I'm exhausted after a long weekend of shows- Matthew Dear on Friday and Xiu Xiu on Saturday.  I wish I could have seen Xiu Xiu at the terrace- they sounded great but the Fireside Bowl is a crappy venue; it's just the corner of a bowling alley and the stage is way too low, so unless you are right up front you can't see anything.  I really wanted to see what kind of instruments Xiu Xiu used to make their weird sound, but unfortunately, I could barely see their heads.  Kind of like going to a packed show at the Catacombs.  Luckily, they'll be playing at the Empty Bottle in October, a much better venue, so I'll get to reassess.  Next week- Modest Mouse and the Walkmen!  At an equally crappy venue, the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, so plans are to get there when doors open and park ourselves right up front.