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

 

Amazing gig poster by Tom Bagley!

 

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

 

  

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

Enjoy!

 

 

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

Young Fresh Fellows- Lounge Ax, Chicago, IL 1990 

 

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

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

Please share!

 

  

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

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

 

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

Young Fresh Fellows- Mural Amphitheatre, Seattle, WA, August 5, 1985

 

 It's been a while since I last posted and I'll try to get back on track for a strong finish to 2024. I was meaning to post a follow-up Fellows show (to the last post) from 39 years ago to the date, as I was intending to post this on August 5th, which is also close to the anniversary date of this blog. Yes, this blog has now officially been around since 2006, which is 18 years and I hope to at least make it to 20!

The Young Fresh Fellows Seattle show from 1985 has been kicking around for a number of years including on YouTube as an audio-only recording. I downloaded this from there, but it always drives me crazy listening to one long file without the ability to skip around songs. To make life easier for everyone that wants to listen to this live recording, I split the tracks and snatched the setlist from the comment section for a great sounding "must-hear" Fellows show from the early-ish days, pre-Topsy Turvy. It's a fine compliment to the concert from the band from their most recent tour. Hopefully more Fellows live recordings surface from this past spring/summer tour dates.

Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use

Please share!

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS
Mural Amphitheatre at Seattle Center
Seattle, WA
August 5, 1985

Sony ECM-939LT microphone> Sony Walkman Professional stereo cassette-corder WM-D6C.

01. Hang On Sloopy
02. This Little Mystery
03. Teenage Dogs In Trouble
04. How Much About Last Night Do You Remember?
05. Power Mowers Theme
06. All Messed Up
07. Searchin' U.S.A.
08. Mr. Salamander's Review
09. That Letter
10. Where Is Groovytown?
11. Rock and Roll Pest Control
12. Three Sides To This Story
13. I'm An Artiste on Frontier
14. Someone I Care About (Jonathan Richman cover)
15. Topsy Turvy Theme
16. Young Fresh Fellows Theme
17. Big House/If I Had A Hammer

Notes from original post:
This is audio only of a live performance by the Young Fresh Fellows at the Mural Amphitheatre at Seattle Center on August 5, 1985. With their breakthrough "Topsy Turvy" LP about to be released, the Fellows are at the top of their wacky, genre-blending, uber-influential, "Seattle music scene Rosetta Stone" game in this Monday evening summer concert sponsored by late great Seattle "new wave" station KJET.  This is the complete show, and features Scott McCaughey, Chuck Carroll, Jim Sangster and Tad Hutchinson.  

It was recorded by Feliks Banel, sitting on the grass near the stage with a rudimentary Sony deck with a teeny little microphone (courtesy of his brother-in-law the Deadhead), but still sounds pretty darn good.  

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS- 1985-08-05 Mural Amphitheatre, Seattle, WA FLAC. rar

Paul Westerberg- RKCNDY, Seattle, WA, July 17, 1993 (30th Anniversary!)

 

 

Boy, time sure flies by! My last post was from April (R.E.M.) and I think I posted something else the same day. Apparently, I violated Blogger community guidelines and the post featuring the band, Maow was deleted. This is a band Neko Case was a member of before her solo career and I assume that might be the cause of this take-down. She is adamantly against the recording of her shows (and sharing) and this probably extends to her album work as well. There seems to be no problem with New Pornographers live recordings, a band she is a member of, as I've posted several shows over the years, as they don't have a no taping policy like Neko solo...but Maow? Anyways, the point is I haven't posted much in many months and I apologize.

For fans itching to hear and see another Replacements or Paul Westerberg show, I have no new updates to share and we'll have to be content with past live recordings to keep us satisfied. Another example of how time is flying by, today is the 30th anniversary of a Westerberg show from the tour for his debut solo album. The live recording for the show at RKCNDY in Seattle in 1993 has been shared for years and I actually have the show I acquired in a tape trade that I haven't listened to in a while. The dub (copy) I have is probably multiple generation and the sound quality wasn't great. I seem to remember the volume level was really low and lacked the dynamics of a lower gen recording. Today on Dime, a remastered, fresh 2023 transfer version from an audience master DAT source was posted that is a definite upgrade (thank you slipkid68!!). I'm guessing this is a different capture than the version I have and the sound quality is unbelievably excellent. It seriously sounds as good as a soundboard, but better because the crowd is nicely balanced in the mix. A nice way to celebrate the anniversary of this amazing concert, with a setlist that highlights his first album, 14 Songs, with lots of Replacements songs and a couple covers. I believe the 1993 tour gave us perhaps the best live shows (yes, even including the Replacements) with solid performances and fostered some pretty fine live recordings. If you're craving some live Westerberg or Replacements, this might be the next best thing...for now!

Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

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

Please share!

 

 

Paul Westerberg
RKCNDY

Seattle, Washington

July 17, 1993
slipkid68 master

Casio DA-R100 DAT and Sonic Studio DSM-6 mics > DAT capture > Sony 670 DAT > Audacity 2.0 capture to .wav > RX 8 and Ozone 10 > FLAC > finishing via TLH

01. Intro
02. Another Girl, Another Planet
03. Waiting for Somebody
04. Mannequin Shop
05. Achin’ to Be
06. First Glimmer
07. Waitress in the Sky
08. World Class Fad
09. Dice Behind Your Shades
10. A Few Minutes of Silence
11. Merry Go Round
12. Someone I Once Knew
13. Knockin’ on Mine
14. Skyway
15. Things
16. Gimme Little Sign
17. Dyslexic Heart
18. Swingin’ Party
19. Runaway Wind
20. Can’t Hardly Wait
21. Daydream Believer
22. I’ll Be You
23. Here Comes a Regular
24. Silver Naked Ladies
25. Down Love
26. Left of the Dial
27. Alex Chilton

The musicians:
Josh Freese - drums
Darren Hill - bass
David Minehan - guitar
Paul Westerberg - lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars

 

PAUL WESTERBERG- 1993-07-17 Seattle, WA FLAC. rar

 

Young Fresh Fellows- Live Acoustic In Seattle 1984

 

 

I think a good way to end the year would be live recording from the Young Fresh Fellows. Despite the uncertainty in our world this past year, it was a very productive year with several Scott McCaughey/Fellows-related releases. New releases from the:

• Minus 5 (Scott+)- Live at Yep Roc 15
• The No Ones (Scott/Peter Buck+)- The Great Lost No One's Album
• Baseball Project (Scott/Mills/Pitmon/Wynn)- Live In Space
• Kurt Bloch (solo)- Farewell, Excitement
  
• Scott the Hoople (Scott)- Neil (Vol. 1), Rock & Roll Party 66, Anything Is Better Than You, Sad Box & Other Hits
  
• Young Fresh Fellows- Toxic Youth 
  

As well, Scott appeared on a new ep from the Junior League (Summer of Lies) and maybe there were others. A new Young Fresh Fellows record was a much needed breath of fresh air this year. The album's release date was pushed back a couple times to coincide with Record Store Day and it was finally released during the third RSD on October 24th. I ended up buying from a seller on Discogs (no regrets!), so I didn't get a vinyl copy of the album for a few weeks later (on bright toxic green colour vinyl!). It's an excellent record, definitely one of my favourites of the year and might be their best album since, Because We Hate You or even, Electric Bird Digest! Unfortunately, live shows were a no go this year, so hoping to see YFF/Scott play some live shows in the near future. I see the No Ones have already booked some live dates from the spring of 2022, I'm optimistic there will be more live shows way before then. Fingers crossed! 

 

 

For the final post of 2020, I've unearthed a live recording from the Young Fresh Fellows from 1984. This is a rare acoustic performance from the early days after the release of their debut album, The Fabulous Sounds of the Pacific Northwest and includes a couple songs from their next record, Topsy Turvy and an interesting cover of Elvis Costello's, Green Shirt. I don't know much about the lineage of the recording or know how much longer the set was (it cuts during track 13). I received this in a trade many years ago, but it sounds pretty good, I'm always interested in hearing Chuck-era live shows which I don't have a lot of. Season's greetings and happy new year, hopefully 2021 will be a tad bit better. Continue to listen to good music in the new year!

Enjoy!

 

Essential Listen of the week: In a couple days it will be new year's eve, traditionally an evening of celebrating with family, friends and complete strangers, but this year will be significantly different. Some of my favourite live concert recordings are from new year's eve shows with the countdown and sometimes bands kick it up a notch with a unique show (Local H for example is know for their "themed" shows). Some years back I posted a Young Fresh Fellows NYE show from 1987, that is special to me, not only because it was the first YFF live show I received in a trade, but because it is very cool. I only wish this was a complete set, but regardless there isn't a better way to bring in the new year!

Reliving New Years Eve With The Young Fresh Fellows in 1987 (original post) 

Young Fresh Fellows- 1987-12-31 Backstage, Seattle, WA. rar 

 

#14yearsoftrouble

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording! 

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

Please share!

 

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS

Seattle, WA

September 25, 1984 

(acoustic)

AUD recording

01. Big House

02. Dodge City

03. The New John Agar

04. Down By the Pharmacy

05. This Little Mystery

06. Back Room Of The Bar

07. Teenage Dogs In Trouble

08. Sharing Patrol

09. All Messed Up

10. Green Shirt

11. Very Fine Man

12. Rock 'n' Roll Pest Control

13. Young Fresh Fellows Theme (cuts off) 

 

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS- 1984-09-25 Seattle, WA acoustic FLAC. rar

 

Day 10: Fastbacks- Live In Seattle 1999 "Believe Me Never, Hate Me Forever"

On my summer vacation, my summer reading consisted more than the Smugglers book, re-reading High Fidelity and reading issues of Record Collector magazine. I dug up a book I received a couple of Christmases ago that I never got around to. The Strangest Tribe: How A Group Of Seattle Bands Invented Grunge by Stephen Tow, analyses the story behind the phenomenon of the "Seattle sound" that was more than the breakthrough of Nirvana and alternative music becoming mainstream and the word "grunge". When I originally put this book on my Christmas list (yes I know, my in-laws insisted we have lists) it was because I hoped it wasn't another book about Grunge, Nirvana, Soundgarden or Pearl Jam. I listened to and enjoyed several Seattle-based (and area) bands for years before Nevermind came out and I felt there was nothing really written about the alternative music scene in Seattle as I love bands like the Fastbacks, the Squirrels, the Posies, Jimmy Silva, Mudhoney and of course, the Young Fresh Fellows. Lo and behold, this book gives a background history of the Seattle music scene from the 80's until the mid-90's and there is much mention of the Young Fresh Fellows (one of the first Seattle bands in the 80's to tour nationally), the Squirrels, Fastbacks, Mudhoney, as well as lesser known early bands, the U-Men, the Heats, the Blackouts and Green River.

In those pre-internet days when you wanted music that wasn't available at your local chain record store it took more effort to search out new and interesting music. You could place a special order with the store, sight and unseen and take a chance or you could shop directly from the record label (or band) via mail order. I chose that option, basically you sent a letter to the label (getting the address from another record/CD/tape from that label) requesting a catalog or newsletter (usually printed on newsprint), they mail it to you, make your choices, get a money order from the post office or bank and mail it back and hopefully the record (s) arrive in a couple of weeks to a month. I actually found this method a lot of fun and I'll tell you there's almost no better feeling than receiving a packet in the mail with music in it. I've ordered almost all the products from the PopLlama Records catalog and I've received a couple orders directly from Estrus and Empty Records. Most of my Young Fresh Fellows items are directly from the band or from PopLlama including albums, 7"s, tapes, t-shirts and the Hits From The Break-Up album box set. Small labels are the best because you actually get real personal service, a good example was Bogus Records in Pittsburgh to track down some Frampton Brothers albums. Letter correspondence and phone calls directly from the label and Sean and Ed from the band were helpful and appreciated. I bet Madonna couldn't provide that kind of customer service.

The first LP I bought of the Fastbacks was Very, Very Powerful Motor that I ordered from PopLlama. At the time I didn't even realize Kurt Bloch was in the Fastbacks and the Young Fresh Fellows and when I did, this gave me another band to add to my favourites. Needless to say I was blown away and placed another order with PopLlama to buy the And His Orchestra CD and the live cassette, Bike-Toy-Clock-Gift. This lead to a string of excellent records on SubPop and they seemed to be gaining more exposure touring with Pearl Jam and you'd think they would have made it big commercially, but never quite hit any mainstream success. Which might be a good thing, they were together (on and off) for over 20 years and their career spanned several eras of the Seattle scene from the early 80's when nobody outside of Seattle cared, through Grunge and the 90's when Seattle was the "scene". They are one of the most underrated bands and least pretentious. In The Strangest Tribe, Stephen Tow dedicated ten pages to the legendary Fastbacks, "Twenty three years. that's how long Seattle's Fastbacks remained a growing concern---remarkable for a band of any ilk, but especially so for an underground punk act. From 1979 through 2002, the Fastbacks created amazing art. The band made music that lacked pretension, writing songs that became classics. In short, the Fastbacks were Seattle's Ramones." (Stephen Tow)

I'm posting a very nice soundboard quality Fastbacks show from 1999, the same year they released their last studio album. A solid show opening for the Posies, so it's short and sweet. I've previously posted some other Fastbacks shows and it might be a good time to explore those as well. On March 2, 2002, they played their last show (not counting the reunion shows) at the Bottom of The Hill in San Francisco. (Fastbacks- Last show) It's pre-FM sourced which means the sound quality is excellent. Nine years later in the same place and same city, the Fastbacks were back on stage for a much anticipated reunion show. (San Francisco 2011) Since then, the Fastbacks have released some compilation albums of unreleased, rare and early tracks. The latest, If You Want To Slow Down, Step On The Gas was just released in July. A good time to be a Fastbacks fan, keep the music coming!!
Enjoy!
#12daysoftrouble

Please do NOT sell or convert to lossy format (except for personal use)
Please share!

FASTBACKS
Arospace
Seattle, WA
October 22, 1999
Soundboard

01. Only At Night
02. As Everything
03. Fortune's Misery
04. Believe Me Never
05. Like Today
06. Went For A Swim
07. What's The Use
08. Goodbye, Bird
09. New Book Of Old
10. Gone To The Moon
11. Don't Cry For Me
12. Set Me Free

FASTBACKS- 1999-10-22 Arospace, Seattle, WA FLAC. rar

The Minus 5- First Ever Show, Seattle 1993

I've had numerous requests to post more Young Fresh Fellows shows and thank you for your response. I'll have some up soon, but in the meanwhile here's the very first performance from Scott McCaughey's "other band", The Minus 5. Scott formed the band with Peter Buck in 1993 as a pop collective with a revolving lineup of friends and musicians. The band is still going strong as Scott continues to divide his recording and touring time most frequently between the Baseball Project, The Minus 5, Young Fresh Fellows and as a solo artist with a recent tour of Spain.

For this show at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle, the Minus 5 opened for The Silos. Scott and Peter performed together for the first five songs and were joined by members of The Silos for the last three. This show is also notable because a couple of days after this show The Silos were involved in a van crash in Wyoming that took the life of guitarist Manuel Versoza.
Enjoy!

THE MINUS 5
Crocodile Cafe
Seattle, WA
November 9, 1993

01. Emperor Of The Bathroom
02. I Still Miss Someone
03. No More Glory
04. Odds & Ends
05. Loser So Supreme
06. Find A Finger *
07. Story *
08. Barstool Blues *

Scott McCaughey- Vocals, guitar
Peter Buck- Mandolin, 12-string guitar, Bass
*Walter Salas-Humara- Drums
*Manuel Versoza- Guitar
*Tom Freund- Bass

MINUS 5- 1993-11-09 Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, WA FLAC. rar

Young Fresh Fellows- Seattle April 9, 2015

As promised, here's the opening set by Seattle legends, the Young Fresh Fellows. The Fellows opened for the Replacements for the first two shows in Seattle and Portland for their "Back By Unpopular Demand" tour. The Replacements tour concluded in Philadelphia just over a week ago, pending rescheduling for the postponed (cancelled?) dates in Pittsburgh and Columbus due to Westerburg's sickness.

Once again, this recording comes courtesy of Tapeboy who shared this show on Dime. YFF shows are hard to come by, so it's a pleasure to be able to share this with Fellows fans who aren't on Dime. If there's a demand, I'll post some other YFF shows I have.
Enjoy!

Young Fresh Fellows
Paramount Theater
Seattle, WA
April 9, 2015

Nak 700 mics>Olympus LS-7 @9624---->44/16 Flac
Opening for The Replacements

Setlist
01. Taco Wagon
02. Picture Book
03. How Much About Last Night Do You Remember
04. Hillbilly Drummer Girl
05. Why I Oughta
06. Lamp Industries
07. 99 Girls
08. Whole Lotta Pappys
09. Fan Club
10. Rock 'n' Roll Pest Control
11. Go Blue Angels Go
12. My Friend Ringo
13. Talking
14. Tobacco Road
15. No Particular Place to Go
16. The Guilty Ones
17. Strychnine
18. Topsy Turvy Theme

Note from the taper:
A great set by the Young Fresh Fellows, who opened the first three dates of The Replacements 'Back By Unpopular Demand' tour.   Highlights were The Kinks cover 'Picture Book' and The Sonics cover 'Strychnine' and 'Whole Lotta Pappys' which was dedicated to Chris Mars.

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS- 2015-04-09 Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA FLAC. rar

Replacements- Seattle April 9, 2015

If I was able to take a time machine back in time to any time or place, I wouldn't waste my time trying to be part of a historic event or triumphant sporting event, but instead would go back to 1987 to catch some West Coast dates featuring the Replacements and the Young Fresh Fellows. The events of this pairing and their time together is beautifully documented by the Fellows Scott McCaughey, "A Match Made In Heaven" written last month prior to Portland/Seattle shows with the reunited Replacements and YFF. I could have saved time and money building my time machine if I had just flown to Seattle and/or Portland in 2015 for a concert I never thought would happen a couple of years ago. This is THE dream gig I would love to have seen because it featured my two favourite bands, but unfortunately the show was sold out long before it was announced the Fellows would open.

I saw the Replacements last fall in St. Paul and though the show was everything I had hoped for from the band, I wondered how different the band would sound during their current tour playing mostly theatres and halls instead of outdoor festival shows. The reviews have been mixed so far indicating a much looser, more sloppier performances than the somewhat tighter sets last year. As a hardcore fan, I can appreciate the sloppiness (isn't this what attracts us to the Mats?) and it would be unlike Westerberg to be pigeonholed into another nostalgic hit-playing reunited band, so their antics are much appreciated. I can watch and listen to this band over and over without getting bored and tired of them. The expanded "deeper tracks" setlist is refreshing and if they continue to add more "new" songs as the tour proceeds, that would be a bonus.

A number of live recordings from the tour have been posted on Dime, but for the non-members a good source for Mats recording is the Replacements Live Archive for mp3 downloads. The site also has a lossless FLAC version of the Hollywood Palladium concert from April 16. Get it!

For the benefit of FLAC fans, I'm posting a lossless version of the first show of the tour in Seattle. I originally downloaded it from Dime and have permission from Tapeboy to share it here. I'm thrilled this show can be shared with fans that, like me, wish they could have been there. If you close your eyes and crank it up, it's almost like you're there...well almost...
Enjoy!
p.s. YFF opening set coming next!

The Replacements
Paramount Theater
Seattle, WA
April 9, 2015
JEMS Master

Nakamichi 700 mics > Olympus LS-7 (24/96 capture) > Wavelab (master and convert to 44.1) > FLAC

Setlist:
01. Seen Your Video
02. Color Me Impressed
03. Never Mind
04. I Will Dare
05. Kiss Me On The Bus
06. Nobody
07. 20th Century Boy > Bang a Gong (Get It On) > All Shook Down
08. Anywhere s Better Than Here
09. Treatment Bound
10. Androgynous
11. I'll Be You
12. Take Me Down To The Hospital
13. Sixteen Blue
14. The Ledge
15. Maybellene (snippet)
16. Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out
17. I’m In Trouble
18. Kissin  In Action > Iron Man
19. Left Of The Dial
20. Valentine
21. Waitress In The Sky
22. Within Your Reach
23. Can t Hardly Wait
24. Bastards of Young > My Boy Lollipop
25. If Only You Were Lonely (snippet)
Encore:
26. Ghost On The Canvas - Suzanne
27. Skyway
28. Alex Chilton


Note from taper:
A great set by The Replacements on the first night of their “Back By Unpopular Demand” tour at a theater they last played in June of 1991 (which we also taped). The Mats played the first minute and 40 seconds of the show behind a curtain, which they raised as the vocals began for “Seen Your Video.” This setlist was much heavier on deep cuts than the festival appearances they've made over the last two years and at least a couple of songs appeared to be in response to requests from the audience.

A clear, punchy recording from a few rows up in the balcony, in line with the PA. Samples provided. The download includes several photos we took at the show.

Thanks to BLG for his help in getting this one posted.
Tapeboy for JEMS



THE REPLACEMENTS- 2015-04-09 Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA FLAC part 1. rar
THE REPLACEMENTS- 2015-04-09 Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA FLAC part 2. rar
(Sorry, I had to post in two parts. Having problems uploading large files)

Sleater-Kinney- Crocodile Cafe, Seattle 1997

If 2014 was considered the year of the reunion, 2015 may be even a better year for more anticipated reunions, at least for my fav bands I've followed through the years. Juliana Hatfield has reformed, the Juliana Hatfield Three group that recorded (under the "Juliana Hatfield Three" name) , Become What You Are, back in 1993, to record a new album and a tour that begins very shortly. I even contributed some PledgeMusic cash to help fund the new album, Whatever My Love and as much as I would like to see the JH3 live, I'm not up for a mid-winter road-trip to Minneapolis for a live tour date.

Also on tour (and hitting Minneapolis) is the reunited Sleater-Kinney who really didn't break-up, but we're on extended hiatus while the band members explored other projects. Drummer Janet Weiss performed on two Stephen Malkus and the Jicks albums and some tours, Corin Tucker released two solo albums and Carrie Brownstein formed Wild Flag who recorded an album in 2011. Carrie has been the most active, post-Kinney, writing an excellent column, Monitor Mix for NPR and has found much mainstream fame and received accolades for her work on the TV series, Portlandia, she co-created with Fred Armisen. Portlandia has just begun it's 5th season and while it's quirky and unconventional, it's also very smart and very very funny! I'm a huge fan of Carrie's, casually following her career since I first heard Sleater-Kinney and through her so-called acting career. I remember watching her and Armisen's internet sketch comedy videos as ThunderAnt (pre-Portlandia) and instantly thinking, she's a little raw and inexperienced, but she does have comic skills and is comfortable acting. I was very happy to see this lead to the more widely-known project, Portlandia.

Sleater-Kinney this week (January 20, 2015) will be releasing their first album in 9 years, No Cities To Love and from what I've heard through an advance listening, they haven't missed a beat. This could easily could have been a follow-up to The Woods, as the songs rock and though they are as accessible as their later albums, they are intense and relevant and definitely not just a nostalgic reunion album. The tour begins February 8th in Spokane and keeps the band on the road until a three show finale in Seattle, May 7-9. S-K plays Minneapolis, February 14th, and like many of the shows on the tour, it's sold out.

Any band that pays homage to the Kinks is cool with me.

The recording I'm posting is from a tape trade I received in the late 90's. I transferred it from cassette and to be honest, I hadn't played this tape since I got it. When the news of the reunion was announced, I dug up my S-L tapes and burned cdr live recordings and had a re-listen. I chose this show because the sound is pretty good (audience recording) and captures the band in a smaller venue, the Crocodile Cafe with enjoyable results. The first Sleater-Kinney album (CD) I bought was Dig Me Out, which remains my favourite S-L album and this show was from the tour for Dig Me Out, so for obvious reasons I like this. I'll try to post more S-L shows before the tour and if they come to your town...see them!
Enjoy!

SLEATER-KINNEY
Crocodile Cafe
Seattle, WA
June 8, 1997
AUD

Trade> Maxell XLII-90 Cassette> Aiwa tape deck> ADS Instant music>
usb> Nero SoundTrax> WAV> Direct WAV splitter> FLAC> rar

01. Intro Instrumental
02. Dig Me Out
03. Call The Doctor
04. Little Babies
05. The Drama You've Been Craving
06. I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone
07. One More Hour
08. Instrumental
09. Heart Factory
10. One Song For You
11. It's Enough
12. Jenny
13. Turn It On
14. Words & Guitar
15. I'm Not Waiting

Encore
16. Stay Where You Are
17. Be Yr Mama

SLEATER-KINNEY- 1997-06-08 Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, WA FLAC. rar

Big Star- Rehearsals 1993

Though they only released three studio albums in the early 70's, the interest in Big Star has continued even 40 years later. The band's influence is evident in many bands today and though the band never reached huge mainstream success, they have (arguably) been widely regarded as one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt You is a full length documentary film that will coming to theatres across the country this summer. The film features never seen before footage of the band as well as in depth interviews. It's unfortunate that 3 of the 4 members of the band had passed away (Chris Bell 1978, Alex Chilton 2010, Andy Hummel 2010) before the completion of the film. I'll definitely have an interest trying to catch a screening of the film, as I admittedly am not an expert about the band's history and legacy.


I first became aware of Big Star from listening to Replacements bootlegs with the band covering songs like, September Gurls and I'm In Love With A Girl. Hey, if my favourite band, the Replacements love Big Star, I better see what the fuss was. From that I bought a CD compiling both #1 Record and Radio City and also their third album, Sister Lovers/Third, definitely one of my wisest music decisions ever. I never had a chance to see Big Star live (I was too young during their original inception and the reunited version of the band never toured close enough) and the closest that I've come to Big Star-related live shows was the Posies and Golden Smog with Jody Stephens on drums, both shows (in different years) at the 400 bar in Minneapolis in the 2000's.

To get you in the right spirit, I'm posting the "reunited" version of Big Star (Alex Chilton, Jody Stephens, Jon Auer, Ken Stringfellow) rehearsing a run through of their set before the first reunion show that was immortalized on the live recording, Columbia: Live At Missouri University. Recordings like this are cool because they offer a fly-on-the wall listen to the band working through the songs, with some discussion about details of the songs. A solid sounding set, though the vocals are low in parts, this should interest any fans of the band and it's yet another rare document of a great band we don't know enough about and apparently can't get enough of.

BIG STAR
"set run through"
unknown location
Seattle, WA
April 13, 1993

01 In the Street
02 Don't Lie To Me
03 I Am the Cosmos
04 Oh My Soul
05 Ballad of El Goodo
06 Back of a Car
07 Way Out West
08 Daisy Glaze
09 Thirteen
10 Baby Strange
11 For You
12 Feel
13 September Gurls
14 Thank You Friends
15 Slut
16 When My Baby's Beside Me

BIG STAR- 1993-04-13, Seattle, WA FLAC. rar

Young Fresh Fellows- Live At The Crocodile Cafe 1997

Mark August 21st on your calender because the Young Fresh Fellows, new album, Tiempo De Lujo hits the street on that date. If you're a fan like I am, there is reason to celebrate, it's only their third album of new material since 2001 and it's great to see them still making music together (when they have off-time from their other projects). It would be wishful thinking to expect a tour besides gigs in the Seattle and the Portland area and of course another jaunt to Spain, but any new material from the Fellows gets me in a good mood. I'll also be in an extra good mood starting next week when I start a 2 week vacation to relax and get the hell away from work and it will be a bonus to return home to a package from Yep Roc with the new LP and shirt I pre-ordered. To pre-order go to the Yep Roc store and take advantage of some presale bundles.

As a tribute to the Fellows, I have some live shows to share. I'll try to squeeze a few more in before I take a break, but if not I'll post more later in the month. This show is from 1997 and features the Fellows dipping back in their catalog with a set heavy in material from their early albums (Topsy Turvy/The Men Who Loved Music), along with a (then) new song, Barky's Spiritual Store which appeared on Tribute To Music, released in 1997 and re-recorded on the Because We Hate You album in 2001. In this set they opened for Robyn Hitchcock whom they later opened for on their 2001 tour with his band, the Soft Boys.
Enjoy!

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS
Crocodile Cafe
Seattle, WA
June 13, 1997

01. Ted, Woody And Junior
02. When The Girls Get Here
03. Hank, Karen And Elvis
04. Mr. Salamander's Review
05. The Sharing Patrol
06. "If A Picture Paints A Thousand Words" (excerpt)
07. Where Is Groovy Town?
08. Barky's Spiritual Store
09. How Much About Last Night Do You Remember?
10. Rollercoaster By The Sea
11. Teenage Dogs In Trouble
12. "Old Man Down The Lane"
13. Beer Money
14. "Take Me Down To the Rivers Edge"
15. My Friend Ringo
16. Backroom Of The Bar

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS- 1997-06-13, Seattle FLAC. rar

Reliving New Years Eve One More Time With The Young Fresh Fellows in 1987

We're already into the first week of 2012, but I have one more New Year's eve show to share. This one's for the Fellows fans, a rare vintage show from 1987/1988 with original guitarist, Chuck Carroll. This is taken from a tape I received in a trade close to 20 years ago and this was the first Young Fresh Fellows live recording I had in my collection. The good news is that the recording sounds pretty good despite the fact I transferred it from a 20 year old cassette, not sure if it's a really good audience recording or a soundboard. It was and remains one of my favourite shows, but...The bad news is that it's incomplete and unfortunately cuts off during Ain't It Alright. This recording is from one side of a cassette (45 minutes) and I'm sure the complete concert was twice as long. If anyone has any idea of the source or if the rest of the show is available anywhere, please let me know! A classic New Years eve type-show complete with the countdown and an impromptu singing of Auld Lang Syne and a (original?) song called Happy New Year. The Fellows even cover the Replacements (On The Bus) whom they toured with earlier in 1987 (the reason for the photo), but the above photo with both bands is NOT from this show.

Here's to hoping 2012 is even better than 2011, at least musically anyways. Thanks so much for reading and TDIT will be around to bring more to you in the upcoming year with hopefully a few surprises along the way. Just a reminder, please leave a comment and/or offer up suggestions of what you'd like to hear this year.
Enjoy!

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS
The Backstage
Seattle, WA
December 31, 1987
Audience recording?

01. How Much About Last Night Do You Remember?
02. On The Bus
03. Get Outta My Cave
04. Hank, Karen And Ringo
05. new year's countdown/Auld Lang Syne
06. Happy New Year
07. Trek To Stupidity
08. Gus Theme
09. Togetherness
10. Amy Grant
11. Fuji-a-ma Mama
12. Young Fresh Fellows Theme
13. Hang On Sloopy
14. Why I Oughta
15. Ain't It Alright

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS- 1987-12-31 Backstage, Seattle, WA. rar