Riverside Theater, Milwaukee Wisconsin

I cannot believe this theater. It’s really a theater, I might as well be going to the opera, except that no one is staring at me. I’m ushered to my seat – yes, a plush, red, velvet-covered seat - by a sweet, little gray-haired grandma. I barely sit down in my cushy red velvet seat when the fellow next to me is accosted by a big security-looking person and very sternly informed that this is his one and only warning that smoking is absolutely not allowed. His only warning! My chin is in my lap. And seating is strictly enforced. Bummer, I have 31st row. No chance at getting close-up this time.

Grand entrance: the stage is behind a filmy, glittery white curtain. Twiggy does a sound check behind the curtain in front of a spotlight. You see his silhouette. Very few notice. The outline of a funky wig is very apparent – it’s definitely Twiggy. The lights go down. White lights on the lower left and right sides of the stage. Some sort of a shape defined by the lights. Don’t know what it is supposed to be – maybe the new Manson computer-head logo? Guitar feedback? Manson’s silhouette appears in spotlight behind the filmy curtain. Twiggy and J-5 walk out in front of the curtain. Up goes the curtain. Manson in powder blue with darker blue - wings? anyway, some sort of fluffy arching wing-like halo-effect thing. He is striking a dramatic pose. His hair is very red.

Opening song: The Reflecting God, the modified version from the end of the previous tour where he abbreviates “scar, scar, can you feel my power” to all “shoot, shoot, shoot, motherfucker”. The stage is basic. Ginger and Pogo have pedestals made of TVs that constantly display white and pink noise throughout the show, except during some of the songs when they are off.

Followed by Great Big White World. He’s dropped the wing-thing and now his powder-blue jump-suit looks too, too much like jammies with feet. Various antics dropping the front of his jammies so you can see some sort of phallic apparatus and then dropping the back of his jammies exposing his butt. Reminds me of a three-year-old showing off his potty-training skills. He is amusing himself but he appears to be bored.

Yes! Cake and Sodomy!

Posthuman. Followed by a rather long pause.

Stilts! But it isn’t Kinderfeld, it’s that new hand-grenade song. Oh yeah, Mechanical Animals. Two times with arms up high over his head. Very nice, no technical difficulties. He looks very pleased, nodding to the folks back-stage.

Wow, lovely acoustic solo by J5. Blue hair, Bowie feathers, lots of energy.

Leads into The Speed Of Pain. All acoustic. Manson in a Casablanca raincoat and hat. Snow. A nostalgic throw-back to Apple of Sodom? Very nice acoustic performance by Manson and J5. Fade to black and a long pause.

Still in darkness, Manson’s voice announces Omega and the Mechanical Animals. Lights. Ooooo. He’s all in red, and he is lovely. Glittery red garters and platform-soled leggings and very lovely red wings all pointy and devilish. I want one of those outfits. Rock is Dead. Two African-American femme background vocalists in mid-thigh gold lame dresses appear on their own platform on the far side of Pogo. It’s west coast. It’s Las Vegas for the road.

Dope show. He’s enjoying his glittery red outfit. I would too. He throws the wings to the floor. Oh, don’t do that! They’re so, so, … keep them on! With his back to the crowd he gets cozy with the mike stand. Full butt shot. He’s so sweet. Hanging the mike between his legs. Yeah, he wishes.

Lunchbox! Glitter shoots into the crowd. He climbs up on the amps and jumps off onto the stage. That’s a long way down! And in platforms! Don’t break an ankle, Love. It’s early in the tour.

He asks the crowd how many are in love tonight? And he asks how many just want to get fucked? And they slam into the new fuck song. Mmmm, let me look this one up a moment, here…User Friendly. He finds his pedestal to be particularly user friendly. The femmes are in bra-tops and panty-bottoms.

He asks for applause. He asks for drugs. A very large DRUGS marquis rises from the back of the stage. Did I say very? You have to see it. It’s like the anti-flag in proportion. Don’t Like the Drugs. The femmes have put black jackets on over their bikini outfits.

J5 goes into a solo. A long solo. Leading into...No way! Yes! It’s Rock’n Roll Nigger! Fuck! I can’t believe it! The only time I’ve seen this one is in Toronto. I’m ready to go home, now.

Extended jamming, feedback, noise, the opening to Antichrist Superstar! It is! It really is the whole thing, banners and podium and another perfectly good book bites the dust! No tie this time, and he throws off his shirt halfway through.

Oh no! Now what! Ginger has gone slamming into the opening to Beautiful People and Manson is standing in the middle of the stage in little black shorts pointing at Ginger and yelling. This is not good. This is not… well, there goes the mike stand and a perfectly good drum bites the dust. Is this the end? No! He stops himself. He does the song. That was a close call. Looks like he collected himself. Oh, well, guess not. There goes the mike stand and the drums are in serious trouble. He storms off. Lights go down. A flurry of flashlights surrounds the drum set.

He’s back on stage. It’s the opening to Sweet Dreams. Nothing’s working. He grabs the mike stand and finishes off the drums, for real this time. It’s over.

Glad I have tickets for tomorrow! The crowd is angry. I’m elated! Rock ‘n Roll Nigger! Yes!

Opinion of my companion for the evening(from the 31st row): She had never seen a Manson performance. She isn't particulary familiar with his music. She's a big Iggy Pop and Bowie fan. From Belgrade. She wouldn't miss the show for anything after everything she's heard from me. She had a great time, was very impressed. She said he is very obviously a control freak. Everything has to be perfect. The visual effects, coreography, and performance were, in her opinion, excellent. She loved it, and is going with me tomorrow night, too. She says he is very cold. That this is very disappointing. That he doesn't seem to care at all about the people who have come to see his performance. That to him it is perfection that matters more than anything. Tomorrow we will risk our necks to get up close at the Aragon. She has to see him up close. It is totally a different experience.

Rachel