The Loud Family Tour 1998:

From: Grant Burnell
Subject: [loud-fans] Portland

Here's my take on the Portland. I made the 4 hour drive from Eastern Oregon and managed to convince my friends Dad and Sharon to accompany me to the show. They aren't real big fans of the Loud Family, but they always enjoy a good show. We were the first people at the Satyricon at 9:30, but soon it started to fill up (the place isn't much bigger than the Hotel Utah in SF). Lorrie and Stefan arrived, Sue and Joe, and of course Steve H!

The opening acts were quite forgettable but not offensive. Finally the Loud Family took the stage and put on quite a show. I seem to have misplaced my setlist so I can't give a lot of detail, but maybe that's good for those of you who are waiting for the LF to arrive in your town :) They played almost the entire new album including some of the "in-between songs." There were a few great versions of some Game Theory classics and a song I suspect was a cover but I can't place it. When Lorrie gets back to Corvallis, she could probably help with the setlist; they played at least 20 songs. The sound was lacking on the low-end but was extremely loud. The room was pretty full but not real crowded. It was great to talk to the band, especially Gil who I haven't had a chance to talk to much before.

Wish I could have followed along to Seattle, but that's the way it goes. This must have been my eighth or ninth LF show, and was one of the best.

Grant

From: Sue Trowbridge
Subject: [loud-fans] PORTLAND!

OK, I am in the world's goofiest internet palais -- The War Room in Seattle. Everyone else is playing computer games, and I am checking my e-mail. If there are any Dungeons and Dragons/role playing/war game fanatics, trust me, this place would be your PARADISE. It must have cost a fortune to build -- so elaborate! Above me is a huge lighted map of the world, rendered in surplus motherboards and other spare computer parts. Any Seattleites ever ventured in here?

Well, last night was the opening of the Loud Family tour. Steve, Joe and I flew from Oakland to Portland on Thurs morning. Security stopped me after something suspicious was turned up when they were looking at my bag in the x-ray machine. I had to unpack my carry-on, item by item, until the offending parcel was produced. It was....a plastic Safeway bag filled with Loud Family bumper stickers!! Once the security man saw that it was not a terrorist weapon after all, we were free to go.

Lorrie suggested that we check out Powell's Books, which has to be the hugest bookstore I've ever seen in my entire life. Amazing! I could've spent hours there. But we had to meet up for dinner at a Greek restaurant called Berbati's. When we arrived at 7:30, Lorrie and her friend Stefan were the only ones there. A few minutes later, Julianne Overall, a new loud-fan, turned up. Julianne was meeting us all for the first time yet within a few minutes we were chatting like old friends. The band was supposed to join us but were about an hour late, due to a sound check delay at the club. They missed the delivery to our table of a flaming cheese...

Anyway, the food was delicious, and afterwards we headed over to Satyricon. Joe and I promptly manned the merch table, which was spread out with an array of good stuff, including the T-shirts (which came out GREAT), DFD and IBC CDs, Alison's FOG SHOW and "Execution Day," and the aforementioned bumper stickers. Big spenders buying a CD and a shirt received a free Loud Family DFD poster!

Celebrity sighting: Elliott Smith. Alison, a MAJOR ES fan, asked Joe to give him a FOG SHOW CD, which he did. He said Elliott seemed very nice and soft-spoken. He stayed for the entire show, unbeknownst to Scott, who closed the set with, "Thank you, and take care of Elliott Smith." He was pretty embarrassed when he found out that ES was still there!

Mom sighting: Matthew Amster Burton's mom came, and chatted with Scott beforehand. She stayed for nearly the whole set, impressive considering that the LF didn't get underway 'til after midnight. What a cool mom!

Show highlights: Those of you who wondered if any of the odd numbered tracks would turn up in the set...well, wonder no more. They were there. A couple songs I've never heard live before were played, plus a rather obscure cover (Alison promised a free bumper sticker to the first person to correctly identify the band that had originally recorded it). All in all, they played most of DFD, a couple Game Theory faves, the "remixed" version of "Sword Swallower," some IBC highlights...a very good set, marred somewhat by the genuinely crappy and **LOUD** sound at the club (I've never heard the LF at such an ear-piercing volume before!).

There were about 20 people near the stage who were REALLY into it, and maybe 20 more (including Elliott Smith) who were sorta hanging back, or sitting at tables. The fans were very enthusiastic.

Oh yeah -- you know how when you go on a trip, you're always afraid you're gonna forget something important? Well, Scott forgot his spiffy new guitar!! Fortunately, he had a back-up along...

The show ended well past 1 AM, Joe and I sold a bunch of merchandise, and then we helped the band carry its equipment out. By the time we got back to our hotel it was 3 AM! Yawn...

Anyway, I'm looking forward to tonight's show and meeting the Seattle contingent. In response to a question I saw posted, why can't I sell merchandise at *all* the shows?, well, that might get a bit expensive :) I am not crazy about long car/van trips, so I'd have to fly to all the shows, and I'd have to sell soooo many shirts and bumper stickers to earn enough money for all those plane rides ;) In my absence, the lovely Ms. Levy will be handling the merchandising duties, post-show. But I'm sure if some fans wanted to volunteer to help her out, she wouldn't say no!

--Sue Trowbridge
trow@slip.net

Photo courtesy Sue Trowbridge.
L-R: Joe Mallon, Sue Trowbridge, Julianne Overall, Steve Holtebeck, Lorrie Smith, Stefan Apperson

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