December 31, 1988 Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

"At the Wiltern on Saturday, Waits seemed in a generous and--for him--relaxed mood. To guarantee a festive atmosphere, Waits placed a huge red clock behind him on stage and led the crowd in a countdown as the midnight hour approached. He also supplemented his own songs with some classy covers, including Little Willie John's "Fever," Burke-Johnston's "Pennies From Heaven" and Leiber-Stoller's "Hound Dog." Waits, too, brought out saxophonist John Lurie (the actor-musician who once headed the Lounge Lizards) to sit in on a few tunes with Waits' classy five-piece band. Still, the lanky songwriter--who sings in a voice so charred it has been described as sounding like the bottom of a heavily used ash tray looks--was most effective when he set aside both the manic mannerisms and off-beat tales to concentrate on more haunting songs--songs he might call "conventional." Playing a guitar and barely moving, Waits closed the concert by singing about chasing elusive dreams with a careful, caressing vocal that seemed as gentle as the song itself ("Time")."