This is the first time Fugazi played Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey, "a tiny space that's hosted some of the biggest names in music for more than 30 years", according to Joel Rose.
A venue loved by many, both artists and fans, that unfortunately closed its doors in the summer of 2013 as rising rents in Hoboken have driven a lot of the club's fans out of the neighbourhood and parking is more difficult than ever, Joel Rose concludes in his July 30, 2013 article "Maxwell's, The Beloved New Jersey Venue, Closes".
It seems the venue has always been a Fugazi favourite as well. For instance, Brendan discloses in an interview with Billboard in 2007 that "[w]e've turned down a lot of money in the past to do things we weren't comfortable with. Fugazi would get together to play Maxwell's [in Hoboken, N.J.]. We wouldn't get together to play Coachella. No amount of money would get us out of our houses."
As it happens, this is also the gig that the live photos on the outer and inner sleeves of the first Fugazi 7 Songs EP come from, as acclaimed photographer and friend of the band Glen E. Friedman attended the show and shot several tremendous signature band photographs.
Even though the sound quality of the recording is not excellent, it is still quite inviting. It documents a band on form, delivering a striking performance. Overall, I enjoyed Brendan's drumming especially, as he bangs away on his skins, adding some delicious drum fills here and there.
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An introductory request to "check any violence or misbehaving, or bad macho behaviour and so forth at the door" is followed by Song #1. It's a solid take on the song, aside from some guitar tuning issues. Furniture and Bulldog Front ensue and hold up well live as per usual.
Keep Your Eyes Open is featured early on in the set this time, and even though I personally think it usually works better towards the end of the gig or right before an encore, it sounds tremendous here and lights up this particular show. It's a bit of an extended version of the song as Ian adds some words and thoughts while the band jams away leisurely.
Burning, an all time personal favourite, is another highlight of the recording in my book. Brendan and Guy provide the backbone of the song and shine on this one, while Joe's controlled bass lines contrast spectacularly with Ian's soaring guitar play.
The live staple Waiting Room is pleasing as always and followed by a superb rendering of Give Me The Cure. Ian and Guy actually extend the intro to the song while Brendan tries to remedy some problems with his snare drum.
A powerful, blistering rendition of Suggestion is up next, as Ian elaborates on the origin of the song to set the mood and the band then delivers a blistering, yet musically and lyrically somewhat improvised performance to drive its meaning and importance home.
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Interestingly, in his December 1, 2011 article "Full Disclosure: Fugazi's Best Live Moments, Remembered", author Daoud Tyler-Ameen quotes Ted Leo (of Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Chisel and a number of other bands) as reminiscing imaginatively: "The usual confrontations with the crowd over slamming came to a head toward the end of the quiet breakdown in the song 'Suggestion'. The walls were dripping with sweat and practically heaving, as if the room was the interior of a giant heart, beating through the most important hour of its life, and Ian said something simple like, 'Here comes the breakdown.' And an angry skin in the middle of the pit said back, 'Can we dance to this part?' Ian looks him in the eye and says, rising from a spoken question to a scream, moving upward as the music surges to a crescendo along with his voice, 'Why don't you listen for JUST! ONE! SECOOOOOOOOOOND!' They crashed into the chorus off that, and the room exploded."
Although naturally not completely accurate from what can be retraced from the actual recording, Leo's recollection of the events does seem to portray the gist of what went down that particular night in 1988.
And things do not let up from here, as another fervent yet spot-on version of Break-In follows suit and merges seamlessly into Bad Mouth. Unfortunately there are some mismatched beats at the beginning of the latter, and the song is cut short as well, probably because the tape was turned at this point.
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Ian then announces that the band will play two more songs as he's sure everyone "is getting ready to hit the hay" adding that "sleeping is good for you". He introduces The Word, a song about "common sense" and it is hands down one of the best versions of the song I have heard so far; the alternating vocals that build up to the climax are superb. And it is funny to boot, since Ian and Guy ingeniously follow up on the little discussion about sleep, suggesting "the word is... sleep" and "the word is... stay awake".
After the song, Ian continues that "the word of course is change" and that he has a dime and a penny in his hand, that people throw it at the band because they are calling for change, yet that the joke is outdated and that people need "to work up some new material" since it's been done since the song Screaming for Change by Uniform Choice.
A great yet pretty much straightforward version of Glueman is served as show closer and once again completes the live performance of the 7 Songs EP as it did the previous show (see FLS #0043; Washington, DC USA 6/15/88).