This was not the low-key warm-up gig ("total chaos ... kind of a rehearsal") Thom promised. Attendees of last night's pre-Orpheum preview got a full (and by most (Twitter) accounts "awesome") 90-minute set beginning with The Eraser played by Thom's new group (Nigel Godrich, Flea, Joey Waronker, Mauro Refosco). This was followed by a solo performance of three new songs: tranquil piano ballad "Open The Floodgates" ("Don't bore us/ Get to the chorus"), potential Radiohead strummer "Lotus Flower," and Coldplay-esque "Skirting On The Surface" According to ateaseweb "Floodgates" and "Skirting" are actually a few years old, but were never publicly performed until last night. The band returned for a final segment during which Thom bared his chest Moz-style. They played Radiohead b-side "Paperbag Writer," "Judge, Jury, & Executioner" (intro'd as "brand spankin' new" -- i.e., not an alternate version of "Myxomatosis") and "The Hollow Earth"/"Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses" from the new 12" one could purchase on-site while rubbing elbows with celebrity attendees Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Spike Jonze, and Rosanna Arquette. Check out YouTube footage of the new songs along with photos and setlist:
01 "The Eraser"
02 "Analyze"
03 "The Clock
04 "Black Swan"
05 "Skip Divided"
06 "Atoms For Peace"
07 "And It Rained All Night"
08 "Harrowdown Hill"
09 "Cymbal Rush"
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(Thom solo)
10 "Open The Floodgates" [NEW]
11 "Lotus Flower" [NEW]
12 "Skirting On The Surface" [NEW]
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13 "Paperbag Writer"
14 "Judge, Jury, & Executioner" [NEW]
15 "The Hollow Earth"
16 "Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses"
"Open The Floodgates"
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"Lotus Flower"
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"Skirting On The Surface"
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"Judge, Jury, & Executioner"
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"Paperbag Writer"
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"Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses"
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"The Hollow Earth"
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"Cymbal Rush"
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"At one point in the evening, a member of the audience shouted, 'Play some Skynyrd!'" writes NME. "Yorke responded by flashing both middle fingers, saying, 'You think I should be playing Stone Temple Pilots too?'" (Rock Is A Girl's Best Friend's quotes Thom differently: "Shouldn't you be calling out Stone Temple Pilots or something more current? 'Freebird' is so 80's!" That sounds more likely.)
And sorry New Moon fans, you'll have to wait a little longer for "Hearing Damage."
