Other than saying it was an “honor” to play in Chicago, FOY didn’t talk much between numbers or banter with the audience all that much, though there are a couple of between-performance moments worth noting. After Collingwood teased the crowd with an impromptu riff of the Kansas ballad “Dust In The Wind,” Schlesinger joked: “Kansas just got like $300 because he did that.” After some laughter, the singer said: “They deserve it.” Speaking of classic rock, it wasn’t lost on this reviewer that FOY brilliantly snuck in a riff or two of Eric Clapton’s “Layla” during an early performance of “I’ve Got A Flair.”
Another odd moment happened early after the drinking-party-themed b-side “Janice’s Party” when Collingwood stated: “Contrary to popular belief, not all of our songs are about drinking.” His songs are more about life’s everyday issues and themes including work, travel, girls and such, and so knowing full well that not many fans think what Collingwood stated was true, an audience member appropriately shouted “Huh?” before FOY continued on.
There are hardly any outstanding issues or flaws to be had with this release, but the run time of +/- 75 minutes seems a little short for a band approaching its fifteenth year in existence. Then again, much of its material is in the typical three-minute pop song range and hardly ever stretches beyond the four-minute mark. Sure, oldies like “Leave The Biker” were left off the set list, but at 21 songs total between full rock band mode and an acoustic set, there are plenty of performances here to satisfy curious and casual Fountains of Wayne fans alike.
Taking a closer look at the performing side, though Jody Porter’s guitar showmanship is impressive given the constraints of a pop band, there is a bit of a lack of excitement and energy coming from most other members. The band, and especially Collingwood, keeps its collective “game face” on the whole show with seeming ease, choosing to reveal personality traits between songs instead of in-song. But make no mistake about it: Fountains of Wayne is a seriously fun power pop band. They just apparently feel like letting the audience show them how much fun they’re having while the band simply concentrates and rocks out the jams.
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