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From: David Beihoff

hi all...i just returned from a great performance by Bob (and Marc) at 
the El Rey Theatre. i've never seen Bob by himself before, and i can't 
believe how much power and energy he can put out with an acoustic 
guitar. highlights were definitely "Can't Fight It", "Explode and Make 
Up", and "Egoveride". the set list seemed to be pretty much the same as 
the others that i've seen posted here, and Bob avoided most of the 
"problems" (broken strings, constant re-tuning guitars) that some have 
spoken about. i'm pretty much at a loss for words, so i'll just say the 
show was incredible and leave it at that.

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From: Robert C

This was my first Bob show and, MAN was I impressed! Not only was the Bob's
performance so awesome, but me and my friends actually meet Bob after the
show! (If any of you were there, you probably know who we were, since we
were probably the youngest people there [aged 16 to 17] at the show.)

My short review of the show: 
Bob didn't say much to the crowd, and just exploded from one song to another. 
And as for the crowd, I was fairly disappointed, how they were just not into
it. Highlight of the show for me was: Lonely Afternoon and Thumbtack which
was incredible for me how Bob energized them. And the "Explode and Hardly
getting over it make up" medley just came so unexpectedly it blew me away. 
I think the electric encore could have been louder, and still am pissed at
the crowd to some degree, but overall it was incredible show.

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From: Sylvia Jordan

It's noonish on Sunday, arrived home late last night from SF after an
eventful weekend (400-mile round trip). Since several people have posted
already, I won't add much. It was an amazing experience to see Bob play
solo for the first time. He was obviously far from satisfied with the way
things played out technically, and with good reason. But if he'd gotten up
there and performed a puppet show with Shari Lewis opening I would have
gone home stoked, so there ya go.

Even with the tuning problems and string breakage, his sense of humor
remained intact and I think that buoyed the crowd through the delays and
frustrations. He seemed more chagrined than truly pissed off. Poison Years
was indcredible, as Wiley mentioned, and it took him awhile to recover and
come back to terra firma. Eitzel's set was great, of course; at one point
someone in the crowd yelled something positive about him and he shot back
"Fuck *me*" incredulously, out of deference to Bob, either sincere or mock.
Interesting moment...

About that limp -- it was very noticeable, any idea what the trouble is? As
he left the stage dragging the troublesome Strat (or was it both guitars?)
behind him and casting a sheepish look at the audience, he looked like he'd
truly been through the wringer. There was something kind of...Civil War
about it. Maybe he's been there in a former life, I can see that with no
trouble at all. Best of luck to the opposing side -- I wouldn't want to be
on the recieving end of Bob armed with a bayonet, hoo boy.

PS: About Bob's choice of tour garb: since he's been known to be something
of a pinman, maybe it's a bowling thing -- the Lucky Shirt idea?

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From: Gordon Witter

Having never been to the Fillmore before, my first thought upon
getting inside was "there's no way even Bob can fill this place for
a solo accoustic show". The Fillmore is a BIG room. Fortunately,
I was wrong: by the time Bob got on stage, elbow room was at a
premium. It seemed like there was more people at this show than the
Warfield show two years ago, but I can't imagine that being true.

I had never seen Mark Eitzel before, and I really enjoyed his very
brief opening set. It seemed like he was out of there in twenty
minutes, but it was probably longer than that.

Bob didn't say much, but he appeared to be in a very good mood.

Bob's voice sounded really good, even if he was still fighting off
a cold.

Nothing unusual in the set list. I really wish he'd throw in a
little more variation now and then. Hearing so many reviews before
seeing him play almost makes the show anticlimactic. I was glad he
included See A Little Light. The highlight of the set for me was
definitely Poison Years.

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From: Mike Zurer

I don't have too much to add to what everyone else has said.  It  
was great to meet some more folks from the list.

Eitzel was approxiamtely 10 times more enjoyable than when I saw  
him open for Bob in NY in 95.  He was just as sarcastic and bitter,  
but in a less obnoxious way.  Granted, the NY crowd was seriously  
obnoxious as well, but he had made comments to the tune of "I don't  
give a shit if I storm off stage after a five song set, I still get  
payed."  This time, he had totally won the crowd over, including  
myself.  I guess partly home-field advantage and all that.

The Bob portion of the show was extremely  intense, with the  
"Explode..", "Hardly...", "Poison Years" series leaving everyone in  
the house blown away.  Bob, indeed, was visibly shaken by his  
performance of "Poison Years".

I'm pretty sure that the reason Bob chucked the strat over his  
shoulder was that he had broken a _third_ string a few bars into  
"Makes No Sense..."

Overall, Bob started the show very upbeat, and ended it drained,  
spitting out cold-induced phlegm, and finally limping off stage,  
apparently somewhat disapointed by what I felt to be at times a  
brilliant performance.  I started to hang around after the show with  
hopes of talking to Bob, but we were shooed out by the Fillmore  
staff.  If anyone talks with him anytime soon, let him know the show  
was fantastic from the audience side.

It as a great show, Bob trouped through despite vocal and other  
bodily injuries.  He is truly all class, quite an inspiration.

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From: Tom Beck

* This was the first show that I was able to be up close in front of the
stage so I was able to see BOB unobstructed. I cannot tell you how much
this heightens the experience. The songs have so much emotion and to see
BOB experience them up close is amazing.

* The complaints about the audience were a bit exaggerated. BOB draws
such a good cross section of people that you don't feel like your in LA.
It can be so much worse here when the audience is full of industry
people which this show as not.

* BOB joked when he came out on stage that he was feeling so shitty "it
is like I drank one of those Udwalla drinks"

* BOB also joked with a girl who was right up front behind the monitor.
He said " don't bother hiding behind the montitor because I can see you"
and then broke out in the biggest dang smile. If you didn't know any
better you would swear he was flirting.

* Lastly, at the end of Lonely Afternoon he changes the words to be "
lonely is as lonely does ".  We all know he has already used the Forrest
Gump line in Art Crisis and now here it is again. Is he a big fan of the
movie ? Maybe we can find out in the next Q and A.  I now wonder if
there was an unreleased Husker song called Where's the
Beef.................. 

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From: SCREWBALL

The El Rey Theatre is a *nice* old room--high ceiling with
chandeliers, booths running down the sides of the room, sunken dance
floor, huge stage, and a small balcony in the back.  The PA was
rented, but between the room, the quality of the equipment, and the
expertise of the (PA company's) front of house engineer, the sound on
the main floor was fantastic, regardless of the room's fullness (!).

Mark Eitzel opened with a stunning 35-minute set (even though he
insisted at soundcheck that he *sucked* and wanted no documentation of
the show).  The audience was receptive, generally polite, and only
mildly inattentive, and there were some enthusiastic members in the
audience (anyone on Firefly?).  The man has an amazingly powerful
voice, which he used to no small effect.  He seemed a bit nervous at
first, but it didn't take him long to throw himself into the
performance (and make amusing, and occasionally *drippingly*
sarcastic, asides).  

Bob came on to a house packed with enthusiastic audience members.  He
was still battling that cold, but that didn't seem to get in the way
of the balls-out, no holds barred, no brakes, shut up and hang on
performance that fans have come to know and love.  His voice held up
very well during the set, and everything stayed in tune, for the most
part, which meant next to no chatter with the audience apart from the
occasional "Thanks."  The audience was receptive, if somewhat
inattentive (why do some people *insist* on talking through the
*entire* *set*?); then again, it *was* Los Angeles.  On the whole, it
was another fine, consistent performance; hopefully, it was a good
capper for this portion of the tour.

Highlights:  An explosive "Needle Hits E," "Sinners And Their
Repentances," "Chartered Trips," and a searing "I Apologize."