For the record, please note that the transcription I refer to below, "a song about how teenagers should be paid about 5,50 to xerox your faces, hang out and listen to tapes, form beds and fuck around all summer” should in fact read: "(...) hang out and listen to tapes, form bands and fuck around all summer."

Since their first appearance at the Fort Reno premises in the summer of 1988, Fugazi would return here every summer, with the exception of 1990, 1992 and 1995, until their indefinite hiatus in 2003. Hence, this 1991 recording is the third out of these performances which have been preserved and documented for posterity with the exception of the 1989 gig.

Ian’s vocals are slightly distant in the mix and the drums miss some depth or texture, coming off rather sharp (notably the cymbals). Also, there is a bit of a hiss during the quieter parts, as well as the occasional trace of background music which might be due to some PA spill-over. Still, if anything, I feel these issues do not diminish the highly enjoyable nature of the recording and performance.

Overall, there are few incidents or banter to be noted and the band vigorously rips through most of the night, perhaps because of an incoming thunderstorm, a recurrent phenomenon spoiling a number of Fort Reno concerts over the years.

Ian does share some personal comments and history related to the Fort Reno premises, as well as the plans of the park services at the time to reallocate the headquarters of the people behind the Fort Reno concert series.

This set includes a total of 16 songs, with 6 tracks taken from Repeater, 4 from the original 7 Songs EP, 3 from the Margin Walker EP, 2 songs from Steady Diet of Nothing, and 1 track from the 3 Songs 7 inch.

Out of these, I most enjoyed Blueprint, “a song about how teenagers should be paid about 5,50 to xerox your faces, hang out and listen to tapes, form beds and fuck around all summer”, Two Beats Off which provides ample opportunity for Guy to ad-lib his way through the lyrics, Burning and a nasty version of Glueman, a most suitable harbinger as the forces of nature slowly converged and were about to unleash and come down on Washington D.C.