Goodbye 2024! Soul Asylum- Minneapolis, New Year's Eve 1991

 

 Sometimes concerts on New Year's Eve can yield some interesting setlists and song selections and you can always count on Soul Asylum to provide an unique show. this show from 1991, features the Midnight Medley in the lead up to the magical moment when the calendar turns over to a new year. Worth the price of admission alone! The sound is okay, but the setlist is good, almost as good as the 80's.

Happy New Year, see you in 2025!

Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

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SOUL ASYLUM

Hyatt Regency, 

Minneapolis, MN

December 31, 1991

Show notes:
All the King's Friends has a bit of Whoa! in the middle part.

1 intro
2 Sometime to Return
3 All The King's Friends > Whoa!
4 Veil Of Tears
5 Cartoon
6 Spinnin'
7 Nice Guys Don't Get Paid
8 Black Gold
9 Runaway Train
10 The Break
11 Gullible's Travels
12 Midnight Medley:
 Midnight Blue [Lou Graham]
 Midnight Blue [Melissa Manchester]
 Midnight Rambler [Rolling Stones]
 After Midnight [Eric Clapton]
 Midnight Hour [Wilson Picket]
 Living after Midnight [Judas Priest]
 Walking after Midnight [Patsy Cline]
 Midnight Train to Georgia [Gladys Knight]
 Midnight Rambler [Allman Brothers]
 Midnight Special [Credence Clearwater Revival]
 Midnight Rendezvous [The Babys]
 Sister Midnight [Iggy Pop]
 Midnight at the Oasis [Maria Muldaur]
 Midnight Confession [Grass Roots]
 Auld Lang Syne [Robert Burns]
13 Sexual Healing [Marvin Gaye]
14 Tell Me Something Good [Chaka Khan and Rufus]
15 April Fool
16 Something Out Of Nothing
17 Easy Street
18 Little Too Clean
19 Made To Be Broken > Blue Suede Shoes [Elvis]

Lineage: Audience Master > 2nd Gen Tape > Tascam 202MKVII USB out > CDWAV > Audacity (normalization, fades, merges, noise reduction) > CDWAV (splits) > DBPowerAmp (FLAC) [loughney xfer]

 

Posted: 48 minutes to midnight!

SOUL ASYLUM- 1991-12-31 MPLS FLAC. rar

Soul Asylum- Rock for Karl Benefit 2004!!

 

 

We've come to the final set from the Rock For Karl Benefit concert from 2004, that helped support Soul Asylum's co-founding member, bass player, Karl Mueller. Money raised went towards medical bills for Mueller's cancer treatment that he ultimately succumbed to on June 17, 2005, only 8 months after this concert. I'm not sure if Soul Asylum closed out the evening, but I thought it would be appropriate to post this set last, since it turned out to be Mueller's final live show with the band. A touching moment for all in attendance, including the bands that offered their talents to this evening, when Karl took the mic (track 14) to offer his thank you's to everyone that came to the show. This is the only time these bands have shared the stage together. I've seen Soul Asylum only a couple of times, the last time in Grand Forks in 2002, but it's not the same band without Mueller and Dan Murphy (who left the band in 2012) and I'm not sure if I'll see them again, making this show that much more special. The band continues on with Dave Pirner as the only remaining original member.

A Rock For Karl v. 2.0: Kill Kancer fundraising concert was held in tribute of Mueller on the seventh anniversary of his death in 2012. His widow, Mary Beth organized the event with performances from Golden Smog, Curtiss A's Dark Click and the Magnolias.

Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

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

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SOUL ASYLUM
Quest Club
Minneapolis, MN
October 21, 2004
Rock For Karl Benefit

Audience recording

01. Intro
02. Oxygen
03. Be On My Side
04. Standing Water
05. Black Gold
06. Lately
07. Success Is Not So Sweet
08. Closer To The Stars
09. <introductions>
10. Debris
11. Cruel Intentions
12. <thank yous>
13. Somebody To Shove
14. <Karl talks>

 

SOUL ASYLUM- 2004-10-21 Quest Club, Minneapolis, MN FLAC. rar 

 

Golden Smog- Rock For Karl Benefit, Minneapolis- October 21, 2004

 

I don't believe this is backstage at the Quest Club.

 A set from Golden Smog featured an appearance by Paul Westerberg on the set opener, the Stones, Dead Flowers, as well as Dream Syndicate/Baseball Project's, Steve Wynn on the Eddie and the Hot Rods hit, Do Anything You Wanna Do. The band mixed covers and a handful of Smog songs to their set that featured a lineup of Soul Asylum's, Dan Murphy, Kraig Johnson, Marc Perlman, Ed Ackerson, Jim Boquist and Linda Pitman on drums. Noticeably absent (correct me if I'm wrong), was Gary Louris, I wasn't there, but the absence of "Gary songs" made me suspicious. Overall, a solid set with many shout-outs to Karl and the guest appearances were cool.

Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

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GOLDEN SMOG
Quest Club
Minneapolis, MN
October 21, 2004
Rock for Karl Benefit

audience recording

01. Dead Flowers
02. Sunny Afternoon
03. If I Only Had A Car
04. The Losing End
05. To Call My Own
06. Making Waves
07. Signed D.C.
08. Ill Fated
09. Do Anything You Wanna Do
10. Knockin 'Em Down In The City

track 1: w/Paul Westerberg
track 9: w/Steve Wynn

 

GOLDEN SMOG- 2004-10-21, Quest Club, Minneapolis, MN FLAC. rar

Paul Westerberg- Rock For Karl Benefit, Minneapolis, 2004

 

 

Happy 2023! Yes, it's a new year and hopefully everyone is okay and ready for a new start, at least we can pretend. I'm sorry for the lack of posts for 2022, but as usual, I promise there will be more this year and I'll stay engaged and try to keep things interesting.

I'm going to keep it short and sweet, much like the Paul Westerberg set I'm posting. This is part 3 of the Rock For Karl Benefit concert from 2004, I'm not sure of the actual order of the bands/musicians that played that night, so I'm randomly guessing. The solo Westerberg set is brief and he'll appear again in the next post with another band (spoiler alert: Golden Smog). I haven't heard a lot from Paul in recent years and hoping he might release some new music or play some live dates this year. Fingers crossed!

Enjoy!

 

 

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PAUL WESTERBERG
Quest Club
Minneapolis, MN
October 21, 2004
Rock For Karl Benefit

Audience recording

01. First Glimmer
02. What A Day (For A Night)
03. Lookin' Up In Heaven
04. Achin' to Be
05. Kentucky Rain
06. Swingin' Party
07. I Will Dare

 

PAUL WESTERBERG- 2004-10-21, Quest Club, Minneapolis, MN FLAC. rar

 

Bob Mould- Rock for Karl Benefit: Quest Club, Minneapolis 2004

 

Here's another set from the Rock for Karl benefit in 2004, with former Husker Du co-founder, Bob Mould, who performed a solo set. He played songs from his solo records as well as songs from his band's, Sugar and the aforementioned, Husker Du. One of the highlights of the show and definitely the most talked about surprise of the night was the appearance of Grant Hart (of Husker Du) during the final two songs of Mould's set. As far as I know, this was the first on-stage appearance for the two together since Husker Du's last show, December 11, 1987 and sadly it was the last. There was speculated "bad blood" since the split, so this reunion was most unexpected and exciting for Husker fans. It was a moment I would have liked to be there for since I'm a big fan (and still am) of the Minneapolis band, but at least someone captured this live audio recording. The recording sounds good, with the usual audience chatter, but it doesn't distract too much from the concert. It's also a treat to hear Mould in a small venue, as well as his playing in his hometown where he still has a huge fan base. A must-hear for Husker Du fans!

Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

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BOB MOULD
Quest Club
Minneapolis, MN
October 21, 2004
Rock For Karl Benefit

solo electric set
audience recording

01. Intro <tuning>
02. Your Favorite Thing
03. Egoverride
04. If I Can't Change Your Mind
05. <thanks>
06. Circles
07. Paralyzed
08. Chartered Trips
09. Celebrated Summer
10. Celebrated Summer (cont'd)
11. <tuning>
12. Never Talking To You Again
13. Hardly Getting Over It

tracks 12 & 13 with Grant Hart- guitar, vocals

 

BOB MOULD- 2004-10-21, Quest Club, Minneapolis, MN. FLAC. rar 

 

Gear Daddies- Rock For Karl Benefit 2004

 

In May 2004, Karl Mueller, bass player with Minneapolis band, Soul Asylum was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. A benefit concert, Rock for Karl was held to help with the medical bills and it brought out an all-star line-up of Minnesota area bands and musicians that was held at the Quest Club in Minneapolis on October 21, 2004. Bands/musicians included the Gear Daddies, Golden Smog, Paul Westerberg, Bob Mould and of course, Soul Asylum. As a big fan of all of these bands/musicians, this would have been a dream concert for me to attend, but unfortunately I didn't make it to the Twin Cities, but the next best thing, someone recorded the show! I've been sitting on these performances from all these bands since it was posted on Dime in 2004 and I have yet to post any of the shows, until now. I was reminded I had these live recordings when I was searching through my boxes of live discs for something unrelated, but I pulled them out for a future post. This month, Golden Smog (an acoustic version) is opening for the Jayhawks in the Twin Cities, so it's an ideal time to post. Though Paul Westerberg has paused (or retired?) from performing, the other groups are still active in some capacity, so go out and support the Gear Daddies, Bob Mould, Soul Asylum and Golden Smog, if you have the chance! Sadly, Karl passed away June 17, 2005.

First up is the Gear Daddies set from the benefit concert. Though the Daddies hailed from Austin, MN, they've been an integral part of the Twin Cities music scene for almost 40 years and continue to reunite for live shows. They haven't released a new album since the 90's, but front guy, Martin Zellar has been consistently releasing new material with his band, The Hardways. The Gear Daddies perform an excellent set of some of their best known songs and it's a bonus to hear the band live. The sound quality is good, with limited crowd chatter. I'll post the other band's sets soon, stay tuned!

Enjoy!

 

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

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GEAR DADDIES
Quest Club
Minneapolis, MN
October 21, 2004
Rock For Karl Benefit

Audience recording

01. Intro
02. Cut Me Off
03. Blues Mary
04. Stupid Boy
05. Heavy Metal Boys
06. Drank So Much
07. She's Happy
08. Don't Look At Me
09. Strength
10. Color Of Her Eyes
11. Time Heals

 

GEAR DADDIES- 2004-10-21 Quest Club, Minneapolis, MN, FLAC. rar 

The Replacements- Live at the Longhorn 1980

 

This past Record Store Day, I only made one purchase, The Replacements, Unsuitable Airplay: The Lost KFAI Concert which I was lucky to pickup at my local bookstore/vinyl record retailer. I know the recording was included with the Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash deluxe CD box set a year or so ago, but I haven't gotten around to buying that yet and it's cool to have this live show on vinyl. The sound is incredible and it's a treat for Mats fans to hear the band's early shows (circa, Sorry Ma...) when they were relatively tight and less drunk. It got me thinking about some other early Replacements shows I had on cassette and through Dime, some suffer from some tape hiss and noise, but most sound pretty good and are worth exploring again.

 

I found one of their earliest known live recordings (on Dime recently) and it's an amazingly good sounding recording, possibly soundboard and supposedly, this show was about 2 months after Paul Westerberg handed future manager Peter Jesperson a four-song demo. The band opened for The Dads at The Longhorn which included three songs that would wind up on the debut album. The rest of the set was covers that really showed off who their influences were (The Kinks, Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers) and though it's a short set, they played with confidence and showed they were ready for bigger and better things. This has been available on the Color Me Impressed: The Replacements Live Archive, but the version I have here is uncompressed and the setlist seems to have a few more songs (is that right?). Anyways, this is essential for Mats fans!

Enjoy!

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The Replacements
Jay's Longhorn

Minneapolis, MN

July 17, 1980
 

 Lineage: Soundboard Master > unknown gen tape > Tascam 202MKVII > USB > CDWAV > Audacity (levels, fades) > CDWAVE (SPLITS) > FLAC [loughney xfer]

Show notes:
Earliest known Replacements show. Sounds like a soundboard, but with a mic that pics up the crowd on the left channel.

Transfer notes:
Lots of hiss. Tape cut at the end of So Long.

1 intro
2 I Wanna Be Loved [Johnny Thunders]
3 More Cigarettes
4 Hey Little Girl
5 Careless
6 So Long [999]
7 Get off the Phone
8 Get on the Stick
9 I Hate Music
10 All Day and All of the Night [The Kinks]
11 All By Myself [Johnny Thunders] (stops, then repeats...?)

 

THE REPLACEMENTS- 1980-07-17, Minneapolis, MN FLAC. rar

Grant Hart, Bob Mould, Dave Pirner- Live At Garage D'or Records 1985

 

Saturday, April 23rd is Record Store Day 2022. In addition, there will be a RSD drop date on June 18th for releases that couldn't make it into to stores in April. I expect things will be close to normal with events, sales and maybe live performance in the the actual store. Personally, there aren't a lot of releases that I need to rush out and buy and in some ways the RSD releases are over-rated. Items are over-priced and they create a false demand with small limited runs and exclusive releases. A few titles interest me, but a majority of the records are re-issues and items previously not available on vinyl. I love the idea of Record Store Day to bring awareness that record stores are still in operation and need you support to stay open, especially after the pandemic. It's also a great excuse to get out of the house (or apartment etc.) to do some record browsing, which is definitely my favourite habit! I might peruse a store or two on Saturday to help support my local stores...you should too! 😉 (Record Store Day Canada)

One of the things that Record Store Days has brought back is live performances. I remember a time when record stores would have more live in-store shows. It may have been a band on tour and the day of the show would play the local record store to promote their latest release and to remind people they have a concert that night. Sometimes the band will cram into a small store with full gear, while other times an acoustic unplugged show is more appropriate. Some larger stores (Tower Records Amoeba), have a mini-concerts with big names as draws while customers continue to browse the stacks. In honor of RSD, I have a cool in-store show from Garage D'or Records in Minneapolis, featuring a trio of local rock heroes from two legendary Twin Cities bands. Grant Hart and Bob Mould from Husker Du and David Pirner from Soul Asylum did a rare acoustic set inside the store. At this time, Husker Du had released, Flip Your Wig a couple months earlier and Soul Asylum's second album, Made To Be Broken would be released the next month. By coincidence, Bob produced Made To Be Broken, so he and Dave have been working together around this time. Interesting setlist with some covers, a couple of Husker Du songs, a Soul Asylum song and Grant Hart performing 2541, a song that would see light years later after Husker Du broke up on his first solo EP in 1988 and re-recorded for his debut album, Intolerance in 1989. Really wish I could have been there!

Enjoy!

 

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GRANT HART, BOB MOULD, DAVE PIRNER

Garage D'Or Records 

Minneapolis, Minnesota

December 21, 1985

 

From The Teddy Ballgames Archive

acoustic in-store performance

1. There You Go (Johnny Cash)
2. Home Of The Blues (Johnny Cash)
3. 2541
4. Flexible Flyer
5. Too Far Down
6. Never Really Been
7. Puff the Magic Dragon
8. Rain (The Beatles)

Show featuring:
Grant Hart (tracks 1-4) guitar, vocals
Bob Mould (5,7,8)  guitar, vocals
Dave Pirner (6,7,8) guitar, vocals

GRANT HART, BOB MOULD, DAVE PIRNER- 1985-12-21 Garage D'or, Minneapolis FLAC. rar

 

(note: Back to using Adrive, added more storage space so more shows to come soon! Let me know if there are any problems. Thankx!)

Golden Smog- Live At The First Avenue, April 3, 2022: Night 2

It was another amazing night of music in Minneapolis, as Golden Smog played the second night of their two-night run at the First Avenue. A set similar to the previous night, the band settled in quickly and seemed to be more relaxed and comfortable with their familiar surroundings. Once again, I was content with viewing the concert via: livestream with perfect sound and a clear view of the performers. I can appreciate the technology because now there is a much larger audience viewing this show from pretty much anywhere with the ability to watch the show on replay which would benefit viewers in other time zones that might not be able to watch it live. It was a wonderful concert and if you were lucky enough to view both nights, you were treated to a number of different songs from the night before. Let's cross our fingers it doesn't take another 15 years for the band with Jeff Tweedy to get together. I'm sure fans would love a new Golden Smog album and how about a tour of other cities so more fans can enjoy them in person.

Highlights:

• It's always a bonus when bands play some different songs on the second night and with three albums and an EP to their credit, they have no shortage of good material to play live. The first 6/7 songs in the set were the same (in the same order), as they switched in Making Waves in place of Yesterday Cried from Saturday's setlist. Different songs played on Sunday night: All the Same To Me, Easy To Be Hard (from the On Golden Smog EP), Frying Pan Eyes, Strangers (Kinks cover), Scotch On Ice, She Don't Have To See You).
• The chemistry between Jeff Tweedy and Gary Louris was in evidence again, especially during the acoustic songs they played together. Their guitar interplay was incredible! I knew Gary was an amazing guitar player, but Jeff proved he has some crazy chops as well, his guitar playing is so underrated. The overall musical talent displayed on stage by everyone in the band is a privilege to witness.

• It was also a bonus to have Jessy Greene perform live with the band. She played on Weird Tales and toured with the band previously. Her connection with the band goes beyond Golden Smog as she was a member of the Jayhawks and has played with Wilco and Soul Asylum. In fact, when I saw Wilco, in Minneapolis in 2001, Jessy made an appearance with the band for Jesus Etc. and her band, VioVoom opened.
• Before the encore, drummer, Jody Stephens took the mic to say, how incredible it was so spend time with the guys and "It's more thrilling to see you, thank you so much and incredibly thrilling to see these guys too". Listen for yourself towards the end of track 21.
• Sammy Tweedy once again came out to sing lead on Helpless.  He's a very fine singer and I'd be interested to hear more. He remained on stage for Until You Came Along, singing backup.
  

• Jeff and Gary hugging at the end of the first encore set! Touching moment, indeed. 
  

• Unfortunately, the second encore was cut from the live-stream, so it's not included in this recording. Apparently, everyone thought the show was over, including Nugs.net. To make up for it, here's a video somebody posted to YouTube of Revolution Blues, from the second encore.

Enjoy!! 

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use

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GOLDEN SMOG
First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
April 3, 2022
SBD> livestream
Night 2

01. Looking Forward To Seeing You
02. Lost Love
03. To Call My Own
04. V
05. Making Waves
06. Glad & Sorry
07. Red-Headed Stepchild
08. All The Same to Me
09. Easy To Be Hard
10. Frying Pan Eyes
11. Listen Joe
12. Long Time Ago
13. Pecan Pie
14. You Make It Easy
15. Ill Fated
16. Strangers
17. Scotch On Ice
18. She Don't Have To See You
19. Won't Be Coming Home
20. I Can't Keep From Talking
21. If I Only Had A Car

Encore
22. Please Tell My Brother
23. Radio King
24. Helpless
25. Until You Came Along

Jeff & Gary (acoustic) tracks- 11, 12, 22, 23
Sammy Tweedy (lead vocals) track- 24, (backing vocals)- track 25

GOLDEN SMOG- 2022-04-03 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN FLAC. rar

(note: There was a problem with the previous link, so I switched back to Adrive. Hopefully it's all good, but let me know if there are any problems...thanks!)

 

Golden Smog- Live At The First Avenue, April 2, 2022: Night 1

When Golden Smog opened their two-night stand at the First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis with Looking Forward To Seeing You, you knew the feeling was mutual for fans that have been waiting a long time to see the band. The band was to perform two years ago for the First Avenue's 50th birthday celebrations, but...you know what happened. The pandemic prevented plenty of live concerts from taking place and the First Avenue was no exception, but the hope was that Golden Smog would eventually comeback to  perform. I remember a few months ago, when this show was announced, I desperately wanted to travel stateside, but common sense told me it wasn't a good idea. The restrictions of travel to the US had loosened, but for how long I wasn't sure. I didn't want to risk buying a ticket with the possibility I couldn't travel to Minnesota (or the concert was cancelled), so I hoped for the best. I didn't have a chance anyways because the demand for tickets was high and it sold out quickly with a show added the next day. As luck would have it, Nugs.net would live stream the concert so I could watch the show in the comfort of my living room. You could purchase tickets for one or both shows, I opted to watch both shows because I didn't want to miss anything. I couldn't decide which night would be better, the first night would be the first reunion of the group in years and that would be cool to see or the second night could have different songs, a longer set or maybe a special guest. Well, it turned out the set structure was similar both nights with a couple different songs switched out, the second night had one more song and there were no special guests besides Jeff Tweedy's son, both nights (more on that later).

Highlights

• This was Jeff Tweedy's first show with the band in 15 years. You don't realize how many great songs Jeff contributed to the Smog, but his contribution is sorely missed from the set when he doesn't perform with them. He was relaxed and in great spirits both nights and it looked like he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. When he mentioned numerous times he was happy to see them and he missed these guys, I truly think he did, which hopefully translates to more possible appearances with Golden Smog. He's a busy man with numerous projects and arguably has been the most successful outside of the Smog, but he was gracious and really funny.

• The line-up was "Weird Tales"-era with Jody Stephens on drums, Tweedy and the addition of Jessy Greene on violin and backing vocals. Nice to see Dan Murphy since he's not with Soul Asylum any longer (I can't listen to Soul Asylum since he left) and he sounds good. I always thought Kraig Johnson's best work is in Golden Smog and Jayhawk-ers, Gary Louris and Marc Perlman are the heart and soul of the group.
• Gary and Jeff did a couple mini acoustic duets together and they sounded wonderful together. Their harmonies and guitar interplay was beautiful and I'm wondering about the possibility of a collaboration together on record or shows. They're interaction throughout the shows was definitely a highlight.

• They played some familiar live covers (Signed D.C., Glad & Sorry, Love and Mercy, Starman) and during the encore, Jeff Tweedy's son, Sammy Tweedy did lead vocals on the Neil Young classic, Helpless. The youngest Tweedy son did a very commendable job in a special moment that must have made dad proud. Definite WOW moment!

• They closed the show with "Until You Came Along", which I consider their best song. A warm comfy, feel-good moment that ended as triumphantly as it started. Welcome back!
  

The recording is audio-only and the sound quality is amazing! I don't know if anyone recorded the show from the crowd, but it would be interesting to compare, as sometimes on the floor it captures the ambiance differently. There are a couple of glitches (towards the end of the first song and especially the last song), that appear on the replay of the video, so it is what it is. A thoroughly enjoyable concert that I still wish I was there to witness live, but this will do just fine!

Enjoy!

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from the recording!

Please do NOT convert to lossy formats

Please share!

*I will respect any requests from the band (please let me know) if they don't want the audio shared.* 

The Current has a real review of the show!

 

GOLDEN SMOG
First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
April 2, 2022
SBD> livestream
Night 1

01. Looking Forward To Seeing You
02. Lost Love
03. To Call My Own
04. V
05. Yesterday Cried
06. Glad & Sorry
07. Red-Headed Stepchild
08. Starman
09. Walk Where He Walked
10. He's A Dick
11. Pecan Pie
12. Ill Fated
13. Long Time Ago
14. Signed D.C.
15. I Can't Keep From Talking
16. Won't Be Coming Home
17. You Make It Easy
18. Love And Mercy
19. If I Only Had A Car
20. Corvette

Encore
21. Radio King
22. Listen Joe
23. Helpless
24. Until You Came Along

Jeff & Gary (acoustic)- tracks 13, 21, 22
Sammy Tweedy (lead vocals)- track 23

GOLDEN SMOG- 2022-04-02 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN FLAC. rar

 

 (note: Having problems with OneDrive, so I've reverted back to Adrive for the download. Please let me know if there any problems downloading, opening and playing...thanks!)

Wilco- First Avenue, June 30, 2001: 20 Years Ago!

 

 

It's amazing what a year makes. With the vaccines for COVID-19 being distributed as we speak, music tour scheduling is starting to ramp up, especially south of the border in the U.S. Here in Canada, concerts and tours are much more pared down with the restrictions province to province slowly loosening. There are some small shows and bigger tour dates that are proceeding with selling tickets again for concerts in the fall. For a band like Wilco, they have recently added more shows to their schedule with already about 40 dates from August until late October, so far. A lot of those dates are make-up shows for ones that were postponed last spring and a proposed tour with Sleater-Kinney for last summer is going ahead in August. I would love to see Wilco with the Young Fresh Fellows for a bunch of shows in October on the U.S. west coast! Since the Canada/U.S. border is still closed, I don't want to take the gamble of buying a ticket and not being able to travel due a continued closure or a possible 4th wave. I will have to be content this summer watching and listening from afar, hopefully a lot of  live shows will be recorded and shared.

One of my favourite places to travel to for concerts is the closest large city, about a 7 hour drive to the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul). I've seen lots of amazing shows at various venues and it's an opportunity to see bands that normally don't make it to my neck of the woods. The last time we made the trek was to see the Posies three years ago at the Turf Club in St. Paul and unfortunately due to this pandemic we haven't been back since. It seems the time of year we end up in the Twin Cities is around this time, June/early July and I've noticed there are plenty of cool shows there booked now. The trip 20 years ago to see Wilco was one of my most memorable concert trips. I normally don't travel alone, but this was one of those pilgrimages I wanted to experience, to attend both nights and indulge myself in record store shopping nirvana that is sometimes best to partake alone.

The second night of the two night stand for Wilco was even better than the night before. The band seemed more comfortable with the new material and the set included a few more songs from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot they debuted. They opened with the chill, Via Chicago to ease into the show, the previous night they opened with Misunderstood that crescendo-ed with Jeff shouting "nothing" so many times I thought he would blow his voice or a blood vessel. One of the reasons the second night has the potential to be an even better show, is that if the band is feeling good, extra encores are possible. No resting up for the next night. The highlight was definitely the three encores, the band was on fire and the crowd was very appreciative (and polite), they didn't want the concert to end. Wow!

 

A couple more notes:

• Viovoom, a band fronted by Jessy Greene opened both nights. It was appropriate as Jessy has performed with Golden Smog (Tweedy was in that band) and locally was a member of the Jayhawks. It was a treat to see her on stage with Wilco during Jesus, Etc, since she played violin on the recording for YHF. I've always love Jessy, she adds so much to the sound of GS/Jayhawks and her solo material is really good. A very underrated talent! (I recorded their set both nights as well and the sound quality is better thanks to less crowd chatter.)
• This was guitarist, Jay Bennett's last club show. As I mentioned in the last post he played two more outdoor shows including his final show for the 4th of July show in Chicago. I sensed some un-comfortableness with Jay on stage and his interaction with Leroy Bach when they both played keyboards side by side. I thought it was nothing, but...
• The lineup onstage for Wilco these two nights was Jeff Tweedy, Jay Bennett, John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche and Leroy Bach. This exact lineup only played 4 shows together. (correct me if I'm wrong)
  
• The First Avenue is one of those venues that is a must-see if you visit Minneapolis. There have been many classic shows there and I've seen a bunch of good ones. The sight-lines aren't great, as I've watched all the shows on the floor, but the sound has always been decent. My most vivid memory (of the shows I've been at 10 years ago and earlier) is that people just drop their beer bottles on the ground, so the floor is covered in pools of beer and broken glass. Is that still a "thing" there? or anywhere else??

Enjoy! 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use

Please share!

See Wilco on tour and buy their records!

 

WILCO
First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
June 30, 2001
AUD Master

01. Via Chicago / A Shot In The Arm
02. I'm Always In Love
03. War On War
04. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
05. Hesitating Beauty
06. Remember The Mountain Bed
07. Airline To Heaven
08. Feed Of Man
09. She's A Jar
10. Ashes Of American Flags
11. Kamera
12. How To Fight Loneliness
13. California Stars
14. Red-Eyed And Blue / I Got You (At the End Of The Century)

Encore:
15. Misunderstood
16. Jesus, Etc.
17. Sunken Treasure

Encore 2:
18. Reservations
19. Passenger Side
20. Outtasite (Outta Mind)

Encore 3:
21. Forget The Flowers
22. Monday
23. Casino Queen

 

WILCO- 2001-06-30 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN FLAC Master. rar 

Wilco- First Avenue, June 29, 2001: 20 Years Ago!

 

 

It's hard to believe it's been almost 20 years since the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the fourth album from Wilco. The story behind the recording of the album and the complicated mess surrounding it's release was beautifully documented in the film, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco directed by Sam Jones and the excellent book, Wilco: Learning How To Die by Greg Kot. I read and watched both and it gives you the inside story and circumstances behind YHF. A quick recap: the album was recorded in late 2000 and early 2001, Glenn Kotche (new drummer) joins the band for the recording, personality struggles and power battles ensue between Jeff and Jay, Jay Bennett is fired from the band, Reprise Records (the band's label) rejects the album, Wilco subsequently acquires the rights of the record, Wilco streams the entire album for free on their website on September 18, 2001 (the original date the album was suppose to be officially released), the album is officially (retail) released by Nonesuch Records on April 23, 2002. The result: the band's website on September 18 received over 50,000 hits to stream the record, the album was critically acclaimed placing it on many "best of" lists for the year, the decade and all-time, it is Wilco's best selling work and considered by many their "masterpiece".

I was one of those people that streamed the album on Wilco's site, but I had already listened to tracks from file sharing networks, as well as unreleased outtakes and alternative versions of the songs. Reminiscing about this album was special for another reason. I road-tripped it to Minneapolis to see a pair a shows from Wilco on June 29 & 30th, 2001 at the legendary First Avenue club. This was the first show that Wilco performed songs from the album, between the two nights they probably played all the songs that would be on the still-to-be released, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The 29th show was drummer, Glenn Kotche's live debut with Wilco and the show on the 30th was Jay Bennett's last club show with the band, he would play two more outdoor shows in Milwaukee and Chicago. 

 

Wow! Well worth the $20 it cost to attend the concert!

 

I made the trip alone and I obsessively prepared my recording gear which at the time was a Sony cassette recording Walkman (WM-GX35) and a cheap, but decent stealth stereo mic. I labeled and smuggled in extra Maxell tapes and spare batteries into my pockets. Thinking back, I really liked recording with that deck, sure it was a pain in the ass to blindly flip or change the tape within the 45 minute side and try not to move or bump into anyone during the show, but it was no frills, you didn't have to worry about sound levels. It was press record, look at my watch and try not to stress. These recordings turned out sounding not too bad, but there is a lot of crowd noise and chatter as I was smack dab in the middle of the crowd on the floor. It documented the event exactly how it sounded to my eyes. The two nights kind of blurred together, but there was a buzz in the air that made it feel this was something special. I saw a couple members of Golden Smog/The Jayhawks hanging in the backstage area and there was a film crew there (maybe both nights?) that turned out to be the crew for the Wilco documentary. In the film, there is footage shot at the First Avenue and if you watch the DVD bonus special features, a full song is shown from the concert. I'm pretty sure you can see me knee deep in the crowd! This was my first time seeing Wilco live and seeing and hearing the new material for the first time was definitely the highlight and the songs were warmly received. The only negative of the night was during the second encore during the quiet, Reservations that Tweedy performed solo, some idiot in the crowd threw something at Jeff. Not sure what, maybe a crumpled piece of paper (?) or a beer label (?), but regardless the show was over after he finished the song. I believe they planned to play a longer encore, at least a few more songs, but Jeff appeared to be pissed. The next night's encores more than make up for this shorter show. To be continued...

Enjoy!

 

The master tapes from the two concerts. Viovoom (Jessy Greene's band) opened both nights.

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use

Please share!

 

WILCO
First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
June 29, 2001
AUD Master (cassette)

01. Misunderstood
02. A Shot In The Arm
03. War On War
04. I'm Always In Love
05. How to Fight Loneliness
06. Hesitating Beauty
07. Blood Of The Lamb
08. She's A Jar
09. Forget The Flowers
10. Airline To Heaven
11. Remember The Mountain Bed
12. California Stars
13. Sunken Treasure

Encore:
14. encore break- crowd
15. Jesus, Etc.
16. Kamera
17. I'm The Man Who Loves You
18. I Got You (At The End Of The Century)
19. Hoodoo Voodoo
20. Casino Queen
21. Monday

Encore 2:
22. Reservations

Wilco- 2001-06-29 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN FLAC Master. rar

The Jayhawks- All "Covers" Show- Minneapolis 2021

 

In this weird topsy turvy world we're living in, I haven't been to a live concert in almost a year. I've had other dry spells in recent years, but I've had the choice to attend or not. Now, at least here in Canada, gathering of people is still a non-starter and my guess is that it will still be a while before I can see a band or any type of live performer in the foreseeable future. Musicians have had to be creative to continue to make a living playing music and finding a venue for their performances have moved for the most part online. The last concert I personally recorded was the Wilco show last March a day or so before they cancelled the rest of their tour. It's funny because in the days and weeks leading up to the concert, I was considering cutting back on recording and taking the time to actually listen and enjoy shows without the worry of capturing a good recording. I haven't taken this approach in decades now because I was always worried I would "miss" some great moment I would regret missing. Now that there are no concerts to attend, I do miss the adrenaline of the live show and the reward of a great sounding souvenir. Enter the concept of live streaming concerts where bands can perform remotely from their home, recording studio or a stage in a cafe or club without a live crowd present, performing to an online audience. The quality of these performances have greatly varied, but they are rapidly improving and it's been worth checking out. Some are free, some you can donate what you want, while others you need to purchase tickets to view these live events. I have watched some shows from each category and while the performances have been generally good, the sterile atmosphere without an audience takes away that interaction, connection and excitement a live concert generates. This is similar to watching live sports (hockey comes to mind) without the crowds, it definitely loses something even with the fake crowd noise and flashing lights, it has become a made-for-TV event.

There are many pros to the online live streaming concerts to consider. You don't even have to leave your house (or apartment), you can eat and drink what you want during the show, you can wear what you want without considering the weather outside (hot or cold) and the comfort of sitting on your couch or desk chair is surely an upgrade from sitting or standing some distance from the stage. You don't have to feel crowded and squished while attending and as a taper, the worry of talkers, slammers or general ass-holes at the show sometimes makes attending a show an unpleasant experience. I stress a lot taping shows, on the lookout for bouncers and security, adjusting sound levels and pressing the right buttons in the dark and timing bathroom breaks (the balance of drinking vs not drinking during a concert). Location of the the seats or on the floor are also an important factors for getting a decent recording and since I'm height restricted (short), I often can barely see the stage, so it's much easier in the comfort of

home. While watching these live streams I've decided to put my recorder to good use and I'm inputting the audio directly into the recorder. Though the sound quality has been great, it hasn't been without flaws and glitches on my end with internet lag issues and me clicking the wrong buttons. The previously posted Juliana Hatfield streams sound fantastic, not without some issues that don't take away too much from the recording. The Jayhawks and front-man, Gary Louris have been streaming live shows throughout the pandemic and the latest group show was in January with an all-covers concert. The band performed many covers I've never heard them play and clearly many songs in the set they were still learning (sheet music), as well as a couple that have been known to be in a Jayhawks set (Driving Wheel, Revolution Blues). A very interesting, loose fun show (some false starts) with everyone in the band taking lead vocals, a refreshing take on these covers and I'm sure many of these songs will appear in future Jayhawks shows.

Notes:

• As mentioned earlier, there are glitches in this recording most obviously during the first track (Different Drum) where there are a couple of gaps of silence. Apparently, I clicked the screen when I was increasing the volume and it either paused or muted the audio for 10-15 seconds (twice!). I would have rerecorded the song if video was still up, but because of licensing issues it is no longer available. If anyone has a clean copy of the song, please DM me.
  
• A pleasant reoccurring appearance from sometimes Hawk/Smogger, Kraig Johnson on several songs and lead vocals on Revolution Blues, a Neil Young cover he sings with Golden Smog.
• Jim from the Facebook The Jayhawks Fan Page posted the setlist with the original artist and in bold, who sang lead vocals.  (The setlist posted at the bottom of the page will be in the text file in the download.)
  1. “Different drum” – Mike Nesmith 1964, also covered by Linda Ronstadt/Stone Poneys [GARY]
  2. “The End of the World” – Arthur Kent and Sylvia Dee song, first made popular by Herman Hermits, also covered by: Skeeter Davis, Brenda Lee, Carpenters [KAREN]
  3. “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” – Todd Rundgren 1972 [GARY]
  4. “She Sold Blackpool Rock,” Honeybus (1960s pop group) [TIM]
  5. “This Will be our year” - Zombies [GARY]
  6. “King of Hearts” – Lucinda Williams (from Happy Woman Blues) [KAREN]
  7. “Someone Who Cares” - The Only Ones [MARC]
  8. “What the Hell I Got” - Michel Pagliaro [TIM]
  9. “You Tore Me Down” - Flamin’ Groovies [GARY]
  10. “To Sir with love” – LuLu 1967 [KAREN]
  11. “I Don’t Want” - Sir Douglas Quintet [GARY]
  12. "Driving Wheel" a song written by British-born Canadian folk singer David Wiffen, popularized by Roger McGuinn, Tom Rush, The Cowboy Junkies, David Bromberg (appears on the Jayhawks “Live at the Women’s Club 1 CD) [TIM]
  13. “A Salty Dog” - Procol Harum 1969 [GARY]
  14. "We Have All The Time In The World" – Louis Armstrong [KAREN]
  15. “Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)” - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (glam rock, later covered by Duran Duran and Suzi Quatro) 1974 [GARY]
  16. “Satellite of Love” - Lou Reed, (from “Transformer,” produced by David Bowie, Mick Ronson, later covered and made a hit by U2) 1972 [MARC]
  17. “Got To Get Out of Here” - Badfinger (from “Wish You Were Here”) 1974 [TIM]
  18. “Here Comes Your Man” - The Pixies [GARY]
  19. “Revolution Blues” - Neil Young [KRAIG]
  
• Since the video is no longer available, I don't know about the logistics of posting the audio of the show. This whole live stream concert etiquette is still somewhat new, so if there is any objection to posting this show, either the band or management label people, please let me know. 

Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording! 

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

Please share!

THE JAYHAWKS
Slamhammer Production Facility
Minneapolis, MN.
January 10, 2021

Live Stream
All covers show!

01. Different Drum (G)
02. End Of The World (K)
03. Couldn't I Just Tell You (G)
04. She Sold Blackpool Rock (T)
05. This Will Be Our Year (G)
06. King Of Hearts (K)
07. Someone Who Cares (M)
08. What The Hell I Got (T)
09. You Tore Me Down (G)
10. To Sir With Love (K)
11. I Don't Want (G)
12. Driving Wheel (T)
13. A Salty Dog (G)
14. We Have All The Time In The World (K)
15. Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) (G)
16. Satellite Of Love (M)
17. Got to Get Out Of Here (T)
18. Here Comes Your Man (G)
19. Revolution Blues (KJ)

Musicians:
Gary Louris- guitar, vocals (G- lead vocal)
Marc Perlman- bass, guitar, vocals (M- lead vocal)
Karen Grotberg- piano, vocals (K- lead vocal)
Tim O'Reagon- drums, guitar, vocals (T- lead vocal)
Kraig Johnson- guitar, bass, vocals (KJ- lead vocal)

 

JAYHAWKS- 2021-01-10 Slamhammer, Minneapolis, MN FLAC. rar

The Replacements- Live At the First Avenue 1986

For the final installment of the mini-tribute to the First Avenue in Minneapolis, we have a band that helped bring national attention to Minneapolis during the 80's (besides Prince). At least in the alternative/indie rock genre, when I think of Minneapolis, I think of the Replacements. They were a semi-regular performer at the First Avenue/7th St. Entry during most of their career since about 1981 and their shows were always much talked about. Fortunately, there are many documented live recordings from these shows that have been shared among fans for years. I never turn down an opportunity to download and listen to a Replacements show because they are never the same, the setlists are always different and depending on the mood (drunkenness) of the band the choice of cover songs could get pretty wild. Of all the bands I collect, I definitely enjoy the Replacements shows the most and though some disappoint, they are never boring or uneventful.

1986 was a pivotal year for the Replacements, they began the year preparing to tour the U.S. East Coast in support of Tim that was released in September 1985. Tim was probably their most critically acclaimed album of their career and the last with Bob Stinson as a member. They were at their peak with the original lineup and playing some of their best shows in 1985 and early 1986. The live recording, Live At Maxwell's recorded on February 4 was released a couple years ago and the sound quality and performance was unbelievably good! Their infamous appearance on Saturday Night Live on January 18th helped secure their legend, but probably prevented the band from gaining more mainstream success. Following their SNL performance, the Replacements returned home to Minneapolis for a pair of shows at the First Avenue. You can find both shows at the Replacements Live Archive Project website (in mp3 format) and I have one of those shows, the second one (January 22) here in lossless format. The recording is a clear, possibly a soundboard, upfront sounding and it's noteworthy because this is Bob Stinson's last show as a Replacement in Minneapolis. As I mentioned earlier, the bands performance is sometimes dictated by the level of alcohol consumption the band partakes in and this is definitely a drunken show. Paul's slurring during between song banter is apparent and the drunken covers dominate the second half of the show. Despite the drunkenness, the set is great and coherently performed and is very entertaining. This does not disappoint!
Enjoy!

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


THE REPLACEMENTS
First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
January 22, 1986

Cassette (???)> Sony Standalone Burner> Audacity> FLAC

01. Dose of Thunder
02. Hold My Life
03. Gimme Noise
04. Kick Your Door Down
05. Little Mascara
06. Answering Machine
07. Left of The Dial
08. Johnny's Gonna Die
09. Unsatisfied
10. Waitress In The Sky
11. Kiss Me On The Bus
12. I Will Dare
[tape flip]
13. Rock And Roll All Night (Kiss)
14. Yummy Yummy Yummy (Ohio Express)
15. Color Me Impressed
16. Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out
17. Folsom Prison Blues (Cash)
18. Substitute (Who)
19. Take Me Down To The Hospital
20. Jean Genie (Bowie)
21. Yeah Yeah (Revillos)
22. Last Time (Rolling Stones)
23. September Gurls (Big Star)
24. Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Lloyd Price)
25. Easier Said Than Done (Essex)

original notes: It's probably a soundboard tape (kinda a rough one), but I'm not too sure.
The crowd noise is a little distant, so that's what I'm thinking.
[76:44]

THE REPLACEMENTS- 1986-01-22 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN FLAC. rar

Hoodoo Gurus- First Avenue, Minneapolis 1991

Two of my favourite concerts I attended both were headlined by the Hoodoo Gurus. The first time I saw the Gurus was October 31, 1989 at the (currently closed) Playhouse Theatre on tour for Magnum Cum Louder. Yes, it was on Halloween night, we had first row balcony seats and the venue was a grand old theatre, not unlike the Burton Cummings Theatre (formerly the Walker) in downtown Winnipeg, which is similar, but smaller. Anyways, it was the perfect venue for this night as the Hoodoo Gurus took to the stage in the pitch dark, then blasted through their first bunch of songs at breakneck speed, clad in little black masks (kind of like Robin or the Green Hornet), with eerie light illuminating from the small orange pumpkin lights draping the drum kit. It was awesome! This show is definitely in my top 10 concerts I attended in my hometown. I know I've seen a "bootleg" live recording of the show on cassette at a record show in the 90's, but haven't been able to find a copy.

The other time I saw the Hoodoo Gurus was at the University of Manitoba during their "Frosh Week" in early September 1991. The band was on tour to promote their latest album, Kinky and though I saw them only two years prior, the main reason I went to the concert was because the Young Fresh Fellows were the opening band. I was already a hardcore Fellows fan at this point, but I had never seen them live and I have to tell you, this show changed my life. The Fellows were amazing, Tad's extra long swinging cymbal, Kurt bouncing uncontrollably around the stage and all the songs sounded even better live. I can't remember what songs they played or for how long they played, but I was in awe from start to finish during their set. I remember during their set, the Smugglers (who were suppose to be the first opening band and were on tour with the Fellows)) took to the stage to play a couple of their songs with the Fellows equipment and I thought, WOW, who does that? Apparently, (according to Grant Lawrence's book, Dirty Windshields: The Best And The Worst of the Smugglers Tour Diaries) when the Hoodoo Gurus road manager saw the gig poster advertising three bands, he demanded one of the openers be dropped because the fine print of the Hoodoo Gurus contract stated only one opener. Lawrence acknowledged that the Fellows offered the kind gesture of inviting them on stage during their set, a classy act. There's a great part in the book about the huge, expansive rider (food, booze) the Gurus had in their dressing room and how a couple of the Fellows completely trashed the room to teach them a lesson for their "egotism". By the time the Hoodoo Gurus played it seemed anti-climatic after the Fellows set and kinda wish the Smugglers played their own set because the energy level of the Gurus couldn't compare to what we had seen already. There was nothing wrong with the Hoodoo Gurus, I'm sure it was great, but it got me itching to see the Young Fresh Fellows again, hopefully as the headliner. Another highlight of the evening was having an impromptu conversation with Scott McCaughey of the Fellows after their set, thus elevating this show to my personal top 10.

Since I couldn't find the recording for the first show (1989), I do have a Hoodoo Gurus show shortly after their show in Winnipeg on the same tour (1991) and so happens to be at the First Avenue in Minneapolis, a short 7 hour drive south of the Peg. Apparently, this live recording has been in circulation, (yes, and you can purchase this on Amazon, but don't!) and the sound quality is from a FM broadcast and captures the live sound of the Hoodoo Gurus well. A nice sounding show from the Kinky tour, as they play a good mix of newer material along with Guru classics. The Hoodoo Gurus are scheduled to tour the U.S. in October and November and it would be very cool to see them live again. No dates in Minneapolis and during these troubling times, who knows if the tour will go ahead as planned. Fingers crossed!
Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!
Do NOT convert to lossy format (except for personal use)
Please share!


HOODOO GURUS
First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
October 9, 1991
Radio Broadcast

01. Intro
02. A Place In the Sun
03. Arthur
04. Another World
05. Brainscan
06. Too Much Fun
07. Dig It Up
08. Desiree
09. Death In The Afternoon
10. Death Defying
11. Come Anytime
12. Middle Of The Land
13. 1000 Miles Away
14. Miss Freelove '69
15. Axegrinder
16. Leilani
17. SOS
18. Stomp The Tumbarumba
19. Highway Star
20. Today Your Love Tomorrow The World
21. Bittersweet
22. What's My Scene
23. I Was A Kamikaze Pilot
24. Like Wow-Wipeout
25. I Think You know
26. The Generation Gap

HOODOO GURUS- 1991-10-09 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN FLAC. rar