"This is like the most beautiful moment I've experienced in my entire life right now" – Ian during Suggestion

I had almost the exact same experience as the other commenter, Jesse. Also my first Fugazi show; also a sophomore in high school; also vividly remember the basketball hoop above the stage.

A friend and I drove in from central Mass and had to leave early because we couldn't drive after midnight (some license restriction for kids). We left during Burning Too, so I unfortunately didn't experience the beautiful moment in Suggestion first hand. But I'm so glad to hear it on this recording.

The Suggestion performance is truly incredible. The breakdown dissolves into almost total silence with just the slightest bass line and Ian barely talking for about a minute. With the silence and focus of the crowd, Ian mentions that beautiful moment, the oneness of the room, and compares the peripheral noise from the sides and outside to traffic driving by with all of us right here. Then without any buildup, Brendan kicks in and the end of the song is full-on bass and drum groove – no guitar – for a couple more minutes. So good.

This was my first fugazi show of many. I was 15 and was a sophomore in high school. Six months earlier I was forced to listen to them from outside a full First Congregational Church in Cambridge. This time, I arrived about 5 hours early, playing Frisbee in park opposite while waiting and being the first in line. I clearly remember watching Ian, Guy, Joe, and Brendan lugging and rolling in all their gear through the front door. For some reason, there was a long delay in opening the door to let people in and the huge crowd was getting rowdy. when it was opened, I was told by the doorman to walk slowly so I wouldn’t start a stampede.

The first band was a rock band and the second played ska. Above the stage hung a raised basketball net. When fugazi played, the entire crowd was dancing and there were no fights that I saw. As it was a gymnasium, it got very hot and I remember crowd-surfing just to get above the crowd and get some air.

Towards the end of their set, fugazi played Suggestion. I will never forget the moment during the much extended bass/drums interlude when the entire crowd was dead silent, swaying to the rhythm and Ian said something like:
“This is one of the best moments of my musical career…”

This moment of euphoria was especially memorable to me because it was immediately followed by a moment of agony: because the show started so late, my friends and I had to leave before the end of the song and sprint to the subway to catch the last train of the night to make sure we could make it home.

I still have the flyer for the show somewhere. I will send it when I find it!