For his first time performing in Florida, Fred Armisen brought his “Stand Up for Musicians, But Everyone Is Welcome” show to the Abbey, and it was a night of bliss for the assembled music nerds.
In fact, early in the set Armisen scanned the audience and commented on the many band T-shirts in the crowd, before locking in on one particular shirt in the front (worn by Sick Dogs drummer Patrick O’Neal). Armisen duly made up a song on the spot about the shirt and had the audience sing along. It was that kind of a night.
It was the first of two shows that Armisen would perform at the Abbey on Thursday, and this 7 p.m. shindig was standing room only and sold out.
Armisen riffed for an hour and had the crowd roaring with laughter to music-related prop comedy and music-accompanied jokes about everyone from Kansas, Diana Ross, Sleater-Kinney and the Clash to the Police, James Taylor and Devo. He also shared his texts with the late, great Steve Albini: hilarious back-and-forth exchanges offering opinions on the flag emojis of various states and nations.
Armisen’s live-drumming demonstration on the history of punk drumming from 1969-1999 was top-notch, with callbacks to the Velvet Underground, Wire and the Cramps. Armisen seamlessly wove in singing, playing guitar, and (as mentioned) drumming into his routines as he dove ever deeper into music history.
Thankfully, there were no fistfights in the parking lot.
