Talking Light

Talking Light was a performance tour by The Residents, beginning in January 2010 and ending in April 2011.
The first show in the group's Randy, Chuck and Bob Trilogy of tours (which continued with The Wonder of Weird in 2014, and concluded with Shadowland in 2017), Talking Light focuses on themes of death and the afterlife. 
For this tour The Residents introduced a new three-piece line-up, featuring Randy Rose on vocals, Charles Bobuck on keyboards and electronics, and Lionel Bob on guitar. 
== Concept ==
Talking Light tells the story of an older man who questions decisions he made as a teenager, and whether the events he remembers from that time happened at all. 
This is a framing device for a series of ghost stories: the ghost of a morbidly obese woman haunts her lesbian lover; a man becomes obsessed with the spirit of an executed serial killer who stuffed the mouths of his victims with Pudding Roll Ups; a dead boa constrictor plagues the mind of its former owner, and others told through the frame of The Residents' Talking Light.
== Set list ==
=== Tour Average ===
* Sleepwalker
* Monologue #1
* Talking Light
* Six More Miles
* Monologue #2
* They Are The Meat
* Semolina
* My Window
* Death In Barstow
* Monologue #4
* The Unseen Sister
* Monologue #5
* The Old Woman
* Lillie
* Bury Me Not
* Die-Stay-Go
The Talking Light set list underwent a number of slight changes throughout its year-long run, likely due in part to the show's improvisational style. 
=== Leg One Average ===
* Demons Dance Alone
* Sleepwalker
* Monologue #1
* Talking Light
* Six More Miles
* Monologue #2
* They Are The Meat
* Monologue #3
* Ghost Story
**Pudding in Disguise / Milton The Melted Man / Florence The Fat Ghost / The Sleepwalker / The Ghost Snake / Mother Love / Howard (Perchance to Dream)
* Semolina
* My Window
* Death In Barstow
* Monologue #4
* The Unseen Sister
* Monologue #5
* The Old Woman
* Lillie
* Bury Me Not
* Die-Stay-Go
"The Service / He Also Serves" was also performed on later dates of the first leg, either before or after Monologue #3.
=== Leg Two Average ===
* Smelly Tongues
* Sleepwalker
* Monologue #1
* Talking Light
* Six More miles
* Monologue #2
* They Are The Meat
* The Service
*Monologue #3
*Ghost Story
**Howard / Pudding in Disguise / The Ghost Snake / The Phantom Fingers / Milton The Melted Man / Florence the Fat Ghost
* Semolina
* My Window
* Death in Barstow
* Monologue #4
* The Unseen Sister
* Monologue #5
* The Old Woman
* Lillie
*Bury Me Not
* Die-Stay-Go
The shows were occasionally introduced by playback of 'I'd Like To Teach The World to Sing' segueing into "Smelly Tongues", but not always. Monologue #3 was occasionally, but not always, performed between The Service and the Ghost Story. "Demons Dance Alone" was also occasionally performed as a second encore.
==Dates ==
=== 2010 ===
==== First leg (USA and Canada) ====
*January 23rd 2010 - Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz, California
*January 29th 2010 - Birch North Park Theater, San Diego, California
*January 30th 2010 - Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles, California
*January 31st 2010 - Rialto Theater, Tucson, Arizona
*February 2nd 2010 - Stubbs, Austin, Texas
*February 3rd 2010 - Granada, Dallas, Texas
*February 4th 2010 - Hi Tone, Memphis, Tennessee
*February 5th 2010 - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, Georgia
*February 7th 2010 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
*February 8th 2010 - World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
*February 9th 2010 - Webster Hall, New York City, New York
*February 10th 2010 - Middle East, Boston, Massachusetts
*February 12th 2010 - Club Soda, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
*February 13th 2010 - Opera House, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
*February 15th 2010 - Logan Square, Chicago, Illinois
* February 16th 2010 - Turner Hall, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
==== Second leg (Europe) ====
*April 26th 2010 - Doomroosje, Nijmegen, Netherlands
*April 27th 2010 - Le Cargo, Caen, France
*April 28th 2010 - Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium
* April 29th 2010 - Voxhall, Aarhus, Denmark
*May 1st 2010 - Bergenfest, Bergen, Norway
* May 2nd 2010 - Sentrum Scene, Oslo, Norway
*May 4th 2010 - Centrum Sztuki Impart, Wrozlaw, Poland
* May 5th 2010 - Laznia Nowa, Krakow, Poland
*May 6th 2010 - Huxley's, Berlin, Germany
*May 8th 2010 - ATP Festival, Minehead, England
*May 9th 2010 - Paard van Troje, Dem Haag, Holland
*May 10th 2010 - Fabrik, Hamburg, Germany
*May 11th 2010 - Das Bett, Frankfurt, Germany
*May 12th 2010 - Deposito Giordani, Pordenone, Italy
*May 13th 2010 - Teatro San Raffaele, Rome, Italy
*May 14th 2010 - Estragon, Bologna, Italy
*May 15th 2010 - Teatro Leonardo, Milan, Italy
*May 16th 2010 - Nuits Sonores Festival, Lyon, France
==== So Long Sam ====
*June 10th 2010 - Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, California
==== Moravian Meeting (Už Jsme Doma with Randy Rose) ====
*October 20th 2010 - Moravske Divadlo, Olomouc, Czech Republic
==== Third leg (Europe) ====
*November 3rd 2010 - The Lindenberg, Nijmegen, Netherlands
*November 5th 2010 - Kulturhuset Bølgen, Larvik, Norway
* November 6th 2010 - Union Scene, Drammen, Norway (show recorded)
*November 7th 2010 - Byscenen, Trondheim, Norway (show recorded)
*November 9th 2010 - Vega, Copenhagen, Denmark (show recorded)
*November 10th 2010 - Centre Pompidou, Paris, France (show recorded)
*November 11th 2010 - Centre Pompidou, Paris, France (show recorded)
*November 12th 2010 - KZ MIR, Moscow, Russia (show recorded)
*November 14th 2010 - Zal Ojidaniya Club, St Petersberg, Russia (show recorded)
*November 16th 2010 - De Kreun, Kortijk, Belgium (show recorded)
*November 17th 2010 - Zakk, Dusseldorf, Germany (show recorded)
*November 19th 2010 - Archa, Prague, Czech Republic (show recorded)
*November 20th 2010 - Dampfzentrale, Saint Ghetto Festival, Bern, Switzerland (show recorded)
*November 21st 2010 - El Lokal, Zurich, Switzerland (show recorded)
*December 30th 2010 - Fox Theater, Oakland, California
=== 2011 ===
==== Fourth leg (USA and Canada) ====
* March 15th 2011 - Lunario del Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
*March 17th 2011 - Wonder Ballroom, Portland, Oregon
* March 18th 2011 - Neumos, Seattle, Washington (show recorded)
*March 19th 2011 - Rickshaw Theater, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (show recorded)
* March 21st 2011 - Myer Horowitz Theater, Edmondton, Alberta, Canada
* March 22nd 2011 - The Gateway, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
*March 24th 2011 - West End Cultural Center, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (show recorded)
* March 25th 2011 - The Cedar, Minneapolis, Minnesota (show recorded)
*March 26th 2011 - Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Illinois (show recorded)
*March 28th 2011 - The Opera House, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (show recorded)
*March 29th 2011 - Club Soda, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
*March 30th 2011 - Somerville Theater, Boston, Massachusetts (show recorded)
*March 31st 2011 - Highline Ballroom, New York City, New York (show recorded)
*April 1st 2011 - World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (show recorded)
*April 4th 2011 - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, Georgia (show recorded)
*April 6th 2011 - Mohawk, Austin, Texas (show recorded)
*April 9th 2011 - El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, California (show recorded)
*April 15th 2011 - Bimbo's, San Francisco, California
*May 13th 2011 - The Mute Festival, London, Englandhttps://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/2011-archive/short-circuit-presents-mute/
== Ghost Stories ==
For the tour, The Residents wrote ten songs - referred to as 'ghost stories' - to be premiered throughout the tour. The songs "Talking Light" and "The Unseen Sister" were performed at every show, along with one other random ghost story. Studio versions of "Talking Light" and "The Unseen Sister" were featured in the widely released Lonely Teenager album. Eight of the ten ghost stories were featured on Randy's Ghost Stories DVD, excluding "Mother Love" and "Phantom Fingers," both of which are featured on Night Train to Nowhere!, which features six of the ten songs, excluding "Perchance to Dream." "Pudding in Disguise." "The Sleepwalker," and "Unseen Sister." Chuck's Ghost Music features abridged instrumental versions of the tracks featured on Randy's Ghost Stories.
* Florence The Fat Ghost (Included in Night Train to Nowhere and Randy's Ghost Stories)
* Ghost Snake (Included in Night Train to Nowhere and Randy's Ghost Stories)
* Milton The Melted Man (Included in Night Train to Nowhere and Randy's Ghost Stories)
* Mother Love (Included in Night Train to Nowhere)
* Perchance To Dream (Included in Randy's Ghost Stories)
* Phantom Fingers (Included in Night Train to Nowhere)
* Pudding In Disguise (Included in Randy's Ghost Stories)
* The Sleepwalker (Included in Randy's Ghost Stories)
* Talking Light (Included in Lonely Teenager, Night Train to Nowhere and Randy's Ghost Stories)
* Unseen Sister (Included in Lonely Teenager and Randy's Ghost Stories)
==See also ==
*Lonely Teenager
*Coochie Brake
*Randy's Ghost Stories
*The Randy, Chuck and Bob Trilogy
*The Wonder of Weird
*Shadowland
==External links and references==
*Talking Light at The Residents Historical
Category:Live shows‏‎
Category:Charles Bobuck‏‎
Category:Chuck's Ghost Music‏‎
Category:Randy, Chuck and Bob‏‎
Category:Randy Rose‏‎
Category:Talking Light‏‎
Category:Live tours