This is a non-review. By the time the Fruvous set started, I was in such a state of FruBliss that any critical thoughts I might have had didn't even get a chance to form. :)

Thanks to the spot-on directions at FDC, I got to the North Crossing Plaza (or whatever it was called) at 5:30. The largest tenant in that plaza was a boat and rv store. The parking lot of the entire plaza was half-filled with boats and RVs. It was amazing.

Fruvous fans from far and wide congregated in front of this club in a strip mall. It seemed like a really strange place for a venue, but once the club opened, it turned out to be really nice, or at least I thought it was. It was roomy with a nice big dance floor in front of the stage and plenty of tables and chairs around the periphery for people to sit. The ventilation seemed decent - while some people were smoking, it wasn't overpowering.

I was very selfish and decided long before the show that I was going to try to be in front. Normally I try to be inconspicuous by being extreme Stage Murray, or by just being in the back of the crowd, but I had a new Frufan under my wing (hi Tamra!) and decided Stage Jian would be better. Rest assured that my feelings of guilt for being so tall and possibly blocking the view of those behind me was a thought I had all through the show. So she and I stood there during Jess Klein's great set (I hope my picture of her and Austin come out okay; they did a great set, as always) and also during Rocky Velvet's set. Rocky Velvet...tough to describe. Surfer rock with some 50's love-angst thrown in? The lead singer looked like Sean Penn would if he stuck his finger in an electrical socket and pomaded the resulting coif. They were very LOUD and energetic, quite a switch from JK. Their lead guitarist broke string on the first song, and didn't know how to change it, so asked if anyone in the house knew how. A cry for "Tobey!!" issued forth from the Fruvous fans, and Tobey magically appeared and Took Care Of The Problem very obligingly. Rocky Velvet finished up at around 10:15. By this time poor Tamra was questioning my admonishments to be very aware of her Personal Space and to not let others into it, but as soon as Fruvous came on stage and people started to press forward, she understood.

Here's some of what was played, *very* out of order. Thanks to Leah Huntington for collaborating with me on this. Nothing from Wood was played. Maybe others of you who were there can reorder the setlist and add to it as you see fit.

river valley
kos/geh
when she talks
I will hold on
Billie jean medley
my poor generation
Michigan militia
get in the car
early morning rain
splatter splatter
bj
independence day
video bargainville.
I Love My Boss
If Only You Knew
Message
Your New Boyfriend
Johnny Saucep'n
Psycho Killer

Jian abused me during Boss with his hair-tousling and hip-gyrations. Good thing I was bathed in stage lights, because I'm sure I was beet-red.

As for banter, I only remember two things. One was comments about a dripping pipe above the stage, and the other was Mike's pseudo-boxing around the stage a la Joe Dempsey.

One thing I missed was the backup refrain vocals in I Will Hold On.

I'm so glad I went. This show re-energized me after having less salubrious show experiences in Pointe-Clare and Utica.

Afterward I hung out for a while, spoke a few words to Mike, Cal, Tobey, and Jian, watched Murray play pool, and finally headed home at around 1:45. It was lovely seeing all of you and I can't wait for Falcon Ridge!

From Kimberly:

In article <02fb01be98d6$3c4c28c0$a9985ed1@odysseus>, "Adam Hartfield" wrote:

> Thanks to the spot-on directions at FDC, I got to the North Crossing Plaza > (or whatever it was called) at 5:30. The largest tenant in that plaza was a > boat and rv store. The parking lot of the entire plaza was half-filled with > boats and RVs. It was amazing.

This also marked the first time I've spent my time in line enjoying Tractor Drag Races.

> Rocky Velvet's set. Rocky Velvet...tough to describe. Surfer rock with some > 50's love-angst thrown in? The lead singer looked like Sean Penn would if he > stuck his finger in an electrical socket and pomaded the resulting coif. > They were very LOUD and energetic, quite a switch from JK.

I really enjoyed this band: it was unusual having an energetic, all-guy, neo-Stray Cats kinda group opening in lieu of the standard Quiet Female Singer/Songwriter. I coveted that beautiful gold Epiphone guitar. Kris was also jealous when I described the bass player's antics: at one point, he had balanced the bass on its end and played it like an upright throughout the entire song. The crowd seemed stocked with a bunch of Rocky Velvet fans, too. I nabbed the setlist and handed it to a couple of young guys behind me who seemed enraptured by the band, and they immediately ran off to get it signed. Fun opener, and a great warmup for the dance-inlined. >

> Here's some of what was played, *very* out of order. Thanks to Leah > Huntington for collaborating with me on this. Nothing from Wood was played. > Maybe others of you who were there can reorder the setlist and add to it as > you see fit. >

> independence day

Did they play this? I don't recall it. Here's what I have from The Other Kim's Dave setlist:

Half As Much Laika Too Careful If Only I Love My Boss When She Talks KOS/GEH BJ Video Bargainville Splatter Splatter Michigan Militia Johnny Saucep'n Message (yay!) Early Morning Rain River Valley Get in the Car Your New Boyfriend Psycho Killer (E1) Billie Jean medley (E2) I Will Hold On My Poor Generation

Notes: as far as I can recall, the absolutely LAST banter occurred during KOS/GEH. After the crowd cut Jian off, all the fun chatter ceased. Now the crowd WAS chatty, true, but I've heard worse (in Utica, for one) and it seemed a shame that the guys never really bounced back afterwards. Drinking Song was on the original setlist but wasn't played, but I much prefer My Poor Generation anyway so no issues there. :D

More notes: thank goodness for Splatter Splatter. I'm really getting to like that song, and it broke up what for me would have been a bad bunch of songs (BJ and Video aren't among my favorites, and I'm so sick of Michi that I wish it would leave the setlist for a sustained period) and kept me from wandering back to the bar, where they had special on a rather interesting brand of tequila. I was disappointed, again, by the lack of "Downsizing" (I WILL hear that song again!) and my all-time favorite, "It's Too Cold," but the set had enough little treats to keep me from grumbling about things.

> Jian abused me during Boss with his hair-tousling and hip-gyrations. Good > thing I was bathed in stage lights, because I'm sure I was beet-red.

The stage lights just made you look a bit more orange, Adam, resulting in kinda a shrimp or coral color. :D

> Afterward I hung out for a while, spoke a few words to Mike, Cal, Tobey, and > Jian, watched Murray play pool, and finally headed home at around 1:45. It > was lovely seeing all of you and I can't wait for Falcon Ridge!

Thank goodness for Cal, too: he's one of the few poeple I've met at FruShows who knows some of my favorite bands like the New York Dolls, Shriekback, and countless obscure seventies-and-eighties punk/new wave acts. It helps me feel younger when people get my references on the rare occasions when I can articulate adequately. It was wonderful talking to everybody afterwards (minus the errant Dave) and I'm looking forward to tonight! I missed Maureen at the Dennys, but kept up with Kim until the Indian Castle/Iroquois rest stop on the Thruway where I finally surrendered to fatigue and slept until about 7am. At least I could stop for my Hoboken TripTik on the way home. :D

From DirtyJersey:

I found the show at Clifton Park to be rather different. The guys had the energy, but they lacked in the usual improv... I know a few fruvirgins who enjoyed the music but wondered what I was missing. I was sitting at the bar, and although I had the perfect view for quite some time and was able to block out the annoyance of the chatter, towards the end people were getting quite drunk and chose directly in front of me to make out and jump around and be rude. They didn't seem to take my threats of death seriously.... Anyway, what I found to be the strangest is the lack of people who stayed after the show. I don't think I've ever been to a show where there weren't crowds of people and usually the ever-so-obvious group of girls in tight revealing outfits waiting for- well, we all know... I had a good time, but it wasn't the same.

Thanks to Adam Hartfield for these:
• Dave
• Jian
• Mike
• Murray

Some other tidbits from the performance include:

• Feel free to help contribute to this section!