The Residents Tickets

This show seeped into my dreams and changed me at a cellular level

I've seen the Residents 3 or 4 times previously at Variety and their shows are always well worth the cost of admission. Their amazing Atlanta-based collaborator Molly Harvey usually graces the stage for a number or two and this event was no exception. Do I sound bored? I definitely wasn't bored. Theory of Obscurity, their new documentary, was also screened at this event. Two shows for the price of one! Consistent and seasoned performers. Yes, please tell your friends. Variety was nowhere near sold out.

Awesome show!!! I had never seen them before and they did not disappoint!! I was also glad to see so many other people there- the Residents are very unique and definitely not for everyone, glad to see that many other people get them!!

I have been familiar with their music for years, thanks to our Son's long time fandom, until this week I never had desire or occasion to hear The Residents live. My reaction...it was a blast! They are MUCH better live than expected... And different from their studio recordings. Honestly, can you hear guitar on their albums? Well...it is an integral part of their live sound. It was indeed more 'performance art' oriented, but had enough kick-ass to keep you excited. The 3 member 'band' (keyboard, guitar and narrator/vocalist) performed flawlessly to a click track. The show was preceded by a documentary that provided vintage and rare footage for the Resident-heads and a good background for us newbies. If you are at all interested or at least curious... I recommend going to see them live..... IF they ever play live again....

The band performed great. The problem was how the show way set up: doors open at 7pm, then eventually a screening of their new 90min documentary (great, but I had already seen it), followed by a half an hour break, and finally the band on around I think around 10pm. This was a general admission show, and the Royale has next to NO seats. This meant 4 or 5 hours of standing the entire time. I wish the ticket or the Ticket Master description said that this was going to be the format, because then I would have arrived later. My wife, who's handicapped (and did get a seat, thanks to the Royale staff) had to miss the band because she couldn't physically take it, having assumed we'd be out much earlier if the doors were at 7pm.

I was surprised and saddened to see barely 100 folks (?) in the audience. This is at least my fourth time seeing the band spread over more than 30 years. While it was a fun show, there's fewer folks on stage and less variety in the show then past tours. Other than Randy, I don't think the other two players even shuffled their feet, nor was there any interaction between the musicians. And just not as funny as they used to be. Would I go see them again? Probably. It's still he Residents!

HAVE SEEN THEM 12 TIMES SINCE 1982 AND THEY ARE NEVER ANYTHING LESS THAN BRILLIANT! THIS SHOW WAS ONE OF THEIR BEST AS IT COVERED THEIR WHOLE CAREER.

The opportunity to see a sweeping retrospective from such an important mainstay of the performance art world was truly wonderful. Nothing more need be said - their 40 years of work speaks for itself.

Seeing the Residents in a synagogue was a surreal and unforgettable experience. Sound was great, stage/look was fantastic, and there didn't seem to be a bad seat in the house. The band seemed to enjoy themselves too. As Randy put it: "my voice practically sounded like GOD! in there"

The residents in a new show invite you into their haunted living room for an eclectic theater piece of songs combing late 1970's college student art rock and scary stories set to etheric sounds. Randy is the old man,sort of a crypt keeper who with the aid of a video projector the same shape and size as a flashlight (Hence,The Talking Light Tour) escorts you into a world where old women are ostracised for killiing injured rabbits and ghost babies beg for proper burials, A night unlike any other. Not a something you'd take your headbanging cousin to but so much richer.

Irresistibly incomprehensible at times, The Residents' performance was the most genuinely interesting show I have ever seen.

The best concert I have seen in awhile. If you like weird and different bands the Residents are for you.

As always The Residents take you into a new bizarre universe and rock out!

Absolutely incredible!!! Sad that the drummer retired but it didn't affect their performance, in fact the first song thoroughly creeped me out while their stories made me laugh.

My husband is a big fan but I wasn't before seeing them. I wasn't looking forward to the show but decided I'd keep an open mind. I was very impressed & entertained! I'd go see them again!!!

We weren't sure what to expect, my husband saw the 13th Anniversary show in the 80's and thought this would be a much smaller, stripped down show, but we were both disappointed in what was offered. Thought the sound was GREAT, the group was engaged with the audience and put forth a great effort, but, with all the material to choose from, we thought this show was too verbal and would have benifitted from more of the signature music.

As always, The Residents put on a show like no other. A completely surreal experience.

amazing show. well worth the wait. The residents are still an amazing multi media art ensemble - after 40 years no less.

Saw them about 10 years ago...show was awesome. The current version is just about the least enjoyable music experience I have had in my entire life. Walked out after 20 minutes because I had better things to do.

The weather reports all day were warning that a major blizzard with 8 inches of snow was headed our way. Luckily, we only got about an inch and the show went on. It was a standing room with general admission, so I made a point in getting there early and secured a part up front. Aside from a few screaming myopic drunks who treated the dialogue as if they were at a screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", the show was incredible. (Please folks, if you're gonna scream, at least wait until each song ends!) The stage was set up with a fake electric fireplace in the center, with a doily-draped love seat next to it. On top of the fireplace's mantel were things like a gingerbread man statue, a small green lamp, a wooden duck, and a tiny television that showed nothing but static. This was a place where, the singer said, we'd be doing some "singing along" and "story-telling". Seemed appropriate! Hanging on either side above the fireplace were round, flat, white projection screens. In between some of the songs, the singer would hold up a hand-held projector in front of a screen, and projected a video clip of dialogue, telling some of the different "Talking Light" stories. I recognized the two tracks that wound up on the "Ten Little Piggies" compilation, and there were a couple of other new ones too as expected. And now, try picturing this. The singer was dressed in a skin-tight white body suit, over which he wore boxer shorts, clown-sized saddle shoes, a large red neck tie that extended down to his knees, a black and white striped bathrobe, and a rubber "old man" mask which had a bald head and a large pointy nose. I wouldn't expect anything less weird from The Residents! There were only two other musicians on stage, sitting on either side. They were both dressed in sparkly coattails that were black on the outside with a red interior. Underneath they wore completely black clothes, including black stockings over the faces. On their heads they wore these...damn, how should I describe these. They were like fake dreadlocks, with flip-top goggles over the eyes. The singer said that his name was "Randy", and that on either side of him were "Chuck" and "Bob". He explained the lack of the 4th member by explaining that their drummer, "Carlos", had to go away because among other things, his mother was sick. Seemed like a good parody of the names and touring line-up changes I've seen a number of my favorite veteran rock bands go through. I really enjoyed the new stuff from Talking Light, but much to my pleasant surprise they did a good mix of old songs too. They opened with "Demons Dance Alone". As for the rest, I know I'm forgetting a few, but here are the other titles I remember, in no particular order: Death in Barstow, Semolina, They Are The Meat, Six More Miles to the Graveyard, The Old Woman (great hearing a cut from The Gingerbread Man, since that's a favorite of my girlfriend's and mine), Lillie (where the singer picked up one of the doilies from the couch to drape over his head), My Widow, Bury Me Not.