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From: FMartens

Tough to decide if tonight or last night was the best of the week. Yesterday's
"Brasilia" was a highlight, but the band tonight was just dead on. Bob just
busted though these one after another, tight and inspired.

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From: James Dye

WOW. I thought the show was going to be great, but.......  *whew*

I didn't write down a setlist, because I was too self-concious and I 
didn't want to look like a dork (not that I'm implying that anyone who 
does that kind of thing is a dork, mind you!) So, I'm going to take the 
liberty of borrowing Fred's list (thanks, Fred!)

I made the mistake of going to last night's show without my glasses. 
Without them, I can't see very well past three feet or so. At a show, 
this has it's good sides and bad sides. Good: I have to pay attention to 
the music more. Bad: this -is- a show; I'm not listening to a record. 
Going to any show without my glasses is bad (movies wonderfully 
excepted). Basically, I was able to make out Bob as the bald headed guy 
doing most of the singing   :) but I couldn't see much on the stage, 
other than vague human forms. (Personally, I think I'm much better 
looking without my glasses, but that's a whole 'nother story...)

I may be going out on a limb here, call me insane if you want, but I 
"kinda" got the impression that Bob was really happy last night. :D
Anyone else think so? He smiled, he joked, he performed magic tricks 
(just joking about that lst one.)

That first band: The nicest thing I can say about them is my hearing was 
shot one song in. After that, I started playing a little game I like to 
call "Spot Jack Rabid." I had to pass the time somehow. No such luck 
though, although I'm sure Jack was there somewhere (and not having my 
glasses didn't help in the least, of course).... And what was that thing 
where the song broke and the two guys talk at once? Is that their idea 
of a schtick? Dear Lord.... 

Vidoes: Minutemen, Yo La Tengo, Pavement.... and the red Hot Chili 
Peppers? One of these things is not like the others, one of these things 
is not the same... BTW--anyone know anything about that Minutemen vid? I 
really liked it.

Varnaline: I didn't like them, I didn't hate them. I thought they were 
just ok, in a modern rock sort of way. I'd be lying if I didn't say I 
would have preferred Neutral Milk Hotel...

>Moving Trucks
>Taking Everything
>First Drag of the Day

These first three set the tone for me. Anyone who doesn't like the new 
albu should see Bob live when you get the chance. I was amazed out of my 
socks. I kinda missed those funky sonic effects at the beginning of 
"Drag" but I liked the song itself more live, I think. I also liked the 
fact that Bob started off with three new ones; it almost seemed like a 
reaction against recent criticism that LDPS has been getting.

>I Hate Alt.Rock
>Stand Guard
>Classifieds

I hate to say it, but I still don't like Classifieds (sorry Bob!), and 
it still reminds me of that 'Mats song...

>Wanted Was

This is where the band started to -really- kick in. I think Bob started 
having those "moments" (eyes closed, distant, you kow) here. And that 
whole feed-back improv "thing" came after "Wanted," no? I thought I was 
hearing Sonic Youth for a minute! Maybe since this is the last electric 
tour, Bob wants to get the noise out of his system.... "Hey, are you 
gonna buy that amp?"  :D

>Art Crisis
>Anymore Time Between
>Skintrade
>Eternally Fried
>Roll Over & Die

These songs, along with "Wanted" were the heart of the set, IMHO. Damn, 
talk about emotional. The band was just knocking them off at this point. 
"Skin Trade" was another song I liked more live, too. 
I know from seeing earlier set lists that Bob was playing much of the 
Egooveride single, but hearing them was a pleasant surprise all the 
same, especially "Wanted Was." Michael's backing vocals were really 
effective on that one, too.

>Lonely Afternoon
>EgOverride

EgoOveride really knocked me out. I wasn't expecting the band to play 
it, and I was surprised at how great it came out,as I would have thought 
Bob would have treated the song as a set filler. No way. Bob really 
ripped this one through. And was it my imagination, or did he sing some 
extra lyrics at the end, during the part where the guitar slows down?

>Reflecting Pool
>Deep Karma Canyon
>
>Disappointed
>Hanging Tree

Hanging Tree was a revelation. I don't listen to -Black Sheets- very 
often, but hearing it live was another story. In fact, I didn't even 
recognize the song at first until the lyrics. I would have thought an 
electric version might not have been as good as acoustic, but it was 
pretty amazing.

>
>See A Little Light

All in all, it was a pretty amazing show. Like Fred said, the band just 
barnstormed through all of the songs, so much so that I couldn't believe 
the show was finished when it was. BTW-- I overheard someone say that 
Irving Plaza has a 12AM limit and Bob blew through it (the show ended 
about 12:30, I think?). Anyone know anything?

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From: DCGaySLP

Re: opening acts....Vaporhead...is that bass player like 12 yrs old?  my god!
Very strange group....the band seemed to appreciate the guy who screamed "Shut
up!!!!" during that song where they all talk at once....unfortunately, I think
he spoke for many by really meaning it....

Varnaline:  I agree w/ another poster...didn't like it, didn't hate it...I was
more falling asleep because their pace is sooooo sloooow except for a couple
of good feedback songs.....we saw the lead singer and his girlfriend leaving
the area later after the show...she looks a LOT like Lisa Loeb.

Bob....well, stemming from the fact that I was leaning on Bob's amp all night,
I had a great vantage point to say this was a total ROCK OUT show!  Very
tight, and I agree, Bob seemed genuinely happy during the show....it seemed at
the end of the last encore as he stood alone on the stage basking in applause
that he was a bit saddened that it was the last NY show....he looked
completely spent as if to say "I'd LOVE to do Brasilia (it was written on the
set list), but I'm just too tired, guys...sorry".  The show has put a whole
new perspective for me on the Hubcap songs, which I now appreciate a 10 fold
more!....Best song of the evening, in my mind:  Dissappointed...which I have
always wanted to hear in full electric glory.  Joe and I both agree that the
first 3 songs zoomed by at mach 3....I swear Taking Everthing lasted less than
3 min.

Now I've had the electric Bob experience....I feel like last night I saw the
best of what Husker Du, Sugar and Bob electric can do!   Now, just to make you
jealous, I'll let you know that I met Bob after the show (only Joe N., and I
seemed wait around to see him...personal 1:1 attention is always
special)....life is more complete now!

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From: David Cavalier

Saw Bob last night, third time on this tour, something like the tenth or 
eleventh time overall.  I'm bummed I missed him at Toad's Place because that's 
where I saw the Huskers in 1987 as freshman in college and the show is forever 
burned in my mind.  Anyway, I was trapped in the Carribean by Hurricane 
Georges so I felt lucky enough just to get home in time for the final NYC 
show.

My thoughts:

1) I don't care if Bob is playing Monkees covers, he is still an impressive 
performer.  It's rare to see somebody who so freely invests his whole self 
into his songs.  It was mesmerizing to watch.

2) The LDAPS material sounds better live, but I still don't like the album 
much.  There was a thread recently about what might politely be termed 
"cross-pollination" of ideas in Bob's songs.  This is another of my criticisms 
of the album.  I listen to it and keep thinking, "That's from Hoover Dam, 
that's from Your Favorite Thing, that's from The Act We Act."  It just 
reinforces my feeling that LDAPS was, in some ways, an unnecessary album.

3)  The Hubcap material, esp. "Anymore Time Between" sounds magnificent live.  
"Anymore Time Between" left me speechless.  What a gorgeous song and how 
gut-wrenchingly sad it is.  I was hoping the new record would have more like 
this one.

4) Somebody needs to explain the point of Michael Cerveris to me.  There's no 
real interplay between Bob's playing and his (at least none that I could hear 
through the mix or follow with my eyes) and that damned SG (with P-90's for 
pickups I believe - aren't those single coil?) muddies up the sound such that 
I can never really figure out what Bob is playing.  Bob makes enough sound on 
his own, IMHO.  It would have been interesting if Bob had arranged the guitars 
to be more independent (a la Thurston and Lee), but Bob needs a rhythm 
guitarist about as much as Pete Townshend did in 1970.  I think Bob would have 
done better to find a good bassist.  The one he has now spends most of the set 
pumping out straight eighth-notes on the root of every chord.

Hmmmm, this sounds bitchy, but I really enjoyed the shows.  The rest of the 
band left me pretty flat, unfortunately, and the lack of Husker or Sugar 
material was tough for a fan who really only loved Hubcap out of Bob's solo 
output.  It was fun to watch Bob, however, and remember why he inspires such 
dedication from his fans.  Simply put, he has the courage and strength to lay 
himself bare on stage with force and conviction.  I was very sad at the end 
when he stood on stage listening to our cheering.  It seemed as if he were 
trying to imprint the feeling in his mind because he knows that it is all 
coming to an end.

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From: Agonius

No comparison to Friday night, but still it was a good show that could more 
than stand on it’s own. Bob even got the show off to a slightly better start 
than usual with his best yet sounding version of Moving Trucks (He really 
nailed it). Other highlights included Roll Over And Die (It really stood out 
tonight), Art Crisis (Everything clicked tonight on this song. The pacing was
perfect.) and Eternally Fried. Also he did two different songs from the night 
before that sounded good (Wanted Was and Stand Guard). Again though (Like most 
nights) the best moment of the show was a really loud killer version of 
Skintrade. I almost think that he should be closing his show with this. 
Reflecting Pool (Which he is doing amazingly ever night) also would be a great 
way to close the show. Those days are gone, there’s more ahead, so concentrate 
on what’s in store instead.

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From: Lou Fazio

As expected, an amazing show! The new live band is very tight, and very 
talented. Matt Hammon's drumming is cracker-jack sharp, providing great fills,
snare-rolls, & rimshots in key parts of many songs. Jim Wilson's a fine bassist 
with a thick, slightly fuzzy tone. The real revelation is 2nd guitarist Michael 
Cerveris, whose harmony vocals were a highlight throughout the show. The guy's 
a great singer & he compliments Bob's voice very nicely.

And of course there was Bob, frantically thrashing at his blue Strat, singing 
brilliantly (his vox were nice & clear & upfront in the mix). He also used his 
trademark live performance habit of slightly, but significantly, changing the 
vocal melody lines on many songs, giving them a fresher emotional depth. (This 
was most evident on "Anymore Time Between", which was magnificently intense and 
dynamic). The band also recalled the live intensity of Sugar and Husker Du by 
plowing thru 3-4 songs in a row without stopping. Great show for Bob's final 
electric tour. Seems like a standard setlist, no surprises. 

11:13pm-12:35am
(Bob came out in a good mood & said hi... he & Michael had a brief "capo crisis" 
during set-up since "all these songs are in fucked-up keys, like that one in 
H-Plus"...)

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From: Megan

from the 2nd NYC show: I had been bristling with anticipation for days before, 
gushing to people about how good it was gonna be... and I was right. (I think 
I'm still a little giddy.) I had the good fortune to be up against the stage, 
right at Bob's feet. I've seen him play many times before but I've never been 
that close, and I was blissfully nervous. It was great to be able to see the 
guys' facial expressions, and to feel the sound vibrations practically shaking 
my bones. Not to gush too much, but DAMN, the show was loud & sincere & 
compelling. They really tore through one song into the next, yet the pace 
didn't seem rushed; just tight and aggressive. The whole set was like a big 
beautiful wall of sound. Songs that hit extra hard: "Anymore Time Between" 
and "Roll Over and Die;" and the intensity in Bob's voice during "Hanging 
Tree" was overwhelming. "See A Little Light" was a great encore: fast and 
in-your-face (almost angry, I thought); and afterward, when Bob lingered on 
stage, my heart sort of skipped because I thought he might even play one more... 
but maybe he just wanted to take in those few seconds. Overall, a fucking great 
evening. Thanks, Bob, you and your well-chosen band kicked ass. I wish I could 
just be a good groupie and follow this tour to the end. 

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From: Paul Hilcoff

Saturday--Another good one. Some folks thought it even better than Friday's, 
but Bob felt they lost the thread for a short spell in mid-set. I'm inclined to 
agree with Bob on that, but I have to say that the "Skintrade-->Eternally Fried" 
sequence was the best yet. This is the climactic moment of each set, in my view. 

Bob is well aware of its power, too, and I don't expect this little feature to 
go away any time soon.