list (not necessarily in order):

Saint Vitus Dance
Medusa
Gun
Gimme Nothin'
My Civilization
Donkey Show
Laura's Plastic Swords
I Play the Drums
Dominance and Submission
Cities on Flame
The Red and the Black

I only wish they'd had time for more music!  It was nice to see that all of
the band members (and Albert in particular) were really enjoying themselves
playing their music, despite the sparse attendance.  Highlights for me were
hearing Deb's voice live (it's just as bouncy, fun, and unique as on the
albums), hearing a couple of my favorite Brain Surgeons tunes (My
Civilization, Donkey Show, Laura's Plastic Swords--all solid and powerful
renditions), Albert's drum break on I Play the Drums (he progressed from
playing his drums to playing the various pieces of his drums to playing
various objects as he walked around the stage!), the three BOC songs (only
Albert does Dominance and Submission justice!  Cities on Flame was
monstrously powerful, and The Red and The Black was a fun surprise), and of
course chatting with Albert and Deb after the show.  All in all, it was a
great concert.  It's just too bad that more people weren't there to see it!

SET