Hartford Webster Theatre. Capacity about 1000. Maybe 2/3 full. Tops.
Opening: The Bobmen: Ouch. That's all I have to say. The singer in particular is about 15 minutes behind the times with that hair. I will not write anything about the city itself (*shudder*) or the red-light district where the Webster Theatre is located. The sign on the corner marked "Cars soliciting prostitutes will be confiscated" pretty much says it all.
Setlist, out of order: Grace, Too / Poets  / Fully / Bobcaygeon / Courage /Ahead by a Century / Thugs / Save the Planet / Something On / So Hard Done By / Nautical Disaster / Giftshop / Fireworks / Hundredth Meridian // Vapour Trails / New Orleans / Escape is at Hand / On the Verge.
Highlights and weirdness:
* 4 songs off Day For Night (whoo!). Thugs was a bit rough, which isn't all that surprising considering the amount of times they actually play it. Introed with something like "If you don't know why this is called Thugs, this probably applies to you." So Hard was great, as usual.
* The Wings song "Jet" (I think that's what it's called) during a 12-13 minute 100th (which also featured NeverEnding Present). The segue back into 100th was kind of screwed up by Gordie - He changed the tempo completely and forgot "swollen city breeze" and recovered by adding in a good 5-6 terms that rhymed with it before the band kicked back in. The weirdest part of the song was a bit about the Marlboro man. "Bob, I miss my lung" was repeated a few times. * "If You Lived Here" from Road Apples session at end of Poets (it resurfaced at the end of Nautical in Boston).
* "Insomniacs of the World Goodnight" quite a few times. "Lofty Pines" at the end of Verge.
* The crowd was pretty great. Not one Canadian flag (though the usual Team Canada and Barilko jerseys were spotted here and there). People were just dancing away and enjoying the music. Gen Admission usually spells trouble, but everyone was too cool.