Young Fresh Fellows- The American, Vancouver, BC: April 11, 2026

 

  

Well, as the old saying goes, "I can die happy now!" was the feeling I had after leaving the American on Saturday night, after seeing the Young Fresh Fellows perform live for the first time in over 30 years and quite possibly the last. I traveled halfway across the country for this show and since they probably won't play anywhere near Winnipeg ever again, I had to take the initiative, get off my ass, buy the concert ticket, book a flight, secure accommodations and just do it! No regrets! I chose the Vancouver date, because it was in Canada (no border crossing for me anytime soon) and I have relatives I can stay with and besides, Vancouver is a beautiful city I know quite well already and it gave me a chance to explore some great record stores. I've previously said, that I saw the Fellows back in 1992 at the Commodore in Vancouver and was excited to return and see them perform a headlining set and to hopefully record the show. It all went without a hitch (more on that later) and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. So many highlights, I'm sure others have reviewed/commented about the show and posted tons of great photos, but I'll give you kinda an "outsider" perspective and observations.

 

•  Opening the evening was, Like Whatever, a female fronted band that blasted a loud, menacing sound that really caught your attention. Not many rock bands are fronted by a saxophone playing vocalist and they pull it off well (the rest of the band is rounded out with the traditional, guitar, bass and drums) and they were entertaining. I'm not familiar with the songs, but what I heard was good and they have an EP, Baby Steps that would be worth checking out for a more focused listen. If you have a chance to see them live, go for it!

• The next band was the Tranzmitors, who have several members that were (at some point) in the Smugglers and sported a similar look and sound, with the suits and an energetic pop-punk rock sound. They remind me a bit of a Winnipeg based band, Novillero (fronted by Rod Slaughter from Duotang) who also embrace a British Mod-pop style and the Jam. The Tranzmitors rocked much harder with a straight forward rock 'n' roll sound that is infectious, fun and sweaty. I would definitely see these guys again if I lived in Vancouver!

 

• The Tranzmitors set featured special guests, Andrew Molloy from BUM and the evening's host and former Smuggler's front-man, Grant Lawrence. Both performed 2 songs with the band, then Andrew and Grant joined in together for a last song, the Dictator's, Stay With Me. The Smuggler's bass player, Beez also joined in to add more vocals. I also recorded the Tranzmitors set and I'll post it along with more photos soon. 
• The Young Fresh Fellows began their set after an introduction from Grant Lawrence, who managed to convince the band to return to Vancouver. Lawrence's band, the Smugglers shared many gigs throughout the years with the Fellows and my first introduction to his band was in 1991, at a lunch hour show the day of the show in Winnipeg at the University of Manitoba. The school paper said the YFFs were playing the nooner, but when I showed up (taking time off work!), much to my surprise (and disappointment?) it was the Smugglers dressed in their suits and rubber boots. They did win me over, though most of the crowd ignored the band on stage and I was pissed that evening when they were "squeezed" out of the opening slot, but the Fellows brought them up for a mini set within their own set. The headliners were the Hoodoo Gurus.

• The setlist touched on most of their career, with an emphasis on songs from the latest album, Loft. The new songs benefited being played live, that brought a freshness and energy to the songs and the more I listen to the album, the more I like it. Of course, they played all the songs I wanted to hear, Groovy Town, How Much About Last Night, Taco Wagon/Picture Book, Ringo, Get Outta My Cave, Pest Control and the YFF Theme. I wanted to hear, Teenage Dogs In Trouble, for obvious reasons, but they did play it in Tacoma the next night. I'm always pleased by the covers, especially Jonathan Richman's, Someone I Care About and Picture Book by the Kinks.  Heaven And Hell (The Who) and the Sonic's classic, Strychnine closed out the show.
• After the show, I bought the "original" Loft record, the one they sold only at a couple of shows in 2025, since I already had the limited edition Record Store version. Scott was at the merch table so he signed it and I also got Jim and John to autograph it. Unfortunately, I didn't see Kurt, so no luck. They were selling that cool gig poster (see last post) for cheap, but I didn't buy one because it was cardstock and unrollable (it will bend), so I couldn't risk bringing it in my carry-on luggage home. A nice girl in line had a setlist from the stage, who generously allowed me to take a photo, thanks!
• I was impressed by the sound at The American, as I didn't know what to expect from this venue. It seems to be a restaurant/bar complete with a pool table and a wall of pinball machines and other games. There was an open floor in front of the stage and tables and chairs behind, as well as a raised seating area at the back. I tried to position myself close to the middle, not too close up, but about midway back on the floor. The recording turned out quite well, maybe one of my best, or at least one of the most important. It's balanced, with clear vocals and the volume was perfect. I've been anxious about taping the show before I arrived, but once the music started and the settings were adjusted, I was much more relaxed and enjoyed the show. Before the Young Fresh Fellows set, I spotted a fellow taper (we share the same mic) and it was cool to compare notes and talk "shop", something I rarely do since I've never met another taper at the same show. Very cool!  

 

 Overall, it was a wonderful experience! Seeing my favourite band in another city really was a dream come true. To me, the Young Fresh Fellows are a special band that I came to discover and love by chance at a record store in Fargo, purchasing Topsy Turvy and The Men Who Loved Music on a whim (sight unheard) and the rest is history. Their music has been an essential part of my soundtrack for almost 40 years and seeing the band live (3x now), where they really shine, is something that is beyond memorable. Now go buy their records and see them live when you have the chance!

Enjoy!

 

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use.

Please share! 

 

 

 

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS
The American
Vancouver, BC
April 11, 2026
Audience Master

Sony ECM-DS70P mic> Tascam DR-07> SD card > 16 bit Wav>
Direct Wave MP3 splitter> FLAC> rar

01. Intro
02. Where Is Groovy Town?
03. Down By The Pharmacy
04. I'm A Prison
05. Never Had It Bad
06. 99 Girls
07. Killing Time In Union Square
08. Hang Out Right
09. How Much About Last Night Do You Remember?
10. Three Gasconading Saints
11. Taco Wagon
12. Picture Book
13. Tad's Pad
14. Lamp Industries
15. Hillbilly Drummer Girl
16. Destination
17. Sittin' On A Pitchfork
18. Whispering Hole
19. I Don't Let The Little Things Get Me Down
20. Get Outta My Cave
21. Someone I Care About
22. My Friend Ringo
23. Rock 'n' Roll Pest Control
ENCORE
24. Backroom Of The Bar
25. Still There's Hope
26. All I Want For Christmas Is A Dead President
27. Heaven And Hell
28. Young Fresh Fellows Theme
29. Strychnine
30. Outro
 

Scott McCaughey- vocals, guitar 

Kurt Bloch- guitar, vocals 

Jim Sangster- guitar, vocals 

John Perrin- drums

 

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS- 2026-04-11 The American, Vancouver, BC FLAC Master. rar

 

Young Fresh Fellows- Seattle Center Flag Pavilion, Seattle, WA: October 5, 1990 (Gonna See The Fellows!!)

 

Amazing gig poster by Tom Bagley!

 

As I mentioned in the last post of 2025, this music blog is celebrating it's 20th anniversary this August. What better way to celebrate than to see my favourite band, the Young Fresh Fellows live in concert, next weekend in sunny Vancouver BC! If you've read this blog before you know how much I love the band, so much so I named the blog after one of their songs! I bought my ticket about a month ago and booked my flight soon after, so I'm set to see a band I haven't see live since 1992, when by coincidence I saw them in Vancouver at the Commodore opening for, They Might Be Giants. It's the only other time I saw a concert in Van and it almost didn't happen because I only saw they were playing the day of the show in the local entertainment paper. A day earlier, my brother and sister drove to Seattle in a rented car, bought a shit tons of records and wished the Fellows were playing in their hometown, so seeing them was definitely the highlight of that trip. The show on April 11 will be incredible and I'm grateful I have family there (save $$$) and I don't have to cross into the states (no updated passport) in a city I like a lot. I'm looking forward to meeting other fans, I know Vancouver has lots of them and this will be the dream show I've been anticipating since I last saw them and can't wait to soak it all in. Oh, and I plan to buy lots of records during this trip, this will be great!

 

  

To get you and me in the mood, here's a Young Fresh Fellows show I've seen sitting on for a long time. I acquired the tape with several others via a trade with someone from the Seattle area and though many aren't great sound quality, this one from 1990 sounds really good. I transferred it to CD a while back and recently digitized it. This seems like the perfect time to share this epic performance with the band (Kurt era) in top notch form. Lots of tracks, many deep cuts and it's up there with my favourite YFF live recordings. Hopefully, the upcoming tour will have similar memorable moments of splendor that gets captured on tape. 

Enjoy!

 

 

If you like this show, you'll love this one I shared in 2016!

Young Fresh Fellows- Lounge Ax, Chicago, IL 1990 

 

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy versions, except for personal use. 

Please share!

 

  

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS
Seattle Center Flag Pavilion
Seattle, WA
October 5, 1990
AUD

01. That Letter
02. Get Outta My Cave
03. My Boyfriend's In Killdozer
04. 76 Trombones
05. Carrothead
06. I Blew My Stack
07. When Things Is Cheap
08. Down At The Pharmacy
09. The Sharing Patrol
10. Back Room Of The Bar
11. 3 Sides To This Story
12. How Much About Last Night Do You Remember?
13. Mr. Salamander's Review
14. Middleman Of Time
15. Taco Wagon
16. Picture Book
17. Sesame Street Theme
18. Miss Lonely Hearts
19. Where Is Groovy Town?
20. Do The Fonzie
21. Gorilla
22. Gorilla/Do You Care?
23. High Time
24. Hillbilly Drummer Girl
25. My Friend Ringo
26. Sick & Tired Of Me
27. Two Lives
28. Young Fresh Fellows Theme
29. Sittin' Round Doin' Nothing
30. I Wish I Was Your Mother
31. When The Girls Get Here
32. Still There's Hope
33. Little Softy
34. Filet Of Soul
35. Rock 'n' Roll Pest Control

 

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS- 1990-10-05 Seattle Center Flag Pavilion, Seattle, WA FLAC. rar

Grapes Of Wrath- Acoustic Duo, Live In Winnipeg: March 26, 2026

 

Sometimes the lure of nostalgia is a powerful incentive of expectations of what once was and the hope that you won't be disappointed. The Grapes of Wrath was a Canadian band that had a respectable run of some really fine albums in the late 80's and early 90's. Led by singer/guitarist, Kevin Kane and the Hooper brothers, Tom (bass) and Chris (drums), the band produced a satisfying jangly, folk-rock sound that was commercial enough to get some radio play (CBC...), yet not too popular to be annoying and they were one of the few Canadian bands I liked at the time. I saw them once in 1989, but for some reason missed them the other times they toured through town. 

 

 

On this recent Grapes of Wrath tour, the principle singer/songwriters Tom Hooper and Kane traveled light, bringing only acoustic guitars (along with a harmonica for Hooper) for stripped down versions of their best known songs. It was a pretty mellow show, with lots of interesting storytelling, even if it wasn't about the song at hand and the duo's harmonies were still bang on. Here are some notes:

•  The show at the Park Theatre was sold out. It was a seated event, rush seating which I always dislike because you have to arrive early when the doors open to get a decent seat. I don't like being too close to the front, so I chose to sit maybe 3 or 4 rows from the back in front of the soundboard and dead centre, so the stereo sound is balanced.
• The setlist touched on all their studio albums and performed two new songs. I Live For You (Hooper) and Blanket In The Sun (Kane). They played a request, which meant they bumped a "well-known popular song". I'm guessing it must have been, O Lucky Man, one of their best songs. The first encore song, You And Your Sister, is a Chris Bell (Big Star) cover. During the song I was thinking about how much they remind me of the Posies, or at least when Ken and Jon perform duo acoustic sets (the Posies play a lot of Big Star covers and played in the "reunited" version of Big Star). Both groups key strengths are their harmonies, though the Posies can rock a lot harder.
• The recording sounds really great! The sound at the Park Theatre is always good, at least when I've been there and the vocals and guitars are crystal clear. I wish I set the levels a bit higher, as it's quiet at times so you have to turn the volume up, but be forewarned the applause is loud! The good thing about seated, acoustic concerts is that people don't talk during the songs, but people still shout out stupid stuff between. 
• Overall, I wasn't disappointed. Acoustic shows are okay, though I prefer the full band performances, but as a performer it must be nice to connect with your audience and not have your ears blasted night after night. With a majority of the crowd around my age or older and lots of white hair around, at least I didn't feel like I was the oldest in the room. Yikes!

Enjoy! 

 

  

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use.

Please share!

 

 

Grapes Of Wrath
Park Theatre
Winnipeg, MB
March 26, 2026

Audience Master
Acoustic Duo

Sony ECM-DS70P mic> Tascam DR-07> SD card> 24 bit wav> 16 bit Wav>
Direct Wave MP3 splitter> FLAC

SET 1
01. Intro.
02. Do You Want To Tell Me
03. You May Be Right
04. Misunderstanding
05. I Live For You
06. A Dream
07. Mexico
08. Blind
09. I Can't Find My Home
10. Backward Town
11. What Was Going Through My Head

SET 2
12. Good To See You
13. Isn't There
14. Stay
15. Blanket In The Sun
16. Like A Fool
17. Peace Of Mind
18. I Am Here
19. All The Things I Wasn't
ENCORE
20. You And Your Sister
21. A Very Special Day

Kevin Kane- vocals, guitar
Tom Hooper- vocals, guitar, harmonica

 

GRAPES OF WRATH- 2026-03-26, Park Theatre, Winnipeg, MB FLAC Master. rar

 

Guess Who Played The White House In 1970 (?)

 

Guess which five of these people are in The Guess Who?

  

Remember when it was an honour to receive an invitation to visit the White House and meet the President of the United States? Recently, it's been a polarizing question about the political/personal statement it insinuated by meeting the current President and his personal baggage, for obvious reasons. We usually associate sports teams that won national championships (NFL, NBA, NHL MLB etc.) with visiting the White House, but this was extended to a Canadian rock band, The Guess Who in 1970. This event coincided with a visit from (then) Price Charles and his sister Anne to the White House and the band performed on the front lawn as a personal request from President Nixon's youngest daughter, Tricia Nixon, who was a Guess Who fan. Ironically, the band was riding the success of their #1 North American hit, American Woman, but was told not to play it, which was weird and bizarre.   

 

The Winnipeg Free Press reported on the event. “I had mixed emotions about the White House,” Cummings reflected years later. “It was strange. All the guests were white, all the military aids were white in full military dress, and all the people serving food were black. It seemed terribly racist. And the way the White House was landscaped it kind of looked like you were in Alabama in the 1840s before Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It left a bad taste in my mouth. They wanted a Commonwealth act when Charles and Anne went there. We were the token Commonwealthers.” The contradiction inherent in the Guess Who’s appearance at the Nixon White House was not lost on guitarist, Greg Leskiw. “Here was one of the most hated politicians of the hippie generation and your subculture tells you this guy is bad,” he mused. “Then someone says, ‘Do you want to play the White House?’ But we all wanted to do it because it was something very few people get to do.”

 

This is a recording I didn't know anything about until recently, but I thought the concept and dynamics were good timing. This weekend is the Juno Awards (that I rarely watch), which honours and awards the "best" of Canadain music. Winnipeg's, Guess Who have been honoured numerous times and are a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and have an upcoming tour with the reunited, Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman that will take them through Canada and the US from May to August. See them while you still can!

Enjoy!

 

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use.

Please share! 

 

 

The Guess Who
White House
Washington, DC
July 17th 1970

Conversion = SBD>?>CDR Trade>EAC>Wav>Flac 

Sound Quality approx  7 out of 10 
samples to be provided 
sorry no artwork 
A Bargain Basement Tape Production 

Setlist

01. Bus Rider
02. Undun
03. We're Comin' To Dine
04. Close Up The Honky Tonks
05. No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature
06. These Eyes
07. Hand Me Down World
08. Share The Land
09. No Time

The Guess Who- 1970-07-17  Washington, DC FLAC. rar

 

Grapes Of Wrath- Walker Theatre, Winnipeg, MB. October 25, 1991

 

 

It's already March and I finally attended my first concert of the year, this past Saturday at the Park Theatre, The Fuse, a local treasure, that are celebrating their 50th anniversary. For the past decade or so, The Fuse have played an annual fundraiser (once a year) usually in March and I make an effort to attend. I've also bought a ticket and a flight for a concert in Vancouver, in April (more details on that in a later post), which I am very excited about and I return to the Park Theatre this week, March 26 for the Grapes of Wrath Acoustic Duo show. With this spattering of shows this early in the year, my hope is that 2026 will be my return to watching more live music. I've had a bit of a dry spell the past few years and I really do enjoy watching concerts and the next two I definitely need to record!

 

To get you warmed up for the Grapes of Wrath event this week, I dug up a live recording (not mine) from 1991, when the band was arguably in their height touring These Days, before Kevin Kane left the band in 1992. They've reformed and released more records since, but their heyday was definitely in the late 80's/early 90's, with classic albums, Treehouse and Now And Again. This recording is almost 35 years old and the historic Walker Theatre, has since been renamed the Burton Cummings Theatre. I don't usually buy "bootleg" live recordings, but I found it in the used CD bin of a local record store several years ago and I was intrigued, because I've never seen or heard this before (why didn't I go?). I saw the band during the Now And Again tour in 1989, when the opener was a somewhat unknown, Sarah McLachlan. The sound quality here is excellent, as it's a radio broadcast (probably CBC) and the show is a good length, my version is 2 CD's. I don't know exactly what to expect with this recent acoustic tour that lands here on Thursday, but I will try to get a good recording, stay tuned!

Enjoy! 

 

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use.

Please share!

 

 

GRAPES OF WRATH
Walker Theatre
Winnipeg, MB
October 25, 1991
FM Broadcast> CD> FreeRip> Wave> FLAC

Disc 1
01. Away
02. Stay
03. The Most
04. You May Be Right
05. Thru To You
06. I Can Tell
07. I Can't Find My Way Home
08. Backward Town
09. The Time Is Near
10. All The Things I Wasn't

Disc 2
01. Travelin'
02. Days
03. I Am Here
04. Peace Of Mind
05. A Fishing Tale
06. What Was Going Through My Head
07. Miracle
08. Oh Lucky Man
09. See Emily Play

GRAPES OF WRATH- 1991-10-25 Walker Theatre, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar

 

Liz Phair- Lounge Ax, Chicago, IL. March 14, 1999

  

 

As the Aadam Jacobs audio archives continues to be shared, I hoped a Liz Phair show would appear at some point since Chicago was her home turf and she performed there frequently, especially in the "early days". Fortunately, there is a recording from the Lounge Ax, a smaller intimate venue that would have been wild to see Liz live. This show from 1999, was actually a fundraiser featuring, a Hot Damn Fashion Show (by Liz's sister-in-law) that followed Phair's set (Sally Timms opened), where she was accompanied by Buddy Judge on guitar. This show wasn't publicized or listed on the Ax's website and it wasn't handled by her management. The cool thing was that tickets were a mere $15 and only sold at the bar. It's not a full blown band show, but the up-close and personal aspect of the evening must have quite the thrill to be there! The sound quality is incredibly good and the performance is fun, loose and well worth the listen!

Enjoy!

 

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy format, except for personal use.

Please share!

 

Here's the link for Aadam's original post on the archives. There are lots of amazing shows to listen to and enjoy there! In the banter between Polyester Bride and Go On Ahead, it's interesting that Liz says she was asked if she was pissed with bootlegs and replies, "I am so thankful someone has a record of all this stuff". Yes!!

 

 

Super-fan, Katie Brown accompanied Liz on vocals, for Flower.

 

Liz Phair
Lounge Ax
Chicago, IL

March 14, 1999

Recording generously loaned from the Aadam Jacobs Audio Archive

Transfer:
DAT (M) > Panasonic SV-3700 SPDIF > Marantz PMD570

Mastering: FLAC > WAV > Cool Edit Pro 2.0 (normalization; added fades at beginning and end; 16/44 conversion) > CDWav (tracking) > Trader's Little Helper (level 8) > FLAC > TagScanner 6.1.20 (tagging)

Recorded by: Aadam Jacobs
Transferred by: John Bartol
Mastered by: elegymart


Total running time [1:02:21]
---------------------------------------------------
01  intro 
02  Liz intro 
03  Glory
04  Girls Room
05  6'1"
06  Divorce Song
07  Wild Thing
08  Johnny Feelgood
09  Dance of the Seven Veils
10  Flower
11  Mesmerizing
12  Perfect World
13  Polyester Bride
14  Go on Ahead
15  Conversation Overheard Between Two Bouncers
16  Fuck and Run
17  Explain It to Me
18  Supernova
19  MC / Liz comments


Band line-up:
Liz Phair - vocals, guitar
Buddy Judge - electric guitar
Katie Brown - harmony vocals on t10

LIZ PHAIR- 1999-03-14 Lounge Ax, Chicago, IL FLAC. rar