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Guided by Voices took the stage just after a neon sign lit behind drummer Jim McPherson proudly declared "The Club is Open." Singer Robert Pollard then appeared and proudly informed the crowd that the band usually finished its tour at The Bottleneck, but that this time it was one of its opening dates. And then he launched into "A Salty Salute," from Alien Lanes. The audience, most of whom knew every word to the wonderfully nonsensical set opener, sang along, almost overpowering the band, all the way to the song's final words, "The Club is Open."

Pollard's fans are fanatical about the band, typified by one concertgoer decked out in a shirt labeling her as Pollard's Bitch. It wasn't a handmade shirt either, signaling that Pollard might have other bitches elsewhere. Whenever a song was finished, Pollard would go back and look at the towel spread out at the back of the stage upon which the set list was inscribed and announce what the next number would be. It never failed to elicit a cheer from the crowd. Even songs from his just-released joint effort with GBV guitarist Doug Gillard, Always Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department, received warm applause and hoots.

It was not just Pollard's show, either. Every member of the band got heavily into the songs, even though most of the players weren't in the lineup when the tunes were initially released. Powerhouse versions of "The Goldheart Mountain Directory" and "Peephole," both from Bee Thousand, were fleshed out from their humble four-track origins and rocked harder than any fan thought they ever could.

Two factors threatened the show, but were quickly remedied. Some fan gave bass player Tim Tobias the bird, which caused him to react angrily, eventually telling Pollard on him. "You got a problem, man?" Pollard asked. Perhaps knowing that the crowd would turn on him at Pollard's slightest signal, the offender shrunk back into the throng. Also, Pollard's mic went out repeatedly due to his twirling abuse, but the crowd was also happy to fill in the words for the former schoolteacher. The band played a lengthy set with the recent single "Teenage F.B.I." taking honors as the biggest crowd-pleaser, before eventually playing five encores.

Britt Daniel from Spoon opened the night's show with his guitar and a drum machine for a half hour set that made one wonder what his incredible, involving lyrics and melodies might sound like with the whole band in tow. Those Bastard Souls, eighty percent of which wore hats, were also in fine form, even though violinist Joan Shouse dropped her instrument at one point, only to quickly recover. No matter how well those bands played, however, it was undeniably Guided by Voices that the people were there to see. And when they did, "The Club was Open," indeed.