--------------------------------------

From: Underwood Jason

OK OK... I got the pleasure of grabbing some grub (and beer) and of course
the show with Mike M. from the list.  The show went on flawless too.  The
big billboard advertised Rasputina as the opener but it turned out to be a
lie.  A skinny irish folk singer type who called himself Munly opened for
Bob and was decent at times.  It was just him and a six string hollowbody 
double cutaway Gibson copy.  The best moment of his set was undoubtedly
when somebody in the audience accused him of having no soul or asked if he
had any soul.  He went on to make up a song about him not having any soul
because he was a "skinny little Irish folk singer".  It was funny.  He
played about 45 min.  Toward the end he made remarks about how he was
allowed to play a couple more because Bob Mould was still stretching.  

Bob hit the stage to a full house (The Fox was sold out) and was looking
really good I thought.  I agree with the consensus that Bob has lost some
weight. Before beginning he played around with his 12 string a bit as
usual to check tuning and he made some joke about remembering how to do
this because he has been off a couple weeks. He seemed to be in a really
great mood when he hit the stage and kept that all night.  ANyway, he
raged straight into WIshing Well to start and followed closely with Hoover
Dam.

Highlights of the evening:
1.  A superb Needle Hits E.  I was impressed to see this one surface.
2.  The guy behind me who kept yelling for "Love Is All Around"  Bob's
response was classic. "I didn't even write that one.  If Sonny Curtis
comes to play, don't yell out 'Chartered Trips'"  
3.  A wowser version of Explode and Get Over It.  I last saw this in
Minneapolis in Feb 1995 when he first pioneered this medley and I think it
has gotten about 500% better.  He didn't really truncate either song that
much...just mixed them into one.
4.  The guy further behind me yelling for "Never Talking to You Again"
between songs and Bob playing a super version of "Poison Years" instead.
Probably a coincidence, but I thought it was fitting.  He's still saying
"see me swing by my neck from a vine" which I still find curious.  It is
such a killer tune live though.
5.  "I Apologize" electric.  This song is a favorite of mine and Mike
poked me when it started since he knew I sang this tune last year in
Minneapolis.  What a nice feeling it was to see it played and SUNG by its
rightful owner.
6.  "Thumbtack"... need I say more.  Bob gets really emotionally involved
with this one...that much is VERY clear.  Very cool live...  if only it
had the trippy vocals-coming-from-one-channel thing live.
7.  Bob's remarks about the new Denver airport. "It's just too big. I like
stapleton better.  I just don't think terminals should have more than 80
gates"

8.  Ft Knox has definitely improved since I saw its debue in Minne as
well. Bob's vocals are great in that tune.  He does the keyboard parts
quite well vocally.

9.  A decent Husker section for the decent number of Husker fans there...
No Reservations, Makes No Sense, Chartered Trips, I Apologize.
 
 Drawbacks:
1.  Bob asked for his guitar volume up a few times and it never seemed
loud enough.  This carried through to the electric encore. The Strat was
definitely NOT loud enough on Egovveride/I Apologize/Makes No sense.  Last
year in Minne, the strat left me with ringing ears and I wanted
more...more!!  bwa ha haa!

2.  No Brasilia...  There was Sinners so I was hopeful for the Brasilia
followup, but he followed with Roll Over and Die instead.  Brasilia live
is a religious experience on par with seeing Thompson play "1952 Vincent
Black Lightning"  He did make up for it (mostly) with Thumbtack and Poison
Yrs.

3.  He didn't respond to my call out for "Wanted Was" during the 'lectric
section.  I had to come home to dose myself with that song.  I still think
it would make an UNREAL solo electric tune.