Since their first appearance at the Fort Reno premises in the summer of 1988, Fugazi would return at this hometown location every summer, with the exception of 1990, 1992 and 1995, until their indefinite hiatus in 2003. This 1993 recording is the fourth out of these celebrated performances. For some more background information related to Fort Reno, see some of my earlier notes (FLS #0047).

This particular live recording was originally released as part of the limited hardcopy Fugazi Live Series (volume 24). The liner notes add that the recording “has sub-par audio quality due to Fort Reno radio tower interference.” Even though such interference (buzz, traces of music) can be heard through most of the recording, it is not overly disruptive in my opinion.

The audio does appear to reflect the outdoor acoustics. The vocals and instrumentation catch little reverb and come off a bit more flat or compact. Still, I find the overall end result is very enjoyable nonetheless and favours repeated listening.

The set is relatively short, offering some 15 live tracks, not counting Rend It which in fact gets aborted soon due to technical difficulties. An early instrumental version of By You, taken off of the (1995) Red Medicine album opens the set, followed by 2 tracks drawn from Steady Diet of Nothing. The In on the Kill Taker album is the main source of inspiration, offering 8 songs, with another 3 songs off of Repeater and 2 tracks taken from the 7 Songs debut EP.

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While the gig is off to a rather easy-going start, things take a turn for the worse right after Runaway Return. Both Ian and Guy come down on a couple of individuals for kicking and punching other people. The altercation went down in history and has been documented for posterity as the infamous “ice cream eating motherfucker” rap.

Styrofoam and Public Witness Program subsequently pummel the listeners into submission and set the scene for a solid set which pretty much builds and builds. A magnetizing rendering of Reprovisional (w/ Roadrunner tag) and intense version of Suggestion (w/ Amy Pickering on guest vocals) up the ante some more.

Snippets of dialogue throughout the recording suggest a bit of a raucous atmosphere and several more confrontations (cf. case in point, Last Chance for a Slow Dance into Sweet and Low), yet fortunately none of it spins out of control.

A mesmerizing take on the 1993 instrumental staple, Sweet and Low, serves as a most suitable set closer and definite culmination of the evening. Quite appropriately, Ian marks the occasion, giving a shout-out to founder and continual supporter of Fort Reno, i.e. (the late) Father George Dennis.

Who's that singing on Suggestion?

The infamous 'Ice Cream Eating Motherfucker' show. Note the early song première (instrumental version) of By You; the album Red Medicine that includes the studio take of this song only saw its release in 1995!

This was the summer after I graduated from Montgomery Blair HS, not too far up the road in Silver Spring. The DC punk scene saved me in high school (shouts to Gabe Andruzzi for the baptism); I couldn't have asked for a better send-off to college than this show.