#fls1999

Fugazi, Flex, Vienna, Austria 9/26/1999 (FLS #0933)

(Words below submitted by Antti Väärälä)

“Another show from one of my favorite runs on FLS finds the band for the fourth and final time in Vienna, Austria. This is the only time the band played the Flex nightclub, the earlier gigs took place at Vienna Arena. The recording's intro cuts straight to Ian's last few words from his opening remarks and then we're promptly taken to the music.

Usually the recordings from this era sound at least very good, but this tape right here is one of the excellent ones for sure. The very first moment is a bit of an aural thriller for me as the mix takes a few seconds to settle, but wow, when it does, it's one of the best I've heard so far. Very detailed, rich and the whole stereo field is fully utilized. The drums sound massive here, as the guitars are evenly laid out on the sides and Joe's bass is balanced in the middle.

The band marches in with the aforementioned, steadily growing Ex-Spectator instrumental, and onwards with the End Hits duo of Break and Place Position. A good flow is clearly taking place, but then something unnecessary happens during Birthday Pony. A stage diver basically ruins the really cool performance, and the show stops completely for a few moments. The band continue but the mood of the show is somehow different. Luckily some of the energy is back with great performances of Latin Roots and Merchandise.

A local desperately tries to address the crowd before an atmospheric Promises. I guess the rowdy behaviour continued despite the band's efforts. Concentrating on Brendan's drumming is highly rewarding here as he really goes to town with his tricks and there's some nice coloring added from the soundboard.

Unfortunately the recording starts to suffer from some occasional yet annoying digital snapping. On a stereo it's not so bad but with headphones it got to me. This is worst during softer songs, ie. Argument, Floating Boy, Closed Captioned etc. It's a pity since the performances flow really well, and the mix is fine throughout.

Target has a funny remark from Ian addressing the people not clapping, and what ensues is a great and energetic performance of the song. The following Reclamation is equally strong. The band is on a nice streak here as one song flows into the next in a classic fashion.

Apparently the problems with some attendees are over as the band continue on to play a massively long set with two encores. The digital snapping/crackling is momentarily gone after they come back for the encore, and this makes the really tender performance of Long Division such a delight to listen to. Unfortunately the audio starts to occasionally suffer again from KYEO onwards. Like I said, it's not so bad that I would rate the recording less than excellent but can get on one's nerves with repeated listening, depending on the equipment.

I recommend this show for the overall great sound, long setlist and many cool performances. Perk up your ears, and you can listen how the band handle the unfortunate events during Birthday Pony. There is a 47 minute video of the show up on Youtube, where you can watch how Ian tries to perform the song while derailing a stage dive, and the ensuing aftermath.”

The set list:

Photo © by Scott Beacher

Fugazi, Masquerade, Atlanta, GA USA 12/17/1999 (FLS #0958)

(Words below submitted by Antti Väärälä)

“Fugazi in the middle of the short but sweet 1999 December US tour. This is the last time they would visit the city of Atlanta, and the venue is once again the Masquerade. Established in 1989, Masquerade originally housed for 27 years in its North Avenue location inside the historic Dupree’s Excelsior Mill. The venue became a rather popular tour stop for a wide variety of acts in need of a smaller, more intimate setting than arenas or big ballrooms. Masquerade welcomed Fugazi for a total of seven times over the years.

Ex-Spectator fades in and thus we miss any opening remarks. Instead we're treated to a great sounding recording where the mix settles relatively fast. This tape is another powerhouse showcase of Brendan's drumming. The drums sound fantastic and command the stereo field. The vocals are a bit low on volume occasionally, and the mix loses the wide stereo field feel (doesn't go full mono) for a few tracks towards the end of the main set, but otherwise this is a fine recording.

The band hits an energetic flow right away. Highlights include an intense Do You Like Me and a massive Reclamation. The first interlude has the band jamming on a cool riff that I suspect is one of those "link tracks" they must have a million in the archives.

During Birthday Pony we can listen how Ian handles a potential stage diver. Luckily the other guys are able to keep the groove going in the meantime, so there're no big disturbances to the flow.

The show moves forward and one highlight is an inspired rendition of the new track Oh. The double drumming gives it a really nice dimension, as is always the case whenever Mr. Jerry Busher joins the band on stage. We almost get a great flow from Oh via Recap Modotti to Closed Captioned, but instead get some fun banter from Ian as he comments on a few patron's behavior. A guaranteed mind-blowing moment follows when Closed Captioned's amazing ending jam flows seamlessly to the groove of Burning.

Promises grinds to a complete halt due to some rowdy behavior in the crowd. Fortunately the band gets into full flow mode afterwards. Floating Boy again feels like an awesome live jam and moves seamlessly to a sweet Long Division. Interestingly the last moments before the encore break are filled with Fugazi "hits". A real crowd pleaser then, and a delight to listen to. It's uplifting that the atmosphere in the room seems to be much better now. Personal favorite Number 5 gets one of the strongest, double drum-fueled treatings I've heard so far.

The encore offers both tenderness and energy. Argument starts with an introduction from Ian and it's cool to hear a little insight from the man himself. Arpeggiator acts as the goodbye track and the drum duo of Brendan and Jerry gets to shine brightly once more.

Another nice and full recording from the era where the setlists covered the whole repertoire. Easily recommended!”

The set list:

Photo © by Jarek Goralczyk

Fugazi, Kazamaty, Wroclaw, Poland 9/21/1999 (FLS #0928)

(Words below submitted by Antti Väärälä)

“Fugazi in Poland after a long absence, and this would turn out to be their last show in the country. The band starts off in quite a pleasant mood and test drive a steamrolling Ex-Spectator as an intro. The show gets off to a really good start in general...

...Until problems ensue. There's some crowd control with the help of a local translating, and after that a double musical statement from the band in the form of Turnover and Reclamation. Ian seems to be losing his voice but still puts everything on the line in every song. In contrast, Guy is at his most sensitive sounding to me, which is just awesome. Later, Five Corporations is mostly cut in the middle. 

There's a really great flow of songs starting with a couple of Red Medicine tracks merging into a trio from the first EP. You can hear the crowd sing along and I can only imagine the party going on in the house. It seems that any problems with the audience are over. Another personal highlight is a groovy Recap Modotti. There's some funny banter further approving that the evening has turned into a friendly encounter. 

The encore is a nice catering from the In On The Killtaker album after Long Division jumps perfectly to Cassavetes. Ian has no mercy on his voice with the explosive performances of Great Cop and Repeater. A beautiful flow from Last Chance For a Slow Dance to Closed Captioned is up next as the evening draws to a close.

The sound rating is a bit problematic to me. As the mix is basically mono, listening on the headphones is not as rewarding as on a stereo, which in turn is a blast. Joe's bass and the drums sound surprisingly clear with the vocals being the most prominent element. 

All in all, this is another cool show with it's drama and performances.”

The set list:

Photo © by Michael Koenig

Fugazi, 40 Watt, Athens, GA USA 12/18/1999 (FLS #0959)

This recording documents the last out of eight times Fugazi performed in Athens, Georgia, which played out at the 40 Watt Club as it did every single time since their first show in Athens on June 3, 1988.

As per Ian, “until recently, I think there were two cities in the country that we had played like numerous shows but always at the same place, one was in Austin, Texas at the Liberty Lunch, and the other one is right here at the 40 Watt, and we’ve gotten word that the Liberty Lunch has been shut down or it’s all over […] but the 40 Watt is still here so, here’s one, I guess we just wanna say thanks to the 40 Watt for having us some many times over the years.”

Clocking in at 1 hour and 55 minutes, this recording surely preserves one of the longest, perhaps even the longest performance in the live history of the band.

During the introductory remarks, Ian addresses someone in the crowd, asking if he is “the guy that played the 3 hours of Fugazi today”, adding: “Well, thanks. I am surprised you’re here actually, I’d think you’d be fucking sick of us by now…” while towards the end of the show, Ian reiterates that “it just occurred to me, if you played Fugazi songs for 3 hours today, you’re working on your fifth fucking hour of us” and grants him a request by way of “reward” which results in Great Cop. It appears that the “DJ” in question is John Farrar, current co-host of the Live On 4 Legs podcast which pays tribute to the Pearl Jam live repertoire.

While the recording sounds excellent overall, as noted (see submission below), I find that a good part of the set is a bit of a hodgepodge and it is not until Break that it really starts grabbing my attention. But those last nine songs are pretty much perfect and elevate the overall performance.

It certainly offers really good live versions of a number of songs, yet absolute highlights in my book include KYEO, a song “particularly appropriate given the fact that people in Seattle try to make us think about a somewhat dubious World Trade Organization, so-called civilized American police force shot them with rubber bullets, and a so-called truthful American media portrayed it as a bunch of fucking thugs breaking windows but the thugs are on the other side of the badge, so just when you though it was safe… the troops are quiet tonight, but it’s not alright cause they are planning something…”, as well as an early live rendering of Ex-Spectator in instrumental form and a standout performance of Sweet and Low which features various nice additional yet subtle touches and embellishments on guitars and drums (accentuated by sound-man Nick Pellicciotto) and unusually ends with some drawn-out guitar feedback.

While the set list draws from all available work at the time (or even the Argument album and Furniture EP unreleased at the time), note that it includes just one song off of Margin Walker EP and 7 Songs debut EP each, as well as just two songs off of Repeater.

(Words below submitted by Antti Väärälä)

“I gotta say, this is definitely one of the best sounding FLS offerings I've had the pleasure to listen to so far. There's some mix settling going on during Number 5, but after that it's a breeze. So I would easily rate this as ‘excellent’. The mix breathes, the stereo field is fully utilized and every instrument and vocal is clear. The drum sound is as good as it gets. The added effects are not over-used, but instead add some very nice color and atmosphere.

Be prepared that there is some minimal digital crackling here and there. It didn't really bother me though, as it's only a few times.

The band start off with some amusingly casual chatting. A pretty classic show structure follows at first in the form of flowing rockers with Place Position being a personal highlight. As a sidenote, I'm pretty sure you can hear Brendan yelling in delight behind the kit on a lot of songs which is a lot of fun.

Stacks is a perfect addition to the set and after that it's all a highlight for me, as the band practically flies through awesome performances one after another. A psychedelic Floating Boy merging seamlessly into a superbly dynamic Argument is just pure Fugazi bliss for me. Another really cool seamless merge is from Oh to Closed Captioned. More of these merges follow but I don't want to spoil them all.

The band play a really long set, representing basically their whole repertoire. A lot of tight rockers are balanced with some sweet moments. The final encore shows this especially well with punk fury, rocking wit and tenderness all thrown into play. Ex-Spectator is starting to be very confident albeit still instrumental here. Sweet And Low is definitely one of the coolest versions I've ever heard.

I gotta give a special mention to how amazingly Fugazi utilize dynamics in their performance at this point. A recording of this caliber really shows that off.

A highly recommended mammoth of a show!”

The set list:

Ticket stub courtesy of Brent Prest 

Fugazi, Glass House, Pomona, CA USA 3/07/99 (FLS #0906)

Nigh on 11 years after their first stopover in Pomona, CA at the Elks Lodge, Fugazi would play the city a second and final time just before concluding their 1999 West Coast tour with a three night jaunt at the Palace in Los Angeles.

As is the case for most if not the entire West Coast string of shows, the band delivers another tight show, a well-oiled machine busting out song after song, honed by ample and relentless touring and practice. 

Footage of this show is available (mostly black & white ; part of Bed For The Scraping is missing) and featured below, and actually points out that the Arpeggiator instrumental opened the set, with Cassavetes (which is the incomplete opener of the audio file offered by Dischord) only following suit.

There are 22 songs total here, taken off of the Furniture EP (1), End Hits (7), Red Medicine (4), Kill Taker (3), Steady Diet (1), Repeater (3), Margin Walker (1) and 7 Songs (2) respectively.

This includes rarities Greed (5 times played in 1999 and just once this leg of the tour), Two Beats Off (8 renderings in 1999 ; Guy ad-libs a couple of lines and appears to tag another song but I can’t put my finger on it: “I was living, I was walking by numbers...”) or Give Me The Cure featuring a slightly lengthier intro (9), as well as rareish versions of Bad Mouth (11 plays in 1999), Walken’s Syndrome (12), or Forensic Scene (13).

The sound quality is arguably quite good overall, yet it is worth mentioning that the instrumentation drowns out Ian’s vocals in the beginning and it takes a bit of time for the mix to finally settle (Walken’s Syndrome). Even after that, there are the occasional sonic discrepancies (slight crunches) but nothing really disruptive.

I particularly enjoyed the Recap Modotti > Promises > Give Me The Cure streak, as well as the collected rendering of Long Division featuring a bit of an instrumental outro to close out the set (the classic combination with Blueprint is served in reversed order here).

The set list:

1. Cassavetes 2. Greed 3. Place Position 4. Interlude 1 5. Back to Base 6. Walken’s Syndrome 7. Break 8. Two Beats Off 9. Interlude 2 10. Birthday Pony 11. FD 12. Recap Modotti 13. Promises 14. Give Me The Cure 15. Bad Mouth 16. Floating Boy 17. Five Corporations 18. Public Witness Program 19. Bed For The Scraping 20. Encore 1 21. Number 5 22. Forensic Scene 23. Closed Captioned 24. Blueprint 25. Long Division 26. Outro

Photos © by Fugazi - flyer courtesy of Brian Peacock

Fugazi, Juarez Hall, Bakersfield, CA USA 3/04/99 (FLS #0903)

The 1999 Fugazi show at Juarez Hall in Bakersfield, CA turns out to be one of my favourite recordings from their West Coast leg of the tour, because it essentially captures the low-key setting of this gig.

Interestingly, it played out in front of merely 400 attendees at a modest venue, which is rather remarkable by 1999 standards since the band had been well established by then.

I feel the set list flows really well here, spontaneously and naturally. The musicianship is spot-on, with few if any mistakes dotted around the place.

While the audio levels are fairly well balanced overall, Joe's bass predominates, a throbbing metronome. My only gripe is that the instrumentation occasionally drowns out the vocals (e.g. Recap Modotti, Merchandise) and that the select audience is low in the mix, their enthusiasm just a faint, occasional trace throughout the recording.

Burning just might be the pinnacle of the show for me, as I can easily picture Ian hacking away at his guitar, until the absolute fierce breakdown comes crashing, a sonic onslaught.

The set list is short on rarities for the occasion, and offers just a single track off In on the Kill Taker, merely two tracks off of Red Medicine. Their other work, End Hits (6), Steady Diet of Nothing (3), Repeater (4), Margin Walker EP (3) and the 7 Songs EP (2) provides the rest of the songs, adding up to a total of 21 live tracks.

The set list: