I was a really crazy show! Took forever to get in due to the crowd and it being moved inside. I was a few people back when they started removing the rail on the floor. Never saw anything like it. I can't remember if I was at the Buf State show with Quicksand, but I have a shirt. Thank you!
Performing in another rather intimate setting, in the presence of some 1200 patrons and headlining a remarkable bill with incredible Dischord affiliates Slant 6 and local hardcore heroes Snapcase, this one must have been right in Fugazi’s wheelhouse.
And since we can consider ourselves damn lucky that the recording presented here is complete, I am bumping this one up to the “highlight” category.
For further details and a spot-on write-up, check out the submission by fellow Fugazi enthusiast Antti Väärälä below.
Oh, and Brendan’s tom-toms sound phenomenal!
Fugazi hits Buffalo for the second and last time, playing a gig at Blind Mellons. Judging by comments on the internet, the venue was a beloved place, holding many legendary shows in the 90's. Apparently the setting is quite unusual this particular evening, as Ian mentions in the opening remarks that the show was moved indoors due to the weather. The recording conveys this intimate and close quarters atmosphere very well. Ian's chat is casual and funny as usual and afterwards we dive straight into a fiery Smallbox Champion.
As for the sound, there's some mix settling needed during the first few tracks, but after everything's set, this turns out to be a delightfully good recording overall. The low end is nicely in balance with everything and Brendan's drums sound powerful and clear. Vocals cut through just right. This is a strong tape throughout, representing the fiery level the band perform at during these times.
The band has to take a long interlude right away to do some rather cooperative crowd control, but something else happens when they start Facet Squared and the whole show grinds to a halt. As you can read from the show's info, some actual renovation work is needed momentarily. It's amusing to try to listen to the proceedings, and of course some despicable comments are heard too, culminating in a downright barbaric "Who gives a shit if people get impaled?" from someone. As you would guess, Ian counters appropriately. Eventually the band resumes Facet Squared but admittedly the performance now feels like they are on their toes, watchful for any more moving parts causing danger.
Apparently everything seems to be in order and the band can raise the energy level to amazing heights. A few of the highlights include an inspired Stacks and a very brisky Repeater where Guy's guitar squeals extra nastily.
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The band pushes on with fire all the way through the evening. Apparently there's a problem with Ian's guitar rig, and while things get fixed, the rest of the band play a cool, shortened, jam version of Fell, Destroyed. Highlights follow, as Promises and Exit Only form a strong, seamless duo to finish the main set.
Once again the encores take the cake. This time the band starts easy with Guy's Last Chance For A Slow Dance. To contrast this, Great Cop is as relentless as it ever gets. But all the weight comes down in the finale as Glue Man is the insane set closer. The performance is nothing short of crushing. As is basically always the case with Glue Man, the live renditions must be heard to be believed. This evening's version easily proves that point once again.
Quote about the show found on the internet:
"Saw Fugazi there in 1993, memorable show as it was pretty overbooked, a railing fell and someone hit their head against the speakers while in the pit, also they had a peppers and sausage vendor across from a PETA booth. The thick fog created from people's body heat as they exited the venue after the show is a visual I've never forgotten."
Another excellent entry from the amazing tour for the In On The Killtaker album. Recommended!
Fun show. I remember a railing breaking and the band getting pissed at the violent slam dancing or should I call it moshing. Bring back the pogo and skanking.
1. | Intro | |
2. | Smallpox Champion | |
3. | Interlude 1 | |
4. | Facet Squared | |
5. | Latin Roots | |
6. | Interlude 2 | |
7. | Stacks | |
8. | Rend It | |
9. | Interlude 3 | |
10. | Instrument | |
11. | Turnover | |
12. | Interlude 4 | |
13. | Repeater | |
14. | Public Witness Program | |
15. | Interlude 5 | |
16. | Waiting Room | |
17. | Margin Walker | |
18. | Interlude 6 | |
19. | Long Division | |
20. | Two Beats Off | |
21. | Fell, Destroyed Instrumental | |
22. | Promises | |
23. | Exit Only | |
24. | Encore | |
25. | Last Chance for a Slow Dance | |
26. | Great Cop | |
27. | Glueman |
Please Note: Available recordings have been mastered to correct for volume shifts, drop outs, etc. but some sonic anomalies will still exist, especially early in the set when the mix is being settled. The band has rated each show for sound quality and set the general price of a download at $5 per show. If you have a different price in mind feel free to utilize the alternative pricing option.
This was my second favorite show ever at blind melon, If I hadn't seen the ramones play there it would be my favorite. The club was so small and there weere so many people you couldn't move. The little "dance floor" was definitely not going to survive the entire night. The show barely started when they stopped and asked everyone to calm down. I think it was Guy who said lets bring back the pogo before they started playing again. I was right at the stage (if you could call that a stage) when the music stopped again. The next thing I remember was a bloody knocked out guy getting passed over the crowd to the stage.
After some awkward silence Ian was like management said give them 20 minutes and they will come remove the railing. That's when pieces of the club started to get ripped apart and getting passed to the stage. I pulled a random small board off the stuff getting passed out and bent the nails over and shoved it in my pocket. Somehow after the show was over we ran into Ian and I asked him to sign the piece of wood. He wrote piece of blind mellon courtesy of Fugazi and signed and dated it.