The off- axis response is noticeably different, as several above have said. The more directly in front of your speaker you can be, the more accurately you will hear full response with your guitar. The change can be radical with as little as 15 to 20 degrees from dead center. Also lower frequencies need more space to propagate (develop), so further from you cabinet will give a more full-range sound. Another option if you're using a combo  or a smallish speaker cabinet is to set it angled on a chair (less safe in traffic) or On-Stage Stands makes an angled speaker stand. I use one regularly, if I can't bring and stack my two Acme Low B-2 cabinets. They're available from GC and SA as well as online shops.
Paul, keep your eyes open for open stage / open mic nights at local music clubs. There aren't as many as there were a few years ago, but that's how I met the guys that formed Pickled BEATS, and several other good local players. Does Milwaukee have a local nightlife /entertainment magazine.? In Chicago we've got Illinois Entertainer and Suburban Nightlife. Also look for bulletin boards in local music store foyers. I used to do two jams every week at the end of the century...
Mike

I screwed around with tons of over drive pedals and here is what I found.
 
Tone Bender coloursound if the best pedal by itself because you dont lose most of the lower frequencies.
 
The Turbo Rat is great but you have to run a Boss GEB-7 behind it to boost the lower frequencies you lose going through the pedal.
 
If you can run two channels at the same time. One clean and one overdriven for the best tone.

At home generally my guitar amp/speaker is in front of me whereas at a gig, for the most times it's behind me so that also affects how I hear my guitar. The difference is quite significant and usually at gigs is when i hear the best sound from my guitars. Where space allows at gigs I always have the cab about 6 to 8 feet behind me so I get a better fix on the sound.
Jazzyvee

Bill,
 
The amps are off the floor just a bit. I have the Auralex Gramma and Great Gramma. Allows for acoustic isolation from the floor but doesn't raise them enough to be at ear level. I'm just going to try and play farther from the amp at home. Unfortunately, I'm limited by the volume. Before I commit to this board, though, I'm going to make sure that I play everything in a live/loud setting.
 
Later...
 
Jonathan