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

Please share!

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

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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 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!

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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 

The Jayhawks- Live At The First Avenue 1994

According to the Jayhawks official Facebook page, the Jayhawks have played 70 times on the mainstage at the First Avenue and the 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis. Their first ever show at the venue was at the Entry opening for Alex Chilton on February 21, 1985. Through the years, the band has made it a regular habit to grace the stage of the First Avenue almost every year often for multi-night runs. To say they're a regular or like family at the First Avenue, would be an understatement. The Jayhawks are a very important band in the Twin Cities scene and they have continued to release new material with or without Mark Olson in the band. Gary Louris has kept the Jayhawks active continuing to constantly tour and like most bands have had to postpone tour dates to the fall and the new year (2021). It was announced today their latest album, XOXO will be released on July 10th.

When the Jayhawks played at the First Avenue in November of 1994, they were performing new material that would appear on their next and arguably their best album, Tomorrow The Green Grass which was released on February 14, 1995. This show has an excellent setlist if you're a fan of their earlier material, featuring songs from Hollywood Town Hall (or is this their best?), Blue Earth and even a song from the first album (King of Kings). There was already a buzz about the band at this point and they were on the edge of even wider exposure potential with this "new" material. This era of the band (classic Olson/Louris era) helped give the band it's lasting legacy and helped reinforce the "No Depression", alt-country-rock Americana sound that I enjoyed a lot in the 90's. This is a great concert and the live recording is near perfect, a good sounding board tape for sure!
Enjoy!

For more live Jayhawks live recordings, check the Jayhawks Live Music Archive

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Please share!!


THE JAYHAWKS
First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
November 6, 1994

source:
SBD> DAT> CDR
FreeRip> FLAC> rar

01. King Of Kings
02. Settled Down
03. Crowded In The Wings
04. Real Light
05. Take Me With you
06. Clouds
07. Leave No Gold
08. Two Hearts
09. Reason To Believe
10. Pray For Me
11. Red's song
12. band intro by Mark
13. Waiting For The Sun
14. See Him On The Street
15. I'd Run Away
16. Ten Little Kids
17. Two Angels
18. Blue
19. Miss Williams Guitar
20. Sioux City
21. Witchita

JAYHAWKS- 1994-11-06 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN FLAC. rar 

Golden Smog- Live At The First Avenue, MPLS 2000

Back in February, the First Avenue announced the line-up for their 50th anniversary kick off weekend to be held between April 2-5. The mainroom headliners were Heart Bones (collaboration between Sabrina Ellis and Minnesota's, Har Mar Superstar), The Hold Steady, Neko Case and Golden Smog. Golden Smog was to headline the Saturday night show (April 4), but the whole event was cancelled as well as all shows at the First Avenue due to the Coronavirus outbreak. As an alternative, the venue celebrated the anniversary with an online party on April 3rd, so no Neko Case or no Golden Smog.

It would have been fascinating because Golden Smog doesn't perform much anymore, they haven't toured in years so it would have been interesting to see who was in the band still. Jeff Tweedy would have been a NO for sure, because Wilco would have been on tour in Las Vegas if the tour wasn't postponed/cancelled. The core lineup of Gary Louris, Marc Perlman, Kraig Johnson and Dan Murphy would have been there along with maybe Jody Stephens or Tim O'Reagan from the Jayhawks on drums. An interesting fact I discovered when I was looking at the names on the "star wall" on the exterior of the First Avenue building, every member of the Golden Smog (past and present) has a star on the wall with the other band they are a member of, as well Golden Smog has it's own star. The Jayhawks (Louris, Perlman), Soul Asylum (Murphy and Dave Pirner), Run Westy Run (Johnson), Wilco (Tweedy) and even the drummers, Big Star (Stephens), Honeydogs (Noah Levy), Zuzu's Petals (Linda Pitman) and Replacements (Chris Mars). Seems appropriate since these musicians have contributed heavily and have been very influential to the Twin Cities music scene. Golden Smog truly has an all-star line-up from a who's who of the Twin Cities' best known bands.

Since Golden Smog is more or less based in Minneapolis it makes sense they have played many great shows on their home turf. I saw the band at the 400 Bar in 2003 and it was one of the most memorable shows I have seen in Minneapolis. Tweedy surprisingly joined the band for this show, which I heard was less frequent (and would become more so) and it was a special evening with some great moments and the interaction between the band was genuine and emotional at times. I did record the show, it was a bit distorted, but very listenable (Stay tuned, I will post in the future). I would say it was the last "great" Golden Smog with that lineup, either that or their concert from December 20, 2000 at the First Avenue. I received this show in a trade many years ago and as far as performance and sound quality goes this ranks high. It features a great setlist of songs from their two albums, as well as some cool covers. Very nice sounding, not sure if it's a soundboard, I think it's just a really good audience recording (anyone have any further info?), classic show!
Enjoy!

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


GOLDEN SMOG
First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
December 20, 2000
Audience Recording (?)

01. Looking Forward To Seeing You
02. Ill Fated
03. V
04. White Shell Road
05. Lost Love
06. If I Only Had A Car
07. Easy To Be Hard
08. Yesterday Cried
09. Glad & Sorry
10. Won't Be Coming Home
11. Walk Where He Walked
12. Making Waves
13. All The Same to Me
14. Jane
15. Can't Keep From Talking
16. Redheaded Stepchild
17. Pecan Pie
18. Fooled Around and Fell In Love
19. Call My Own
20. Until You Came Along
encore
21. Radio King
22. Please Tell My Brother
23. Revolution Blues
24. Spooky
25. Stairway To Heaven
26. What I Like About you
27. I Don't Care About This Girl

GOLDEN SMOG- 2000-12-20 First Avenue, Mpls, MN FLAC. rar

Arcade Fire- Live At The First Avenue, Minneapolis 2005

 The First Avenue club in Minneapolis has played host to many great shows through the years and in 2012, City Pages (entertainment newspaper/website in the Twin Cities) listed their Best 20 concerts from the First Avenue. As expected there are many concerts from well known bands and musicians both local and international that may have been playing down to the "smaller" venue (see Prince #2) or well on their way to bigger successes. One band in particular that was definitely on it's way up to bigger things that impressed their growing allegiance of fans, critics of indie music and caught the attention of mainstream media was Arcade Fire, who made number 20 for their show in 2005.  

20. Arcade Fire/ Wolf Parade/ Bell Orchestre, First Avenue, 9/29/05 
Arcade Fire were well on their way to indie-rock success story when they rolled into this sold-out Mainroom show, but even the local skeptics became full-blown believers. The band played nearly all of their utterly brilliant debut LP, Funeral, as well as three tracks from their self-titled EP, but it was their stellar cover of David Bowie's "Five Years" -- the band had just performed it with him earlier that month at a Fashion Rocks event -- that truly made this show magical. By the time openers Wolf Parade came out to join the band for a euphoric version of "Wake Up" that closed out the show, the Canadian collective had alerted each and every one of us that a new day was indeed dawning in rock 'n' roll. --Erik Thompson

The following night, Arcade Fire performed in Winnipeg and it was the first time I saw the band live. Up to that point I didn't know a lot about the band, though I did have a copy of their debut full length album, Funeral and I enjoyed their full orchestral sound. This did not prepare me for what I saw, on September 30 at the Burton Cummings Theatre. Even though, Funeral made many critics top album lists for 2004 and the 2000's, it still does not do justice to their live show that blew me away with the stunning visuals and sonic power of their stunning live performance. This was unlike any concert I had been to with the constant movement of the performers that were packed on stage with the fury and intensity of a confident band. I was physically drained just from watching the concert I can only imagine the feeling of exhaustion on the stage. We had in my opinion perfect seats, first row, dead centre in the first balcony with an excellent view of the stage in a classic old theatre that was the ideal ambience for this concert. The setlist for this show was similar to the night before in Minneapolis, heavy on Funeral material, of course, but they switched up some covers for the Winnipeg show. Their dedication to Bowie was shown by playing a different Bowie cover (Queen Bitch) than at the First Avenue as well as a Springsteen cover (State Trooper).

The live recording from the First Avenue has amazing sound as it was recorded for broadcast on 89.3 The Current. Fair warning, if you are listening to the concert loudly (especially with headphones), beware for DJ interruptions throughout the show and though I love Mary Lucia, her voice comes on a little loudly compared to the sound level of the concert. I chose to post this show instead of the Winnipeg concert mainly because of the better sound quality. Though the Winnipeg recording is solid (maybe I'll post later?), you can't compete with soundboard radio broadcast quality. An incredible performance and a monumental live show from Arcade Fire at the First Avenue!
Enjoy!

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


ARCADE FIRE
First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
September 29, 2005

Source: Soundboard> FM
Transfer: FM> PC> CDWave> wav> FLAC> rar
Complete concert recorded by KCMP 89.3 FM
The Current- St. Paul, MN
Broadcast on 12/4/05
DJ- Mary Lucia

01. DJ
02. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
03. Crown of Love
04. DJ
05. Headlights Look Like Diamonds
06. No Cars Go
07. DJ
08. Haiti
09. intro> Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
10. DJ
11. I'm Sleeping In A Submarine
12. Five Years [David Bowie]
13. DJ
14. Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)
15. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
16. Rebellion (Lies)
17. DJ
18. Wake Up
19. DJ

ARCADE FIRE- 2005-09-29 First Avenue, Mpls, MN FLAC. rar

First Avenue Turns 50! Paul Westerberg- Minneapolis, MN: The Craft 2007

Last Friday April 3, marked the 50th anniversary of the legendary club, The First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. The club opened in April 1970 when it was known as the Depot because previously the building actually was a Greyhound bus station depot. Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen launched the venue with the first ever show at the Depot, as the club become a popular live venue for local and International musicians. The history of the club is a long and sometimes complicated story with several financial disputes, bankruptcy, closure, format/theme changes and name changes. For an informative history of the club, watch the excellent documentary, First Avenue: Closer To the Stars. In 1972, the club changed it's image and the Depot evolved to become Uncle Sam's (Uncle Sam's was a part of a national franchise of the American Events Company) with DJ dance nights and it literally became a massive disco.

It wasn't until 1981 when the club changed it's name to the First Avenue and a year prior they opened the 7th St. Entry side room that the club gained momentum to become something special. The amount of great shows and bands that have played at the First Avenue in the past thirty years is eye popping. The stars painted on the side of the building are just some of the names that have helped propel the First Avenue through the years. There's no doubt that Prince was very responsible for giving the club national recognition and it became a tourist attraction, but the rise of the Minneapolis music scene nationally in the 1980's can be traced to many incredible shows at the corner of First Avenue and 7th St. Besides Prince, there were other great bands that frequently played the club such as the Replacements, Husker Du, Soul Asylum, Suburbs, Trip Shakespeare and the Jayhawks to name only a few. I've had the pleasure of seeing several good shows at the First Avenue, I think the first was in 1997 with Dinosaur Jr and I haven't been back since 2007 when I saw Fountains of Wayne, with lots of cool shows between. Presently, as well as the The First Avenue and 7th St. Entry, the owners also operate the Turf Club and the Palace Theatre in St. Paul and also own the Fine Line in Minneapolis. First Avenue is one of the longest running independently owned and operated clubs in the United States. It appears the club has been doing well except now with COVID-19 the reality of the situation is in jeopardy with mass postponement of concerts in their calendar of events. The hope is that the club (and all clubs!), as well as the music industry will bounce back strong whenever things get back to a near normal in the near future (we can only hope).

For the next few posts as a tribute to the First Avenue, I'll be posting shows from this venue with a range of artists from the Twin Cities and beyond. I probably won't share shows I attended/taped at the clubs mainly because the sound quality isn't great, but there are many must-hear shows at the First Avenue that were recorded.

First up is a show from 2007 from Twin Cities resident, Paul Westerberg who participated in an installment of "The Craft" a Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame interview/performance series. Hosted by writer/musician, Warren Zanes, (formerly of the band, Del Fuegos) he talked to Westerberg about various topics and gave some rare insight into his personal life, music and recording and performing with the Replacements. Between interview segments, Westerberg picked up his guitar and performed ten songs from his solo career and the Replacements. A truly unique concept and concert experience and fortunately Zanes is a knowledgeable fan and interviewer to make a potentially dry event into a memorable evening with one of the most talented singer songwriters of his generation.
Enjoy!

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


PAUL WESTERBERG
First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
September 23, 2007

The Craft Interview/Performance

Lineage: (Master audience recording)
Coresound Binaurals> M-Audio Microtrack>
Goldwave> CD WAV Editor> FLAC
Recorded by: Rob

01. Warren Zanes Intro
02. Let The Bad Times Roll
03. Interview Part One
04. It's A Wonderful Lie
05. Interview Part Two
06. Everyone's Stupid
07. Lush And Green
08. Interview Part Three
09. Make The Best Of Me
10. Interview Part Four
11. What A Day For A Night
12. Interview Part Five
13. World Class Fad
14. Dyslexic Heart
15. Can't Hardly Wait
16. Skyway

PAUL WESTERBERG- 2007-09-23 First Avenue, Mpls, MN The Craft FLAC. rar 

Fountains Of Wayne- First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN June 13, 2007

Ten years ago, in June, I happened to be in the Twin Cities for a pair of concerts I was fortunate enough to get tickets to. I wrote about this trip, Lots To See In Minneapolis and St. Paul where I posted excerpts from the MPR's The Current Fakebook series featuring Laura Lindeen's book launch concert held in the amazing Fitzgerald Theatre in St. Paul. Laura was promoting her memoir, Petal Pusher: A Rock and Roll Cinderella Story, which included her time living in the Minneapolis music scene of the late 80's and 90's. At the time, Laura was married to Paul Westerberg which of course peaked my interest and to accompany readings and a live on stage interview, music guests performed during this book launch/reading/concert event. Guests included, Mark Olson (of the Jayhawks and Creekdippers), Marc Perlman, Steve Wynn, Westerberg and a two song reunion by Lindeen's former band, Zuzu's Petals. As it happens, I didn't buy the book, but I did borrow it from the library a couple summers ago and it was a very interesting read. Kinda glad I waited because I became much more familiar with Zuzu's Petals before I read the book and I knew Laura and Paul had since split (sad to hear).

The other concert I mentioned, but failed to follow up with on "the next post", was Fountains of Wayne on June 13, 2007 at the First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. What I remember most about the show was that it was hot and humid and pressed together tightly in the crowd standing on the floor of the club. The Broken West opened and they were fantastic! Their debut album, I Can't Go On, I'll Go On, is a great album and was on heavy rotation at work and on my iPod. They put on an energetic set of brilliant power pop, a perfect pairing with Fountains Of Wayne. I recorded their set as well, if anyone is interested.

If you've ever been to the First Ave (at least in 2007), they roll down a screen in front of the stage to screen short films and video while the band sets up behind the screen. It caught me off guard when a recorded Traffic and Weather intro began before they launched into I've Got Flair. I don't think I missed much of the intro, but it gets tricky when the lights go out and I have to tweak settings on my recorder. Another reason why a mini flashlight is a must have to carry when taping. I suffered a near recording mishap when I saw Paul Westerberg at the Guthrie Theatre in 2002 when the lights went out at the beginning of the concert and I couldn't see my recorder (mini-disc recorder back light stays on a very short time) and I had to unplug the mic and crawl on the floor down the aisle to the the lights on the stairs to adjust the settings. Embarrassing and stupid, always carry a flashlight!

Remembering back ten years, I recalled what a great live band Fountains Of Wayne are. Though they don't boast the most visually stunning stage show, they play to their strengths. They keep the banter light and funny, they have a cool casual persona about them even with Jody's "rock star swagger" and they delivered a great set of music. Despite the commercial over-saturation of their "hit", Stacy's Mom, Welcome Interstate Managers is a classic album. Every song has a memorable hook and it's their most consistent effort yet. The album they toured in 2007, Traffic and Weather has definitely grown on me through the years and it was exciting to hear some of the tracks live.

About a month ago I was listening to another FOW live recording and it suddenly dawned on me, what happened to my recording of FOW when I saw them in 2007? I realized I never actually transferred the show from mini-disc to my hard drive or at least burned a disc from it. The other concert I saw in the Twin Cities that weekend (Laura Lindeen) was apparently my immediate priority and I apologize for taking so long to post this show.I dug up the disc and replaced an old corroded battery out of the mini-disc player and gave it a listen. A couple weeks later I uploaded the concert. The sound is pretty good considering the crowd I was standing in and despite the surrounding chatter I'm happy with the recording. I've never seen another live recording of the show and my version has never been shared (or heard by anyone but me) or traded anywhere until now.

Note: The poster pictured at the top of this post I bought at the concert. That too was almost forgotten as I've yet to get around framing it. Don't get too excited, it's signed by members of the band, not Fountains of Wayne, but the openers, The Broken West. They were more than happy to sign the poster, nice guys!
Enjoy!!

Please do NOT sell!
Share, but don't share in mp3, keep it lossless.

FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE
First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
June 13, 2007
AUD MASTER

Sony ECM-DS70P mic> Sharp MD-MT90> ADS Instant Music> USB>
Nero Soundtrax> Wav> Direct Wave MP3 splitter> FLAC> rar

01. I've Got A Flair
02. No Better Place
03. Denise
04. Someone To Love
05. Fire In The Canyon
06. Hackensack
07. Hey Julie
08. Strapped For Cash
09. Yolanda Hayes
10. Mexican Wine
11. I-95
12. It Must Be Summer
13. Stacy's Mom
14. Radiation Vibe
15. Survival Car

Encore
16. Traffic And Weather
17. Red Dragon Tattoo
18. Leave The Biker

Encore 2
19. Half A Woman
20. Valley Winter Song
21. Sink To The Bottom

FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE- 2007-06-13 First Avenue, Mpls, MN Master FLAC. rar