The Loud Family Tour 1998:

San Francisco

Bottom of the Hill, August 7

Photographs on this page: "Good Friends & Girls" and Loud family onstage by Janet Ingraham Dwyer, whose own diary is elsewhere; Michael's dinner crowd by the kind waitress; onstage photos as noted by ana morales (c) ana luisa morales 1998; and Scott and Scott/Alison onstage by Russell Keegstra. All photos except "Good Friends & Girls" link to larger copies.


From: Core Dump Records
Subject: [loud-fans] Loudstock '98 (long)

I was hoping someone with greater descriptive powers than I would attempt a show review. Since no one has yet, I'll throw one out there, in the hope that outrage at its inadequacy will prompt some better ones.

It all started with Friday's dinner at Michael's Vegetarian Diner. I missed the Amoeba run because I was working late, but got to Michael's before everyone had ordered. Michael's staff deserve kudos for accomodating graciously our party's growth and consequent change of booths, like a hermit crab moving to a bigger shell. We ended up in the Big Booth--an enormous crescent that held eleven of us, with a table side free for Sarah to pull up a chair. I was dead center in the crescent, which gave me a good conversational vantage point and eliminated any urge to use the restroom or visit the salad bar.

In attendance (and I think in booth order) were:

Michael's Vegetarian Diner is just that--a diner, with the usual menu of burgers, breakfast items, etc., the difference being that everything is made with faux meat. It's a weird idea (especially when you start thinking about adding "bacon" to your "cheeseburger"), but fairly tasty. I had the "fried chicken".

The conversational topics were wide and varied, and I won't even try to remember them all. Andy and I reminisced about D.C. bands of the 80s--he even knew about Schmovie, which I thought was about as obscure as possible (how about Cats For Dinner, Andy--I forgot to mention them). It turns out that I know his brother Paul--it's a small world, and crowded. Janet and Sue can both do the arm thing from Zoom, and demonstrated their slightly different versions. The Oregon contingent were envied for their proximity to Powell's, which they're probably tired of since I've never had a conversation with someone from Oregon that didn't include this statement of envy. I wondered aloud who did the admittedly sexist but extremely catchy song that goes "If you want to be happy all of your life/never make a pretty woman your wife", and, amazingly, no one could remember the original artist (although Sue knew the Kid Creole cover). Janet had to remind me to use my inside voice when I got to the part that goes: "Your wife is really ugly." "Yeah, but she sure can COOK!"

Needless to say, I had a wonderful time.

Josie (my SO, who loves the Loud Family, but not e-mail), my friend David Kwan, and I didn't make it to the pre-show Thai dinner the next day, much to our chagrin, but we did make it to the show in time to catch all three acts. The first thing I noticed was that the sound was way too loud, at least for this tinnitus sufferer, causing me to spend the show at the back of the club. But I'm a wimp these days. The rest of the loud-fans seemed to have no trouble with the volume and hung out up front.

John Moreman was pleasant but, I thought, a bit bland--power-pop by the numbers. If I could have understood the lyrics, and they turned out to be good, it would have helped a lot--his music was fine but not enough to hold interest without them.

John Wesley Harding, on the other hand, played acoustic for most of his set, his lyrics were audible, and I liked his songs a lot. My favorite was the one David told me was a rewrite of "Waterloo Sunset" by the Kinks.

Around 12:20 the Louds finally came on. I assume the set list is no secret by now:


1st Encore:
2nd Encore:
3rd Encore:

At this point it was almost 2:00 a.m., and the sound man tried to hustle everyone out with a line from Semisonic's "Closing Time": "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." No one paid any attention, but queued up at the merchandise table and hung out with the band. It wasn't until about 2:30 that increasing threats from the doorman finally chased everyone outside. (I can sympathize with the employees, of course; they want to get home. But those who had come long distances were naturally tenacious.)

Out on the sidewalk we congregated for a few minutes. I got to chat a bit with the people from Friday's dinner, plus Ana, Bradley, and Paul Murphy, who I met for the first time, and too briefly. (I also met the JDC inside, even more briefly).

All in all, a great show. Scott complained to me a bit about his voice; he said he missed a note or two and got worried because he knew there were even higher notes coming up in a few songs, but that his voice recovered in time. I told him he was fine (which he was, and better than fine). Before the first encore, he mentioned that it was the first time the SF post-tour show had "at least tied" the best in-tour show. He also mentioned that the TicketWeb site had listed the show just below Pat Benatar on their sales list--"we didn't pass Pat, but boy, that would have been some closure." Alison threatened to do her Benatar impersonation, and someone yelled "I've seen it!" at Michael's

Whew. I'm sure I've left out some important stuff, but hopefully some other folks will post.

Tim Walters


From: Roger J. Winston
Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Loudstock '98 (long)

Thanks much to the ever-effervescent Tim Walters for getting the ball rolling on the SF tour reports, and doing a helluva job at it. I think that most of us who were there are just a little daunted with trying to think up something coherent to say about such a large subject. I got back to Denver from the Bay Area late last night, and to be frank, I just kind of wanted to let it all sink in for awhile and to get away from the "Loud Lifestyle" (wonderful though it is) for a few days... But since Tim started things off...

I left from Denver for the Bay Area early Wed afternoon. I nearly missed the plane, but then we sat at the gate at DIA for over an hour while they tried to decide if the plane needed a safety inspection or not. Sue & Joe picked me up at the cute little Oakland International Airport. That night, ana came over for a scrumptious S&J-cooked dinner. We rented Jerry Springer's TOO HOT FOR TV! video and SPICE WORLD. Yes, we LoudFans have great taste, don't we? Both were somewhat amusing, but I don't think I'm going to buy the DVD versions. Sue fell asleep for around 20 minutes during SPICE WORLD, but when she woke up, she could still tell exactly what was going on. I think we know what that all says about the movie...

On Thursday, Sue, Joe and I trekked to the Berkeley Amoeba and had dinner with Bradley. I bought a lot of CDs. On Friday, the three of us had brunch at Cafe Tallulah (sp?) with Steve, Janet, Andy and Bradley. We stopped in next door at Good Vibrations, and I learned some things about S&M that I never knew (like it's important to stay comfortable while engaging in bondage). Steve and Andy left for their respective workplaces while the remaining five of us went for a tour of Golden Gate Park and then the SF Amoeba (where I bought even more CDs). After a short shopping spree at the new Asian mall in Albany and a viewing of the last subtitled episode of Iron Chef at S&J's, we were ready to head back to the Berkeley Amoeba to meet up with the rest of the gang.

Friday night was my first time meeting Lorrie, Stefan, Sarah and Dennis' GF Heather. It's always a little odd meeting new LoudFans at first - finally putting a face to the name - but it always turns out to be a comfortable experience. We all already have so much in common. Unlike Tim, I was at the Amoeba run so I actually met all those people there before going to the Diner. This time, I managed to hold back my impulses and not buy more CDs.

Anyway, it was a real pip meeting and talking with everyone, though I think most of us were a bit tired from all the traveling and running around. Our waitress was extremely good natured for someone having to put up with such a motley crew and our constant booth-moving, but she was tipped handsomely for her trouble. I'm anxious to see if the pictures taken (some including the waitress) turned out okay. I'm happy to report that there were no "incidents" like ones that have happened in the past at restaurants where LoudFans gather. ;)

The next night's dinner at the Thai place also went off without a hitch. Let's see if I can remember who all were present, from one side of the table to the other:

This was one LONG table, and for those of us on the side against the wall, it was a bit hard to get in and out, or to move at all. But we made it. Someone with a lot of tattoos from the other end of the table kept pelting me with thrown napkins, but luckily I'm a forgive and forget type guy. I had never met Matt, Ron, the JDC, Jo or Paul before, and it was cool to finally do so. The JDC and Jo came down from Seattle, and Paul came all the way from Toronto of course. I think poor Matt got hit by a couple of napkins that were meant for me. Sorry you were in the "war zone", Matt.

Anyway, it was a rollicking good time and I look forward to seeing all of these people again. As for specific topics of conversation - I don't remember. It was all too hazy. Too much of the hops for me, I guess! Because of the table layout, it was hard to talk with anyone besides those real close to you. I look forward to chatting more with the people I missed next time. And there WILL be a next time. More pictures were taken, but I don't think there were any that had everyone in them at once (i.e. we didn't get one of the staff to take a pic this time). Hopefully, some of these will be posted on the web soon. The food was great! We were hoping Scott and Kristine would show up (they said they might), but I guess they were too busy.

After the dinner, we teleported to the club. The Family was already there, though I didn't see Alison right away (she blindsided me later). I chatted with them a bit and watched Scott and Joe play pool. Other LoudFans showed up, including Russell Keegstra, whom I didn't really get a chance to talk to. I was not real close to the stage for the first two acts, but I enjoyed watching them. John Moreman was good, but like Tim said, it was very hard to make out any of the words. John Wesley Harding was even better - he puts on a great show. Chris Von Sneidren joined him for a few numbers.

When the LF took the stage, I moved up to the front. I was all the way over to the right, in a position where Kenny could have easily ground me under his bootheel (luckily, he didn't). ana was next to me and we both took a lot of pictures. I'm sure hers will be stunning as usual, and mine will suck. Most of the rest of the LoudFans contingent was in the center and near the front. The crowd was pretty packed, but I'm bad at estimating numbers. There were maybe 150-200 people? I think some left after Wes's set. I don't recall seeing any celebrities there, but I'm not real good at that sort of thing.

From where I was standing, I didn't think the mixing was very good. But maybe that's because I was standing in a bad place and getting a skewed aural view. I thought the vocals were muddy and not mixed loud enough, esp. from what I remember from the Denver concert. The band definitely put on a great show though, and hopefully got a lot of energy back from the audience. It was great for me to finally hear Mauritania live, as they didn't play it in Denver and it's one of my fave DfD songs. Scott's "I used to go out with Mark Eitzel" comment in "Setup" (as previously reported by ana) was a high point in these parts. Alison's "Execution Day" (with Chris Xefos joining in) was another good one that I hadn't heard live before. I enjoyed the show a lot more than the Denver one - if you haven't seen the Loud Family play in the presence of a couple of hundred rabid fans, then you haven't seen them play.

At one point, Alison commented that there sure were a lot of people there who had seen the band play at other stops on the tour. People started yelling out city names like "New York!". I yelled "Denver!" and Alison kind of looked down despondently at her keyboard and said, "Yeah, we played Denver" in a sardonic tone.

We didn't get back till around 3am, so you could say it was a late night. It felt good to sleep in late the next morning. doug came over for brunch (another astounding Sue concoction), which was probably closer to dinner time than to breakfast time. We chatted awhile until it was time for me to hit the airport.

Sorry I can't remember more specifics about things that were said and all. I'm still in recovery. Perhaps my pictures, when I get them back, will jog my memory some. As will posts from others who were there. I have a feeling there was a lot I missed out on, just because of the sheer amount of people there and the things going on. Thanks to my always-hospitable hosts Sue & Joe, and to everyone I met and spent time with. It was a joy! Thanks to Steve for the party favor (another mindbending mix tape from the mixmaster). I'll enjoy reading everyone else's recollection of events. Proceed!

Apologies to anyone I forgot to mention/acknowledge...it's all a blur...

We really need to have a big LoudFans convention somewhere/sometime. Next summer? It doesn't have to be planned around a concert either. I suggest renting a houseboat on Lake Powell...

Oh yeah, one last thing: THE LOUD FAMILY KICKS ARSE!

Later! --Rog


From: Core Dump Records
Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Loudstock '98 (long)

At 5:14 PM 8/10/98, Roger J. Winston wrote:
>I don't recall seeing any celebrities there, but I'm not real good at
>that sort of thing.

Me neither, but ex-Loudster Zack Smith was pointed out to me, easily recognizable (once you knew the trick) by the eyes tattooed on the back of his shaved head.

>From where I was standing, I didn't think the mixing was very good. But
>maybe that's because I was standing in a bad place and getting a skewed
>aural view.

My usual trick of standing near the sound-being did the job--the mix was actually quite good there, although it's hard to judge vocal levels when you know all the words already. When they did the MBV song (someone remind me of the title, please), I didn't really catch the words, but that might have been partly the advent of the heavy fuzz-bass (ditto for "Execution Day"). What was interesting about John Moreman was that I could hear his voice pretty well, I just couldn't understand most of the words. Some key frequencies were getting masked, or he just slurs his words a lot.

My only other complaint was that the bass was a bit blobby, but that will happen at the back of the room. It was certainly audible, in contrast to the reports of the later shows of the tour.

>We really need to have a big LoudFans convention somewhere/sometime. Next
>summer? It doesn't have to be planned around a concert either. I suggest
>renting a houseboat on Lake Powell...

Color me there!

Uh... where is Lake Powell?

Tim Walters


From: ana luisa morales
Subject: [loud-fans] missing piece o' the puzzle (LF, BotH 8/8)

the song, my dear roger & tim
is
"when you sleep". fuckin' awesome!

other "celebs" unmentioned-

anton barbeau
victor kammenacher of CvB (RIP)
and president bill cli...
i mean,
joe becker....

fwiw, hanging on the back porch
chatting w/ zak smith was pretty damn nifty....

and chris xefos was fuckin' awesome!
i love that man!

september gurl
--ana m.

photograph (c) ana luisa morales 1998

Where good friends and girls meet
From: Paul Murphy
Subject: [loud-fans] arcs of vermouth: San Francisco Aug. 6-10 1998 (show review of sorts)

This was my first visit to San Francisco in roughly 15 years. Much has changed in the interim. I can't really write a show review per se without talking about the show within the context of the trip as a whole. Indulge me.

The bartenders in the cocktail lounges of San Francisco are artists of the trade, and, once you tire of cablecars and such, SF is truly a city of cocktail lounges. Forget lounge revival -- they never went away in SF, judging by the decor and the festive marquees (one of which, near Chinatown, sported the lively slogan, "where good friends -- and girls meet").

My visit proper commenced Thursday evening, as I set aside the exhaustion of a long day's travel to meet a besuited ana (fresh from work), doug, and a few acquaintances I've met through the Mark Eitzel mailing list. The meeting place: Latin American Club, in the Mission (where I was staying). The Latin American was where the booklet photos for AMC's _San Francisco_ were shot, and since my visit to SF was as much guided by Eitzel's music as it was by "Loudstock", the choice of initiatory venue seemed a propos.

The following evening was spent in another notable Eitzel hangout, Spec's in North Beach, kitty-corner from City Lights (where I spent hours deciding whether to buy obscure German expressionist poetry or obscure Maurice Blanchot novels). Spec's is the setting for Eitzel's "Some Bartenders Have the Gift of Pardon" from _60 Watt Silver Lining_. And to wrap up this Eitzel digression, I claim responsibility for Scott's variation on "Spot the Setup"'s opening line at Bottom of the Hill. Long story short (and I'll be getting back to this), smoking is illegal in California bars (draconian puritanism, but let's move on). Smokers at BotH complied with the law by shuttling out to the outdoor patio behind the stage area, where, coincidentally or not, most of the LF members past and present congregated. I was enjoying a nicotine delivery with ana when I mused aloud that ME would be a great reference for "Spot," and Gil was apparently within earshot. So it's my fault, I think.

To get back to bartenders -- on my last evening in SF, I returned to the Latin American, sitting this time at the bar. And what I witnessed is, I think, emblematic of the weekend: mixing a martini, the bartender would follow a ritual pattern of stylized gestures, performed with bravado and panache. The climax was the swirling of the vermouth in the chilled glasses, followed by an emphatic dumping of the contents on the floor. I had never seen anything quite like it. Style and passion governed his actions in equal measure.

Style and passion was what I experienced at BotH, seeing the Loud Family for the very first time. And not just seeing them, of course, but also being in the company of band members and of the fans whose devotion and passion were so inspiring. I arrived very early at the Thai restaurant where we were to gather, sore from the previous days breakneck survey of the hills and architecture of an astonishing beautiful city, a city where the bravado and the panache of the bartender (and of Scott Miller and cohorts) are reflected in the ornamentation of the buildings and in the reckless disregard for the average human dislike for steep grades. (SF is a paradigm for the incommensurability of cartography and geography: a regular, orderly grid-pattern on the map tells you nothing about the adventures you will encounter in places like Pacific Heights or Russian Hill. When the sign just says 'HILL', it is an understatement). The casual flaneur suddenly comes across staggering vistas at every turn; I like to think that Scott's musical career is comparable to this type of experience. It certainly was the case on Saturday night, when a long set by a tight band playing intricate and passionate music overwhelmed me.

I'm always nervous meeting people for the first time, but the Thai restaurant was something else -- having been on this list for over a year, I've come to know how talented and intelligent this group is, and I went into the restaurant feeling intimidated by the prospect of meeting so many of you at once. The dinner was excellent (many thanks again to Sue for organizing the event), the conversation lively, though my nervousness compelled me to dash outdoors for a smoke from time to time. It was a joy to meet all of you (though I won't name all the names, partly to save space and partly because my memory of names is rotten and I fear omission).

At the show, we were greeted by Gil, seated at the barstool immediately at the entrance. Gil quite literally held court the entire evening, at the bar and on the patio, and it was an enormous pleasure to be in his company. ana prompted me to say hello to Scott, and I stammered a few words of thanks for his music, which he accepted with a smile. This being the hometown / homecoming show, Scott was surrounded most of the evening by intimates, so I didn't get a chance to carry on a proper conversation with him, but under the circumstances I wasn't miffed. I missed almost all of the two opening acts, due in part to indifference and also in part to the scene unfolding on the patio, where Gil held us in the palm of his raconteurial hand.

The LF's set was too full of highlights to properly itemize -- a few worth mentioning: Scott and Alison's vocals on "Room for One More Honey," Kenny's 5-string fretless sorcery on "Lions", Scott's soaring vocal on "Way Too Helpful", the deftly executed untitled DfD snippets, Gil's fierce fills on "Deee-pression", the opening salvo of "Not Because You Can" .... on and on I could go. The cover, MBV's "When You Sleep," got me all choked up for purely idiosyncratic reasons (MBV was the favourite band of a close friend who died several years ago, and hearing that song live, even as a cover, unleashed a wave of emotional turbulence in me). The show was over before I could consult my watch.

I left the bar to catch the Owl bus back to the Mission after 2:30, a-tingle from the set and the people (and a-buzz from all the tasty Pyramid Hefe-Weizen). I'm so glad I threw caution to the wind and made this journey. It's one I doubt I'll ever forget.

Cheers,
Paul


From: Bradley Skaught
Subject: [loud-fans] Tip Top at The Bottom

I'm well and truly dizzy from the whirlwind weekend and my memory is as poor as they come, but here's my report from the breathtaking tour finale!

The weekend officially began for me on Thursday when I spent my dinner break with Sue, Joe and Rog (who presented me with a right fab Reign of Frogs "sampler" CD--super cool!) I'm spoiled and get to visit with Sue and Joe all the time, but it's always a treat and wonderful to see Rog again, too!

The next night found a handful of loud-fans doing their CD thang at Amoeba--I was exhausted and, since I was actually working, unable to share in their shopping fun, but was thrilled to see them nonetheless. I guess they all went to Michael's afterwords (did the jukebox play awful Rod Stewart songs again, Joe?)

The real fun began on Saturday for me, though, when I BART-ed into the city and met Janet, Andy, Stefan, Lorrie, and Steve for a quick walk around SF! I had a lengthy conversation with a street person outside the Virgin Megastore--he told me all about the '68 stratocaster he had once owned. He also told me about this old bluesman who just died a few years ago...Jim Morrison. hmm.

Chinatown proved to be as colorful and dynamic as ever, with many pictures being taken of storefronts, silly signs, and eachother. Lunch at a veggie restauraunt was great, but the visit to City Lights books was really an especially marvelous treat. Stefan also displayed his amazing gift for stumbling across every landmark building he vaguely remembered!

ext came a walk to a park whose name escapes me, where a stray parrot was spotted and a grossly overfed pigeon scared us all away from our spot under a shady tree. Lorrie, Steve, and Stefan continued the tour of North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf while Janet, Andy, and I went to church. It was a beautiful church, and the service was beautiful, too, but the music was a tad overdone and we giggled about it afterwords (besides, we knew that the real music was still to come!) I found the service's message of generosity and kindness very touching and well in synch with my thoughts about the homeless "problem" I encounter everyday in Berkeley.

After the service we went to the Chinatown gate to rendevous with S,S, and L. Janet and I gave the stone Lion a short break from his duties and we guarded the gate for awhile. He seemed genuinely pleased, but he returned to his post in time to pose for more tourist photos. A nice ol' chap, he.

After that it was a long walk and a short ride to Thai dinner! I was exhausted and a bit spacey by this point, so I wasn't being terribly social, but dinner was good and the conversation was as entertaining as one might expect from such a gathering! I got to sit next to my pal Sarah, too, so really I was guaranteed a good time. Food was tasy, sure, but the desert was brilliant--bananas and ice cream and yummy yum yum!

After dinner we all trekked down to the club and caught the tail end of the Moreman/Harding sound check. Not a bad club--lots of little nooks and crannies and a nice outdoor patio to get some fresh air. I enjoyed talking to Anton Barbeau, but he and I seemed incapable of staying out of the way of pool players Scott and Joe. Anton and I shared our mutual admiration of Interbabe Concern and its influence on our music. Lots of socializing followed, but i'll be damned if I can remember all the names and conversations. I do remember seeing Ryan and his friend (i've forgotten her name, sorry), though, and really loved talking to them about the joys of living in Berkeley and the madness of working at Amoeba. I was thrilled to be in a room full of so many brilliant songwriters--Anton, Scott, Chris Von Sneidern--wow!

Moremen and his band were okay--too many solos and too straightforward for my tastes, but his band were energetic and the enthusiasm made for a an enjoyable set. I got a kick out of watching Anton, too, who seemed to be gleefully studying the drummer's manic, Keith Moon-like fills!

John Wesley Harding came on next and was a welcome surprise! He was confident, clever and picked some of his stronger tunes. He's a much better folk/rock-y musician than he was an Elvis Costello impersonator, so I was pleasantly surprised. He was joined for a couple of songs by the truly amazing Chris Von Sneidern (I disagree with all of you! CvS is way cuter than Harding!) who provided some tasty lead guitar and even tastier harmonies! Then the More-men came back on to back Harding up and they were good, but ended up being just a top-notch bar band with more annoying guitar solos. Harding got lots of points for refusing to play an encore, though!

The Louds themselves were utterly breathtaking. The set list has been posted and so I promise not to run through each song, but the performances were buoyant and ferocious! The band seemed to be having an awful lot of fun and Scott _really_ cut loose. I was front and center and simply stood in awe of the incredible craft and brilliance being played out in front of me. It's one thing to study and admire his albums, but it's another thing entirely to have the man stand in front of you and unleash perfect song after perfect song with such swagger and intensity. The band seemed entirely comfortable with their "hometown" audience as well--joking and appreciative. Scott's final "thank you" and hopping bow was thoroughly charming and bright.

And damn it, they rocked. Gil was all that i'd been told and more. "Such Little Nonbelievers", in particular, was wide open and razor sharp..."St. Therese" was tear inducing and gloriously sad..."Lions" was pure magic with Janet and Andy right by my side..."24" an unexpected treat..."Mozart Sonatas" steals "Top Dollar"'s crown as best song-that-*really*-comes- alive-in-concert...odd tracks were super cool, especially the opener with Scott raging away on his guitar with a beer bottle...and more and more and better and better. To tell you the truth, I was literally entranced--I just fell into a musical place somewhere far beyond the usual sphere and only when the show was finally over did I suddenly snap back to the real world. It was beautiful and deeply affecting. This band's role in my music and my life really cannot be overstated, and to hear them in such stellar form while surrounded by such beautiful friends is really an experience too powerful to do justice in words.

Thanks to all whom I visited with (for such sadly short periods of time) and an invitation for all to return and visit again! Jolly good show! Someone else step up and do this show some justice, okay?

goodnight dears,
Bradley


From: robert toren
Subject: briefly about saturday

saturday night was intense_

finaly, after a month of frustration while the Louds played the country, Stacey and I sitting at home wishing we were there_ tLF LIVE, including the bits between the DfD proper songs_

I won't say much about the show, I'm sure it's been well covered; the first part seemed a little stiff (tho, my perspective at side stage may've played a part), then picked up in the encores, and especially after Chris Xenos played maniac tambourine during alison's blistering 'Execution Day'_

what a kick to meet so many loud-fans after all this time_ hello again_

nite full'o memories_ GT songs_ listers i corresponded with a year ago_ and cutting edge, new songs, real life_i admit, early on i was a little freaked by so much input; then the Louds played, my head bobbed, and everything was okay_

high points
st therese, mauratania, the break in deeepression_

anyway_ I'm fine, hope you all are_

oh, Janet's (slightly sanitized) collection of tour loud-posts is a BIG hit! y'all are too cool

have a good one
don't believe everything you hear,
love
Robert


From: Russell Keegstra
Subject: [loud-fans] Loudstock '98

My wife and I decided to use some of those Southwest Air free tix she's been accumulating and head out to see the show. We stayed with my sister and her husband in Half Moon Bay, a bit of a commute but still tolerable. We came into Oakland on Friday afternoon, and pretty much just hung out with my sister the rest of the day. Unfortunately, due to the last minute nature of our plans we were unable to bring them with us to the show. Scott onstage

We spent all day Saturday wandering around SF and Sausalito (by ferry) so we were kinda wiped by the end of the day.

We got to the club around 10:00. Listmaster Dennis almost immediately rescued us from obscure LoudFan-onymity and took it upon himself to introduce us to many, many other loudfans (um, Roger, Joe, Steve, Janet Bradley, and many names I didn't have time to absorb -- hi, I was the guy with the "Remove Before Flight" T-shirt). What a nice buncha folks. He also introduced me to Scott, and I made inane banter as I recall. I also met Zack Smith, Jozef Becker and at least two band SOs (thanks Dennis).

We spent most of the openers hanging out on the porch or balconey where we could actually sit down. For the show proper I moved back in towards front and center (where I met Sue (hi Sue!)). The show itself; let me compare and contrast with the Phoenix show, the only other one that I have seen.

The sound was much better, even up front. I could hear Kenny. I could understand words, even to songs I didn't know (Not Because You Can, the MBV cover). The mix was good. I was going to do the hang out by the sound person thing, but decided that I would rather *see* the band.

Alison was without a doubt more animated here than she had been in Phoenix. We didn't even have to stage dive. Alison & Scott

Scott was also even more animated than he had been at the Phoenix show.

I guess the right crowd means a lot. Of course, the fact that they were all back home again probably made a difference.

After the show I bought copies of IBC and DFD for my sister/brother-in- law so they could hear what they missed, and then we left rather hurriedly (sorry we didn't say goodbye). We needed sleep.

Thanks y'all,
Russ

ps - we'll let you know if any of the available light pix we took come out okay...

Editor's note: the available-light pix came out great! See Russ' Loud Family album at www.azstarnet.com/~mlball/lfsf including his photos shown in this entry and more!


From: Steve Holtebeck
Subject: [loud-fans] San Francisco Daze

Weighing in late with my ontological take on the San Francisco scene.

On Monday, after getting very little sleep all weekend, and still not seeing any show reviews, I was starting to worry that I might have dreamed this whole weekend. I'm still a bit overwhelmed by the whole experience but here goes..

My Loudstock weekend started on Thursday night when Janet & Andy arrived in SFO from Columbus. They were the first overnight guests at my new place (not counting my parents), so I spent the whole weekend getting everything in a semblance of order (books on the bookshelf organized by topic, fiction by author, CDs alphabetized by artist), and finished the mural of record covers on my bedroom wall. I'm pretty sure they don't do that at the Travelodge!

On Friday, we all met up with Bradley, Sue, Joe, and Roger for brunch in Berkeley. I won't re-tell the "raisin bagel incident" here, except to say that it was probably our only less than stellar restaurant experience of the whole weekend. After brunch, we did walk over to Berkeley landmark Good Vibrations, but I don't think anyone actually bought anything. Then Bradley and I (but not Andy, he was on vacation!) had to head to our respective jobs, while the rest of them continued touring and having fun I guess..

After a half day of "work" (appearing to work), I picked up Lorrie and Stefan at San Francisco airport at 6:00. I told them they would probably be indoctrinated into Bay Area traffic right away during the ride from SFO to Berkeley, but the traffic gods were shining on us, since we made it in 35-40 minutes (unheard of on Friday night). This left us with an extra half-hour shopping at Amoeba, but it didn't look like L&S minded too much! Sarah also made it from Menlo Park in record time, and our Friday cast of characters (I forget everyone, and I was organizing this get together.. I can't believe Tim & Rog could remember the dinner table layouts!) showed up gradually, and we headed down Telegraph to Michael's diner for vegetarian fare. During our two and a half hour dinner, we talked about this and that and just about everything, and didn't hear any bad Rod Stewart songs, but did hear some of the same oldies over and over. I think I'd met everyone at the table except Heather, but it was still unbelievable fun..

I hosted Lorrie & Stefan *and* Janet & Andy for the weekend, and was worried about fitting everyone into an Acura Integra which barely fits my CD collection, but thanks to the wonderful Sarah Gordon driving J&A home on Friday and my brother letting me borrow his Honda Accord on Saturday, we were able to fit everyone fine without too much trouble.. After a *very late* breakfast at Happy Bagels in Castro Valley, and the usual heavy traffic across the Bay Bridge, the five of us met up with Bradley in SF. We had a wonderful walking tour of SF, then headed over to Thanya and Salee with six people in a Honda Accord! The dinner was really enjoyable (thanks Sue!) but the length of the table made it hard to talk to everyone, so I took a seat at the opposite end of the table from my four houseguests, mainly to interact with different people for awhile. There were 24 people at the dinner, which I'm pretty sure ties it for the most loud-fans at one table at one time.

Almost everyone headed the few blocks to the Bottom of the Hill right after the doors opened at 9:00. I really enjoyed both of the opening acts, John Moremen and John Wesley Harding, and thought this was a great triple bill. Moremen's ep, AND THE SUN SHINES, has become a big favorite on my stereo, and I liked him and his band, muffled vocals, loud guitars and all! John's band always looks like they're having fun on stage, and I think his songs were really strong, but I'm partial to straight power pop, and can see where heed have limited appeal to those who aren't.

This was John Wesley Harding's last SF show as a SF resident (before moving to Seattle), so it was a bit of a sad occasion, since I've become accustomed to seeing him play local shows every couple of months. Apparently Wes was worried that he wouldn't be received too well by the loud crowd, but most people enjoyed his set a lot. He played a couple of solo songs (including "In Paradise" which he said was requested by "a very nice Loud Family fan" who turned out to be John Cooper) then a couple of songs with Chris von Sneidern (who could give Wes a real run in the "cuteness" department) then some songs with the John Moremen band (a Bee Gees' cover, a Jimmy Silva song, and his own "Scared of Guns"), which *I* liked a lot, even if nobody else did! Wes gets extra loud-fan points for turning down audience requests for an encore, even though he certainly deserved one!

After what seemed like a very long wait, the Loud Family took the stage sometime after midnight and tore through the same set they played throughout the tour. I saw the first two nights in Portland and Seattle, and have seen this lineup play more than a dozen times in the last year, and this was definitely the best I've ever seen! The whole hour-long set seemed to go by in a flash, with highlights for me being the "9/Not Because You Can", and "Dee-pression/Room for One More" section (AFL sings GT a lot like Donnette), "Lions" (truly lump-in-the-throat time with Janet & Andy standing in front of me), and the "I used to go out with Mark Eitze" bit in "Spot the Setup".. At the Bottom of the Hill

The first encore included Alison's "Execution Day" (buy that single everyone.. it's really great!) with Chris Xefos on tambourine and vocals. Before the show Stefan & Lorrie mentioned seeing someone who looked a lot like Chris X. onstage with the Posies in Portland, and wondered if it was the guy playing bass with John Moremen, the guy from King Missle/When People Were Shorter (that was Andy), and the soundman from the LF Fall '97 Mini tour, and the answer is yes.. That guy gets around quite a bit! Then "St. Therese" into "Non Believers", but I was really hoping for "Rosy Overdrive" especially with Rosy's owner in the house! :)

For the second encore, Scott came out by himself and ignored my request for "Night Fever" (one of the songs he played at a Bee Gees tribute the last time he shared the stage with JWH at the Bottom of the Hill) to play "24", which was fabulous, even though he did forget the first line of the third verse. Luckily he had some of his most rabid fans right up front yelling "and in a way" in unison! After that, the whole band came out for "Mauritania", which I’d never seen live before, and a "Here It is Tomorrow" every bit as wonderful as it was one year earlier in Gil's first LF show at the Hotel Utah!

About this time, I started to think it would be really cool if we could stay in the Bottom of the Hill forever, with the band continuing to play encores, but we were nearing 2am closing time, and they were starting to look tired, so after a back-to-reality "Asleep and Awake", the show ended and everyone (band included) went home happy. Being able to see and hear your favorite band in the world with some of your nearest and dearest friends with you is an experience to fabulous to express with English words, but in Esperanto: "estis granda sukceso!"

Steve

PS: Did anyone see more than three shows on this tour?

photograph (c) ana luisa morales 1998


From: John Dylan Cooper
Subject: [loud-fans] JDC's 8/8 comments

So much has been said (and well said) about last Saturday's show at the Bottom of the Hill that the possibilities for narrative treatment have been virtually exhausted; I suspect a majority of the list would rather hear something other than "I did this, then I did that"; so here are some comments with headings you can use to skip around. Cut'n'paste, then color using crayon or watercolor.

PERSONAL FAVORITE LOUDSHOW MOMENT THAT HASN'T YET BEEN MENTIONED

During one of the songs--I think it was the final encore, "Awake and Asleep"--Scott let out a screech that Elvis Costello's yowl on "Man Out of Time", only half as long. Never heard anything like that on a studio version!

MOST SUCCESSFUL MANIPULATION OF A CROWD

When Doug Mayo-Wells joined the nearly 20 of us already present at the Thai restaurant and cast his eyes about looking for a seat, I directed him down toward my end of the table: "I think there's room for one more..."

As I'd hoped, six or seven people instantly said "...honey!"

BEST GIL WITTICISM AT WHICH I WAS PRESENT

The conversation got to talking about Loud Family action figures. Gil had his all spec'd out: "It comes complete with a back truss. And as you pull the string, the hairline recedes!" (Hand swept over head, body doubled in laughter)

Having seen Gil and the band twice in the last forty days, I can no longer imagine the band with any other drummer. I have the impression Gil had to work hard in order to drum again. When we talked alone, briefly, he told me quite simply that he wasn't sure he "was there yet"--i.e., back to his full capacities. "You're there," I told him, and he thanked me, though I'm not sure he can see it that way. Guessing, I wonder if he isn't evaluating himself on what he might feel as a decreased range of motion, perhaps a little loss of musclepower, maybe even (although I'm sure I'd never be able to tell) decreased stamina; whereas what makes Gil a genius behind the kit is the way he always picks exactly the right beat at exactly the right time, driving the band like a master, never calling attention to himself yet always--always--playing with such casual precision and with such interesting variation that whenever your attention does happen to fall on him it's always rewarded, even enlightened. It's not being able to drum that makes Gil great--it's knowing how.

Jo Brown, who met him for the first time on this trip, told me: "I didn't realize he was a Southern gentleman." And so he is. Would that there were more like him.

SONG THAT I SEEM TO "GET" AFTER HEARING IT LIVE FOR A SECOND TIME

You know how folktales generally don't read very well? The phrases ritually repeated, the way every plot device is repeated in threes--it's tiresome. Your eyes skim over it. Yet when delivered by a skilled storyteller, every element is perfect, anticipated and desired. Something in those ritual aspects of an oral tale keys into a very deep part of our genetic heritage.

There's an analogy in the structure of "Mozart Sonatas." There's something about the self-imposed formalism of the verses that kind of put me off when I'd only heard it on the disk. But in concert, that same tight structure produces an extremely exciting anticipation: "When / When Mozart sonatas play it's fine / When Mozart sonatas play, it's fine / When Mozart sonatas play, it's FINE..." I can tell you, I look forward to the Duchamp verse with every bit of the eagerness of the toddler seeing "The Little Mermaid" for the fortieth time anticipating his favorite musical number.

BEST GREETING FROM SOMEONE I HADN'T MET BEFORE

When Janet and I were introduced at the table in the Thai restaurant, she shook my hand in both of hers and said what a pleasure it was to finally meet me. I can't remember the last time I was so pleased and flattered; although we didn't get much chance to talk, her warmth and sincerity instantly turned me from a distant admirer into another of her legion of adoring friends. I was pleased to meet Andy, too; the quality of the match is obvious. What a delight that they were able to come out to San Francisco.

WHERE THEY MEET JOHN WESLEY HARDING AND GET SURPRISED

During John Moremen's band's sound check, I spotted Gil, as someone so aptly put it earlier, "holding court" on a barstool facing the room. I gave him my greetings and was instantly replaced by five other adoring fans who surrounded him in a semicircle. Poor John Wesley Harding, sitting next to him, was reduced to pretending to be intrigued by the activity on stage. So when I was sure I wasn't interrupting, I stepped up and said "You're Wes, right?" We shook. "Yes, and you are...?"
"I'm John Cooper, and I just wanted to tell you you've written some *beautiful* songs..."
"Well, thank you very much..."
"The one I'm thinking of in particular is called "In Paradise": sort of an update to the Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset." (acknowledgement) "You know, there's a kind of audaciousness and courage to taking on such a great song, to recapture such a complex, bittersweet feeling, to do something different with its same structure and yet stay true to the song...and you pulled it off. It's perfect."
"I'm playing tonight." (That's not what he said, but that's what I heard.)
"I know you are!"
"No, I said I'll play it tonight."
"Really?! Wow..." (Only my complete innocence could let me get away with acting like such an ingenue, I'm sure...I honestly had no thought of actually requesting the song and was terribly pleased at the thought of hearing it.)
"If it's a quiet crowd."
"Fair enough, then! Thanks." (Shake hands again.)

I didn't have much hope that it would be a quiet crowd, looking at the bustle in the room, but thought he'd probably play it even if the crowd wasn't very quiet. And when he did play the song, introducing it as a request from "a very nice Loud-Fan," (Steve Holtebeck turned around and pointed at me, mouthed "you") you could almost hear a pin drop for the whole six minutes.

The odd thing is, I'm not that big a Harding fan. I have only one of his records, a four-song EP I bought for his acoustic version of Madonna's "Like A Prayer." I had an album of his once, but I sold it. Someone on this list sent me "In Paradise" on a compilation tape they made for my cross-country drive last summer. (I can't find the tape now; was it on Glenn McDonald's tape, which Andy Hamlin kept?) I've seen him once before, at a free outdoor show in 1992; he was very good then, but it didn't make me buy all his stuff. But I enjoyed seeing him before and I love that song. I'm glad he's moving up here.

JOHN MOREMEN

I've been surprised at the general mediocre rating many of the posters gave his set. But I enjoyed them: clear sound; nice pop hooks; great rhythm guitar; lead solos that fit without unnecessary flash; and most of all, an obvious and infectious enjoyment of performing.

Before his set, Moremen came up to talk to Doug while Doug and I were standing together, and I found him personable, friendly and unpretentious. Much like his music.

CHRIS XEFOS

Until someone on the list mentioned King Missile in passing, I would not have placed him as the co-author of such minor joys as "Jesus Was Way Cool" ("...He could have scored more goals than Wayne Gretzky...") and "Rock and Roll Will Never Die."

JOZEF BECKER

Stood to the left of the stage for a while and looked up at the Loud Family as if he really wished he were up there too.

EMBARRASSINGLY CUTE THING I SAID THAT WAS NONETHELESS VERY TRUE

"I feel like I'm in social heaven, and all the other angels are my friends!"

WHERE THEY MISS THEIR CHANCE TO SAY GOODBYE

I didn't take off right after the show. I milled around for three or four minutes and then stepped out the front door to get some fresh air, figuring the rest of the fans would be out soon too. Well, Jo and I stood outside the front of the club for twenty minutes, maybe thirty; and if it weren't for the smokers, Gil, ana and Paul, it would have been time wasted. At one point I did crack open the door and stick my head in, only to have my hair blown back by the bouncer's bellow. Finally, we just had to leave; if it were just me, I might have camped out in front of the club, 9:30 am flight or no; but I was responsible for another's comfort as well as my own, and made the more sensible decision. So I didn't get to say goodbye to Sarah, Brad, Stefan, Lorrie, Andy, Janet, Doug, Roger, Dennis, Matt, Rob, Russell, Alison, Scott, Kenny...Not sure whether I was able to salute Sue, Joe, or Steve. And I'm pretty sure I've left somebody out. I'm sorry!

WHERE THEY MISS THEIR ONRAMP AND GET STUCK IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE

I successfully backtraced my route to the point where we'd exited highway 101 south to get to Potrero Hill, but couldn't find an on-ramp. So, certain I was pointed east, I just kept driving, figuring that if I drove until I saw water and turned left I'd eventually run into the Bay Bridge. This led to a lengthy excursion through mysterious, broad-avenued, multi-warehoused neighborhoods of southern San Francisco I'd never been to before. At one point a fire truck materialized from behind a corner at an intersection I was about to cross--second one, dead silence; second two, fire truck, siren blaring, lights flashing. The best part was approaching and driving past Candlest^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H 3Com Park, which was surrounded by vast locked, empty parking lots--yet FULLY LIT. The giant banks of lights simulating daylight for night games were all on and the sky was as light as the pinstripe on a banker's suit. The surrounding streets were lined with cars, parallel parked, and standing alongside each car was a party of three or four people drinking, laughing and talking. This went on for blocks. It was three in the morning.

I did find the Bay Bridge, eventually, and we made our morning flight.

WHERE THEY GIVE THANKS FOR A GREAT AND UNEXPECTED JOY

Jo Brown, whom I'd met only briefly before this trip, made the journeying as effortless and fun as the destination. She made the two-hour flights to and from Oakland seem like half-hour hops, yielding the window seat to me yet oohing and aahing gratifyingly when I pointed out Mt. St. Helens or Crater Lake; knowing I like to drive, she let me hog the wheel of our rented convertible, even though traffic was slow, I was often unsure of my directions and we had to go all the way to Sausalito to find any sun; and when she wasn't telling me something interesting, she was making me feel that I was. Thanks, Jo, for making every moment of this trip -- even the downtime -- a treat.

--
John Dylan Cooper


From: Paul Murphy
Subject: Re: [loud-fans] JDC's 8/8 comments

At 11:16 PM -0700 8/16/98, John Dylan Cooper wrote:

>PERSONAL FAVORITE LOUDSHOW MOMENT THAT HASN'T YET BEEN MENTIONED
>
>During one of the songs--I think it was the final encore, "Awake and
>Asleep"--Scott let out a screech that Elvis Costello's yowl on "Man Out of
>Time", only half as long. Never heard anything like that on a studio
>version!

And I'll add something that Janet mentions in her tour diary: thirsty Scott going for the water bottle and discovering that it had one of those 'sports' attachments geared for, what, cyclists or joggers, meaning that you had to *suck* on the top to get water. I think Alison called it a 'nipple bottle'. Scott let out a loud 'waaaaah' complete with pout. Hilarious.

Thanks, John, for a beautiful post.

Cheers,
Paul


From: Dennis
Subject: [loud-fans] Jo Brown's Comments

Jo asked me to forward this to the list

I was indeed lucky enough to be along for this most exhilarating ride (both inside and outside of the snazzy Chrysler Sebring convertible), and there's not a lot I could say in response to John's post below that would add much insight or depth, except for a few redundant and boring "hear hear!"s and "you're so right!"s. . . EXCEPT that I thoroughly enjoyed meeting each and every one of you (great pics, Rog--what fun), regret that I didn't get to talk to each of you more in depth, and hope to become more active on the list after I leave my current job in a week and a half. (To say that I'm quitting work to get more involved with the loud-list would be an exaggeration, admittedly, but it's symbolic of my current goal of reestablishing priorities in order to get more enjoyment of out life, which sounds stilted and simplistic, but is, indeed, my intent. It's a pretty tall order--wish me luck!) Heartfelt thanks for the touching tribute, John, but I must assure you all that traveling with The JDC is an extremely pleasant and effortless way to go--not only is he completely and perfectly organized, his kindness, consideration, and concern seem to know no bounds. I knew that trip would be special, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have made such a good friend as part of the process.

JO


From: ana luisa morales
To: where they have to let you in
Subject: [loud-fans] a prophet in his hometown (LF, BotH, 8/8)

yes, saturday night was indeed intense.....

at this point, will spare you
most personal details
(and also at this point,
ultra glad
that i have not posted them)
abt saturday's show...

but thought i'd share a few more teeny bits
that haven't been broached listwise....

prophet elijah?
naw, prophet scott!

crowd was hot
as was the band....
scott, black sparkly mylar shirt;
socky, conspicuous
by his absence....

band more relaxed
than i've ever seen as well...
relaxed=tight=do almost no wrong.

anyone notice that
there is no more "wanna get high?"
in the bo diddley *sword swallower*?
scott channelling worf
with a data's dream ref? Gil! Gil! Gil!

kenny's vocals more confident,
very pleasing.....
easy to get all caught up
in alison's magnetic personality and talents....
and i think gil has forgiven me
for making monkey faces at him....

*...lions...* = LF's most fully realized song...

merger btwn GT/boys club LF/DfD LF
seamless....

IbC's *....spring*,
*ste therese* &
*where they go back to school...*
xtra gorgeous....

back to the smoking area during *spot*
at the set's proper end....
immediately met by scott....
dripping with looks
*and*
sweat....

'you don't want to do that'
SM's response to alm's gesture
of outstretched arms....
'I'M HIDEOUS!'
he cried!
as *if* , scott--
as *if*!!!

another's closed eyes during *24*
most moving...
*sigh*

met a few more listers
new to me....
(after meeting old friends
never met before in real life!)

mended some fences....

saw some former listfolk...

and sad to say,
smoked almost an entire pack
of american spirits....
(really quitting next week!)

sorry cdn't meet everyone
(ana m=that dark-haired, be-banged tall girl
in the rita hayworth-like champagne dress
& leather jacket you were cursing...
blocking yr view, taking photos)

but must close this verbose monster
with a special mention of my gang of four....
doug mayo-wells, paul murphy, roger winston
and gil ray....
guys: big thanks!

love to all
yr september gurl
--ana m.

photograph (c) ana luisa morales 1998


From: Lorrie Smith
Subject: [loud-fans] SF show report-finally! (long)

i've spent the past week recovering, and i think i finally got the chance to catch up on my sleep the past couple of nights. perhaps now i can assemble some coherent version of the events of that fabulous time, if only to reassure myself that i was in fact in san francisco last weekend.

i realized that loudstock '98 was really happening as our plane descended into SF airport (and seemingly straight into the waters of SF bay). we were immediately greeted by steve's smiling face, and he escorted us to his car and whisked us off to amoeba records in berkeley. once inside, we spotted bradley with a long line at his cash register, but no other loud-fans. stefan and i disappeared into the land of $1 cds, briefly pulling ourselves away to meet and greet dennis and heather and sarah as they arrived, then janet and andy and roger with sue and joe. eventually, we decided we'd better head for dinner before anyone collapsed from hunger. i ended up at the cash register of a tired-looking bradley, who looked rather stunned when this unfamiliar cd purchaser said his name.....

we happily piled into two booths at michael's diner, and then into one larger booth as the waitress kindly, patiently followed us along taking orders. the food was amazing (we vegetarians ordering barbeque beef sandwiches and french dips!) and the company even better. i was a little overwhelmed and spent much of the dinner just absorbing conversations and the fact that i was finally in the real-life company of my lovely friends. eventually, it was growing quite late, and we all headed off to our repective lodgings/homes. back at hotel holtebeck, there was more chatter amongst stefan, steve, janet, andy, and myself before we finally slept.

we five were moving slowly the next morning, but eventually (after coffee, admiring of janet's sunflower/joe the lion/bat tattoo, a phone call to arrange a meeting with bradley, and showers) we all piled into steve's brother's honda accord. after yummy bagels in castro valley and slow traffic on the bay bridge, we arrived in SF and let janet out to meet bradley. the rest of us parked and hurried over to join them; bradley offered us carrots and we struck off for chinatown. this was my first visit to SF and i busily absorbed all the sights and sounds as we made our way to a vegetarian chinese restaurant for lunch. once refreshed by food, we continued on through chinatown and to north beach, where we paid a visit to city lights bookstore. (ah, to have a rainy day and such a store in which to spend it...). we eventually split up--janet, andy, and bradley to church, and steve, stefan, and i to fisherman's wharf. then a rush back to chinatown to meet up with the other three, a dash back to the accord, and a quick drive to thanya and salee for the big loudstock dinner!

a long table of loud-fans (all of whom i'm not going to try to name, as i know i'll forget someone!) was a marvelous thing to see, and we took seats and munched on appetizers. the food was quite good and the conversation better, although i was fairly tired by this point. it seemed like almost no time before dinner was done, and we headed over to the bottom of the hill. once inside, stefan and i were amazed to see the mysterious "ray" from the portland posies show up on stage doing soundcheck (we'd spotted him before that show wearing a jacket with a name patch that read "ray", and then seen him appear on stage to play bass during the posies' cover of "surrender"). after much discussion and questioning, i finally spotted "ray" talking to someone and went over to ask him if he had indeed been in portland that night. he confessed that he, chris xefos, was "ray", and we chatted with him for a bit. what a nice guy he turned out to be!

after we spent some time mingling and talking with other loud-fans, john moremen and his band took the stage. i noticed their jubilance on stage, and really enjoyed watching them. john wesley harding, too, put on a great show. joined for a couple of songs by chris von sneidern, and for a few more by the rockin' john moremen band, he left me sufficiently impressed that i'd like to see him again. he commented that "loud-fans" were quieter than he thought we'd be, and spent a fair amount of time saying nice things about the loud family.

finally, the moment came for which we'd all been waiting....scott, alison, kenny, and gil took the stage! the set list has already been posted, so i won't go through every song, but highlights were the game theory songs, the lovely "where they go back to school....", "crypto sicko", and, oh, "lions" with janet and andy there next to me.... the encores: alison's "execution day" (including chris xefos' madman tambourine) blew me away. scott's solo "24" was wonderful, and it was so sweet when he faltered starting the third verse and the fans helped him out. "where they walk over st. therese" was almost unbearably beautiful, and it was a real treat to hear "mauritania" live. once they were finished, we were informed that we didn't have to go home, but we couldn't stay there....

seeing the band play to such a large crowd on their home turf was more wonderful than i thought anything could be. the band seemed genuinely happy and relaxed on stage, and it was the best i've ever seen them play. i loved seeing bradley and janet out of the corner of my eye, both dancing next to me, and just knowing there were so many loud-fans in the house. finally, after much talking and janet's well-received presentation of the tour diaries, we five headed back to steve's place. we made it safely, despite his pronouncement that he was falling asleep!

i awoke the next morning with people milling about nearby. i sleepily met steve's brother mark before he left for work. janet had to drive andy to the airport, so we sadly said our farewells to him. while she was gone, steve, stefan, and i showered and watched steve's collection of loud family/game theory videos (i finally got to see steve and joe's 15 minutes of fame in the "don't respond" video!). janet eventually arrived safely back with steve's car, and we piled back in and steve took us on a lovely drive to the pretty town of half moon bay. we lunched and then walked to the beach so our ohioan could see the pacific. if you read her chronicle of the events on her web page (and you all should! it's marvelous), you'll hear about my encounter with the sneaky ocean.... we then drove up the beautiful coastline to SF and the haight street amoeba. i was almost too exhausted and overwhelmed by the size of this place to shop, but i managed to spend the part of my gift certificate i hadn't spent friday night, and then some. we next wandered up haight street to the famous intersection before hustling back to the car, and too soon, to the airport. we said our wistful goodbyes to janet and steve and soon were in the sky, homebound, with some of the most wonderful memories ever.

now that i've recorded this, and read others' postings about the event, i'm pretty sure i didn't dream it. it was a weekend that was beyond fabulous, and i do think we should more such gatherings in the future. i second roger's suggestion of renting a houseboat..... thanks to the band for the show, and to all the loud-fans i got to meet/see again, and to sue and steve for their planning!

lorrie

p.s. real nighttime, definitely.

p.p.s. congratulations to scott and kristine! The Loud Family

Back to the diary index.

Updated December 4, 1998 by Janet