1:40 PM. I'm backstage at Lollapalooza '95, talking with the Jesus Lizard, who are kicking back, drinking a few beers, celebrating the final day of the tour. David Yow, Lizard vocalist, is sitting on a couch; guitarist Duane Denison is using a ice cooler for a chair; drummer Mac McNeilly is off to the side; bassist David Sims is on the couch next to Yow, dozing. "What's the tour been like," says Denison, repeating my question. "Fun mostly," he says. "Every day we have to play in front of small crowds of seated people."

"Fun, and difficult," says Yow. "It's really an all day ordeal." "Could you get me another brew," Yow asks. One is placed in his hand almost instantly. "Most of the time the people who are here when we go on aren't ready to start getting down," says Denison. "It's like we're a new band and we're starting all over proving to people that we're good." "I'd say in the course of playing 30 dates we've gotten at least 30 or 40 new fans," he says with a smirk. "On no, 100s of people," says Denison darkly. "I'd say at least 222 new fans."

I wonder if they think being on the Lollapalooza tour will help them sell records. "We used to sell records," says Yow. "Having us on the tour has been great for Lollapalooza's credibility, but terrible for ours." "All the other bands hate us," jokes Denison. "They're all jealous and shit. They're all living in a rock fantasy work with their computers and technology. Man, you got to be more intuitive."

Over to the side, drummer McNeilly suddenly says, "You got to let a crow blow up your ass once in a while." And what are they looking forward to? "Every morning they play Donald Fagen really loud to get the sound right," says Yow. "I hope and pray I never hear Donald Fagen again." Adds Denison: "They play it really loud but it still sounds soft. Like Smashing Pumpkins."

He looks over at Yow and they both laugh. "Gratuitous slags, that's what interviews are good for."