Thanks for all the comments on the cruise idea everyone, it’s incredibly helpful to be able to get such direct feedback from such a large group of people. I’m still working on this, trying to figure out the best way to make it happen, so please understand that this was just one possibility. It may end up being a different boat, destination, time of year, price, etc., but this seemed like a decent place to start taking everyone’s temperature. Obviously I can’t pick a location that works for everybody. I hear you that cost is a factor and I’m not surprised – that’s a hefty chunk of change. We’re trying to find the right balance between high awesomeness and low cost, and that means dealing with a lot of details and possibilities. Stay tuned. Remember this is all HYPOTHETICAL.

In the meantime, I wanted to mention a couple other shows that just got set up. We added Pittsburgh in December:

Saturday December 5 at 8 PM
Rex Theater (Pittsburgh, PA) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: bit.ly/3e75SA

And already plans are being made for 2010 (finally, Florida):

Thursday January 14 at 7 PM
The Social (Orlando, FL) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: bit.ly/3Teu0M
No service charge if you buy at the box office M, W, F: (407) 246-1419
$1 service charge if you buy at Park Avenue CDs: www.parkavecds.com

Friday January 15 at 8 PM
Nova 535 (St. Petersburg, FL) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: bit.ly/2Zr956

Saturday January 16 at 8 PM
Variety Playhouse (Atlanta, GA) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: bit.ly/1Wfbbo
$2.25 service charge if you buy through the Variety Playhouse Ticket Club: bit.ly/1Wfbbo
No service charge if you buy with cash at the box office ($1 for credit cards): www.variety-playhouse.com/tickets.html

Friday January 22 at 9 PM
Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, CA) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: bit.ly/3uE2HO
$1 service charge when you buy at venue box office: www.gamh.com/tickets/

Saturday January 23 at 9 PM
Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, CA) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: bit.ly/2PAq8E
$1 service charge when you buy at venue box office: www.gamh.com/tickets/

Friday February 5 at 8 PM
Antone’s (Austin, TX) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: bit.ly/mhGdL

Let’s just say that sometime Summerish 2010 there was a cruise. It lasted a week, it left from Seattle and went to Alaska and back. The first four days featured all sorts of activities and performances involving Jonathan Coulton and his circle of famous entertainment powerhouse friends – kind of a Jonathan Coulton and friends convention. And then lets say the official activities ended and there were another three days of just cruise. And let’s say that it cost around $1300-1500 depending on how nice a room you wanted. What would you say to that?

Three notes:

First I must say thank you to They Might Be Giants and especially our Chicago audience for letting us do our Flood show at Park West. I think it went very well – I know that Paul and Storm and I certainly had a blast, and it even felt kind of important or historic or something by the time we were done. Many have asked about us making a recording for sale, and currently we don’t have any plans to do this, it feels better as a special live thing. But you know, never say never…

Second, I often get complaints about Ticketmaster service charges. You should know that I also find them inappropriately high, and that I and my booking agent try to avoid them when possible, but ultimately it’s not up to us. It really comes down to the venues and/or promoters, and sometimes we don’t have a lot of choice in what venue we book in a particular town. BUT: when we can, we try to get the venue to sell tickets at their box office for a smaller service charge (ideally, zero). I’ve indicated where that’s the case here and on my Shows page, so read carefully if you want to save a few bucks.

Third, the UK/Ireland trip is mostly together now, we’ve even ordered the new UK/Ireland tour shirt, which we’ll reveal later. There are two dates that refuse to resolve themselves: The Bongo Club in Edinburgh on Nov 9, and Oran Mor in Glasgow on Nov 11. There seems to be some sort of mixup with the promoter, I’m not sure exactly what the problem is. We’re doing our best to resolve it, and I’m pretty sure those two dates are going to happen, but don’t hold me to it.

———————————————-
JoCo wraps up the Fall in the midwest:
———————————————-

Friday October 23 at 7 PM
Beachland Ballroom (Cleveland, OH) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: tinyurl.com/nqelmy
NO SERVICE CHARGE if you buy with cash at the box office: (216) 383-1124.

Sunday October 25 at 8 PM
Majestic Theater (Madison, WI) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: tinyurl.com/yjuyq6l

Monday October 26 at 7.30 PM
Guthrie Theater (Minneapolis, MN) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: tinyurl.com/yexom7c

————————————
JoCo Visits the UK and Ireland:
————————————

Friday November 6 at 8 PM
Academy 2 (Dublin, IE) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: tinyurl.com/ykmyhjo

Sunday November 8 at 7 PM
The Bongo Club (Edinburgh, UK) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: bit.ly/2uDl1d

Tuesday November 10 at 7 PM
Classic Grand (Glasgow, UK) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: bit.ly/4Ak6WK

Thursday November 12 at 7.30 PM
Manchester Academy 3 (Manchester, UK) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: tinyurl.com/y8ptots

Friday November 13 at 7 PM
Union Chapel (London, UK) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: tinyurl.com/yhtgmf4

Sunday November 15 at 8 PM
The Tunnels Bristol (Bristol, UK) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: tinyurl.com/34moxs

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And still there is more:
—————————

Thursday December 3 at 7 PM
World Café Live (Philadelphia, PA) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: tinyurl.com/ndjahp

Friday December 4 at 8 PM
Rams Head Tavern (Annapolis, MD) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: tinyurl.com/n3jj83
ONLY $2 SERVICE CHARGE if you buy tickets at the box office: (410)-244-1131.

Saturday December 5 at 8 PM
Rex Theater (Pittsburgh, PA) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: bit.ly/3e75SA

Wednesday December 9 at 7 PM
Music Hall of Williamsburg (Brooklyn, NY) with Paul and Storm
Tickets: tinyurl.com/yk2jxge
NO SERVICE CHARGE if you buy tickets at the Mercury Lounge box office: (212) 260-4700.

And that is the truth.

At our show in Ann Arbor last night we tried out a few Flood songs – mostly unrehearsed except for a quick run through at sound check. I think they went pretty well, and I’m feeling optimistic about our chances of not only getting all the way through it, but actually doing some interesting things with a few of the songs. Paul and Storm and I have been spending the week practicing individually and working out who’s going to do what, but last night was our first time playing stuff all together in the same place. There is electric bass guitar, there is trumpet, there is triangle, there is melodica, there is harmonica, THERE IS STILL NO ACCORDION.

We’re on our way to Chicago right now, and we’ve got a rehearsal space reserved for a few hours tonight, so by the time we hit Park West tomorrow night we will be totally sick of Flood, which means we’ll be ready to play it for you. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

In the meantime, here’s John Flansburgh being interviewed about interviews by the AV Club. He’s right.

As many have pointed out to me (often concluding with the phrase “Noooooooooo!”), my show in Chicago on the 10th is competing directly with a They Might Be Giants show at the Vic Theater. Also it is a Flood show, which is the worst possible thing it could be vis a vis making it a difficult decision for those of you who are fans of both of us. Flood is the record that made my head explode way back when, they are a huge influence on me, and I wish I could go see this show. I believe there are still tickets available. It’s Flood people, seriously.

But as I was pondering this cruel turn of fate, it came to me: I should also do a Flood show. Unbelievably, at least a few people have bought tickets to see my little show at Park West (tickets also still available, ha ha, just saying), so apparently I have to do some kind of performance. I’ve strategized with Paul and Storm about it, and we’ve decided that by stealing a little time from each of our sets (and by learning to “play our instruments”), we can probably make it happen. Many of you have heard our fantastic cover of “Birdhouse in Your Soul” so really we just have to do that 18 more times. And it still leaves plenty of time for us to do our own stuff, so those of you who bought tickets to our show because you hate They Might Be Giants will still be entertained.

THERE WILL BE NO ACCORDION.

If you live in Ann Arbor and are coming to see us at the Ark on the 8th, the answer is no, we will absolutely not be ready to do the same thing for you. But maybe we can sneak in a song or two if we’re feeling frisky. Turns out tickets there? Also still available…