From: Amanda
8.24.99 - Maine
We got to the Asylum in Maine around three PM on August 24th. We (my sister, friend, and I) didn't have tickets yet and we wanted to get there early. Just as soon as we got there DJ Brooks comes out of the building and says hi and asks us how we are doing. It seemed odd that he remembered who we were from the first time a few months earlier. He then brought us inside where they were setting up lights and testing out instruments. He showed us how he had the frog we gave him on his drum set. Then we gave him another, larger, frog. We talked with him about the tour and their new single for a little while then he had to test his drums. We wrote down our names so that later we would enter into the concert as DJ's guests. We went shopping for a while then returned. The members of Show Off had just arrived. We instantly made friends with bassist Dave Envy. We spent over an hour hanging with Dave and his band. Very cool people. Then people started arriving and the personel put us at the front of the line because of how long we had been there all day. We talked wiht DJ a little more while in line. Then at 6:30 we went in. We were right at center stage. Dave (Envy) came on the stage and sat in front of me, talking to us for an hour before the concert. Show off put on a good show. Then a local band Shufflin' Tremble played. Then it was Ck's turn. They came out and had high energy even though there was something going on with their sound system that the audience didn't notice. The concert turned out extrodinarily well. Then the band left the stage and people slowly started filling out of the building. When we got outside there were a few eager fans waiting for autographs. Dave came out and signed a lot. Then fans started leaving. Dave talked to us for a while about a bunch of stuff. We just chilled out on the street. Next Malcom and Kristian came out. Kristian signed his share of autographs then gave us a cold shoulder and went straight for the bus. Malcom on the other hand talked to us for a half hour. We really got into conversation about a lot of cool stuff. He told us that we would have to come to another show and he would have us on the guest list again. We were by ourselves for not long when Dave came back out and avoided the fans and just joined our group, w/ conversation. Last to come out of the building was Matt and DJ. DJ and Matt talked to us for a long time. We left at 11:30 when the band left. They promised to keep in touch and we all hugged good bye. If anyone has the chance to really get to know these guys, do it. They have amazing souls.
From : Me
6.26.99
Well, let's see, the day was Saturday, July 26, 1999. The show was at Summerfest, a large festival in Milwaukee (supposedly the "party of the century" in the Marcus Amphitheatre. I guess that was one of the downpoints. I would much rather see CK in a much friendlier confine. The Promise Ring, another good Milwaukee band, opened the show. Then came CK... Personally, I loved the show. Once again they played the entire Mobile Estates album and had an encore consisting of Pitiful Man and Smokescreen. I was dancing and going along with Matt the whole time. The band was into it and sounded good. However, the crowd was not very into, except Better Days. It's hard in the setting. But a lot of people were there to see the next band, The Violent Femmes. The Femmes sort of dissapointed me, but I got to see CK again. They did not dissapoint but do need to start playing more old stuff. I know a lot of people feel the same way as I do about that. Also, they were signing autographs prior to the show and I got to talk to them a little bit. They are such nice and cool guys. Matt said that my favorite English group, Blur, rocks - so that was cool. All in all, another good outing for CK!
From: froggy@ncia.net
5.31.99 - Maine
We went to a concert in Portland Maine on May 31st, yesterday. It was a concert with five bands and we didn't even have a ticket. About an hour and a half before the concert we met up with DJ and his manager. We tried to get tickets from him not even realizing who he was. We were naming the five bands trying to figure out which band he was from. We guessed Citizen King last and then he went to get a coffee coolata. When he got back he signed autographs for a few fans and then ended up with us again. We sang a little of "Better Days" and got a picture with him. Right before he had to go in for sound check he asked us if we had gotten a hold of tickets yet. We said no. He told us to write our names down quick and we did. He said he would give the names to his manager and we would be admitted to the concert as his guests. We ended up in the 7th row!! While Citizen King was on stage I was having so much fun and every time DJ looked our way we would wave and he would give us huge smiles!! We threw him a beanie baby frog and he was so happy. After three bands had been on Citizen King had a signing out in the hallway. My sister and friend got to DJ and thanked him before the end of their signing but I couldn't push my way through. His managers were yelling at the group to get out and that it was over. I stood on the other side of his managers because they were making a wall. I said DJ and he came over and gave me a huge hug and talked to me for a second. The fans were jealous of me and his managers were mad, but I was sooooo happy.
From: slpgroup@cshc.org
5.27.99 - Cincinnati
CK came to town last Thursdays to Bogart's in Cincinnati. The show was fantastic. Unfortunately only 40-50 people showed up. If the low turnout bothered the group, they definitely didn't show it. Matt was hanging out while the opening band played. I asked him if the band would play anything from the "Brown Bag LP", to which he said no. After the first song (Under the Influence), Matt had everyone move up to the front, and talked to the crowd for a little bit. CK went on to play as if the place was sold out. Cooley was smiling and laughing throughout the show. Everyone was dancing and jumping. I tried to get Malcolm to have the band play some "Brown Bag" songs (Pitiful Men, Good and Gone). He looked at me and smiled, shaking his head. After the show, the guys came out into the crowd to talk to some fans. Overall, a very good show, would have liked to have heard some older songs, but I guess that's what happens when you sign to a major record label. A better opening band, one popular in the Cincinnati area could have easily brought a couple hundred people to see CK. I called Bogart's the day of the show at 2:30 pm. to see if there was an opening band. "We're trying to get one" was the reply. I think Bogart's had some workers get togethet and form"a band". They were terrible. I hope CK's experience in Cincinnati doesn't deter them from visiting in the future.
From: AltrnaGrly@aol.com
4.19.99 - Maine
Well, the best part of the whole experience happened even before the concert started. It was yesterday, April 19th. The band came to Bullmoose, a local music shop to sign autographs. The store told us they'd be there at 4:30.. so we came at 3, haha.. but they were delayed while being interviewed by a local alternative station until 5. Surprisingly there weren't a lot of people at the signing.. so there weren't any formal lines or anything. The only one that wasn't there was Matt. DJ and Dave came right up to me and my friends, and shook our hands, and asked us if we were coming to the concert, and we said yes.. then we got them to sign stuff, we took the CK posters off the walls (there were lots!) and got them to sign them, and I got them to sign my arm. DJ signed on my shoulder and drew a little drumset, and dave signed on my forearm and drew like a telephone. Then we went around and talked to the rest of em, got them all to sign our stuff. They were all really nice, they were really real. We talked to Dave and Malcolm for about 5 minutes, about local music, and where they came from and stuff. The concert was awesome too, Dangerman was opening and they were great. There were a few really loud outbursts by local punks (like me and my friends, haha) because CK's manager decided to cut a local band out of the concert. They played great, it was a very energetic show, I can't wait until they come back to Maine again.
Milwaukee - 3.13.99 - This is my review of the record release show. It's also a comp. paper I did.