Sunday, December 31, 2023

Violent Femmes- New York City 2023, 40th Anniversary of Violent Femmes (1st Album)

 


 It has been 40 years since, the Violent Femmes released their landmark debut album, Violent Femmes. The album was hugely influential for me and I have to say it changed my life, at least musically. Up until 1983, I listened primarily to classic rock (yeah, it was already called that then, pretty much the same music), the Stones, Kinks, Who, Cheap Trick... The sound of the opening bass riff from bass player, Brian Ritchie, on the first track, Blister In The Sun was so new and unique to me, it blew my dumb-stupid mind. The rest of the album was truly fascinating, it opened my mind to alternative sounds far from the commercial radio I soaked in. The song became a hit (yes, a radio hit!) and the album gave the Femmes enough credibility to build their career around this record. It's no wonder the band was back on tour this year to remind us the album is 40 years old...40 freaking years!! I try not to buy into this trend of anniversary records and tours too much, 5 years, 10 years,15 years and so on, but a lot of these bands like to live in the past (it helps financially) and their fans want to be reminded of the band's best works. To be honest, if I saw the Violent Femmes, I would want to hear the early albums rather than the newer songs, it's only natural, right?
Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!
Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use.
Please share!


 
Violent Femmes
Webster Hall
New York, NY
October 17, 2023


Source: master audience recording
Taper: larryrulz
Location: balcony
Lineage: CA-11 (cardioid) > Sony A10 (44/24) > Audacity (tracking) > TLH > FLAC 6 > foobar2000 (FLAC tags)

Video on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXuAIAzZAO4

01 band entrance
02 Blister in the Sun
03 Kiss Off
04 Please Do Not Go
05 Add It Up
06 Confessions
07 Prove My Love
08 Promise
09 To the Kill
10 Gone Daddy Gone
11 Good Feeling
12 Jesus Walking on the Water
13 Country Death Song
14 I'm Nothing
15 Memory
16 Dance Motherfucker Dance
17 I Held Her in My Arms
18 Black Girls
19 drum solo
20 band intros/end of Black Girls
21 Gimme the Car

Encore:
22 I'm Not Gonna Cry
23 American Music
 
Length: 1:29:43
 
Gordon Gano - vocals, guitar, banjo, violin
Brian Ritchie - bass, xylophone, vocals
John Sparrow - drums

Horns of Dilemma:
John Crew - alto flute
Caspar Zack (?) - orange trombone
Todd Joseph - trumpet
Caspar Zack (?) - little pink trombone
Perry Yung - shakuhachi
Jet Young - shakuhachi
Blaise Garza - saxophones
 

Green Day- Fremont Country Club, October 19, 2023 (with the Complete Dookie Album)

 

 
Before the end of 2023, I thought I would squeeze in a couple of shows that celebrated anniversaries for significant albums for a pair of artists that are still performing and writing new material. 

Green Day formed in 1987 and released several fine recordings before they hit the "jackpot" with their major label debut, Dookie. The album was released almost (in February) 30 years ago and it marked a turning point, as it was a hit and it gained the band a mainstream following that is still strong today. I have to admit, I was an early fan of the band, but the last album I bought of theirs was Kerplunk from 1991, and as a avid reader of Maximum Rock N Roll, I was leery of the band "selling-out" to a major label. The magazine published a now classic article in the June 1994 issue #133 (I still have this issue!) about the threat and the pros and cons of bands signing to a major label. It was pretty much a take-down piece about the major labels and bands that signed to them and it gave a breakdown of the real cost of touring and recording, expenses and compromises to the sound that were associated with appealing to a mainstream audience. A lot of the smaller "indie" labels were in fact owned by the big major label.  My listening preference was heavily influenced by the article and for a long time wouldn't listen to any bands that "sold-out". Of course, my tastes have evolved and realize the music is all good, indie or major label, though it's still hard to listen to bands like the Goo Goo Dolls after, Hold Me Up. I urge you to read a condensed version of the MRR piece, as I found a pdf, (so I don't have to scan pages) at https://archive.org/details/mrr_133_con....very very interesting, especially reading it now.
 
From the file notes: "Secret" club show downtown, warm up for the When We Were Young Festival. Concert starts with a complete performance of "Dookie", in celebration of the album's almost 30th anniversary. The crowd was dense, a bit rowdy, and very loud. Occasional phasing and mix changes are audible when I get pushed. Quality is good but far from perfect. Very listenable - the crowd singalongs are great. 
Enjoy!
 
Please do NOT sell or profit from the recording!
Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use
Please share!
 
 
GREEN DAY
October 19, 2023
Fremont Country Club
Las Vegas, NV


Source: AKG CK61 > Baby N-Box > Sony PCM-A10
Taper: CPS
Location: twenty-five feet from overhead right PA
Lineage: WAV(M) [24/44.1] > WAV [16/44.1] > FLAC
Edits/EQ: RX8 De-click
Notes: "secret" warmup show before When We Were Young Festival weekend

01 - intro
02 - Burnout
03 - Having a Blast
04 - Chump
05 - Longview
06 - Welcome to Paradise
07 - Pulling Teeth
08 - Basket Case
09 - She
10 - Sassafras Roots
11 - When I Come Around
12 - Coming Clean
13 - Emenius Sleepus
14 - In the End
15 - F.O.D.
16 - All By Myself
17 - The American Dream is Killing Me
18 - Geek Stink Breath
19 - One of My Lies
20 - Oh Love
21 - Stuart and the Ave
22 - Disappearing Boy
23 - Graffitia
24 - Letterbomb
25 - Last Night on Earth
26 - Father of All...
27 - Nuclear Family
28 - Warning
29 - Revolution
30 - Homecoming
 
 
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