Bootlegs Gone Mainstream? Nirvana- Dreamerz, Chicago, July 8, 1989

 

 

Last week, I opened the entertainment section of the local newspaper and spotted an (over) half-page article titled, BOOTLEG BONANZA, with the subtitle, "Volunteers turn fan's recordings of 10,000 concert into online treasure trove". The fan in question, you've read about here on the blog back in December 2024, Aadam Jacobs has made 1000's of live recordings of shows he attended and archived them in his home before sharing them online. I check the collection on archive.org everyday to see the latest shows posted and I've downloaded a big chunk onto the hard drive in case they disappear at some point. So many great bands I'm already a fan of, as well as lesser known groups that you can listen to and sample without any cost. My first thought when I read the article (you can read it online on the CBC website with additional photos) was, "WOW", have bootlegs and live recordings gone mainstream? I still have the belief these kind of unauthorized live recordings were still considered a grey area and borderline illegal (obviously, I don't feel that way!) and for that reason I stay stealth and under the radar and don't openly record because some venues don't take kindly to audio recording (ban it!). Yet it seems to be common practice to blatantly wave around your smartphone and video record as much as you want without any concern. My definition of the term "bootleg" is more to do with the selling and profit from these recordings, but most of the recordings I've acquired have been through trades and sharing and my recordings have never been up for sale (yet, a local record store has in the past had my actual live concert recordings for sale at the store). This really is a bonanza for fans of live music, as my feeling is that hearing a live recording of a concert you attended is the ultimate souvenir of the show. For hardcore fans, you hear the band in their element, not just the studio versions of the songs, but the performer performing and capturing this moment is special. For many people, the inferior sound quality of an audience recording is hard to listen to with the crowd noise/talking a distraction, muffled vocals and distorted instruments, but for tapers, this is the actual sound we hear at the concert, it's real and it feels like they're there. I'm sure Aadam would agree, the audio recording of the band is just one of the elements of a live show. It's the atmosphere and experience that comes with being in a crowd of like-minded music fans and though there is nothing that beats actually being there live, you can at least relive some of this experience with a tape of the show. 

 

  

The Nirvana show from 1989 (below) is described in the opening paragraph of the article and is a terrific listen. The rawness of the recording is something hard to describe without hearing it and we can thank Aadam for being there in the moment. There are several shows of bands on the cusp of success before hitting bigger fame (and fortune?) and it's a treat to hear them play in smaller, intimate venues. There's another Nirvana show in the collection that took place a few months later in a larger venue, that shows the growth of band in a short period, which is cool. Reading the article reminds me I need to digitize the rest of my live recordings on cassette, before it's too late and this will be my goal in 2026.

Enjoy!

 

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

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

Please share! 

 

 

 

Nirvana

Dreamerz

Chicago, IL

July 8, 1989 

Recording generously loaned from the Aadam Jacobs Audio Archive.

Source: Aiwa CM-30A Stereo Mic > Sony TC-D5M > Cassette (M)
Transfer: Cassette (M) > Nakamichi LX-5 > WAV
Mastering: WAV > Audacity (tracking) > FLAC > MP3Tag

Recorded by: Aadam Jacobs
Transferred by: Avery/vanark
Mastered by: Kliked

Setlist 

1. Intro
2. School
3. Floyd the Barber
4. Love Buzz
5. Mr. Moustache  
6. Paper Cuts
7. Polly
8. Big Cheese
9. Spank Thru
10. Dive
11. About A Girl
12. Scoff
13. Negative Creep
14. Blew

Kurt Cobain (vocals, guitar)
Krist Novoselic (bass)
Chad Channing (drums)
Jason Everman (guitar)

Opened for Precious Wax Drippings.

NIRVANA- 1989-07-08 Dreamerz, Chicago, IL 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

 

The Replacements- Goodnight! Go Home! Chicago 1984

(incredible) Photo by Gail Butensky (gailwithacamera)

 

To celebrate the end of 2025, I have a special treat for the Replacements fans that didn't buy the recent deluxe remastered box-set of the band's third full-length LP from 1984, but wanted to hear the live album (or disc). Due to technical (and possibly legal reasons), I won't refer to the album's title to stay under the radar, if you know what I mean. I am only posting the complete live show that was included with the box-set, and as you know I'm always a sucker for a live concert I haven't heard before. This set is longer and has a better setlist than when they played at the Cubby Bear a month earlier. Though there are "complaints" the sound isn't great here, it's a solid, lively concert with the band in top form. Celebrate the end of year the right way, with a band that released the best reissue of the year! 

 

See you in 2026! Later in the year, I'll be celebrating 20 years (seriously!) here at the Teenage Dogs In Trouble blog! Stay tuned!

Enjoy! 

 

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use

Please share! 

 

 

THE REPLACEMENTS
Goodnight! Go Home!

Live at Cubby Bear, Chicago, IL, 

August 17, 1984

01. Can’t Hardly Wait 
02. Left In The Dark 
03. Unsatisfied 
04. I Will Dare 
05. Favorite Thing 
06. Kids Don’t Follow 
07. Run It 
08. Color Me Impressed 
09. Hayday 
10. Nowhere Is My Home
11. Love You Till Friday
12. Help Me Rhonda/G.T.O.
13. Takin’ A Ride
14. Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out
15. Gary’s Got A Boner
16. Johnny’s Gonna Die
17. Can’t Get Enough
18. I’m In Trouble
19. Don’t Ask Why
20. Take Me Down To The Hospital
21. Shiftless When Idle
22. Mr. Whirly
23. Hitchin’ A Ride
24. Black Diamond
25. 20th Century Boy
26. Go
27. Gimme Noise
28. White And Lazy

 

THE REPLACEMENTS- 1984-08-17 Goodnight! Go Home FLAC. rar 

Replacements- Let It Be Deluxe Remaster Coming Soon!...& The Other Cubby Bear Show, July 1984

 

I feel I've been out of the loop music-wise this summer, without attending any live music concerts and limiting my record buying to a minimal. I'm still listening to a lot of music and though I haven't been thrilled with anything new lately, a bit of news about an upcoming Replacements box-set has peaked my interest. The band's 1984 classic album, Let It Be is finally getting the deluxe box treatment with the standard remastering of the original record, outtakes and unreleased songs, as well as a live show from Chicago in 1984. There isn't going to be a transformative re-mix similar to Tim and Don't Tell A Soul because no one had a problem with how Let It Be sounded and I say just, let it be. I slightly regret not buying the Tim: Let It Be Edition because the re-mix sounds great (here's a great album that truly suffered from a shitty mix), but I did buy the vinyl live album (Cabaret Metro, Chicago 1986) separately that was included on the Tim box. I did not regret that decision.

 

  

I have to admit, Let It Be is probably my favourite Replacements album and when I first heard it (I bought the LP in Minneapolis, of course), it elevated my love of the band. I had previously heard a couple of songs from Tim (just after it was released), so I wanted to hear more. In those pre-internet, pre-streaming days the option was to buy the physical records, I went and bought all the band's catalogue up to that point, no regrets! When I finally saw the group live at Midway in St. Paul during the reunion thing, the most moving moment for me was when they played Unsatisfied. It was definitely one of my most satisfying and memorable concert moments ever.

 

Not sure if I need to buy the deluxe remaster, but I am curious to hear the live recording from the Cubby Bear in Chicago, on August 1984. It claims to be an unreleased 28 song performance sourced from an audience tape and remastered. I haven't heard this recording, but as a teaser, I'm posting a show at the same venue from a month earlier. The July set was recorded by Aadam Jacob and I'm guessing the August show, included in the box might be as well. It'll be interesting to compare the band's "progress/growth" over a month and I'm also wondering if it's an opening vs headline set. Set your watches for October 24th.

Enjoy!

 

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

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

Please share! 

 

 

NOTE: This is NOT the same live concert included on the upcoming Let It Be Deluxe Edition box! 

 

 

THE REPLACEMENTS
The Cubby Bear
Chicago, Illinois  

July 7, 1984

Recording generously loaned from the Aadam Jacobs Audio Archive

Mastering: .WAV > Cool Edit Pro 2.0 (normalization; added fades at beginning and end) > CDWav (tracking) > Trader's Little Helper (level 8) > FLAC > 
TagScanner 6.1.19 (tagging)

Recorded by: Aadam Jacobs
Transferred by: Avery/vanark
Mastered by: elegymart

Total running time [51:34]
--------------------------------------------------
01  Hayday
02  Can't Hardly Wait
03  Light My Fire
04  Gary's Got a Boner
05  I Will Dare
06  Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes 
07  Color Me Impressed
08  Johnny's Gonna Die
09  We're Comin' Out
10  Unsatisfied
11  Take Me Down to the Hospital
12  Black Diamond 
13  I'm in Trouble
14  Let It Be
15  Music Is My Life
16  Go
17  Fuck School
18  God Damn Job
19  Shutup

Band line-up:
Paul Westerberg – vocals, guitar 
Tommy Stinson – bass guitar 
Bob Stinson – guitar 
Chris Mars – drums 

Notes:
Recording 01236 from the Aadam Jacobs Collection Project, coordinated by the Live Music Archive at the Internet Archive
Contact info: aadam.jacobs.project AT gmail DOT com

 

THE REPLACEMENTS- 1984-07-07 Cubby Bear, Chicago, IL FLAC. rar

 

Scott McCaughey- Lounge Ax, Chicago, August 16, 1997

 

It's a double play!

As promised, here's the opening set for the Minus 5 show at the Lounge Ax in 1997. The Young Fresh Fellows & Minus 5 front man, Scott McCaughey performs an acoustic solo set that includes mainly Fellows songs, as well as a Replacements (Westerberg) track, If Only You Were Lonely. I personally love hearing the "stripped down" version of songs, especially from such a great (and underrated) songwriter such as McCaughey and they hold-up well without the full band treatment. For the full concert experience (well, minus the Jon Langford's Skull Orchard set), listen to this solo set followed by the Minus 5 set, close your eyes and crank it. Another must-hear for fans of the Fellows!

Enjoy!

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use

Please share!

 

 

SCOTT McCAUGHEY

 Lounge Ax
Chicago, IL
August 16, 1997
(Opened for Jon Langford's Skull Orchard & Minus 5)

Master recording generously loaned from the Aadam Jacobs Audio Archive

Source:  Unknown mic & recorder > .WAV @ 16 bit/44.1 kHz
Mastering:  .WAV's > clidoe.com (merge .WAV files into one) > iZotope RX11 Advanced v11.0.1.3871 (De-Click) > Sound Forge Pro 14.0 Build 140 [minor edits, normalize, & fades, Boz Digital Labs
T-Bone2 plug-in (tilt EQ)] > CDWav (tracking) > Trader's Little Helper (level 5) > FLAC > TagScanner 6.1.17 (tagging)
Recorded by:  Aadam Jacobs
Transferred by:  Avery
Mastered by:  Dennis Orr

Setlist: (32:30)
01 Intro
02 Beer Money
03 Deep Down And In Between
04 Sittin' On A Pitchfork
05 Hank, Karen & Elvis
06 Hillbilly Drummer Girl
07 Somewhere We Went Right
08 Middle Man Of Time
09 If Only You Were Lonely
10 When The Girls Get Here
11 Rock 'N' Roll Pest Control
12 Chat
13 Back Room Of The Bar
14 The Telephone Tree

Scott McCaughey - vocals & guitar

Recording 00841 from the Aadam Jacobs Collection Project, coordinated by the Live Music Archive at the Internet Archive
Contact info: aadam.jacobs.project AT gmail DOT com

 

SCOTT MCCAUGHEY- 1997-08-16 Lounge Ax, Chicago, IL FLAC. rar

 

Minus 5- Live At the Lounge Ax, August 16, 1997

 In a previous post, I talked about Aadam Jacobs a music collector and archivist who has amassed an incredible collection of live concert recordings he recorded in Chicago from the 80's to mid-2010's. He is such an interesting character I'm glad someone has documented his unique (and very cool) life in a film released in 2023. Chicago filmmaker, Katlin Schneider made a documentary about Jacobs called, Melomaniac is a fascinating study of obsession and "abnormal fondness and intense devotion to music". We hear from club owners and musicians that have interacted with Jacobs through the years and how important he was to the local scene to document and promote bands through his live recordings. Personally, I feel a connection not only as a person that tapes every show he goes to, but also the intense love of music in all aspects. I don't think I'm anywhere near Aadam's level, as we tape not for profit (yes, never made any money with our shows), but for the pleasure of the ultimate souvenir of the memory of the show, because if no one else is documenting this, it will be lost in time and forgotten. 

 

Since I wasn't at the Chicago Underground Film Fest for the world premiere of Melomaniac in September 2023, I found the film online for viewing on the filmmaker's Vimeo page (scroll down to the bottom of the page). Well worth the watch, I thought it was very well done and for being Kailin's first full length feature, this was an outstanding effort. If you liked it, drop her a message on her page.

 

 There are so many interesting shows in the Jacob's archive I would love to post, but I'll restrict my enthusiasm to a select amount of live recordings that might be of interest to readers on this blog. A show from the Minus 5 at the Lounge Ax in Chicago from 1997, is a concert I've been keeping an eye out for a while. So glad Aadam attended the show and even the Minus 5's Wikipedia entry mentions the show.

 "While R.E.M. was in Georgia recording demos for what would become Up, The Minus 5 played its first two shows without Buck: at Chicago's Lounge Ax on August 16, 1997, the band consisted of McCaughey, Stringfellow, Jason Finn and Dharma Bums' Jim Talstra. The raucous gig was by far the band's longest to date: an 11-song McCaughey solo set followed by a 22-song Minus 5 powerhouse that included unreleased songs, several nuggets from My Chartreuse Opinion and covers of John Lennon and The Modern Lovers."

 

The show was also referenced in the Minus 5's song, The Night Chicago Died Again (The Death of The Minus 5). On the Lounge Ax recording, McCaughey even mentions the flood incident that occurred that day at the Ax: (excerpt from the song):

 

Well they came to Chicago
The new slaughterhouse four
Jimmy Talent, Puffy and Strings
I couldn't get one more
Then we went to Comiskey
Old man fell on my head
Then their was a terrible flood
10.000 people dead

That was the night
That was the night that Chicago Died
Again, again
Again, again

 

Water came from below
Rats and babies are floatin'
And water came from above
Yeah the Lounge Ax stayed open

 

Now some of Sue Miller's husbands
Were not performing very well that night
They had somehow been severely overserved
And then out went the pilot-light
And when Puffy and I started throwing matches down there
The water heater blew
Then there where two less husbands
That was alright with Sue

 

.... That's right, that was the night that Chicago died
I guess I feel pretty fortune to have been there

 

...and we are pretty fortunate this was recorded! For the encore, the band performs portions of a few "butchered" Young Fresh Fellow songs which was very cool! Scott opened the show with a solo set of mainly Fellows songs, which is always appreciated! I'll post the solo set (which was also recorded) next.

Enjoy! 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy versions, except for personal use

Please share!

 

 

Minus 5
Lounge Ax
Chicago, IL
August 16, 1997

Master recording generously loaned from the Aadam Jacobs Audio Archive

Source:  Unknown mic & recorder > .WAV @ 16 bit/44.1 kHz
Mastering:  .WAV's > clidoe.com (merge .WAV files into one) > iZotope RX11 Advanced v11.0.1.3871 (De-Click) > Sound Forge Pro 14.0 Build 140 [minor edits, normalize, & fades, Boz Digital Labs
T-Bone2 plug-in (tilt EQ)] > CDWav (tracking) > Trader's Little Helper (level 5) > FLAC > TagScanner 6.1.17 (tagging)
Recorded by:  Aadam Jacobs
Transferred by:  Avery
Mastered by:  Dennis Orr

Setlist: (1:07:28)
01 Boeing Spacearium
02 Find A Finger
03 Chat & Tuning
04 Wicked Annabella
05 Popsycle Shoppe
06 Vulture
07 Band Intros
08 The Rest Of The World
09 Chat & Tuning
10 Real True Tragedy Incident
11 How Many Bones
12 I Still Miss Someone
13 You'll Never See My Face Again
14 Chat & Tuning
15 Evolution >
16 Echos Myron
17 Chat & Tuning
18 My Mummy's Dead > Power To The People
19 The Real Prime Directive >
20 All The Time
21 Chat
22 Government Center
23 Encore Break
- Encore -
24 Taco Wagon
25 Aurora Bridge
26 Mighty Mighty Bosstones Riffs
27 Amy Grant
28 My Friend Ringo
29 Chat & Tuning
30 Wasted Bandage
31 Chat & Tuning
32 Power To The People
33 Outro

Scott McCaughey - lead vocals & guitar
Ken Stringfellow – guitar
Jimmy Talent - bass
Jason Fidler – drums

Recording 00766 from the Aadam Jacobs Collection Project, coordinated by the Live Music Archive at the Internet Archive
Contact info: aadam.jacobs.project AT gmail DOT com

 

MINUS 5- 1997-08-16 Lounge Ax, Chicago, IL FLAC. rar

 

The Beths- Lincoln Hall, Chicago, March 6, 2019

 

Reflecting back on the last few years, I realize I haven't listened to a lot of new music and I'm losing touch of bands that have have appeared into the 2020's. One band that I can say for certain I follow and enjoy are The Beths from Auckland, New Zealand. To date, the band has released three studio albums, one live and an EP in 2016. I first heard the band when I listened to a live recording of a show they played in 2018, in the UK. This was before I actually heard their first album, Future Me Hates Me, which blew me away with it's infectiously catchy pop melodies and songs that are instantly likable. Every song on their debut album is excellent and they've carried over the solid formula on their follow-up releases. They have to be the most unpretentious and non-flashy band I've heard in a long time, no gimmicks, pyro or over-the-top stage shows for this band. The lead singer/guitarist, Elizabeth Stokes is a cute, modest lovable presence that I enjoy and lead guitarist, Jonathan Pearce is an outstanding player that drives the sound of the band. They've toured several times to the U.S. (unfortunately haven't seen them live), so catch them if they come to your town.

The earliest live recording I have from the Beths is a set that performed in Chicago (you sense a "Chicago"-theme for the last few posts? The NHL outdoor classic is today at Wrigley in Chicago) in 2019, that features songs from the EP (Warm Blood) and the then, soon-to-be released debut. The recording is from a Webcast and the audio is a soundboard, so the sound quality is outstanding and is as good as any live album. The band's official live album, Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 was released in 2021. Great performance and a worthwhile listen for anyone that appreciates good power-pop and rockin' melodies!

Enjoy!

There is some video from this concert, Live At the Lincoln Hall on YouTube (webcast?)

Happy Unhappy

Little Death

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use

Please share!

 

 

 

The Beths
Lincoln Hall
Chicago, Illinois
March 6, 2019

Lineage: LIVE Webcast -> FFmpeg (capture & edit) -> uncompressed .ts
Video: MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920x1080 16:9 2240 Kbps 30.00 fps
Audio: AAC 128 Kbps 48.0 KHz stereo

Setlist:

01. Whatever
02. You Wouldn't Like Me
03. Not Running
04. Warm Blood
05. Great No One
06. River Run: (Lvl 1)
07. Idea/Intent
08. Lying in the Sun
09. Happy Unhappy
10. <chit-chat & thank you's>
11. Little Death
12. Less Than Thou

Encore:
13. <applause, crowd>
14. Future Me Hates Me
15. Uptown Girl

 

TRT: 00:57:42

 

Notes: The Beths occupy a warm, energetic sonic space between joyful hooks, sun-soaked harmonies, and acerbic lyrics. Hailing from New Zealand, they've already won fans as a live act — the band released its first album, 'Future Me Hates Me', in August 2018 after first wowing critics with their EP, 'Warm Blood'.

The Beths are:
Elizabeth Stokes - vocals, guitar
Jonathan Pearce - guitar, vocals
Benjamin Sinclair - bass, vocals
Ivan Luketina-Johnston - drums, vocals, tambourine

https://thebethsnz.bandcamp.com/ 

THE BETHS- 2019-03-06 Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL FLAC. rar

Scruffy The Cat- Live At the Cubby Bear, September 30, 1987

Photo: Hugh Taylor

 

Yesterday, I visited my local record store to cash in a gift certificate I received as a Christmas gift. One of my purchases was the The Replacements- Not Ready For Prime Time double live album recorded at the Cabaret Metro in Chicago in 1986. I rarely buy new albums since they're so stupidly expensive ($56!), but they're wasn't better options, plus any live Mats is worth having in my collection. The liner notes written by Bob Mehr, who wrote that very detailed and excellent bio book about the band, mentions the Mat's sound man, Monty Lee Wilkes recorded the set from the board, that was mixed with an audience recording from Chicago taper, Aadam Jacobs for the crowd noise and ambiance. A few weeks back, I read about the Aadam Jacobs Collection that recently (December 1st) had his collection of live recordings posted on the Live Music Archive. In partnership with the Live Music Archive, Jacob's collection is being digitized, with recordings uploaded as they are processed by a volunteer team from the Live Music Archive. Shows have been continually being added and as of this writing, there are 121 shows. Jacobs has been referred to as the "Chicago Taping Guy" who recorded live shows in the 80's, 90's and 2000's, as he attended a dozen or more gigs a month, and has spent decades capturing thousands of performances with an incredible archive of audio tapes. There are roughly 10,000 tapes with approximately 3 sets per tape and likely around 30,000 separate performances. He has basically archived a live history of indie rock shows in Chicago, with local bands as well as early performances from bands that went on to significant fame. The list is impressive so far and I look forward to seeing more bands I'm familiar with. Reading about Jacobs has me thinking I should have taped more and seen way more shows in my life. I'm more picky now and it takes something special for me to see a band, but in my younger days, I loved seeing live music and I didn't start taping until the early 90's and wish I recorded some great gigs in the 80's. After reading more articles about Jacob's legacy (links below), I am so inspired by his work and WOW, this guy's my hero!

Aadam Jacobs

What originally got my attention about the Aadam Jacobs Collection was a post on a Scruffy The Cat fan site on Facebook that there were several Scruffy shows in the collection. Recorded at the Cubby Bear and the Lounge Ax in Chicago, I hadn't heard or seen these shows available before. You can listen to the concerts, whole or in part and it's downloadable in mp3 or 24 bit Flac. I've downloaded the shows and they sound fabulous, definitely a treasure trove for Scruffy fans and thanks so much for the team making these available. I'm posting the first of the Scruffy The Cat shows posted (interesting to note: supporting band for this gig was the Young Fresh Fellows, hope their set was recorded too!), offering it up in the original 24-bit version and the (smaller file and sounds just as good) 16-bit version. I may post more from the collection, but you should check out the link to see updates (more recordings!) on the Live Archive page.

Enjoy!

 

Aadam Jacobs Collection 

Article in the Chicago Sun-Times about a documentary film, Melomaniac about Aadams Jacobs

Chicago's Hidden Music Archive-WBEZ- detailed article about Jacobs

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use

Please share!

 

SCRUFFY THE CAT
Cubby Bear
Chicago, IL
1987-09-30
 

Master Cassette generously loaned from the Aadam Jacobs Audio Archive

Transfer: Cassette (M) > Akai HX-R40 > Sony PCM-A10 (24/48)
Mastering: Izotope RX8 (remove countless static spikes throughout recording, particularly prevalent on right channel); Audacity (balance L/R levels); CDwav (tracksplit)

Recorded by: Aadam Jacobs
Transfer by: vanark
Mastering by: mxs
Setlist: Dennis Orr

01. Tuning
02. Intro
03. C'mon Everybody
04. Thomas Doubter
05. Tiger Tiger
06. Time Never Forgets
07. Shadow Boy
08. Mama Killed Hate
09. Big Fat Monkey's Hat
10. Places
11. Capital Moonlight
12. Buy A Car
13. Moons Of Jupiter
14. Never, never
15. Instrumental
16. Mybabyshe'sallright
17. My Fate Was Sealed With A Kiss
18. Long Way To Go
19. Upside Down
20. Drum Solo >
21. Wipeout
22. King Size Cigarette
23. Pussy Whipped
24. Get It On (Bang A Gong) (with "96 Tears" tease)
- Encore -
25. Hang On Sloopy
26. Wipeout (Reprise)

Charlie Chesterman - lead vocals, guitar, & harmonica
Stephen Fredette - lead guitar & vocals
Burns Stanfield - keyboards
Mac Stanfield - bass
Randall Lee Gibson IV - drums

Tape 0001 from the Aadam Jacobs Collection Project, coordinated by the Live Music Archive at the Internet Archive
Contact info: aadam.jacobs.project AT gmail DOT com

 

SCRUFFY THE CAT- 1987-09-30 Cubby Bear, Chicago, IL 24 bit FLAC. rar

SCRUFFY THE CAT- 1987-09-30 Cubby Bear, Chicago, IL 16 bit FLAC. rar

Rockpile- The Park West, Chicago 1978

 

Tonight, for the first time I'm seeing Nick Lowe live! It's hard to believe he hasn't played Winnipeg, though he came close several years ago at the Winnipeg Folk Festival (which technically is outside of Winnipeg), but I prefer the confines of an indoor concert venue to properly see and hear a performer. I've spent the past week "concert cramming", meaning I've listened to everything Lowe has recorded in his long illustrious career that spanned from the late 60's when he joined, Kippington Lodge (which later became Brinsley Schwarz), through his Rockpile days, right up to his current solo albums, which include his collaboration with Los Straitjackets. I have pretty much all his releases up to 1988's. Pinker And Prouder Than Previous, so I was somewhat surprised how many more albums he released since 1990. Admittingly, they're all good and worth a listen, with a mature, older Lowe switching gears slightly, but still has the energy and spark to keep touring and making new music. The show I'm seeing will be Nick and his guitar solo, i would have preferred to see his with Los Straitjackets, but I should just be happy he's playing. He's joined by Canadian singer-songwriter, Ron Sexsmith, who I've seen a couple of times, so it should be a good solid concert, though I'm expecting a mellow, seated show, which I'm fine with. I have a prime seat, first row balcony which will not only be perfect sight-lines, but also it should produce a excellent sounding recording (fingers crossed security looks the other way!). If it all works out, I'll be posting a review/live recording of the show soon!

 

To get in the mood, I'm posting a vintage Rockpile live show from 1978. It's a great sounding broadcast and the lads are smoking hot! This would be circa, Jesus Of Cool (Pure Pop For Now People)/Tracks On Wax 4).

Enjoy!

 

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

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

Please share!

 

 

ROCKPILE

(billed as: Dave Edmunds Rockpile featuring Nick Lowe)
The Park West
Chicago IL.
November 12th, 1978
 

Late Show
WXRT Unconcert FM Broadcast
R.J.P. Reel to Reel Master
Transferred and Presented By Krw_co

LINEAGE WXRT CHICAGO FM BROADCAST>REEL TO REEL @ 3 & 3/4 IPS TEAC A-7300 REEL TO REEL>
W/MANUAL AZIMUTH ADJUSTMENT>CREATIVE SOUNDBLASTER X-FI HD MODEL #SB1240 WAV (24/96KHZ)
MAGIX AUDIO CLEANING LAB FOR KRW TRACK MARKS VOLUME ADJUSTMENT AND EDITS>WAV 24/96>
TRADERS LITTLE HELPER FLAC LEVEL 8

SETLIST
1 Bobby Skafish WXRT intro
2 Down Down Down
3 So It Goes
4 I Knew The Bride
5 Deborah
6 Trouble Boys
7 I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass
8 You'll Never Get Me Up In One Of Those
9 Bye Bye Johnny
10 Love So Fine
11 Here Comes The Weekend
12 The Promised Land
13 I Hear You Knocking
14 They Call It Rock
15 JuJu Man
16 Heart Of The City
17 Let's Talk
18 WXRT outro

 

 THE BAND
Dave Edmunds guitar vocals piano organ
Nick Lowe bass vocals
Billy Bremner guitar vocals
Terry Williams drums

 

ROCKPILE- 1978-11-12 Park West, Chicago, IL FLAC. rar

Liz Phair- Exile In Guyville 30th Anniversary Show, Chicago, November 18, 2023

 

There are certain albums that are career-making for artists that are best known for that record even years later. For Liz Phair, it was her debut album released 30 years ago (technically 31 now in 2024), Exile In Guyville that placed her on the rock 'n 'roll map with a brilliant debut and without argument, her best album. When Guyville came out it was a time when alternative music was gaining the attention of mainstream audiences and Grunge was already converting listeners to non-commercial music, as Nirvana's, Nevermind came out two years earlier. 

 

I was thinking about Exile In Guyville a few weeks ago, as I was preparing to submit a grant proposal for an art project that will focus on portable cassette players (Walkmans) and cassette culture. Recently, I've been a bit obsessive about Walkmans and older, obsolete technology (and my minidisc recorder recently died), so I've been painting and drawing these game-changing machines and using them to listen to tapes again. The grant will allow me to expand deeper on this theme both in quantity and quality (more on that later, if I get it). Anyways, the connection here is that Liz Phair's, Girly-Sound tapes preceded Guyville, recorded in her bedroom on a 4-track cassette recorder and those tapes, which were circulated to early fans in Chicago, helped get her record deal with Matador.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the album, Phair and her band toured the record and played the album in it's entirety and for the encore a couple of her best known songs. For the hometown show in Chicago, Liz performed all six songs she rotated in and out of the encores in other cities. She was warmly welcomed at the sold out show at the Chicago Theatre and it would have been amazing to be there. I left the recording notes and comments from the taper, to give you more details about the sound quality and the concert.

Taper Comments: Liz brought her 30th anniversary "Exile in Guyville" tour to the sold-out Chicago Theatre and the results are what one might have expected -- the fan base that all own "Vs.", "In Utero," and various Cranberries albums were rapturous at seeing "Exile in Guyville" in its entirety. Four backing singers appeared in strategic spots in the audience (spread across the main floor and balcony) for "Flower" and "Johnny Sunshine," in what I suspect was a one-off for Chicago -- it was very cool having spotlights on singers throughout the auditorium backing the songs. The encore featured *all six* of the songs that she's been rotating in and out of the encores throughout the tour, presumably making this the longest show of the tour. She paused before "Go West" to apologize for adding songs as a nod to her hometown fans, for those who would be late for commitments they'd made after the show. :)

The performance was great, and Liz frequently noted that the show was a dream come true for her.

The recording itself is very good. There are moments that the enthusiastic crowd impinges on the music, although mostly this is manifest in loud bursts of applause between songs. The women next to me were chatty, but you can't really hear them because I had a solid line on the left stack and the music drowns out nearby audience chatter. The guy to my right had a few enthusiastic outbursts that I can't really do anything about, but it just accentuates the excitement of the crowd.

Enjoy!

 

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

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

Please share!

 

Liz Phair
Chicago Theatre
Chicago, Illinois
November 18, 2023

Source:  DPA 4060 => Tascam DR-2d
Conversion:  WAV => Audio Cleaning Lab => FLAC (16-bit)

Location: 6th row, left side

Track listing:

CD1 (58:44):
(1)  Intro (1:08)
(2)  6' 1" (3:04)
(3)  Help Me Mary (2:43)
(4)  Glory (2:00)
(5)  Dance of the Seven Veils (2:37)
(6)  Banter (1:04)
(7)  Never Said (3:26)
(8)  Soap Star Joe (3:14)
(9)  Explain It To Me (3:02)
(10)  Canary (3:43)
(11)  Mesmerizing (4:28)
(12)  Fuck and Run (3:42)
(13)  Girls! Girls! Girls! (2:20)
(14)  Divorce Song (4:12)
(15)  Shatter (5:11)
(16)  Flower (2:44)
(17)  Johnny Sunshine (5:02)
(18)  Banter (0:41)
(19)  Gunshy (4:14)

CD2 (33:34):
(1)  Stratford-on-Guy (3:07)
(2)  Strange Loop (4:24)
(3)  Encore break (1:54)
(4)  Supernova (3:09)
(5)  Johnny Feelgood (4:04)
(6)  Go West (3:48)
(7)  Polyester Bride (4:14)
(8)  Extraordinary (3:39)
(9)  Band introductions (0:30)
(10)  Why Can't I? (4:21)
(11)  Outro (0:18)

LIZ PHAIR- 2023-11-18 Chicago, FLAC. rar

Today Is International Clash Day! Live In Chicago 1979

 

 

In case you weren't aware, today is International Clash Day! This is a day to sit back and enjoy their music and reflect on the influence and impact the band's music made on our lives through their songs, albums and live shows. The band's music had an influence on reggae, pop, disco, punk, rock, rap, and even world music. As Joe Strummer, co-founder of the Clash once said, the band is “…anti-fascist, we’re anti-violence, we’re anti-racist, and we’re pro-creative. We’re against ignorance.”

 

International Clash Day started as a movement on February 7, 2013 when John Richards, radio host on Seattle's, KEXP played Clash songs all day. This year, the station will focus on the message, "Know Your Rights" which is just as relevant now as when that song was written, maybe even more so. 

As a tribute to Clash Day, I'm posting a show I thought I had in a box somewhere, so I had to grab a fresh copy from Dime. This concert is from the second leg of their 1979 North American tour and was recorded for a radio broadcast, so the sound quality is excellent! The songs in the set are a sweet spot, because not only are there songs from the first two albums, but a preview of songs from the upcoming, London Calling album, which would be released in December. My first ever Clash live recording (on cassette) was a show at the Palladium in New York City a week later, which was also a radio broadcast and it's a widely available bootleg.

To do today: Listen to the Clash!

Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

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

Please share!

 

The Clash
Aragon Ballroom
Chicago, IL US
Performance Date: 1979-09-14

Broadcast date: 2015-08-16 WXRT-FM

Lineage: HD over fm>Sangean HDT-1>Rotel-05 SE>SoundBlaster (Live! 24 bit External)>wav

(CD Wave Editor)>flac

Jimmy Jazz 2:42
I'm So Bored With The U.S.A. 2:43
Complete Control 3:08
London Calling 3:34
Clampdown 4:30
(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais 4:08
Koka Kola 1:33
I Fought The Law 2:34
Jail Guitar Doors 2:51
Police & Thieves 5:24
Stay Free 4:06
Clash City Rockers 4:02
Safe European Home 3:36
Capital Radio One 3:21
Janie Jones 2:04
Garageland 3:16
Armageddon Time 4:30
Career Opportunities>White Riot 4:51

Total Time: 63:00

 

THE CLASH- 1979-09-14 Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL FLAC. rar 

Halloween Special- Local H As Nirvana 1997

 

 

 

Actually this is a post-Halloween special as I was too busy yesterday preparing for the onslaught of costumed kids by carving pumpkins and bagging up treats. Despite our efforts, by spreading bags on a table outside and social distancing sitting outside in costume for over 2 hours, we had a whopping 11 people at the house. Half of those took candy after we retreated inside after 8pm, because it is cold and windy enough to still have snow on the ground. Damn you Covid! Oh well, the night wasn't a total loss...more candy for me! We live in a region that is in a "code red alert" lock-down so Halloween parties and concerts are definitely not happening, so the next best thing is listening to or watching some Halloween themed concerts.

One band that always delivers on Halloween is Local H, who have performed almost every year at the Double Door in Chicago for their annual Halloween bashes, which began in 1996. Local H would perform as other bands and play a complete set with that band's music. They have performed as Nirvana several times, in 1997, 2016 and last night for an outside drive-in concert (because of epidemic) in the parking lot of Booomers Stadium in Schaumburg, Illinois. They have also performed Halloween shows at the DD as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Hall and Oates, AC/DC, The Doors, Sex Pistols, Tom Petty and more, all with their amazing likenesses that would make most tribute bands jealous. Not only are the songs worthy covers, but the mannerisms and movements of the performers are uncanny. A couple nights ago, I fell through the rabbit hole and watched many of these complete shows on YouTube. Thanks to all that uploaded these great videos!

 

The first time Local H played as Nirvana was the Halloween show at the Double Door in 1997. I plucked the live audio recording off archive.org (where they have well over 500 Local H shows!) and they remarkably sound pretty convincing, and if you watch the video, Scott Lucas does a pretty good Kurt Cobain impression. If you're a fan of Nirvana, Local H or good clean fun, this is well worth a listen. 

Enjoy!

#14yearsoftrouble

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats (except for personal use)

Please share!

Local H
Playing as Nirvana for Halloween
The Double Door
Chicago, IL

October 31, 1997

01. Intro/School
02. Aneurysm
03. Breed
04. About a Girl
05. Serve the Servants
06. Sliver
07. Been a Son
08. Negative Creep
09. Love Song?
10. Rape Me
11. Tourette's
12. Lithium
13. Smells Like Teen Spirit
14. Territorial Pissings

LOCAL H (as Nirvana)- 1997-10-31 Double Door, Chicago, IL FLAC. rar

Young Fresh Fellows- Lounge Ax, Chicago 1990

When I first began collecting live concert recordings my main focus was Replacements shows. I missed out seeing the band live before they broke up 1991, but my wishes finally came true when I saw them during their semi-reunion tour a couple years ago. A band I equally loved back then was the Young Fresh Fellows who not only inspired me to write this blog (and inspired the name of the blog), but they also topped my list of bands I wanted to get everything they recorded. I believe I have in one form or another most or all YFF studio recordings including 7"ers and rare hard to find tribute tracks. I've only seen the Fellows twice and if money and travel wasn't an issue I would have seen them a lot more live. Much like the Replacements, the Young Fresh Fellows live were unpredictable. but always entertaining, sometimes messy fun. More so than the Replacements, the Fellows were also outstanding musicians who could play any size venue, open for anybody and had the vigor and spirit of an extra talented garage band that will blow your mind.

Back in the days of exchanging traders lists, my top want was always the Fellows and at first they were hard to find, but after connecting with a bunch of generous taper/traders I traded for shows on cassette and my addiction to the Young Fresh Fellows was being satisfied. Thanks to traders I've traded with in the past; Mitch, Eric, Brett, Marc, Mike E, Mike P, Tim and more who sent me Fellows shows through trades.

One of my all time favourite Young Fresh Fellows live recordings is one I got from Mike P, an audience recording from Chicago's, Lounge Ax in 1990. To me this is the quintessential YFF show, a great performance with all the charisma and fun sometimes goofy antics I associate with the Fellows. A nice documentation of the concert and a fine article about the band was written in the Chicago Reader that really makes me wish I could have been there. At least we have this recording to help imagine how amazing this show must have been. I've been meaning to post this show for while, and as the first post of the next decade of TDIT I wanted something special,  it was the ideal choice. Thanks for reading!
Enjoy!

(Note: Teenage Dogs In Trouble is on vacation for the next 2 weeks. Lots to post when I get back!)

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS
Lounge Ax
Chicago, IL
September 15, 1990

01. Amy Grant
02. Taco Wagon
03. Picture Book
04. Don't Let The Little Things Get Me Down
05. No One Really Knows
06. Groovy Town
07. My Boyfriend's In Killdozer
08. Sesame Street
09. Middleman Of Time
10. Woman's Prison
11. Rock'n'Roll Pest Control
12. When Things Was Cheap
13. Little Softy
14. Celebration
15. My Friend Ringo
16. Hangout Right
17. 76 Trombones
18. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
19. Young Fresh Fellows Theme
20. Hang On Sloopy
21. She's A Mystery
22. Rotation
23. Whole Lotta Pappy
24. When the Girls Get Here
25. My Sweet Lord
26. Topsy Turvy Theme
27. encore talk---
28. Ain't It Alright
29. Rock Around The Clock
30. Burnin' Love
31. Equator Blues
32. Wipe-Out
33. There's A Kind Of Hush
34. These Boots Are Made For Walking

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS- 1990-09-15 Lounge Ax, Chicago, IL FLAC. rar

Minus 5- Lounge Ax, January 9, 2000

Hey music fans, this Saturday, April 19 is the seventh annual Record Store Day! (RSD Canada) Its purpose is to celebrate the culture of the independent record store. Just to clarify, I mean independently owned, no corporate chain stores, not Starbucks, not iTunes or Apple Store, but the once dying breed, the record store. In the past several years, there has been a revival in vinyl, which is a good thing because so many people nowadays listen to their music on their phones or other "smart" devices more for the convenience than for the music listening experience. The sound quality of these pathetic "music listening" devices is so crappy sounding our perception and standards of quality music have been lowered. Many are clueless to the low fidelity and many don't care. Blame mp3's, blame iTunes, blame the internet, blame American Idol...these are all part of the problem and Record Store Day is about the awareness of good music, getting back to how music was bought and listened to in my day (yes, I'm sounding old!). The memories of hanging out at the record store, browsing through the racks and discussing new releases and must-haves with staff and friends is the culture of what RSD is trying to recreate. Think of the record store as the organic food version of music, it tastes and sounds better and you'll feel better about yourself for caring about your health and well being.

One of the highlights of RSD is the exclusive releases sold at stores. A pdf list of what's available is here. One release that caught my attention is the Minus 5- Scott the Hoople In The Dungeon Of Horror. It will be only released on vinyl (5 record set) and limited to only 400, the price is somewhere in the $89 dollar range. I haven't been on the ball enough to request it from my local stores and I'm not sure if it will be in stock here. Also I'm working this Saturday so I won't be able to shop in person, if anyone has any ideas or help about purchasing a copy, let me know. This record should be crazy good (5 discs?!!) and I'm such a hardcore Scott McCaughey fan this is a must-have.

To get you in the mood, I'm posting a Minus 5 show from 14 years ago. This was recorded during the final days of the Lounge Ax, a cool intimate club in Chicago, with Scott McCaughey and members of Wilco (with Jeff Tweedy on bass) as his backing band for a make shift version of the Minus 5 opening for Summer Teeth (Wilco). Most of the songs during the set were new songs written for the occasion that had never been performed before and the band played them without a rehearsal, some of the songs were eventually recorded and later appeared on the In Rock album. This remains one of my favourite Minus 5 live recordings, loose, fun and some amazing musicianship.
Enjoy!

MINUS 5 (w/Wilco)
Lounge Ax
Chicago, IL
January 9, 2000
SBD

01. Courage Is The Smallest Bird
02. In A Lonely Coffin
03. I'm Not Bitter
04. Dear Employer
05. Lies Of The Living Dead
06. The King Of Carrot Flowers Part 1
07. Disaster Nurse Fan
08. I've Got A Lyrical Stance
09. The Night Chicago Died Again
10. Last Call For Corporal Barry
11. I Still Miss Someone *
12. Home Of The Blues *
13. I Wish I Was Your Mother

Minus 5: Scott McCaughey & Wilco with Kelly Hogan and Jon Langford*

MINUS 5- 2000-01-09 Lounge Ax, Chicago, IL FLAC. rar

Replacements Last Show...So Far, In Lossless!

Not much more to report on the Replacements reunion shows at Riot Fest or if there are any additional dates added or announcements about who the other band members will be besides Westerberg and Stinson. If I hear anything, I'll share the info and post links on the TDIT Facebook page.

Last post, I re-posted a link for the last Replacements show from July 4, 1991. In my original post (a few years ago), I posted the mp3 version because at the time I wasn't posting FLAC or lossless mainly because of long upload times and storage space limitations. I had some requests to post the FLAC version and I'm more than happy to share this historic concert for the die-hards that want to hear it in lossless.

This is Mats week on TDIT with more Replacements (and related) shows to come. Stay tuned!
Enjoy!

REPLACEMENTS
Live at the Petrillo Music Shell,
Grant Park, Chicago, IL. USA.
July 4th, 1991.
(final show)

"It Ain't Over 'Til the Fat Roadies Play"
Bootleg CD>Flac>rar
Soundboard

01 I will dare
02 Bent outta shape
03 Achin' to be
04 Merry go round
05 Happy town
06 Swingin party
07 One wink at a time
08 Waitress in the sky
09 When it began
10 Someone take the wheel
11 Talent show
12 Nobody
13 Another girl, another planet
14 Hey good lookin
15 I'll be you
16 I don't know
17 Within your reach
18 Can't hardly wait
19 Hootenany (roadies playing)

bonus:
20 sonic reducer
21 kiss me on the bus

tracks 20 & 21 recorded live at Tipitanas in New Orleans, USA Jan. 28th, 1991.

THE REPLACEMENTS- 1991-07-04 (last show) FLAC. rar

Replacements To Return To The Stage 22 Years Later

 

Even before the announcement this week that the Replacements would play their first show in 22 years, I was compiling a list for this blog of bands I would like to see reunite. These would be bands on my personal favourite list that I would travel almost anywhere to see this special event. I'll post this list in upcoming posts, but it's probably no secret that the band that topped my list was the Replacements.

I first got acquainted with the Mats in the mid-eighties when a friend gave me a mix tape of various bands and included on the tape was several songs from Tim. From that moment on, the Replacements have had a place in my heart and my record collection along with an extensive collection of live concerts that I cherish to this day. To me, they are what a band should be. Their "I don't give shit attitude" and their unpredictable shows that ranged from tight, loose, drunken and hilarious. When they played it straight, not too many bands rocked out like they did and when they were drunk, their setlist was tossed off and they played whatever they felt like playing. They never got the mainstream success they deserved, but in a way that was a good thing because when they did gain a wider audience through their "hit", I'll Be You and the Petty opening tour, I thought this was the chink in the armour and the beginning of the end of the band. Maybe they weren't indie enough anymore or maybe there was too much pressure for the band to succeed commercially. Whatever the case, their last two albums never lived up to the masterpieces that preceded them.

I never had an opportunity to see the Replacements, they never toured to my city and I regret not making the drive to the Twin Cities. I have travelled to the Twin Cities to see Westerberg on two occasions, but my dream and faint hope was to see Paul Westerberg with at least Tommy Stinson to play Replacements songs together. The dream is now a reality with the Replacements booked to headline 3 Riot Fest shows in Toronto, Chicago and Denver. Toronto is the most accessible, but I'm scheduled (and flight booked) to be in Vancouver on that very same weekend for a family reunion. Chicago is close in distance, but I might be in Toronto around that time for a meeting...damn the timing! If I can't see the Mats in those cities, I'm holding out hope they play a hometown show before or after Riot Fest or who knows, maybe they'll do an expanded tour? Whatever happens I won't be disappointed, the Replacements are back together (not quite, but close enough) and I thought I would never see this happen and I'm more than thrilled and excited! I'm sure the tapers will be out in full force with a recording of the festivities (fingers crossed!) and if there are, it will be posted on this blog to share.

For a reminder of their last show from 1991, I'm re-posting the link from a previous post. It's in mp3 format, but I do have the lossless version I can also post if you'd prefer. If you want access to more downloads of Replacements shows (in mp3 format), check out this fine page,  Color Me Impressed: The Replacements Live Archive Project. Their goal is to archive and share every know Replacements recording. So far it's a great collection and I'm sure there are a lot more to come. Great to download to your iPod or blasting in the car in the months leading up to the big shows. I'll try to share some shows that aren't on their site yet in lossless if I get around to transferring some tapes...stay tuned!

THE REPLACEMENTS- 1991-07-04. rar

The Rolling Stones Live At The Double Door 1997

Last week the Rolling Stones celebrated the 50th anniversary of their very first gig at London's, Marquee Club. The lineup for the gig was vocalist Mick Jagger, guitarists Keith Richards and Brian Jones, bassist Dick Taylor, pianist Ian Stewart and Mick Avory on drums. Taylor (Bill Wyman replaced him) and Avory (joined the Kinks) soon left the lineup, while Stewart switched to a backup role; drummer Watts joined in 1963 and guitarist Wood in 1975. There is talk of a tour this fall or 2013 and this might be your last chance to see the living legends live in concert. I've never seen the band live, I have all their albums, pre-Steel Wheels and had my chance to see them when they came here for stadium shows in 1997 and 1994, but for whatever reason I didn't go. I think my feeling at the time is that they were past their prime and I wasn't too keen on any of their albums after Tattoo You which was released in 1981. If they did tour again, I'm sure I would have to travel and since I've been feeling more nostalgic and have been re-listening to all their reissues and special edition versions of their earlier catalog, I might consider making the effort...this could be the last time.

A gig I definitely would have loved to be at was when the Stones played at the Double Door in Chicago in 1997. It's funny cause I walked past the Double Door when I was strolling down Milwaukee Avenue in the Wicker Park area when I visited Chicago last month. I commented to my wife that the Rolling Stones played in this bar as we peeked in and thought how cool it would have been to see the Stones in such a small venue. The place's capacity is less than 500 and with a $7 ticket price it would have been insane to be there. This pre-tour gig wasn't confirmed until midnight the night before and there was a rush to buy tickets (for an arm wrist band) with only 230 tickets sold to fans and another 170 to VIP's with some other last minute tickets at the door.
For more about the gig and a review, read this: www.iorr.org

This is a great sounding soundboard/aud matrix recording that captures the energy of the crowd and intimate feeling of the venue. It's raw sounding and with so many Stones arena/stadium live recordings out there, I prefer the bar shows that make it seem so much more real, if that makes sense. This is a good one, more Stones next post!
Enjoy!

THE ROLLING STONES
The Double Door
Chicago, IL
September 18, 1997
(SBD/Matrix)

1. Little Queenie
2. 19th Nervous Breakdown
3. You Got Me Rocking
4. Crazy Mama
5. The Last Time
6. Anybody Seen My Baby
7. Out Of Control
8. Let It Bleed
9. Shame Shame Shame
10. Honky Tonk Women
11. Start Me Up
12. Jumping Jack Flash
13. Brown Sugar

THE ROLLING STONES- 1997-09-18 Double Door, Chicago FLAC. rar