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1998 show reviews:
(If you have information, pictures, flyers, or anything from any shows in 1998, please contact us.)

• Venue: Mr. T's Bowling Alley
• Title: First Four Man Opera, Time: 80 minutes
• Sound: A, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Big Train / One Reporter's Opinion / The Red And The Black

• The first "Four Man Opera", this one features both Nels Cline and Joe Baiza on guitar. I'm not sure that having two guitarists necessarily improves the sound, but except for one or two places where they seem a little bit out of tune from one another, it doesn't hurt either. Unfortunately, the continuity of the opera is interrupted by Watt having to replace a broken bass string after Pedro Bound!, but it's a great show, and The Red And Black really cooks. The Sound on this tapes is also really good - a perfect mix from the soundboard. [Contributed by Erinn Cunningham (EC)]

February 6, 1998 - Long Beach, CA

• Venue: Jillian's
• Title: Second Four Man Opera, Time: 80 minutes
• Sound: A-, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Drove Up From Pedro / The 15th / The Red And The Black / Coincidence Is Either Hit Or Miss / Big Train

• I like this one a little better than the first four man opera. Joe and Nels seem a little more comfortable playing together on this one and the band as a whole feels tighter because of that.(EC)

March 6, 1998 - San Diego, CA

• Venue: The Casbah
• Title: Video Only, Time: 75 minutes
• Sound:, Source: Audience

Set List:

March 7, 1998 - Costa Mesa, CA

• Venue: Club Mesa
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 80 minutes
• Sound: A-, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Walking The Cow / One Reporter's Opinion / Big Train / The Red And The Black

• This definitely ranks in as one of the best opera tapes out there. Nels is sitting in for Joe Baiza, and without diminishing what Joe has added to the opera, it just fucking sizzles with Nels on guitar (he recorded it, after all). If you could have only one version of the opera in your collection, this should be it, hands down!(EC)

March 17, 1998 - Rotterdam, Holland

• Venue: Popular/Nighttown Cafe
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 90 minutes
• Sound:, Source: Audience

Set List:

March 22, 1998 - Vienna, Austria

• Venue: Szene
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 70 minutes
• Sound: , Source: Soundboard

Set List:

March 28, 1998 - Biella, Italy

• Venue: Babylonia
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 70 minutes
• Sound: , Source: Soundboard

Set List:

April 4, 1998 - Basel, Switzerland

• Venue: Kaserne
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 70 minutes
• Sound: , Source: Audience

Set List:

April 11, 1998 - Nijmegen, Holland

• Venue: Doornroosje
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 90 minutes
• Sound: B-, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / The Red And The Black / Big Train / One Reporter's Opinion / Walking The Cow / The 15th / Drove Up From Pedro

• This is one of the earliest opera tapes I've heard yet. It's as usual, a solid performance, if not the most energetic ever. The audience sounds polite, but not overly enthusiastic. The sound is listenable, although there is some big room echo, and a hint of distortion on the upper end during louder passages.(EC)

April 12, 1998 - Bonn, Germany

• Venue: Biskuithalle
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 30 minutes
• Sound:, Source:

Set List:

April 14, 1998 - Eindhoven, Holland

• Venue: Effenaar
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 20 minutes
• Sound:, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

April 16, 1998 - Brussels, Belgium

• Venue: Ancienne Belgique
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 80 minutes
• Sound: A, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / One Reporter's Opinion / Walking The Cow / The Red And The Black / The 15th / Drove Up From Pedro / *Fireman Hurley

• Finally, some shows from the European tour have begun to surface! This is a great show, with Bob Lee now on drums. There's a certain reckless abandon tonight, and the band is working well with it. It's a shame that Joe wasn't around for more shows, actually. Although I prefer Nels' interpretation of the opera, Joe certainly did a great job with it. There's no doubt that his guitar playing is understated when compared to Nels, but I think it's actually his strength, since it allows the rhythym section to come to the fore a bit more. Anyone who is interested in Joe's contribution to the opera should get this show. Great sound, and great playing. * is the soundcheck.(EC)

April 17, 1998 - Amsterdam, Holland

• Venue: The Paradiso
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 90 minutes
• Sound: B+, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Big Train / One Reporter's Opinion / The Red And The Black / Walking The Cow / The 15th / Drove Up From Pedro


• Not as good as the night before, but it's still a good performance. The encores are tight, which is always a treat. The audience here seems a bit more appreciative than in Nijmegen. (EC)

April 18, 1998 - London, England

• Venue: The Garage
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 75 minutes
• Sound: A, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Big Train / One Reoprter's Opinion / Walking The Cow / The Red And The Black / The 15th / Drove Up From Pedro


• This is the last night of the Hola Marinaro Tour. Since it's a soundboard tape, it's a little hard to hear the crowd, but when you do hear them, they seem to be responding quite enthusiastically to Watt. Perhaps England has a soft spot for him? The Minutemen tapes from the 1983 tour of Europe would seem to indicate this (and this time they don't think it's Husker Du!). Red Bluff is a little slower tonight, and it feels more like a story-telling, which is pretty cool. There's some annoying amp problems during Drove Up From Pedro. (EC)

April 21, 1998 - Los Angeles, CA

• Venue: El Rey Theatre
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 30 minutes
• Sound: B+, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / The Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Shore Duty

• An abbreviated opera performance at a benefit for KBLT Radio. This is a good audience recording, with just a touch of boominess. Petra Haden plays violin on Liberty Calls!, In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife and shore Duty. (EC)

May 4, 1998 - Athens, GA

• Venue: 40 Watt Club
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 90 minutes
• Sound: A, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Big Train / One Reporter's Opinion / Walking The Cow / The Red And The Black / The 15th / Drove Up From Pedro

• This is one of the only soundboards I've seen so far from the Third Time Before The Mast tour, the other being the Chicago show from the 21st. It's an almost perfect mix, with the only flaw being slightly low levels. I've since transferred this to CD-R, and boosted the levels, while doing some hiss clean-up, and I would say it is a 99/100 mark. (EC)

May 7, 1998 - Washington, DC

• Venue: 9:30 Club
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 45 minutes
• Sound: A-, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jacket's Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty

• An abbreviated opera set, since Watt is opening for Sonic Youth tonight. A bit of a shame really, because the band is on tonight, and puts on a damn fine performance. This is an above average audience tape. The bass and drums are powerful, and sort of hit you in the chest. Unfortunately, I'm sure many people won't go for this one because of the length and the incomplete opera. (EC)

May 8, 1998 - Richmond, VA

• Venue: Alley Katz
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 85 minutes
• Sound: B, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Big Train / One Reporters Opinion / Walking the Cow / The Red And The Black / The 15th / Drove Up From Pedro

• This is the first show I received from this tour, and my first impression of it is that I find that without Hodges on drums, the band is weaker. Bob Lee's drumming on this tape is reminiscent of when Watt toured with the Foo Fighters and Eddie Vedder, there's a lot of power to it, but not always the nuance and subtlety that is one of Watt's characteristics. That being said, it still rocks, and I would say it is a sound performance, despite a slightly unruly crowd.(EC)

May 10, 1998 - Danbury, CT

• Venue: Tuxedo Junction
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 80 minutes
• Sound:, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

May 11, 1998 - Burlington, VT

• Venue: Club Toast
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 75 minutes
• Sound: , Source: Soundboard

Set List:

May 14, 1998 - Boston, MA

• Venue: The Paradise
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 75 minutes
• Sound: , Source: Soundboard

Set List:

May 15, 1998 - New York, NY

• Venue: Wetlands
• Title: Audio And Video, Time: 85 minutes
• Sound: A-, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Big Train / One Reporter's Opinion / The Red And The Black / Walking The Cow / The 15th / Drove Up From Pedro

• A great video, with nice close-ups from the front of the pit. The sound is great, too. I came away from watching this video with a new appreciation for Joe Baiza. After reflecting on this show, and other shows I've heard, it's clear that this is a man with a great ability to improvise. Liberty Calls! has yet a different solo on this, which reminds me a bit of Sonic Youth. The man just seems to be able to do something totally different everytime, and never miss. Nels might have a wilder sound, but I think Joe can keep up with him when it comes to improvisational technique. (EC)

May 16, 1998 - Philadelphia, PA

• Venue: Theatre of Living Arts
• Title: Audio And Video, Time: 80 minutes
• Sound:, Source: Audience

Set List:

May 18, 1998 - Cincinnati, OH

• Venue: Sudsy Malone's
• Title: Soundcheck, Time: 10 minutes
• Sound: B, Source: Audience

Set List:

Fireman Hurley / Fireman Hurley

May 18, 1998 - Cincinnati, OH

• Venue: Sudsy Malone's
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 85 minutes
• Sound: B, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Ever Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Walking The Cow / The Red And The Black / One Reporter's Opinion / Big Train / The 15th / Drove Up From Pedro

• A cookin' show. The first time I heard Bob Lee playing on the opera, I wasn't sold on him as a replacement for Stephen Hodges. And although I still maintain that Hodges is one of the best percussionists that Watt has ever worked with, Bob Lee sounds right at home here, as compared to on the Richmond show from a week or so earlier. There's a new sort of style creeping into the opera at this stage. The jams are still there, but there not quite as long as on the fall tour, and there much more punctuated. A case of more from less. (EC)

May 19, 1998 - Ann Arbor, MI

• Venue: Blind Pig
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 90 minutes
• Sound: B+, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Ever Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Big Train / One Reporter's Opinion / Walking The Cow / The Red And The Black / The 15th / Drove Up From Pedro

• This is a good audience tape. It's a B+ insead of an A- because the vocals are weak. Nice tight set, with energetic encores.(EC)

May 20, 1998 - Toledo, OH

• Venue: Frankie's
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 90 minutes
• Sound:, Source:

Set List:

May 21, 1998 - Chicago, IL

• Venue: The Double Door
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 80 minutes
• Sound: B+, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Walking The Cow / The Red And The Black / Big Train / One Reporter's Opinion / The 15th / Drove Up From Pedro

• This is a somewhat flawed soundboard tape, which sounds pretty good, except for the guitar being low in the mix. Bob Lee does some great percussion work on Liberty Calls. Watt restarts The Red And The Black so that it comes on stronger. (EC)

May 28, 1998 - Fargo, ND

• Venue: First Avenue
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 75 minutes
• Sound: A-, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / The Red And The Black / One Reporter's Opinion / Walking The Cow / Big Train / The 15th / Drove Up From Pedro

• One of the rare soundboard tapes to enter into circulation from this tour. This is a good analog soundboard tape, which is a mite boomy, but otherwise pretty good. Based on the fact alone that there are only 3 known soundboards circulating from this tour, it's worth getting. Based on the performance, the encores are tight and snappy tonight, so go for it! (EC)

May 29, 1998 - Boulder, CO

• Venue: Fox Theatre
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 80 minutes
• Sound: B, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Walking The Cow / The Red And The Black / Big Train / One Reporter's Opinion / Walking The Cow / The 15th / Drove Up From Pedro

• Another good Third Time Before The Mast show. This (unfortunately) is one of the better sounding audience tapes I've come across for this tour. (EC)

June 11, 1998 - San Fransisco, CA

• Venue: Slim's
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 75 minutes
• Sound: A-, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Friction / Big Train / One Reporter's Opinion / Walking The Cow / The 15th / The Red And The Black / Drove Up From Pedro

• This is the 3rd last night of the tour, but there's no sign that the band is letting up. This a great show, and the encores are exceptional tonight. Included, is a surprise performance of Friction by Television. This may be the first time that Watt ever performed this song live. (EC)

June 13, 1998 - Hollywood, CA

• Venue: The Viper Room
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 70 minutes
• Sound:, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

July 18, 1998 - New York, NY

• Venue: CBGB's
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 80 minutes
• Sound: B+, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / The Red And The Black / Big Train / One Reporter's Opinion / Friction / Drove Up From Pedro / The 15th


• This is the first time ever that Nels played the opera live. Consequently, the next few shows before the tour seem to be a time for him to warm up, and fine-tune his sound for the opera. Nonetheless, this is a great show. It's energetic, and there's a certain looseness to the encores, which makes it feel like the band is jamming. I prefer this one to the next night, partially for this reason, and also because it has a longer encore. Although the soundboard recording means it's generally superior to most audience recordings, it's lacking a bit in range, hence the B+. (EC)

July 19, 1998 - New York, NY

• Venue: Mercury Lounge
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 80 minutes
• Sound: B+, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Big Train / One Reporter's Opinion / The Red And The Black / Friction

• This is a good quality soundboard tape for the most part, except for that it is unmixed, and lacks a little in range, hence the B+ instead of an A-. The opera has evolved somewhat at this point, due in part to Nels Cline once again assuming duties on guitar. The jam on Liberty Calls! has much more of an improvisational-jazz feel to it, and is a bit shorter. Shore Duty is played a little slower, but also has a lot more feel to it than I've ever heard before. Albert Bouchard joins the Black Gang for The Red and The Black. (EC)

September 4, 1998 - Winnipeg, MB

• Venue: The World Next Door Festival - The Forks
• Title: Audio And Video, Time: 60 minutes
• Sound: B+, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / The Red And The Black

• This is the only tape of the opera to surface from Canada so far, which is a bit of a shame. This is the third show with Nels on guitar, so his live style is still developing a lot. His soloing sounds a lot more like Thurston Moore's in some spots than normal, but it does making for an interesting listening, seeing as I have nothing against Thurston Moore. Unfortunately, there is only one song for the encore. Apparently attendance for this show was pretty low - the guy who taped it estimated that for every five people in attendance, one was security. Probably had something to do with the $35 tickets which the festival was selling. Can't blame people for not going at those prices! (EC)

From Bob Lee:
"That was a weird one, cos we flew in to Winnipeg, played the show, spent the night in a hotel, then flew back early in the morning. It was during the Air Canada strike, like 2 days after it started, so the airports were really frantic, especially in Canada. I got to the airport in LA OK, our flight to Vancouver was fine, but when we got there we realized we had about an hour to clear customs and get moving, then found ourselves stuck at the end of an incredible line. Obviously not gonna make it. Mike had to call the promoter, who called a government minister, who got someone at the airport to rush us through customs (luckily it was a city-sponsored cultural event & most of their headliners had had to cancel due to the strike, and they didn't want to lose just about the only American act that was still on the way). Then we had to run like OJ across an enormous airport to get them to hold our seats so they wouldn't be sold to someone else - at strike time, they would've went quick, and no more flights to Winnipeg till the next day! Well obviously, we all made it, with literally about 30 seconds to spare, and got into Winnipeg a little frazzled. Then got to the gig & sat around in a field at picnic tables for about six hours waiting to play. It was outdoors, a huge festival field, and maybe 200 people sitting across it, all spread out, so not much instant gratification from the audience. The Canadian act I saw opening for us was pretty bad, then we played on rented gear. Plus it was only the third time that trio had played live (the first two being in NYC in July) so I'm not surprised there's a whole different feel to the performance. I seem to remember it going fairly well but being pretty self-conscious because of how weird the situation was, playing rented drums on the opera is especially challenging, they never respond like you expect them to & positioning is hard to get right the first time." "The really fun part was the after-party, where I managed to scrounge a couple Molsons & a ham sandwich and dance the night away to a North African pop band. I'm glad I don't do gigs like that all the time -heavy travel for a short set & rented gear - but they treated us really well & paid us great on top of all expenses, plus Winnipeg's one place Watt's always wanted to play but found it too much of a haul for the traditional van tours." "So I'm glad we did it."

September 18, 1998 - Costa Mesa, CA

• Venue: Club Mesa
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 90 minutes
• Sound: A-, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / This Is A Prayer / The Red And The Black / Little Johnny Jewel / We Are Time

• This was a warm-up show for the Puttin' The Opera To Bed Tour. It's a very good audience tape, but unfornutately, the vocals are just a bit low in the mix, and there is a short cut in Red Bluff. The band is together tonight, and apart from an awkward moment during the beginning of The Boilerman, when Watt breaks a string, and Nels and Bob are left to jam alone, it flows pretty damn well. (EC)

October 2, 1998 - Orlando, FL

• Venue: Sapphire Supper Club
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 110 minutes
• Sound: B+, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Friction / I Have Always Been Here Before / Big Train / One Reporter's Opinion / Little Johnny Jewel / The Red And The Black / Rebel Girl / Drove Up From Pedro / We Are Time

• One of the longer shows from this tour, at 110 minutes. (EC)

October 3, 1998 - St. Petersburg, FL

• Venue: State Theatre
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 105 minutes
• Sound: B, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Intense Song For Madonna to Sing / Walking The Cow / The 15th / The Red And The Black / I Have Always Been Here Before / One Reporter's Opinion / Friction / Rebel Girl

• This show isn't as enjoyable as the night before, mainly due to echo from taping at the back of the room, and the set list isn't as long. (EC)

October 5, 1998 - Pensacola, FL

• Venue: Sluggo's
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 90 minutes
• Sound: A-, Source: Audience and Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / The Red And The Black / This Is A Prayer / Walking The Cow / One Reporter's Opinion / Friction / Little Johnny Jewel

• A great set with lots of energy. Unfortunately, some people would rather talk during the concert, which shows up on Breaking The Choke Hold. Myself,when I pay $10-20 to see a concert I LISTEN TO THE MUSIC. I haven't seen this circulating on tape. My copy is on two cd-rs. I also received a copy of this not too long ago from the taper on soundboard, which is much better than the audience, and I would rate it an A-, as opposed to a B for the audience recording. (EC)

October 9, 1998 - Charlottesville, VA

• Venue: Tokyo Rose
• Title: Tape Only, Time:
• Sound:, Source:

Set List:

October 10, 1998 - Washington, DC

• Venue: Black Cat
• Title: Tape Only, Time:
• Sound:, Source:

Set List:

October 11, 1998 - - Philadelphia, PA

• Venue: Pontiac Grill
• Title: Audio And Video, Time: 90 minutes
• Sound: B+ , Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Friction / Little Johnny Jewel / The Red And The Black / This Is A Prayer / Walking The Cow / One Reporter's Opinion / Rebel Girl / I Have Always Been Here Before

• One of the few soundboards to surface so far from this tour. Many people seem to have forgotten that Watt allows people to hook up to the board. Be that as it may, this tape has seriously distorted vocals, due to the mysterious vagaries of soundboard recording. Nonetheless, it is an enjoyable tape, with a good energetic performance. And lucky for me, it includes one of my favourite encore numbers, Little Johnny Jewel. I actually believe that Watt's rendition is better than the live Television versions I've heard of it. I think Nels' guitar solo takes it off to a new level. One Reporter's Opinion is a lot spunkier tonight than normal. "Alright, slam it!" is what Watt can be heard to say during this song during the beginning instrumental part. It's played a lot quicker and louder. (EC)

October 14, 1998 - Cambridge, MA

• Venue: The Iron Horse
• Title: Tape Only, Time:
• Sound:, Source:

Set List:

October 16, 1998 - New York, NY

• Venue: The Knitting Factory
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 90 minutes
• Sound: B+, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / One Reporter's Opinion / I Have Always Been Here Before / Friction / Little Johnny Jewel / Fear Is A Man's Best Friend / The Red And The Black / This Is A Prayer / Drove Up From Pedro

• This is a pretty good show. The opera rages on with Nels onboard. Unfortunately, the levels are a bit low at first, but they get adjusted along the way, so overall it is a fairly good listening experience. The "Forever" part of One Reporter's Opinion is cut. (EC)

October 17, 1998 - Hoboken, NJ

• Venue: Maxwell's
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 100 minutes
• Sound: A-, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains / Intense Song For Madonna To Sing / Rebel Girl / One Reporter's Opinion / This Is A Prayer / Drove Up From Pedro / Tuff Gnarl / The Red And The Black / Little Johnny Jewel

• This is a pretty good sounding audience tape. Carla does vocals on Drove Up From Pedro and Tuff Gnarl. I find that this set is a little tighter and more enjoyable than the previous night. The concert is also complete, which is a bonus. (EC)

October 18, 1998 - Asbury Park, NJ

• Venue: The Saint
• Title: Video Only, Time: 50 minutes
• Sound:, Source: Audience

Set List:

October 19, 1998 - Pittsburgh, PA

• Venue: The Electric Banana
• Title: Tape Only, Time:
• Sound:, Source:

Set List:

October 21, 1998 - Cincinnati, OH

• Venue: Sudsy Malone's
• Title: Audio And Video, Time: 105 minutes
• Sound:, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

October 22, 1998 - Cleveland Heights, OH

• Venue: The Grog Shop
• Title: Audio And Video, Time: 105 minutes
• Sound: B+, Source: Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / The Red And The Black / Rebel Girl / I Have Always Been Here Before / Friction / Little Johnny Jewel / This Is A Prayer / Walking The Cow / One Reporter's Opinion

• The encores tonight are great. This is one of the nights that you get the double hit of Television, when the band plays both Friction and Little Johnny Jewel. It's an added bonus, because this is the best Little Johnny Jewel that I've heard so far. Nels does a great solo on it, which I doubt (and on one level sorta hope) he could never do again. Once again, on this basis of this relatively shallow reason, I probably prefer this night to the next for that reason alone, although they are pretty close, otherwise. However, if you're going to compare the videos from each night, the Detroit show the next night has to win out. This one only runs 90 minutes, as opposed to the 110 minute set the next night, and is shot from the back of the room. Lotsa shoulders, if that's what turns your crank! It also misses the first bit of In The Engine Room. However, at the same time,a low generation video is still a good find . . . (EC)

October 23, 1998 - Detroit, MI

• Venue: Alvin's
• Title: Audio And Video, Time: 120 minutes
• Sound: B+, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / The Red And The Black / Fear Is A Man's Best Friend / Rebel Girl / I Have Always Been Here Before / Friction / Maggot Brain / Walking The Cow / My Secret Garden / The 15th / Big Train / This Is A Prayer / Drove Up From Pedro

• This is by far one of the best shows I've heard from the Puttin' The Opera To Bed Tour. It's tight and energetic, and the band is firing on all four cylinders tonight. This is also a longer than normal set, with a full hour of encores. Bob Lee has a headache, but it just doesn't hold them back at all. This is also the first time I've seen the space guns that Nels was using on his guitar. Cool, even though they're a bit gimmicky. I have a video copy of this show, which is shot from a tripod, and has audience sound. It's pretty good sound for a video, at a high B+. The only thing that keeps it from being an A- is a bit of echo on the vocals, since it was shot near the back of the hall. The real pisser is, I was going to see this show, but I was too tired to drive the 8 hours from Ottawa to Detroit. I unfortunately don't have the audio, so the above information is all based on the video. (EC)

And here is artwork for the cd case:

CD Case Cover
CD Case Back
CD Label
print help

October 24, 1998 - Louisville, KY

• Venue: Mercury Paw
• Title: Audio And Video, Time: 110 minutes
• Sound: , Source: Soundboard

Set List:

October 25, 1998 - Nashville, TN

• Venue: The End
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 120 minutes
• Sound: B+, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

October 30, 1998 - Chicago, IL

• Venue: The Metro
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 60 minutes
• Sound: A-, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty

• An Opera-only show. (EC)

October 31, 1998 - Minneapolis, MN

• Venue: 7th Street Entry
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 90 minutes
• Sound: C-, Source:, Audience

Set List:

In The Engine Room / Red Bluff / Blue Jackets' Manual / Pedro Bound! / The Boilerman / Black Gang Coffee / Topsiders / No One Says Old Man (To The Old Man) / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls! / In The Bunkroom/Navy Wife / Crossing The Equator / Breaking The Choke Hold / Wrapped Around The Screw / Shore Duty / Big Train / Rebel Girl / I Have Always Been Here Before) / Friction / This Is A Prayer / Drove Up From Pedro / Hot Head / My Secret Garden / We Are Time

• Justin taped this one, as well as the one the next night. It's a good performance, but unfortunately the volume was too high for the recording, so the sound is heavily distorted, and is only recommended for those who are completists and have to have every Watt show (ahem!), or for nostalgic purposes. (EC)

November 1, 1998 - Minneapolis, MN

• Venue: 7th Street Entry
• Title: Video Only, Time: 125 minutes
• Sound: B, Source: Audience

Set List:

Big Bang Theory / One Reporter's Opinion / Hot Head / My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains / Big Train / Intense Song For Madonna To Sing / The Red And The Black / Rebel Girl / Friction / Little Johnny Jewel / I Have Always Been Here Before / The 15th / Secret Garden / This Is A Prayer / Drove Up From Pedro / Maggot Brain / Walking The Cow / Fear Is A Man's Best Friend / Jam In "D" / We Are Time / Guitar Solo / Fireman Hurley / Liberty Calls / Tuff Gnarl

• Okay, a lot of you have probably been wondering, "who are all these cover songs originally by anyways?" Well, Chris Rees was good enough to either lend his knowledge, or at least dig up the information. So, here are the songs covered, and the original artists:

  Big Bang Theory - Parliament Funkadelic
  Hot Head - Captain Beefheart
  My Head Is My House Only When It Rains - Captain Beefheart
  Big Train - The Kinman Brothers
  The Red And The Black - Blue Oyster Cult
  Rebel Girl - Bikini Kill
  Friction - Television
  Little Johnny Jewel - Television
  I Have Always Been Here Before - Roky Erickson
  The 15th - Wire
  My Secret Garden - Madonna
  This Is A Prayer - Nels Cline
  Maggot Brain - Parliament Funkadelic
  Walking The Cow - Daniel Johnston
  Fear Is A Man's Best Friend - John Cale
  We Are Time - The Pop Group
  Tuff Gnarl - Sonic Youth

• This was a rather laid back appearance, and has a pretty intimate feel to it. This is probably due in part to being the second night in Minneapolis, and Watt, by his own admission in the tour diaries, to having a few Jack Beams beforehand! Some of the songs are a bit different than before; Drove Up From Pedro is played even slower, Watt delivers the prologue of Maggot Brain like a fiery preacher, and Intense Song For Madonna To Sing switches back and forth from a quiet, jazzy jam feeling, to peaks of intensity, which are reminiscent of some of the stuff Pink Floyd was doing in the early 70s. Overall, the performance isn't all that great, but what the band lacks in tightness tonight, it makes up for in atmosphere. My copy of the video has variable sound. Most songs are about a B, but some drop to C or C+ due to distortion, while some maybe get as high as an A-. (EC)

November 2, 1998 - Iowa City, IO

• Venue: Sal's Music Emporium
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 40 minutes
• Sound: A-, Source: Audience

Set List:

Big Train / Walking The Cow / Pedro Bound! / My Head Is My House Only When It Rains / The 15th / Fireman Hurley / My Secret Garden / I Have Always Been Here Before / The Red And The Black / Drove Up From Pedro

• This is a short acoustic gig during the afternoon. I like this tape a lot. It's reminiscent of the Minutemen's Acoustic Blowouts - new renditions, with the same old intensity and passion. It's nice to finally hear a Watt acoustic set, as I don't know of any he's done since the Firehose days. Thanks Muj! (EC)

November 3, 1998 - Omaha, NE

• Venue: Ranch Bowl
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 95 minutes
• Sound:, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

November 13, 1998 - Olympia, WA

• Venue: Capitol Theatre
• Title: Tape Only, Time: 100 minutes
• Sound: , Source: Audience

Set List:

December 10, 1998 - Los Angeles, CA

• Venue: The Probe
• Title: Audio And Video, Time: 55 minutes
• Sound: A, Source: Soundboard

Set List:

Rebel Girl / The Red And The Black / Big Train / Little Johnny Jewel / Fear Is A Man's Best Friend / One Reporter's Opinion / I Have Always Been Here Before / Big Bang Theory / This Is A Prayer / My Secret Garden / Intense Song For Madonna To Sing / We Are Time

• A relatively relaxed feeling set. Perhaps with the opera awaiting it's final performance, Watt and the Black Gang feel more at ease. As usual, the Television numbers stand out on this show. The video is shot at a good angle, which allows you to see the whole band easily, but unfortuinately, is a little dark. The sound on it is also inferior to the soundboard recording, and is a B. (EC)