The bill for last Thursday’s show at the United Theater on Broadway was an eclectic one, to say the least. You had a colorful, bubblegum punk group from Japan, some Santa Barbara 90’s alternative/pop rockers, and then some 80’s, Australian rock legends topping the bill. Yet somehow, this tour featuring Men At Work, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Shonen Knife worked, leading to a crowd-pleasing evening of bouncy hooks, comforting vibes, and feel-good nostalgia.
This was my second time seeing Osaka, Japan’s Shone Knife (I first caught their headlining show at The Roxy last year). As they were then, the band brought a child-like innocence with their songs about food, and song-titles like “Flying Jelly Attack” and their Power Puff Girls tribute “Buttercup (I’m a Super Girl)”. I couldn’t help thinking “I can’t wait to play this music for my daughter when she’s old enough.” Their songs burst with easily memorable hooks and excitable energy, and are tackled with the same kind of punk rock fervor of The Ramones. “Sweet Candy Power” was a wonderful “call and response” with the audience, and “Banana Chips” is so endearing, Toad’s Glen Phillips specifically pointed out how he would miss hearing that song nightly. Their closer “Antonio Baka Guy” even got heavy, with loud riffs and the women banging their heads in unison.
It has been about a little over four years since I first saw Toad the Wet Sprocket. Something about the band, from their folk-inflected style of pop-rock to singer Glen Phillips‘ voice, just feel like pure comfort. Opening songs “Good Intentions” and “Whatever I Fear” took me back in time to the 90’s; days when I had far less stress and responsibility, and even sad songs could feel like calming balms on the soul. Over thirty years into their career, this band still sounds great live. “California Wasted” and “Hold On” had the kind of choruses that few bands write these days – mid-tempo, warm, and just the right amount of melancholy. I was kind of surprised they included a more recent song like “Hold On” and “Transient Whales” (yet not that album’s great single “Starting Now”).
Obviously the band played most its beloved material from the 90’s, like the highlight “Something’s Always Wrong” and “Crazy Life.” But after asking band members what their first concerts were, Phillips then revealed that his first was Men at Work, before launching into a cover of another 80’s Australian band’s hit song, INXS‘ “Don’t Change” (seemingly a favorite amongst bands of his era – the first time I ever heard that song was the Goo Goo Dolls‘ cover of it). The band then closed out their set with their biggest songs; the harder “Fall Down”, the classic “All I Want”, and the dreamy “Walk on the Ocean.” I’m definitely this band is still going, and sounding as good as ever. I certainly wouldn’t mind some new music from them (and I definitely would still love guitarist Todd Nichols’ to release his Lapdog album on streaming services at some point. Or even better, let me distribute it on Indy Review Records).
It had been five years since I first saw Men at Work, and I was looking forward to seeing them again without the distraction of giant beach balls. The group opened with “Touching the Untouchable” and “No Restrictions”, a couple of harder rocking songs from the MaW catalogue. Hay discussed his time living in Los Angeles, relaying a story about a night out where his car was towed, leading him to write the next song, “Can’t Take This Town.” The first song that seemed to get the audience standing and hollering was “Down by the Sea” from the group’s break-out album.
While frontman Colin Hay doesn’t try to hide that the band on stage with him is completely different from the original players that brought “Down Under” to the world, that doesn’t mean the players he’s recruited aren’t top notch. During the fourteen song set, Hay held center court, but was generous with letting his band members shine. The band’s saxophonist/flutist/keyboard player was a young lady likely not even born yet with the band had its first hits, but she killed it on all three instruments. The young bassist laid down some smooth grooves, and the guitarist enjoyed some freewheeling solo time. The most active member on stage was the back-up singer, tambourine player, and all-around hype woman Cecilia, who also happens to be Hay’s wife.
Hay showed that he still has a wry sense of humor, spinning tales of his early days trying to make it, and meeting Jack Nicholson at an L.A. club. Though he semi-jokingly discussed how his band had only five hits (“better than one, not as good as ten”), those songs got rapturous responses as he played them. “Overkill,” with its meaningful “day after day…”, and “It’s a Mistake” becoming one of the loudest sing-alongs. He introduced the next song by mentioning how he heard it in a supermarket and told the cashier he wrote it, only to get an uninterested response. Personally, I would be impressed meeting the person who wrote “Who Can it Be Now?” since it’s a great song.
And then of course came “Down Under,” the most Australian song to ever come out of Australia. It’s one of those songs you can’t not love, from its Aboriginal flute hook, to lyrics about Vegemite sandwiches. “Down Under” and “Crocodile Dundee” will always be symbols of the 80’s fascination with Australian culture (though the former is aging better). Surprisingly, this was not the final song of the night, Hay closed the night with the lesser-known “Be Good Johnny” before saying good night to the crowd and this wonderful quirky tour.
Until the next time Men at Work comes around to your town, catch up on their music here.
The Indy Review 