August 13, 2021 at the HI-FI Annex in Indianapolis, IN
This was my third Rod Tuffcurls concert. I wasn’t originally planning on attending, as I had a triathlon the following morning. Though, I had the fortune of receiving tickets through my Do317 subscription and couldn’t pass them up. Each of the concerts I’ve attended so far has been a masterfully orchestrated party, conducted by the band. They play the major crowd pleasers and some other songs they just like to perform (which are still a riot!). What’s interesting to note is that while I bill Rod Tuffcurls as a cover band, they’ve had exactly one handful of their own original songs on Spotify for some time. With the limited number of originals, it’s sometimes difficult to share how fun they are when they’re an experience that’s more than just their music.
This was the first Rod Tuffcurls show I’ve attended where they’ve played one of their originals. Even more so than a singular tease, we were treated to two original songs! As I was noting the set lists, it took me by surprise when those songs hit! It was amazing to hear them live. What’s more amazing is that RT&BP just released their first full original album to streaming services on September 1! It’s awesome to see them do more original creation.
I was having so much fun during the show that I was slow to keep up with my notation for all the times they jammed and transitioned. I was more attentive than at the Moon Taxi concert but was appreciating the show in a different way that had me slow to the draw with my notes. My main disappointment from the show is that I misjudged the drive and missed the first few songs that opened the show. I don’t know how many or which they were as I was unable to get a set list, so I may update the lists below if I ever get that missing information.
The setlists (brace yourself):
Set One:
- (I showed up a little late and missed a couple songs sad day)
- You’re Welcome – Dwayne Johnson (Moana)
- Dancing Queen – ABBA
- I’ll Make A Man Out Of You – Donny Osmond (Mulan)
- Start Again (A ROD TUFFCURLS ORIGINAL WOOOOO)
- Let It Go – Idina Menzel (Frozen)
- Time Warp – The Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Jam -> Anna Sun – Walk The Moon -> Jam
- -> Dancing in the Moonlight – King Harvest
- King of Anything – Sara Bareilles
- Under Pressure – Queen
- Don’t Start Now – Dua Lipa
- Mamma Mia – ABBA
- Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
Set Two:
- The Office Theme Song (intro)
- Drops of Jupiter – Train
- Bad Romance – Lady Gaga
- Jam -> I Can’t Feel (A ROD TUFFCURLS ORIGINAL WOOOOO)
- Somebody to Love – Queen
- Conga! – Miami Sound Machine
- > Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)
- > Come and Get Your Love – Redbone
- -> I Wanna Dance with Somebody – Whitney Houston
- Bezos – Bo Burnham
- > Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
- Send Me on My Way – Rusted Root
- Pokémon Theme – Jason Paige
- > Africa – TOTO
- A Thousand Miles – Vanessa Carlton
- Mr. Brightside – The Killers
- Believe – Cher
Encore:
- Ants Marching – Dave Matthews Band
- Fat Bottomed Girls – Queen
The Hi-Fi Annex was an awesome outdoor venue that was the perfect place for Rod Tuffcurls to jam. They jammed out more than I’d heard yet in any of my other shows and let me tell ya – THEY’RE GOOD. I wish there was a way to replay the jams but alas, I’ll have to stick to remembering for as long my mind will allow. With a Dave Matthews Band concert happening at the same time as them, it was a fantastic move to play a big DMB song for part of the encore – an absolute crowd pleaser.
My sentiment about Rod Tuffcurls & the Bench Press continues to hold: if you have the chance to see them live, don’t pass it up. In the meantime, to get a feel for how the concert may have sounded, check out this playlist on Spotify that’s the set from the night.
