Fugazi at Oak Theatre in Chicago. A truly legendary show. A fun fact, is Wesley Willis attended this show and wrote a song about it.

Over the span of 15 years, Fugazi played the city of Chicago, “home of the tough guys” no less than 12 times. These May 1993 recordings (FLS #0553 & FLS #0554) present the 5th and 6th stopover respectively, two consecutive nights put on by Touch & Go and Southern Records at the Oak Theatre,

“[which] opened in 1910, in the Logan Square neighborhood, as a vaudeville and movie house. It was designed by J.E.O. Pridmore. The theatre featured a balcony, and large stage, with Moorish interior decor. The exterior, of red brick, featured an elaborate terra-cotta facade in Neo-Gothic style.

The theater was remodeled in 1930 in Art Deco style by David Saul Klafter. During the 1970’s and 1980’s, it became an adult theater.

In 1992, it reopened as a concert venue. However, in 1995, it closed again, and was torn down that same year. A drive-thru bank is now located on the site of the Oak Theatre.”

Essentially, both performances are quite convincing and meticulously delivered. The audio is easily great, the mix well balanced, and as a result it is a pleasure to relive the band in good form through these recordings.

However, note that the first night is a bit of hit-and-miss due to a rough crowd and the unrelenting interruptive course of events. As a result, the flow of the overall performance never really gains full momentum.

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A steadfast rendering of Blueprint, arguably addressing both the pitfalls of the corporate music industry as well as mindless MTV-induced rituals and machismo unfolding in front of the band night after night, conveys a clear-cut message,

“I’m not playing with you, I clean forgot how to play. But you can still come around, In fact I invite you down, Maybe together we can wipe that smile off your face.”

Both set lists pretty much offer standard 1993 fare, slightly favouring the upcoming In on the Kill Taker release (Last Chance for a Slow Dance is the only track from the album that did not make the cut on these two nights), yet throwing in a decent portion of earlier work as well.

The first recording presents 20 live tracks total, including 7 songs from In on the Kill Taker, 3 from Steady Diet of Nothing, 6 off of the Repeater album, 1 track taken from the 3 Songs 7", another 2 songs from the Margin Walker EP and 1 track from the S/T debut EP. Out of these, Exit Only, Blueprint or Two Beats Off are personal highlights.

The recording from the second night showcases 21 live cuts, including 8 tracks from In on the Kill Taker, 4 from Steady Diet of Nothing, 6 off of Repeater, as well as 3 staples from the S/T EP. The string of songs closing out this particular set, i.e. Reprovisional into Shut the Door into Sweet and Low, is truly phenomenal.