Well, technically comedic-genius.com isn’t even up yet, but I had the privilege of attending an utterly amazing concert this weekend and simply can’t fight back the urge to write any longer! Besides, it’ll make the archives look better if there’s actually a little something in them when this beast finally does go online, right? 
The show in question was in fact a live performance by The Bob & Tom Band, of the famed nationally syndicated radio show, of course! Taking place at The Orbit Room in Grand Rapids, MI, the shows from both Friday and Saturday night collectively represent the first time the band has ever performed in Michigan, or at least that’s what the promotion said. Nevertheless, after faithfully listening to the show for over three years, it was about time to see the band in person and it saved me a trip out of state to boot…
Surprisingly, although I showed up as the opening theme song to the show was playing, I was able to get one of the better seats in the house – I guess there is one advantage to flying solo! The main floor was pretty packed, but I managed to score a table on the second level almost directly over the stage – close enough to see the entire performance, but far enough out of eyesight from the comedians to avoid any direct ridicule! This is a rule you can’t learn soon enough after you’ve seen a few comedians…
With the exception of Kristi Lee and Dean Metcalf, the entire cast was there – Bob Kevoian, Tom Griswold and Chick McGee, as well as several back-up vocalists who I was soon able to identify as characters in various sketches on their albums. The band was announced as a 20-piece extravaganza, although the numbers didn’t seem quite that high unless they were including multiple personalities, but they rocked just the same and provided a solid backbone for the entire show. Hell, I would’ve paid just to hear these guys jam, even without all of the comedic stunts…
And oh boy, there were certainly a few of these! The actual set list (found below, in no particular order) included nearly all of their greatest hits and even a few “specialized” pieces “just for Grand Rapids,” although I’m guessing that they can just as easily insert Chicago or Indianapolis or B.F.E. to succumb to any given audience. The most hilarious parts of the show, however, were actually how the cast interacted both with each other and with the audience members in between bits. Just as we’ve all heard on the radio each and every morning, everyone equally hates each other off-radio also, which leads to the witty banter which we’ve all become accustomed to by this point!
For the show which I saw on Saturday night, I must say that the MVP easily goes to the one and only Chick McGee! Whether he was defending his own sexuality, making shadow puppets on the breasts of the ladies on stage, or merely doing his best to distract the audience away from Tom while he was performing, Chick kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what he was going to think of next. He’s always been a personal favorite of mine on the show, so getting to see him in his natural environment was certainly a treat! Possibly the most entertaining moment of the night came as Chick found it necessary to deal with a heckler in the audience, whom happened to be sitting about six feet in front of me. It’s safe to say that the bar was making their money off of this guy, so he was fairly inebriated by the time of the incident. For an unknown reason, this guy decided that it was the appropriate time to yell out, “Chick sucks cock!” right in the middle of one of their songs. Going with the flow of things, Chick stopped Bob in the middle of the bit and recognized the asshole for what he really was! The show continued and the man seemed to quiet down, although about five minutes later, some very large security guards showed up and escorted him out, so I guess being the Sports Director of a nationally syndicated radio show has a little more pull than we would’ve thought!
It was an amazing night and I’d be one of the first people in line for tickets if they announced another show nearby tomorrow – I highly recommend catching this show the next time they’re in town! Obviously, their tour schedule is very limited as they’re only able to go on the road on the weekends, but it’s certainly worth your time and money to check out. For the complete Bob & Tom virgin, the show did get a bit dirty, as they were sure to take full opportunity to make-up for all of the FCC regulations that moderate their radio show, but for anybody who can enjoy a good dildo joke or the objectification of women in the name of sex, this is a show that you’re definitely going to love! I can’t guarantee that your girlfriend is going to enjoy the show, but after a few beers and a couple hours of non-stop laughter, it’ll be worth the effort…trust me! Do yourself a favor and go see The Bob and Tom Band the next time they’re in your neighborhood… 
Set List for Saturday, June 29, 2002 @ The Orbit Room, Grand Rapids
- Blow Me a Kiss
- Dear Penthouse
- Everybody’s Pissed at Me
- Snailman
- Big Knockers
- Paging Richard Smoker
- Dicken’s Cider
- Nasty Stuff (featuring The Chick McGee Experience)
- Buzz, Buzz
- We Are Smoking
- Livin’ La Vida Polka
- Kay
- The Drinking Song
- Captain Dildo
- Trophy-Wife Barbee
- Prisoner of Love
- We’re Still Standing Tall
