The Loud Family Tour 1998:

From: Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey
Subject: [loud-fans] Milwaukee! (part one - no real spoilers yet)

Whew! I've got a few minutes before I go to work this am, so I thought I'd scribble while the scribblin's fresh...

First, Rose & I met a couple of other Milwaukee Loudfans at Conejito's, a cheap Mexican restaurant. Since we hadn't met previously, we used the "Scott Miller party" gambit to locate one another. The reputation of Loudfans as home to friendly and interesting people remains intact - first to arrive was Jeff Stehr and his wife Cathy, followed - after beer, margaritas, and tortilla chips - by Wes Vokes and his sister Chris. Naturally, a network of coincidences ended up linking several folks at the table: the Other Jeff and I turned out to have attended the same high school, two years apart; and Cathy and Chris are not only both occupational therapists but did their residencies at the same place in Seattle - not exactly nearby.

We adjourned to the Cactus Club a couple of miles away and seated ourselves at a table with a sociological cartoon exploring the world of "Bud Musselcarski," a baseball-cap wearin', sunglass-exploiting, mullet-headed dude who works at a factory for $6/hr. and exclaims, "I [heart] Bob Seger!" Curious. Scott had arrived looking slightly tired, noticed the cartoon on the table, and said, "I'd better start drinking fast." Unfortunately, the jukebox - with a very impressive range of cool selections - was being blasted at such a volume that conversation was, uh, difficult. (I found myself wondering, during a particularly abrasive rap number, what would happen if we replaced the word "fuck" in that song with, say, "wasps' nests" - quite an interesting and repetitive tongue-twister...)

Luckily, the back room (where the bands were going to play) was opening up, so we paid our bucks and went in. Opening act Instant Whip started fairly soon thereafter - a solid band with alt-country leanings but plagued by a bit of saminess (better sequencing would have helped) and occasional vocal lapses. Second guitarist Ward's songs were very cool, though (he's a long-time local favorite).

After a break during which the club played "Favorite Cop Show Themes" or somehting (I noticed "Dragnet" and "Peter Gunn"), the Loud Family took the stage.

More later - gotta go to work!

--Jeff

From: Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey
Subject: [loud-fans] Milwaukee! (part the rest - w/spoilers)

Previously, on Loudfans:

Instant Whip, the opening band, had just finished its set, and the Loud Family took the stage. Scott was resplendent in shiny black striped shirt - no Air Dorothies, though. I'd peeked at the set list, so I knew that...

...track 9 from DFD would open the show. The mix was a bit rough, but the segue into "Not Because You Can" was indeed brilliant, fueled by the first - but decidedly not the last! - instance of very impressive Gil Ray drumming.

After that, the mix seemed to clear up, and the rest of the set went off with nary a hitch. Scott had said to me before the show that it was a challenging set in terms of various settings, effects, etc. (same list as the 7-3 show on Sue's site) - I was impressed by how well the sequence worked, and how impressively the band negotiated all the nice little musical hairpin turns Scott tends to write. Only thing I didn't really like was the intentional sped-up chorus/slowed-down verse on "Room for One More, Honey" - they did it exactly the same every verse, so it wasn't a tempo problem per se.

Did I mention that Gil Ray is a monster drummer? The "hesitating" "Sword Swallower" was a big improvement over the already pretty cool PABARAT version: it picked up a Bo Diddley sort of feel, and Gil dropped in some fills that were damned near literally jaw-dropping. (And I do mean "literally."). There were probably 30-40 people in the room max - but we made up in enthusiasm what we may have lacked in numbers. (Milwaukee crowds, btw, are notoriously catatonic.) Wes was a madman, and he and Rose were dancing up a storm next to me. I really wish I *had* printed up the MAURI and TANIA t-shirts for them to wear!

Whoever commented about Alison's infectious energy and sway-dancing had it right - she brought a very warm and energetic presence to the room (god that sounded California - hell, I'm tired...) and coaxed some of the corner-standers onto the floor.

The cover - whose title I'll omit, heh-heh-heh - was another in a series of songs that show how well Scott & Co. can adapt other songs to their style while still retaining much of the original's flavor. (Their version of "Debaser" on the last tour was another good - and surprising - example of same.) A highlight - since we'll probably never hear from the band who did the original again.

The middle of the set slowed down a bit, with "Where They Go Back to School..." beginning as "a very short break for the rest of the band": Scott solo, joined gradually by Kenny, Alison, and the lightest touch of Gil. That was followed by "Way Too Helpful" - yes, Scott nailed even the highest of notes.

Changeable stuff:

Who did Scott used to date in "Spot the Setup"? Liz Phair

Additions to the end of the next song? "I'll hit the ground running," among others.

Encores? "Sexy Sadie" (what'd I say about Scott's chameleonic voice?), "Mauritania," and a smokin' "Here It Is Tomorrow."

Last time the band played Milwaukee, it was a shortened set, rather late in the evening, in a dark and dim club (the late Unicorn) probably better suited to the punk bands Gus, the owner, favored there. That show never quite gelled. This one, though, made me fully understand what everyone raving about, say, the SF show at the end of the IBC tour was on about. I'm toying w/the idea of driving down to Chicago tonight...

Too bad we had to leave the house by 8am today - it would've been fun to put the band up - I think Jeff & Cathy got the honors.

--Jeff

From: Wes Vokes
Subject: Re: Milwaukee & SLC pt. 4 (not much left to spoil)

Well, in Milwaukee last night there were no more than 25 or so people, and we got a 3 song encore (incredible songs at that!) so I wouldn't say your chances are nil....

As long as I am here, I will post some general thoughts about the Loud Family's "National Obscurity Tour" stop in Milwaukee. Jeff Norman will probably give a detailed play-by-play so I won't steal his thunder. 1st off, it was real nice to meet Jeff & Jeff and their respective sig.others...you all are funny, intelligent and extremely nice....

2) I cannot believe just how low budget this tour is...at the tiny Cactus Club, the Louds lighting consisted of a stationary discoball and a light or 2 pointed at that. They used a sound system that the wedding band I play in would laugh at (and they turned it up real-loud, so the vocals tended to distort--ouch).

3) Given all that, Scott and co. put their all into the show, and it doesn't seem to get them down. I sure hope there are more people in Chicago tonight...wish I could go!

4) No Air Dorothies, just some normal white sneakers in Milwaukee. He wore the same shirt that he appears in on the DfD booklet. No leather pants however.

5) Why is it when I meet someone that I admire, I just clam up and/or say the stupidest things? I mean, we were talking about the weather for crisssake!

6) I bought the great looking t-shirs, Alison's CD & 45 and a couple of bumperstickers, all for $25. The admission was only $6. What a deal!!

That's all for now...I'll post more when I have time..

Wes

From: Bill Swan
Subject: [loud-fans] [Loud Fans] MKE show

Hello Loud Fans:

I am a new list member and I just saw the Louds at the Cactus Club in Milwaukee on Thursday. Forgive me if I reproduce something you've already read, but, like I said, I'm a newbie.

I have been a Loud fan for several years (after reading a review of TTOL in Rolling Stone that likened LF to XTC - musically I don't draw the comparison but, hey, it got me interested in what has turned out to be a favorite) but had not seen them live.

Great show and really nice folks to chat with. I talked to Scott and Gil before the show and Alison (manning the t-shirt stand) and Kenny after the set (my Days for Days cover now proudly wears some new autographs!). The set list matched that on the web site for 7/3 (OK, if you don't want it spoiled, don't look!). Encores were Sexy Sadie, Why We Don't Live in Mauritania (I must have yelled loud enough for this!!), and a third one I did not recognize.

My guess is around 25 or 30 were there - small audience but greatly appreciative. I talked to the club owner (Eric, I think) and he said that his club is trying to fill a niche for national acts that aren't well known enough to play at the quite a bit larger Shank Hall and the much larger Rave. Even though the crowd (stretching it a bit) was small, Scott and company gave it their all and my 1.5 hour drive home had me smiling all the way.

Some folks were talking about the Handsome Family - they have a cut on Bloodshot's great "For A Life of Sin (A Compilation of Insurgent Chicago Country)" called "Moving Furniture Around". The Bloodshot three volume series is loaded with great songs that, if all country music was like this, we'd be listening to a lot more country music! I especially like Volume 2 (Hell Bent) which includes the Waco Brothers (Mekons members), Robbie Fulks, and many many more.

Were there more Milwaukee show reviews posted? I'd like to read them, so if someone can forward them or point me to an archive, I'd appreciate it.

Bill Swan

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