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From: Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen

Hanging Tree was amazing, with Bob grabbing the mic and screaming at the
end. Eternally Fried was a wonder to behold, with feedback overtones just
kind of hanging in the room as the band worked out the dynamics. Anymore
was also terrific. Great show overall -- started a bit slow, but the
intensity built and built until Hanging Tree blew the shit out of the place.

Like Jeff said, I reviewed the show for Addicted to Noise (www.addict.com
-- check the Music News of the World section today or tomorrow if you want
to see it; it's more of a combined news piece and review than a straight
review). Bob said he was pleased with the show, and hung around and chatted
in the parking lot for about 20 min. afterwards.

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

From: Nikki Paolini

Thought the show in Milwaukee last night was incredible. The highlight
was the encore - "Disappointed" and a wrenching version of "Hanging
Tree." "I Hate Alternative Rock" was also terrific with the band - much
better than the studio version.

My friend got Bob's setlist, and we were a little disappointed to see
that he'd skipped "Who Was Around" and his intended second encore
("Sweet Serene" and "See a Little Light"), but the show was still
amazing.

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

From: Jeff Runnels

Excuse me whilst I babble incoherently. Just got back from the show at
the Rave.
Random comments:

Varnaline was still dull. The guitar player was still wearing the Hoss
Cartwright hat. It's just that nothing thay played stands out - no
unique dynamics, nothing unique. They may be nice guys and all and
trying really hard but....

Eternally Fried and New #1 were still highlights.
Egoveride still sounded like mud and the leads were again
indistinguishable (not Bob's fault). And I still don't like Skintrade.

Did not hear Brasilia Crossed or the second encore - the latter of
which was surprising because the crowd was very enthusiastic. I'm
guessing it was a timing issue. I didn't keep track of the setlist.

Grant was NOT in the audience (and in talking with Bob, he didn't know
Grant was at the Minneapolis show!).

Micheal Cerveris isn't as big as as I posted earlier and, after talking
to him for quite a while, I found him to be a really nice guy. I asked
him what he was going to do after the tour - "Back to NY, but no idea."

All of the guys in the band are in some stage of hair loss (makes me
feel less lonely).

Bob was looking a bit tired but after 5 nights in a row, HE HAD NOT
LOST HIS VOICE!!!

Here's an odd piece of trivia: Bob DRIVES the band as well as drives the
band. Or at least he did tonight, taking the wheel to drive all 4
musicians to Chicago.

Paul Hilcoff is a really great guy also. He was giving out Granary.com
stickers and he gave me a special souvenir which I'm not sure I should
mention. Thanks much Paul - I'll buy you dinner before the 9:30 show!

Got to talk with Bob for a long time after the show! And get this: Bob
was taking pictures with the digital camera AND HE ACTUALLY TOOK MY
PICTURE. Maybe you'll see it on the web site - I'm wearing a white
v-neck t-shirt and I have a very distinctive tattoo which I think you'll
be able to see (a band of DNA - a colorful double helix - circling my
right bicep).

Some other stuff I remembered from last night:

Bob said they hadn't learned any covers.  He talked a bit about giving
up the evil weed after 20 years of smoking.  Said he'd started bicycling
(ed. greatest sport in the world).  We talked about the good 'ol days of
the Minneapolis music scene and how he feels that history will come to
realize how innovative and groundbreaking things were back then.  I
asked him if at this point in the tour he feels like he made the right
decision regarding the full-band electric tours to which he replied
unhesitatingly "Yes."  He stated his support for Varnaline and said he
was looking forward to playing with The Archers of Loaf on future
dates.  He also mentioned, when I told him I'd seen him play with Vic
Chesnut, that Vic was a good friend and they keep in touch.

Bob was talkative and friendly.  It was also interesting to see him
handle some fairly incoherent street person resembling a grubby George
Clinton (P-Funk) who wandered by to check out the hubbub.

It was a great night.

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

From: Todd Tower

Wow.  That's all I can say.  Well, OK, I'll say more.  First off, it was
really great to put some faces to names last night.  I met far more listers
than I expected to and had great conversations with everyone.  Eric -- it's
nice to know there are some fine journalists out there.

Back to the show.  Going to shows in Milwaukee is usually a disappointing
affair.  You tend to get the "stopover" gig -- bands spent from shows in,
say, Minneapolis the night before saving their energy for the next night's
show in, say, Chicago.  Not last night.  The band was really on fire.  They
started strong and just kept building, building, building.  Every song
better than the next with a remarkable Hanging Tree to close the night.
Funny, as much as I like the song, last night it was put on a higher plain.
Watching Bob writhe around onstage, grab that mic and let loose was such a
thrill.

High points:
Anymore Time Between -- Never my favorite song, I finally understood it last
night.  It started out so spare, then erupted.  Had he played this before
tonight?
Disappointed -- I've always loved this song.  To me, it's a song that would
fit on any of his records and belongs in every show.  He was really into it,
too.  I've never seen him gesture so much during songs before.  VERY
animated.
As we left my wife (a real trooper - five and a half months pregnant and
still willing to rock) mentioned that she was sad it was over and "Why
didn't he play more songs?".  Boy, If you knew what a statement that was...

Bummer:
Only one encore.  My guess is he was pretty spent after the first encore.
I'll try not to take it personally.

GREAT show, folks.  I won't soon forget it.

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

From: Dilley

"The guy doesn’t fuck around does he!" my friend shouted to me about 3 songs
into his set.  And believe me, he doesn’t.  The sweat from Bob started
flying pretty heavily as he stomped all over the stage early on, you knew it
was going to be a good show-and it just got better as it went on.

I would describe the Milwaukee crowd as extremely appreciative; Varnaline
was received pretty well and I would definitely recommend getting to the
show early to see them.  The Last Dog and Pony band was tight, Matt’s a
great drummer by the way.  Bob’s guitar playing was excellent, and talk
about loud-holy shit!

Well, there has been enough whining about the sparseness of Sugar material,
but hey-that’s a different band (as is HD), get over it, jeez!  I would love
nothing more than to go and watch Bob play for 8 hours straight, ripping out
all of his oldies, including "Bricklayer" and "Pride"(sprinkling his band
with guest appearances by Grant and Greg), finish off the day with the
entire "Beaster" CD, and then watch him smash all his guitars, but you know
what boys and girls?  That ain’t going to fucking happen.

Could have used another encore tonight though.  But the encore he did just
killed!  Bob finished with "Hanging Tree", and it was unbelievable, the
crowd was just floored!  I’ll never forget it.
Thanks Bob.  You fucking rule.

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

From: Matthew D'Ascenzo

I just wanted to add that I was standing in the front and "Who Was Around?" 
was on the set list between "Roll Over and Die" and "Reflecting Pool."
Bob introducted "Reflecting Pool," something he almost never does for a song.
Apparently, this was his way of informing the band that he didn't want to play 
"Who Was Around?" Possibly, this song has the sort of intense emotional 
associations for Bob that "The Slim" did and he wants to wait until the time 
is absolutely right to play it. Also, there was a second encore on the set 
list, the "Sweet Serene"/"See a Little Light" combo that he ended both 
Minneapolis shows with. After the extremly emotional renditions of 
"Dissapointed" and the "Hanging Tree" anything further would have been 
anticlimatic. I haven't seen Bob so animated in a long time. During 
Disappointed he ran across the stage throughout the entire solo, and
then ran all the way over to Jim and Michael and pogoed up and down.
At the end of "The Hanging Tree," Bob riped his mike of its stand and 
continued to scream while tuning the final waves of feed back.
I also saw both shows in Minneapolis and Bob has generally seemed
more enthusiatic then he did during the last Sugar tour. There has been a lot
more movement, soloing, etc. But, last night he definitely upped the ante 
expressing emotional frenzy in every solo. Also, although I'm not a technical 
expert regarding guitar, it seemed like he was experimenting with new solos 
on a number of the songs, including "Art Crisis," "I Hate Alternative Rock," 
and "Egoverride." This was a great show by any standards, even by Bob's.