Fugazi at Chapel Hill, NC, for the second date of the winter 1993 tour. This is the band's sixth appearance in the city, and yet another at the Cat's Cradle nightclub. One of the most famous live music venues in the eastern U.S., Cat's Cradle celebrated its 50th anniversary in early 2020. Curiously all of the six Fugazi gigs at the venue were played before the release of the In On The Killtaker album in June 1993, and the band would not return to the city again. Judging by the enthusiastic response from the crowd and the fun mood in general, the absence later could have just been due to booking issues or the like.

The recording sounds strong and presents the band's signature wall of punk rock really well. There's a slight overall muddiness, but it's not overpowering, and on the other hand it gives Joe's bass more presence. Brendan's snare and kick have some very nice attack to them, and it makes the whole entry feel more powerful. This is a sturdy, good quality recording very typical of the era.

The intro is classic Fugazi - fiddling with the house lights, accompanied with some fun banter about everyday troubles, ie. the city's restaurant situation. The show feels quite intimate and the atmosphere is friendly.
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The band starts the show by presenting new tracks. Rend It gets a very snappy playthrough where the highlight is Brendan's detailed drum work. There's a little mix settling going on during the first few songs, but it's mostly volume-related. Guy has some initial guitar tuning issues and it's a little distracting amidst the high energy performances. Another new song comes right away in the form of a biting Great Cop. The song must have surprised the attendees with its hardcore attack.

Guy introduces Public Witness Program with the comment "We're gonna try this song. It's difficult." It makes you listen to the song in a new way and helps to discover the intricacy underneath. This the song's live premiere right here, so it's piping hot from the Fugazi kitchen and gets performed with the intensity and concentration it demands and deserves. The song boosts the band's playing to another level this evening, and the following performances are fantastic. A few highlights are the inspired Stacks and Guy's fresh Walken's Syndrome. This is the third time the latter was ever played live. I can't imagine how cool it must have been hearing these new tracks from the band.

The singalongs during the couple of oldies added to the mid-show flow are pure delight. The band performs with fervor, fueled by the enthusiastic crowd. Both Long Division and Runaway Return get the same level of interaction, and it's really special to hear the audience join Guy for the "ashtray" lines.
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The talk about Waiting Room at the start of the encore would have taken them halfway through the song already. Apparently the band was booed after playing the song at one of the earlier gigs, and they had sworn not to play it at Chapel Hill ever again. Keeping their word, they push on to different tracks.

The band caters a selection of both old and new tracks for the encore. Joe #1 is always a joy to hear, and the riff is deliciously dirty here. KYEO gets a tight rendering where the rhythm section of Brendan and Joe shines bright, and both guitars strike with precision. The band is definitely getting in tip-top shape considering they had just started the tour. Repeater blows the roof off the place, and the few guitar whoopsies don't disturb the enjoyment. The big singalong in the bridge leads to a jaw-dropping explosion to finish the show.

A total of eight tracks from the still unreleased In On The Killtaker album were performed with enthusiasm this evening. It sure makes for an interesting listen. For a fan of the Fugazi flow this entry can be a bit disappointing, but all the music is performed with great energy. The overall mood is quite positive and the crowd is very enthusiastic. Add to this the good, powerful sound and you have another great entry from the intriguing era where the band was headed for their biggest release to date.

This was my first Fugazi show, and it completely rocked my world. I remember they didn't play "Waiting Room," but "Repeater" at the end was amazing... I look forward to hearing it all again.

Public Witness Program and Walken's Syndrome make a first appearance!