Andrew Horowitz & Friends Live in Washington 5/8/24
After a big and eventful night in the windy city, it was time for night 2 of 3 of Edu + Friends performances.
Night 2 was relatively close to home for me, so it was just a 3 hour drive down to the nation’s capital for another night of excellence from the green tie himself. I had VIP access once again, and got to have a lovely rooftop meetup with Jukebox the Ghost, who had complimented my Edu Shirt, claiming that they haven’t seen one in a while, and that they were impressed. Tommy Siegel had actually asked the other’s if they had listened to Sketches 3D before, which I thought was nice. They seem to be very fond of Andrew’s work. After that meetup, and another Q&A with Jukebox, I made my way down to the front of the stage with a new group of concert friends. I was again joined by my friend Melody, as well as some new faces both local, and from the HITS Discord server, among that group being my friends Miles and Harmony.
It was a relatively long wait for Andrew to come on, and I only saw him once before showtime on his way to get ready for the night’s events. After some more waiting, the lights dimmed and Andrew walked on stage, once again joined by the amazing Illicit Ghost as well as a guest guitarist Marcio Philomena. The three of them played a very similar set to that of Chicago, with fan favorites like Miss Melody, HEY YOU!, Taken for a Ride, and of course, The Whole World and You. In lieu of Fate of the Stars Part 3, Andrew played “You” for the first time in a few years. It was an absolutely beautiful performance of an often overlooked song (And yes, I am guilty of overlooking You).
Andrew and Illicit Ghost performed a few of their new tracks: Good Morning, Mr. Butterfly, Monsters, Fishes, Worlds in my Head, and Someone WIll Be There. Those last two in particular are my favorites of the new lineup. The development of Worlds in my Head from its debut in New York City until now has been one of my favorite parts of the Edu live show journey, and I cannot wait to hear a finished studio version. I also must note that Someone Will Be There continues to be an emotionally moving piece, especially when performed live by Andrew and Illicit Ghost. Their chemistry together as performers as well as artists really brought out the emotion in the piece, and brought tears to my eyes.
The last note I have on the performance is my disappointment with the crowd during The Whole World and You. During the segment of the song where people typically clap along, it was only my group as well as a couple others who joined in. Going from the whole venue in Chicago clapping along to just the few of us left me feeling rather saddened by the crowd’s enthusiasm, so I hope that the performance in Boston will make up for that.
All in all, I’d consider the show a complete success. Andrew and Illicit Ghost prove time and time again that they can give a damn good stage performance. Andrew always brings that little but of charm that makes him a good performer. To match the “glasses falling off incident” of Chicago, this time he forgot some of the words to HEY YOU! And that’s okay! He said that “There’s just so many words to this one, so many changing verses, it’s hard to remember!”. Thankfully the crowd didn’t give him a hard time.
Illicit Ghost once again showed that she is a perfect performing partner to Andrew, her harmonies striking all the right spots in each and every piece. I was very impressed at Marcio’s captivating guitar work for this set, it really brought a new vibe to the songs that were played, and I welcome it! My final note for the performance is that the lack of percussion for HEY YOU! And Taken for a Ride was a stark contrast to what I was used to, and yet the songs didn’t feel hollow, they just felt like Andrew bringing his somber energy to admittedly energetic tracks, and I think the change up as quite nice to see.
After the show was done, there was a short intermission between sets in which I talked to quite a few fans. It’s always super lovely to be able to talk face to face to other fellow Tally Hall/Edu fans, and this was no exception. I had moved away from my front row spot to allow for some Jukebox The Ghost fans to have their turn in the front. I accompanied my friend Miles in the corner of the venue to get a view from the side stage. Despite having the speakers nearly blowing my eardrums out, Jukebox the Ghost put on yet another stellar performance of their debut album, “Let Live & Let Ghosts”. I can’t stress enough how good of a stage presence these 3 put on, I highly recommend catching any of their shows if they come to your area.
After one of the songs they performed during their second set, they told a story about seeing Tally Hall together while they were still just a fledgling band, and that one of them had given their demo CD to Andrew, and that to this day, Andrew has gone to every Jukebox the Ghost performance. It’s touching to hear that Jukebox and Andrew have such a solid relationship with one another, and it’s a true testament to the power that music can have on people.
Right before we all left, we reconvened with Andrew on the upper level, where a large group of us formed a line to have our chance to talk to Andrew. I must commend Andrew once again for really taking each fan into consideration, giving us each ample time to talk, ask our questions, and take our pictures. Eventually it was my turn to talk with Andrew, and he remembered me from last time. After exchanging a few words, Andrew noted that he had brought me something and went to retrieve it. After emerging from a back hallway with a manila envelope, he apologized to everyone else for not bringing enough, and while yes I was worried that the crowd would be upset, they were quite encouraging of the upcoming exchange. It was particularly nice to know that they felt I had earned whatever was about to enter my possession.
After a solid few moments of anticipation, Andrew pulled out 2 very special discs from the envelope. A copy of Party Boobytrap, as well as a Tally Hall Internet Show Sneak Preview DVD with the Natural Ketchup skit on it. Needless to say, I was floored. He had not only remembered that I asked about PBT in Chicago, but also that he fulfilled my request and brought it for me AND That he thought about me along the way. It was a truly touching gesture by him, and a moment I will never forget.
He signed my setlist and WTTH Photo, we got a picture, and I moved to the back of the line. The remainder of my time was spent engaging with other fans and generally having a good time.
After everyone had their turn and had left. I spoke to Andrew just one last time to get my Good Day single signed, and to give him the developed photo we took together in Chicago. I got to share a few words with him in an interaction that I also will never forget. I thanked him for everything that he had done that night, and for being so patient with and interacting with all the fans equally.
I shared my excitement for the finished version of Worlds in my Head, as well as some other positive words. It was at the end that I confided in him some words about Someone will be There. The week before the show was not an easy one for me, and the night before was exceptionally a bummer, so I shared with him that his song really touched me in a way I had not expected it to, being the light at the end of a strain of bad days. I told him that Tally Hall had always been there for me during my darkest moments, and I think that resonated with him. It was amazing to know that he shared the same sentiment, and that he was happy his work had struck such an accord with me. We hugged and I departed the venue, but not before double checking that Andrew was still keeping his big promise for Boston.
After rushing to the Metro, and finally getting to my car. I immediately listened to Party Boobytrap in all its glory. I then made the long drive home with my bounty and had quite the story to share the next day. I will admit that I had an absolute hay day with Hailey while ripping and scanning the discs, as well as making entries on Discogs. Just some of the many amazing aspects about my “Job” with HITS. It’s always been a labor of love for Coz, Joshface, and everyone who dedicates their time, me included. I highly anticipate the final show in Boston, and am once again reminded that there is Nowhere Else I’d rather be.
Until next time, stay green and don’t grow daisies for fingers.
–Ruby Red