Fugazi in Cleveland, Ohio, the city that some sources title as the birthplace of rock n roll. This is the third time out of the total five they visited the city. The show takes place at Nautica Stage, an open-air amphitheater on the bank of Cuyahoga River. Ian gives a long intro, talking to the crowd in his familiar, warm style. Polite comments about stage diving and crowd surfing are also given. Let's see where it leads this evening.

The recording is of adequate quality. At first it can feel a bit harsh if listened to on loud volume, and quite indistinct if on low. The mix improves during the first few tracks, but gets a bit distorted during Styrofoam. As the tape rolls on, the sound is quite good, but needs to draw the listener in first. The drums have clarity and the guitars have nice separation, but sound a tad thin. The vocals and Joe's bass tend to drown into the mix, but this aspect improves as the set moves forward. The sound characteristics of the amphitheater are the possible cause of aural inconveniences. The recording conveys the unified force of the band well, which is good of course.

The band opens the show with a work-in-progress, instrumental version of By You. It's great to hear such a rare cut, but the mandatory guitar tuning from dropped D back to E denies a good flow. Public Witness Program is an early highlight with Brendan's skillful and tight playing. His hi-hat is clear in the mix, and it's great for a fan of such details. Ian has a verbal altercation later as someone flips him off and requests Minor Threat.

Luckily a flow happens after the stop-start of the gig's first part, and the band shows their hardened musicality. Facet Squared, Sieve-Fisted Find and Reclamation form a powerful, seamless trio. Guy's gripping Rend It follows right after. The crowd surfing then escalates and we get some more banter from an annoyed Ian. This leads to angry, separated performances as a good flow isn't allowed to happen anymore.
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Bad Mouth starts the mid-show row of classics. It's a splendid listen with the solid interplay between Joe and Brendan. A rhythm-driven Lockdown follows with equal fervor. No wonder since this is the lone rendition of the song during the whole fall 1993 tour. Joe's bass has gotten more presence in the mix as the show has moved forward. It gives the bass a pleasant rumble in rocking songs like Waiting Room.

The band perform in tip-top shape and we get a great selection of tracks. The experience isn't flowing as the unnecessities of the typical live show shenanigans cause stops in the set. What's good is that the mix has a better balance now. There are many musical highlights, like the dynamic Returning The Screw. A splenetic Great Cop and Guy's Walken's Syndrome are full of attitude this evening.
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The encore intensifies as the band moves from somber to bouncy to downright wretched. Long Division is one of the show's highlights. The guitars have a delicious warm tone, and Brendan's tricks cut through. The whole band comes together for an exceptional performance of the song. Shut The Door clocks in over 8 minutes and the whole rendition weighs a proverbial ton. The mid-section jam is something else tonight. Ian and Guy go all out with the noise, abusing their guitars without an ounce of mercy. Brendan and Joe keep the song going amidst the grinding terror. The beautiful singalong at the end feels stirring and emotive after earlier troubles. Sweet and Low feels as wispy as ever in contrast to Shut The Door's substance.

This entry has its problems as the sound is below average, and the show suffers from frequent stops. On the good side there are many great performances, a few rare tracks, and the sound improves on the way. The band is in top form, but Brendan's playing is especially assertive this evening. The mix gives him room to shine. The mood of the evening feels somewhat belligerent, and the band counters this with aggressive performances.

It was great to see you in an outdoor setting (nice warm evening), after seeing the Metropol show (sweaty, but awesome) in Pittsburgh a couple weeks earlier. Stoked to see this project up and running. Plan to purchase all 6, or was it 7 shows?, I attended. Whenever, they are uploaded (none are up yet). I am a PATIENT BOY...........

ps
Any way to search archives by sound quality, Instead of Venue/Date, Etc...?