The Menzingers - After the Party (February 3, 2017) Album • Page 65

Not having listened to the album yet but seeing them tentatively next month, I wonder what staples will get dropped from the prior albums to accommodate 6-7 new songs. I Was Born, along with anything else from CW outside of an encore, might be out entirely, and Gates already was getting rotated with Sun Hotel and Mexican Guitars (*cries*) on the Bayside tour, so those three could be gone. Definitely time for them to drop Nice Things especially if Tom could bring out Hearts Unknown, or more likely, another one from the new album. In all I'd have to say:

6-7 from ATP (2 Tom, 4-5 Greg)
RW: Asshole, My Friend Kyle, In Remission, The Talk (inevitably, it's also like 2 minutes long live)
OTIP: Good Things, BAW, Obits, Gates, and on of Sun Hotel/Casey/Mexican for Greg, one of Ava/Nice Things for Tom
CW: Who's Your Partner for Tom, I Was Born/Time Tables for Greg
HOD: Sunday Morning as an encore?
ALITAOIT: Title track as an encore?
Irish Goodbyes or the Shakes from the singles

So that is: 13-14 for Greg, 7/8 for Tom?

 

i don't care for gates but casey and mexican guitars need to be played

 

I'm just excited for there to be new songs in the set at all. I love this band, but they are extremely predictable when it comes to putting together a setlist. Pre-OTIP, they only lock is I Was Born, usually either Time Tables or Rivalries, and then a couple times a year they'll throw in Sunday Morning or ALITAOIT. Other than that, it's the usual suspects from OTIP and RW, and either The Shakes or Irish Goodbyes.

Their acoustic shows, however, are always a treat - seems like nothing is off limits in that environment (except Even for an Eggshell).

 

Also, it's a bonafide travesty that Nothing Feels Good Anymore hasn't been played more than a couple of times. Won't be able to rest until I hear that one.

 

Just over a day till this will be in my ears....

 

Didn't realize Nothing Feels Good Anymore doesn't get played much. Cool that they played that one the only time I've seen them

 

I didn't think I was in the minority till now, but I really hope Gates stays on the setlist.

Also shout out to @troyplaysbass who seems to have most of the lyrics for this down on genius now.

 

Please drop Nice Things

 

Maybe an unpopular opinion but Nothing Feels Good Anymore might be my least favorite Greg song from Hold On Dodge onwards.

 

Gotta disagree with that...Nice Things is probably my favorite Tom song on OTIP, and I'd love to see it live.

 

If you've never seen it I understand but they've played it every time I've seen them since 2012 which has been a fuck ton of times haha I'd rather hear almost anything else

 

The bayside tour set was pretty damn good for an opening slot, hit a lot of their discog with two new songs thrown in

 

Fair deal. Prior to their upcoming tour, I haven't seen them since 2011 when they opened The Bouncing Souls so honestly hearing any OTIP songs live will make me immensely happy.

 

Agreed it was one of the best support slots they could ever do.

For this I'd guess:

7 ATP
4 RW
5 OTIP
1 CW
1 Curveball

 

That was a great tour!

 

One non-major negative comment I have about the album is I feel Livin' Ain't Easy isn't a great closer. I love the song, but in terms of a closer it doesn't really feel like one?

I don't think any song on this album would be a great "closer" per say, but I would have done After the Party last.

 

Idk after the party makes a great pentultimate track imo

 

Agreed. That was my only negative about the entire album, but definitely nothing major.

 

Closer feels perfect to me

 

i dunno, i saw them a bunch during the OTIP shows and have only seen them twice since, but i always thought they mix it up more than most

 

I like it a lot as a closer, I feel it wraps up the album thematically very well. Ending on "the life I've painted I have sold for a quick twenty" line feels perfect to end the album and is a nice play on words with the "twenties" theme of the album.

I know what you mean though about liking a song vs. liking it as a closer. "Freedom Bridge" isn't one of my favorites, but I think it ends that album well. I like "When You Died" but it doesn't really speak to me as a song that wraps up that album.

 

Rolling Stone Australia gave this four stars and compared it to Polar Bear Club, which makes me tremendously happy

 

Petition for The Menzingers and Japandroids to tour together this Fall

 

You can sign my name to that! Never seen either of them so that would be a real treat for me

 

Vinyl just got here, sounds amazing so far.