Day 8: The Smugglers- 10th Anniversary Party 1998

Poster image lifted from Grant Lawrence's book, Dirty Windshields

I couldn't resist, here's another live recording from the Smugglers when they celebrated their 10th anniversary at the Starfish Room in their hometown of Vancouver back in 1998. This a spin-off of the last three posts of bands that shared the stage with the Smugglers on tours and incidentally, the Donnas were one of the bands that opened this show. The show also celebrated the release of the live album, Growing Up Smuggler, a tenth anniversary album, that was kind of a live greatest hits that was recorded in Madrid, Spain. Why have all the cool bands from the west coast released a live album recorded in Spain? Off the top of my head I can think of several besides the Smugglers, Young Fresh Fellows, Bum, the Posies, Model Rockets...(psst!...more of the YFF's in Spain upcoming)

 
The sound quality on this CBC RadioSonic broadcast is top notch, so it's a nice compliment to the live Spain CD, that was produced by Fastback/YFF, Kurt Bloch. I recorded this straight from the radio directly to cassette tape and I only recently had a listen and thought it was too good not to share along with the less than ideal sounding live show I was at in 1996. Let me know if there are any glitches to the transfer, it's an old tape that probably hadn't been played in almost 30 years. Speaking of 30 years, the Smugglers are celebrating their 30th anniversary (proof time is flying by, fast!) with a show on November 24th at Amigo's in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and unfortunately for those fans outside of Saskatchewan this is their only show in 2018. I thought it was a bit odd they chose Saskatoon as the site for their 30th anniversary party (instead of Vancouver or Winnipeg??), but when I read chapter ten of Grant's tour diaries book, Dirty Windshields I understood better. It's a nice tribute to a venue that treated the band well in the early days and it became a welcoming venue for the band. I'm considering making the road trip north (6-8 hours away?), but slightly concerned about late November prairie weather on the highway. Chixdiggit is opening, another band I saw numerous times in the 90's, so the bill is solid. I urge you if you have the funds and you're a fan of the Smugglers of Chixdiggit, it would be well worth the trip.
Enjoy!!
#12daysoftrouble

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

THE SMUGGLERS
Starfish Room
Vancouver, BC
September 19, 1998
FM Broadcast Master

CBC RadioSonic radio> Maxell XLII 90 Cassette> Aiwa tape deck> ADS Instant music> usb> Nero SoundTrax> WAV> Direct WAV splitter> FLAC> rar

01. Rock With the Smugglers
02. Bishy-Bishy!
03. Action
04. Up And Down
05. Pebble Beach
06. Hey, Stephanie!
07. Shakedown!
08. Whiplash!
09. Rock Thy Neighbor
10. Pick 'Em Up Truck
11. The B 'n' I
12. She's A Machine
13. What's The Matter With Me (?)
14. She Ain't No Egyptian
15. To Serve, Protect And Entertain
16. Outro

THE SMUGGLERS- 1998-09-19 Starfish Room, Vancouver, BC FLAC. rar

Day 7: Cub- Saturday Night Live At the Starfish Room 1995

Actually, the date of April 21, 1995 was a Friday, but I'm pretty sure this Cub concert was broadcast on RealTime on CBC radio which aired on Saturday night. I spent a lot of my Saturday nights at home taping live concerts on the radio from RealTime and it's successor (also Saturday night time slot), RadioSonic (1997-2003). They broadcast complete concerts from a lot of good indie Canadian bands as well as bigger international names and the sound quality was excellent. I taped a lot of shows onto cassette and I've been gradually converting these tapes to digital files and have started posting them here. I actually didn't tape this broadcast, I received it in a trade, but this is a fine example of the excellent broadcast quality of these broadcasts. This show shouldn't be confused with the recent series of officially releases, CBC Brave New Waves albums that featured bands live in (CBC) studio sessions. Brave New Waves was another great CBC FM radio program (late night) that played "left of the dial" stuff, lots of indie and alternative bands that you usually didn't hear on commercial radio. The Cub session on Brave New Waves was recorded May 19, 1993 almost to the day of their 1st anniversary. Hey, Neko Case fans, Neko plays drums on this session! This album is available at the Cub Brave New Waves Bandcamp page, very cool pink & black effect vinyl is for sale, as well as digital download, CD and boring black vinyl.

The unofficial Dirty Windshields live soundtrack wouldn't be complete without a recording from Cub. Cub is another band that figured significantly in Grant's book as Cub and the Smugglers often shared bills together and touring together during the Smugglers second North American tour. Both bands were on the Mint Records label in Vancouver (Smugglers would later on Selling The Sizzle) and it was Cub that topped the charts of campus radio and helped drive up sales for Mint. "Cub's sound and attitude would prove highly influential for scores of young indie musicians seeking a new alternative to the new alternative" (Grant Lawrence). Another connection between the bands is that Cub's drummer, Neko Case dated Smugglers guitarist, Dave Carswell during this period, I didn't know that. This concert recorded at the Starfish Room in Vancouver is a sampling of some of Cub's best known songs and some extra cool covers that are better than the originals. If you're not familiar with Cub's brand of "cuddlecore", check their Bandcamp page for downloads, streams and information about purchasing a real CD. Hell, they only have 3 full length albums, it's well worth the purchase. Or if you want their collection of oddities, Mauler is a good place to start.
Enjoy!
 #12daysoftrouble

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

CUB
Starfish Room
Vancouver, BC
April 21, 1995
FM Broadcast

trade> CDR> FreeRip> Flac> rar

01. Intro
02. Flaming Red Bobsled
03. Life Of Crime
04. Little Star
05. Green Eyes
06. Cast A Shadow
07. Runaway
08. Lucky 7
09. Pillow Queen
10. Sweet Pea
11. Voracious
12. A Picnic
13. Your Bed
14. Tell Me Now
15. The Day I Said Goodbye
16. New York City
17. Surfer Girl
18. Motel 6
19. Find A Way
20. My Chinchilla
21. Vacation
22. My Best Friend's Girl
23. Go Fish

CUB- 1995-04-21 Starfish Room, Vancouver, BC FLAC.rar

Day 6: The Donnas- Wednesday Night Live in Palo Alto, CA 1995

Another band the Smugglers frequently toured with were Lookout label-mates, the Donnas. The Donnas were an all-girl punk rock band from Palo Alto, California who attended school together and before they became the Donnas, they're first band was known as Ragady Anne before changing their name to the Electrocutes (I posted about them here in 2008). They created the Donnas as a separate band simultaneously with the Electrocutes and distinguished the bands from each other by each member taking the name Donna and their surname would be the first letter of their last name (Donna A,R, F, C) when they were performed as the Donnas. The Electrocutes were a raw fast
hard edge-metal band while the Donnas had a garagey punk sound, not unlike the Ramones (in some ways they were the reverse Ramones). The Smugglers played shows and toured with the Donnas around 1998-2000 and check out chapter 41 "Hot Boxin" in Grant Lawrence's tour diary/rock bio, Dirty Windshields for some very interesting road stories with the Donnas. Around this period, the Donnas were starting to create some buzz and attention from the major labels, their albums were selling and their tours were gaining more fans. Think of what a PR dream they would have been when they first started out, they were young (high school young), they wore matching "letter shirts" and spandex pants (later skin-tight leather and t-shirts), they were good looking with a persona that suggested a rebellious edge (can we say, female Ramones or think, Nikki & the Corvettes or Leather Tuscadero from Happy Days), they sang about boys, hooking up and 40 boys in 40 nights, say no more. They progressed from a high school punk/metal band(s) to cool indie label rebels to a cleaned up polished image with commercial success on a major label band as they performed on TV talk shows, and their music was used in movie/video game soundtracks and played main stage at Lollapalooza.

I was trying to decide which Donnas show I would post, because I have a couple great sounding soundboard/FM recordings from the early 2000's. Unfortunately a recording from when the Donnas performed in town didn't turn out too good. I saw them at the Pyramid Cabaret in 2005 and I was using some new Sound Professional mics (with a battery pack, the most money I've spent on sound recording equipment) with my minidisc recorder. For every recording I used these mics, the sound was overly bassy and it affected the overall sound noticeably. For the Donnas show, the sound coming from the stage already had too much bass in the mix, it's the kind of bass you can feel your pant legs flap against your leg because the bass was blowing way too hard towards you. Usually my (other) mics sounded okay because my body seems to absorb a lot of the high and low end of the sound. This recording though was completely unlistenable, with the bass brickwalling the sound to such an extent you could not hear the vocals or any guitar. Just a booooming blast of bass and drums! I only have a handful of live recordings that are impossible to enjoy and most of them were with these microphones. Fortunately, I only used them a couple years before I found a better (and cheaper) alternative.

Instead, we're going back to when the Donnas were just starting out, a couple years before their first full length album was released. Since the band members were all born in 1979, the girls would be around 16 years old at the time of this concert. This is a decent sounding FM broadcast on local radio in their hometown that captures their raw talent and how unflappably good they already were at this time. Many of the songs they play in the set are from singles they had recently released that later would appear as bonus tracks on the re-release version of their first album, The Donnas. As a bonus for this live recording, there's an interview with the band members! A rare and early glimpse of a band that would continue to grow up and mature with every release. Another must listen for fans of honest to goodness no frills all-girl rock' n' roll!
Enjoy!
#12daysoftrouble

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

THE DONNAS
KZSU Wednesday Night Live
Palo Alto, CA
October 4, 1995
FM broadcast

01. Da Doo Ron Ron
02. High School Yum Yum
03. Boy Like You
04. Let's Rab
05. Let's Go Mano
06. Last Chance Dance
07. I Wanna Be A Unabomber
08. Get Rid Of That Girl
09. Interview (The songs from their 1st 45's are cut during the interview since they are released material)

THE DONNAS- 1995-10-04 Palo Alto, CA FLAC. rar

Day 5: "This Is A Song About A Girl" Mr. T Experience- Live in Winnipeg 1996

The Smugglers/Mr. T Experience tour came through Winnipeg in the spring of 1996 in thanks to a new distribution deal between Canadian (Vancouver) label, Mint Records and U.S. (Berkeley) label Lookout! Records. The labels co-released their line-ups artist's to get better distribution in the States for the Canadian bands and vice-versa for the American bands. Before this time, I bought albums from the Lookout label as an import, which meant steeper prices for Mr. T Experience or Screeching Weasel albums. This also meant label-mate band tours such as MTX and the Smugglers, otherwise we might not have had the opportunity to see bands like Mr. T tour to Canada as often, especially Winnipeg. As a result I saw Mr. T two years later at the same venue, but not since or before the Mint-Lookout hookup. This resulted in the Mint bands such as Cub, Duotang and the Smugglers getting much needed exposure in the States. For this tour, the Smugglers headlined the dates in Canada while the Mr. T Experience headlined the shows in the U.S.

In Grant Lawrence's book, Dirty Windshields, he chronologically writes about the various tour-mates the band shared stages with around the world. In chapter 29, Selling The Sizzle, Grant details the positive relationship with their label mates from Lookout and Mint and touring with MTX. "On the sold-out Mr. T Experience tour, the Smugglers got tighter and tighter and with rapturous crowds every night, our confidence grew". My relationship and love for the band began with their first album, Everybody's Entitled To Their Own Opinion when I heard the song, Danny Partridge on a late night CBC program, Brave New Waves which I would periodically listen to while drawing or painting. It was a great program to discover new and different music especially music that didn't fit the mainstream of commercial radio. I took note and eventually tracked down the album, of course I paid import prices. They were definitely one of my favourite bands during the late 80's/early 90's, their music had a sense of humour and a driving melodic punk sound that I could relate to. Yes, thank you Dr. Frank for some great records, hopefully he can bring a version of the Mr. T Experience to town again someday.

This recording was recorded the same night as the Smugglers set (duh!) and my only petty complaint is I wish the Mr. T Experience would have played a longer set. Of course, if they were the headliner they would have, but I was just happy to finally see them live. I even got to meet the band after the show, I bought a shirt and CD that they graciously signed. The recording sounds pretty good considering this was over 20 years ago and I used a cheap mic and tape recorder. It's another show I've never shared or traded, so this is the exclusive premiere post of the show. A Very enjoyable show and highly recommended for fans of great Berkeley based power pop-punk rock that isn't Green Day.
Enjoy!
#12daysoftrouble

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

MR. T EXPERIENCE
Wellington's
Winnipeg, MB
May 22, 1996
AUD Master

Sony mic> Sony WM-GX35 Recording Walkman> Maxell XLII 90 Cassette> Aiwa tape deck> ADS Instant music> usb> Nero SoundTrax> WAV> Direct WAV splitter> FLAC> rar

01. Sackcloth And Ashes
02. Last Time I Listened To You
03. Tapin' Up My Heart
04. I Just Wanna Do It With You
05. New Girlfriend
06. Another Yesterday
07. Semi-OK
08. Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba
09. Two-Minute Itch
10. Alternative Is Here To Stay!
11. The Future Ain't What It Used To Be
12. Disconnection
13. I Fell For You
14. Even Hitler Had A Girlfriend
15. Dumb Little Band
16. We Are the Future People Of Tomorrow

MR. T EXPERIENCE- 1996-05-22 Wellington's, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar

Day 4: The Smugglers Live In Winnipeg "No-Hit Rock 'n' Roll!"

This summer I spent two relaxing weeks up at the cottage and as in past years I caught up on my reading for the year. I typically don't have time or more realistically don't make time to read books while I'm in the city, more specifically when I have internet access. Our cottage can't get a TV signal, barely receives a cell phone signal and definitely do not have wi-fi. We do have electricity, running water and a phone line, but for the most part we have to make our own fun, like board/card games, handheld and phone video games, DVDs, swimming, hiking and reading. The cabin is jam packed with shelves of vintage books (mainly sci-fi), but I choose to bring a selection of books and magazines I've been stockpiling the rest of the year since I have loads of time on my hands. This year, by coincidence the books and mags were all music related, mainly non-fiction (plus one fiction re-read, High Fidelity). I finished a book I started earlier in the year, How Music Got Free- A Story of Obsession and Invention by Stephen Witt. I found this book very fascinating, as it follows the birth of the mp3 and how it revolutionized the music business and how it changed how we access music either through buying CD's, pirating music, downloading and streaming. It's a behind the scenes look through the vantage points of some of the players in the industry, the inventors of the mp3, a top music executive, a worker at a CD manufacturing plant, a leaker and the creators of many music pirating download sites. It intrigued me because I lived this life, I saw and participated in many of these practices seeking leaked  pre-releases, and shared music through many p2p sites uploading and downloading a lot of music. Personally, it brought back a lot of memories and it was a game changer for me because it increased my interest (and obsession) like nothing else and opened the door to music I wouldn't have otherwise sampled. I still buy a tremendous amount of vinyl, CDs and tapes and I subscribe to one music streaming site, but I still get a lot of music through file sharing and downloading. Anyways, this book is an interesting read, it's both entertaining and educational for the music fan and for anyone interested in the business of the music industry.

A book I was itching to read for months was the rock biography about the Vancouver band, The Smugglers, Dirty Windshields- The Best and Worst of The Smugglers Tour Diaries written by lead singer, Grant Lawrence. I usually don't read rock bios, but it caught my attention because the Smugglers were a band I saw on several occasions back in the 90's and when I was flipping through the book in the bookstore, I found a chapter a about their Winnipeg incident, (sorta) opening for the Young Fresh Fellows and Hoodoo Gurus at the U of M campus. I won't go into details (you have to buy the book), but I was at that show (another life-changing moment, seeing the Fellows for the first time live!) and I didn't realize the circumstances of why the Smugglers were bumped from the bill. A funny story from earlier that day, I took off from work for a couple of hours because the Fellows were advertised to play a noon hour set at University Centre. Disappointingly, they weren't playing, but instead a galoshes wearing band was taking the stage. My disappointment was soothed a couple songs in, these guys were amazing! It was the Smugglers! They were energetic, jumping around on stage and they played some straight-up rock 'n' roll that impressed the crap out of me. I remember  very little response from the student crowd and I might have been the only one that watched their whole set. I was hooked! I saw them a few years later in 1995 at the Pyramid on a week night and once again the crowd was small and uninterested. In fact, I seated myself dead centre at the edge of the dance floor with no one in front or around me, seriously? One of the things I took notice from the book is how many great bands the Smugglers played with on tour. Apart from the Fellows, the Smuggs played with and/or toured with Cub, the Donnas, the Gruesomes, Mudhoney, the Posies, Fastbacks, the Queers, Supersnazz and the Mr. T Experience to name just some of the bands mentioned in the book. Though there is an official soundtrack (best of The Smugglers) for the book available (digital only), the next few posts will be an unofficial "tour" soundtrack featuring live recordings of some of the previously mentioned bands.

The live recording for this post is taken from a Smugglers show from 1996 at the non-defunct Wellington's bar in Winnipeg. Opening for the Smugglers was Duotang (from Winnipeg) and fellow Lookout recording artists, the Mr. T Experience. I went primarily because I love MTX and I've always wanted to see them live, but all three bands were excellent. The bar was jammed packed (it's not a large venue), but thinking back it wasn't a bad place to see a band. I recorded the show on my recording Walkman and I transferred the cassette to digital on my hard-drive. The fidelity isn't high and the crowd noise is definitely present, but it has that "I'm in the middle of a crowded bar" feel to it and after listening to the tape for the first time in years it sounds pretty good. This is the first time this show has been shared, I'm almost positive no one else taped it, so it's a nice historical document of the Smugglers on tour...in Winnipeg.
Enjoy!
#12daysoftrouble

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

THE SMUGGLERS
Wellington's
Winnipeg, MB
May 22, 1996
AUD Master

Sony mic> Sony WM-GX35 Recording Walkman> Maxell XLII 90 Cassette> Aiwa tape deck> ADS Instant music> usb> Nero SoundTrax> WAV> Direct WAV splitter> FLAC> rar

01. Rock With The Smugglers
02. Smokin' Monkey
03. Make You Mine
04. Big Trouble
05. ??
06. Especially You
07. Keep On
08. She Ain't No Egyptian
09. The B'n'L
10. Bishy-Bishy!
11. Alan Thicke
12. Whiplash
13. Vancouver, BC
14. Stop! Look! Listen!
15. Kiss Like A Nun
16. Rock 'N' Roll Was Never This Fun
17. Rock with The Smugglers

Encore
18. To Serve, Protect And Entertain
19. Supercar

Not 100% sure about the song titles on the setlist, if you identify the missing song (s), let me know.

THE SMUGGLERS- 1996-05-22 Wellington's, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar

Day 3: Rilo Kiley Live In Minneapolis 2003

I was looking for something more random to post for the third installment of the 12 Days Of Trouble. I already had an idea of what I wanted to post for about 75% of the posts when I decided the take the challenge, but I left open a couple of days to decide later. Most of the posts will have a connection in some way to each other and a clue to what's coming is that "I am stuck in the 90's", you'll see what I"m talking about next post.

I chose a Rilo Kiley show from 2003 for a couple of reasons. It's no secret, I'm a big fan of their first four albums (including their first album) and I have posted some shows in the past, including a Jenny Lewis set at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. She really is so sweet especially on the band's earlier shows (pre-2004) when they were much more low-key and less polished performers. There was something kind of charming about them that said "indie" on smaller labels with less attention and focus just on Lewis, but more on Rilo Kiley the band, if that makes sense.

Another reason I chose this show is because it is recorded at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis, a smaller intimate venue that I've seen a couple of great concerts at. This show has a quiet intimate mood to it that is perfectly matched with the venue and I now regret not making the trip south to see the show. (Unfortunately, the 400 Bar closed it's doors on January 1, 2013) The sound quality of the recording is fantastic taken from the soundboard and thanks to whoever recorded and posted the show on Dime. The setlist leans heavily towards The Execution of All Things album, but also includes early workings of It's A Hit and Portions For Foxes that would appear on their next album, More Adventurous which would be released a year later. The band would gain wider indie success with that album and the days of the small venues like the 400 Bar would be left behind when they signed with the majors with Under The Blacklight. Anyways, here's a look back 15 years ago at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis.
Enjoy!
#12daysoftrouble

Please do NOT sell or convert to mp3 (except for personal use)
Please share!

RILO KILEY
400 Bar
Minneapolis, MN
July 20. 2003
Soundboard

01. It's A Hit
02. Always
03. The Execution Of All Things
04. My Slumbering Heart
05. The Good That Won't Come Out
06. August
07. Paint's Peeling
08. Jenny, You're Barely Alive
09. A Better Son/Daughter
10. Bulletproof
11. With Arms Outstretched
12. Salute My Shorts!
13. Hail To Whatever You Found In The Sunlight That Surrounds You
14. Portions For Foxes / Spectacular Views
15. Capturing Moods

RILO KILEY- 2003-07-20 400 Bar, Minneapolis, MN FLAC. rar

Day 2: Young Fresh Fellows- Live In NYC 1989

 If you've been following this blog for any length of time you probably already know who my favourite band is. The first clue is in the name of this music blog which is also the title of a song by the Young Fresh Fellows, from their debut album, The Fabulous Sounds Of The Pacific Northwest. Teenage Dogs In Trouble is the 12th track on the album which was released in 1984 and I hope this blog can do justice to the song (and the band). When I traded tapes back in the early 90's, my top band on my want list was any live recordings from the Fellows. A great starting point was the Gag Fah tape that featured a compilation of live, outtakes and rare tracks from pre-1990, but it took me a lot of list exchanges and searching to find any live recordings. Eventually I connected with some traders that had shows from 80's and 90's and once the internet took off I was able to work trades through sites like, Tapetraders.com, eTree and downloading on Dime.  Once you've compiled all you can buy from a band, like the Fellows or the Replacements (albums, CD's 7" ers, eps' etc) the search for live recordings and unreleased songs can only help the addiction to hear more. If you're a fan of the Young Fresh Fellows (or if you're not yet, you will be), four of the twelve days of trouble are for you!

This Young Fresh Fellows show came to me through a trade many years ago along with a couple other Fellows shows. It was transferred onto a CDR as one long track, but for your convenience and mine, I split the tracks and added a setlist. The album, This One's For The Ladies came out the same year as this show and it was the beginning of the Kurt Bloch-era both on record and live replacing guitarist Chuck Carroll. Funny thing is, this might be the first show of the tour after Kurt broke his arm or wrist during a previous show and he was temporarily replaced by the Pontiac Brother's, Ward Dotson on guitar. If you've heard Gag Fah, one of the live tracks is from this show with Dotson on lead vocals for the Mott the Hoople cover, Movin' On. A good sounding audience recording with some cool covers and a select of songs from the Ladies album and Dotson does a very commendable job filling in for Kurt. The date of the show that I had listed when I received the disc was October 11, 1989, but according to the Gag Fah track list, the date is November 16, 1989. I have another YFF show from November 24 in Cincinnati, so it might make sense the correct date is in November. If anyone has any recollection or knowledge of YFF tour dates in 1989, please let me know so we can confirm the date. On the last track (19. Equator Blues (partial)), I don't think this is from the same show and I don't have any information to it's source. Let's call this the bonus track. Anyways, this is a good one, one I've wanted to post for a while.
Enjoy!
#12daysoftrouble

Do NOT sell or convert to mp3 (except for personal use).
Please share!
 
YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS
Pyramid Club
New York City, NY
October 11, 1989 (or November 16, 1989?)
AUD

01. Girl From Ipanema
02. Get Outta My Cave
03. Taco Wagon
04. Picture Book
05. This One's For The Ladies
06. Ms. Lonelyhearts
07. Why I Oughta
08. I Started A Joke
09. Amy Grant
10. Movin' On
11. Middleman Of Time
12. My Friend Ringo
13. Topsy Turvy Theme
14. Rotation
15. Backroom Of The Bar
16. Have Love Will Travel
17. Beer Money
18. Born Free

19. Equator Blues

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS- 1989-10-11, Pyramid Club, NYC, NY FLAC. rar

Hey, We're Twelve years Old!! 12 Days Of Trouble Begins Now! Day One- Early Violent Femmes

Not my actual LP. Taken from discogs.com

Believe it or not, this blog is 12 years old. Despite the takedown notices, copyright infringement violations and general apathy on my part, Teenage Dogs In Trouble is still alive. I know I don't show it all the time, but this music blog is a labour of love, my love of music, live and on record. I constantly surround myself with music that isn't canned shit off the radio or the usual mainstream garbage we are sometimes forced to listen to. Hopefully the people that read this blog can appreciate a similar taste in music as myself or discover music they aren't familiar with before. Through the years I've slightly changed the focus and format of the blog. My original intend was to share music samples from albums and CD's as well as sharing recordings of some the shows I've attended. The takedown notices were in part because of some of the copyrighted music I shared, so in recent years the focus is more on live concert recordings from shows I went to or live recordings that I've downloaded or traded for. I'm also posting in FLAC format instead of lossless mp3. I go to less concerts than I used to, but I have so many live recordings I still want to share so this blog will continue on as long as there is an audience. I appreciate all your comments and I try to reply to as many as possible, so please keep your comments and requests coming.

To celebrate 12 years, I thought it would be fun to challenge myself by posting 12 posts til the end of  August. My track record for frequent posting in the past couple years isn't that good, so this will be very challenging. A popular Instagram/Facebook "thing" are daily or 30 day challenges where the participant will post something (art, music, writing, photos etc.) for consecutive days. I have a friend that just completed a 30 day challenge playing drums to a different cover song everyday as well as a creating a watercolour piece of art. It was amazing and inspiring! (Congrats Kelly!!). I'll be honest, I don't think I can post for 12 consecutive days (I do have a 9-5 job), but I will attempt to write 12 posts from now until the end of the month (in 18 days). I'm coming off vacation and I did a lot of reading (mainly non-fiction music-related) while relaxing at the cottage so many of the posts will reflect the soundtrack of some of what I read or some of the music I listened to on the pod.

Day one begins with an early rare live recording from the Violent Femmes. This recording was ripped from a bootleg LP called, Violence In The Streets which apparently is quite scarce and it was posted on Dime some years back. There isn't an exact date for the concert, but it was from 1983, the same year as the first Violent Femmes album. A friend recommended I listen to their first album right after it was released and it changed my perception of what music could be and it was very influential to my musical taste. For me, it sounded nothing like anything I had heard before. The distinct sound of Brian Ritchie's bass, Gordon Gano's angry vocals, that snare drum sound, that both scared and intrigued me. The lyrics were sometimes religious, was this Christian rock?  Were they anti-religious? I honestly wasn't sure, but really I didn't care, I loved their music! This live recording captures some of the raw energy of the band and it must have been exciting seeing them in a small venue this early in their career. Interesting, the setlist drew from songs from 4 of their first 5 albums as well as a couple songs (Gimme The Car, Ugly) that weren't originally included on the first album (later as bonus tracks on the US CD version). A very good sounding recording that is well worth the listen if you're a fan. Highly recommended!
Enjoy!!

#12daysoftrouble

Please DO NOT sell!
Do not trade this in lossy format.
Convert to lossy for personal use only.

VIOLENT FEMMES
Tupelo's Tavern
New Orleans, LA
XX-XX-1983
very good AUD (on-stage mic?)

Vinyl LP bootleg> CDR> EAC> SHN> CDR> FLAC> rar

01. Kiss Off
02. Girl Trouble
03. Hallowed Ground (called Hello-Girl on the LP)
04. Gimme The Car
05. Country Death Song
06. Gone Daddy Gone
07. It's Gonna Rain
08. Add It Up
09. Special
10. Ugly
11. Prove My Love

VIOLENT FEMMES- 1983-xx-xx Tupelo Tavern, New Orleans, LA FLAC. rar

The Posies celebrate 30 years In The Twin Cities

Last Saturday night, The Posies completed the first half of their 30th anniversary tour appropriately in Seattle, the city where the band started 30 years ago. The night before they played in Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer's hometown of Bellingham, Washington, the site of their first ever show (see the previous post). It's been a long one and a half months since the tour began in Victoria, B.C. (the only Canadian stop on the tour) as they traveled across North America. The band takes a summer break before continuing on with the second half of the tour when they travel to Europe for some of September, all of October and a bit of November. From all accounts that I have read about, heard and seen, the tour has been an overwhelming success with enthusiastic crowds and energetic shows.

I had the opportunity to see one of these concerts when I traveled to the Twin Cities to catch the Posies at the Turf Club in St. Paul, Minnesota. The last time I saw the band was in 2005 at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis. This time I bought the tickets back in March for my wife's birthday with a road trip in mind as part of the present. There are many bands we both mutually enjoy, but the Posies are special. We've been fans of their music for almost 30 years and a chance to see them a third time was too good to pass up. They did not disappoint!

Regrettably, we missed the opening set by Terra Lightfoot and band, which was a shame because I heard she was great and I should be supporting a fellow Canadian (more on that later). She has opened for the Posies for most of the North American tour dates. We arrived at the show during Porcupine's set, which is noteworthy because their bass player is Greg Norton (Husker Du) who will play a significant role later in the evening.

Greg Norton joins the Posies for the Posie Du encore.

Terra Lightfoot shreds alongside Jon and Ken during the evening's finale, Flood of Sunshine.

The only way to describe the Posies headline set is epic! They played for over two hours and my gaze on the stage never wavered or was distracted, almost trance-like for the entire set and I have a hunch I wasn't the only one feeling this way. Ken and Jon spoke from the heart with interesting stories about the music industry, keeping the band together and their genuine love for what they're doing. They know how to make a connection with their audience and the appreciation was mutual. There were so many highlights during the concert, here are a few:

• Terra Lightfoot bringing a round of shots on stage for the band and was coaxed into doing Loon impersonations. Also when Terra was quizzed where the Canadian Mint was located (she guessed Ottawa), us and a small group surrounding us reminded her it was in Winnipeg. Nice shout out for the Peg!
• The last four songs of the main set. Ontario, Flavor Of The Month and Solar Sister are personal favourites (along with Grant Hart) and Burn & Shine is the glorious song live.
• The encore, YES, the encore! "Posie Du" featuring Greg Norton (taking the place of bassist, Dave Fox) and the Posies ripping through four Husker Du classics, These Important Years, Green Eyes, Makes No Sense At All and Sorry Somehow. In my mind, this musical collaboration might be the closest I might get to hear Husker Du songs live, it was a great tribute. I soaked it in with a huge smile on my face, WOW!
• The rest of the encore. Before they played the song, Grant Hart, Ken remarked, "This is so metal". This is the best version of this song I've heard live. Fast and driving with Norton on bass this was another moment of euphoria. Flood of Sunshine with Ken on "the worst" keyboard, Dave back on bass and Terra on second guitar was an exercise of endurance with expansive dual guitar solos and general mayhem. Terra and Jon were on their knees trading riffs and guitar noodling to the extreme. Broken strings and a pile of well used guitars ended the song. A perfect way to end the show. Ken announced, "By the power of Greyskull, I declare this concert awesome". and it truly was!

I'm very happy I brought my recorder state-side, because I caught an amazing concert and the unique setlist made this very worthwhile. The show sounds incredible, the vocals are clear and the music sounds crisp and balanced. Not bad for standing in the middle of the floor fairly close to the stage. I would rank this is one of my better sounding recordings. Thanks for everyone around me for not talking. The best concerts are the ones that are so good there is no time to chatter and talk...and my wife did get to meet and get a record signed from Ken Stringfellow after the show, YES, it was a great night!
Enjoy!

There are some much better written reviews and articles about The Posies St. Paul show:
http://weheartmusic.typepad.com/blog/2018/06/the-posies-at-turf-club-st-paul-26-june-2018.html
https://twincitiesmedia.net/blog/the-posies-unleash-firepower-at-the-turf-club/
https://blog.thecurrent.org/2018/06/watch-greg-norton-join-the-posies-for-husker-du-covers-at-the-turf-club/
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2018/06/28/posies-greg-norton-husker-du-st-paul/ (videos)

Please do NOT sell!!
Do NOT trade this in lossy format. 
Convert to lossy for personal use only.

THE POSIES
Turf Club
St. Paul, MN
June 26, 2018

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

01. Dream All Day
02. Love Letter Boxes
03. Apology
04. Any Other Way
05. I Am The Cosmos
06. Please Return It
07. Golden Blunders
08. Precious Moments
09. You're The Beautiful One
10. Suddenly Mary
11. Licenses To Hide (w/Terra Lightfoot)
12. The Glitter Prize (w/Terra Lightfoot)
13. Ontario
14. Flavor Of The Month
15. Burn & Shine
16. Solar Sister

Encore
17. These Important Years (w/Greg Norton)*
18. Green Eyes (w/Greg Norton)*
19. Makes No Sense At All (w/Greg Norton)*
20. Sorry Somehow (w/Greg Norton)*
21. Grant Hart (w/Greg Norton)
22. Flood Of Sunshine (w/Terra Lightfoot)

*Husker Du covers

THE POSIES- 2018-06-26 Turf Club, St. Paul, MN FLAC Master. rar

Happy Canada Day!! Neil Young- Omemee 2017

Nothing says Canada more than Neil Young! Well actually, maybe not. He doesn't even live in Canada, not for decades and he's been seen at San Jose hockey games wearing a Sharks cap and cheering for his "hometown" team. Conveniently, former Canadians (and Winnipeggers) such as Young and Burton Cummings make a timely appearance or comment on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube that reminds us they are still in touch with their Canadian past. This past NHL playoffs, Burton Cummings said he wanted to sing the anthem at a Winnipeg Jets playoff game, but unfortunately he was involved in a car accident in California that (thankfully!) prevented him from returning to his old hometown to sing. Young made a strange YouTube video a few years ago to express his love for the Jets. All kidding aside, Young has retained his Canadian citizenship, is an officer of the Order of Canada and was awarded the Order of Manitoba so he truly is proud of his achievements and his love for Canada is still very evident today.

On December 1st last year, Neil returned to his childhood hometown of Omemee, Ontario and performed a solo acoustic concert attended by invited guests and live streamed to fans around the world. I recall that the weeks leading up to the concert there was talk about where the concert would take place. Allegedly it would be a secret location somewhere in Canada and it would be some sort of homecoming to pay tribute to his Canadian roots. Of course, in my hometown there was a buzz that it would be Winnipeg because he spent a lot of his formative years here. He attended Kelvin High School and formed and performed with his first bands here. Most people assume he was born in Winnipeg, but in fact he was born in Toronto and shortly after he was born the family moved to Omemee. Later, he moved to Winnipeg, then Toronto and then back to Winnipeg with his mother after she divorced.

The concert was called "Home Town" for obvious reasons, but it was a look back to the past both musically and emotionally. The live stream began with a video with scenes of Omemee and photos of Neil from the years he lived there (he was 4-8 years old). Neil played almost two hours, just him on stage alternating between guitar, piano, harmonica, banjo, ukelele and pump organ. The setlist spanned his entire career and the intimacy of the setting and with the stripped down versions of the songs, this truly was an amazing unique moment. Neil had come full circle, coming home to Canada and treating fans from all across Canada and the rest of the world with his incredible talent. Happy (belated) Canada Day!!
Enjoy!

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Neil Young
Coronation Hall
Omemee,ON Canada
2017-12-01

This is the SBD audio from the CTV webcast video recently uploaded by schwinn: http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=607888

Audio source data: AAC 256 Kbps 48.0 KHz stereo

Lineage: Audio extracted from the video source using MAGIX Movie Edit Pro 17 > WAV > Audacity (amplify, tracking) > TLH > FLAC > foobar2000 (FLAC tags)
Length: 1:44:35

Setlist:
01 intro [prerecorded]
02 crowd noise
03 stage entrance
04 Comes a Time
05 Love is a Rose
06 Journey Through the Past
07 Long May You Run
08 I'm Glad I Found You
09 Tumbleweed
10 banter
11 Old Man
12 Old King
13 Someday
14 There's a World
15 Stand Tall
16 War of Man
17 Don't Be Denied
18 Helpless
19 Heart of Gold

Encore:
20 One of these Days
21 Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)
22 Sugar Mountain

NEIL YOUNG- 2017-12-01 Omemee, ON FLAC. rar

The Posies- First Live Performance

Yet another sign I am getting old way too fast is that The Posies are in the middle of  a 30th anniversary world (North America/Europe) tour. I still remember buying their debut album, Failure through mail order from Seattle's indie label, Popllama Records in the late 80's. I have the pleasure of seeing the Posies live on two occasions, 1995 in Winnipeg and 2005 in Minneapolis. The 1995 show was when they were at their height of "commercial" success after Frosting, just before the release of Amazing Disgrace. For the 2005 show, we specifically drove up to the Twin Cities to see The Posies at the 400 Bar which was a great intimate venue. I always prefer the smaller venues as you get a more up close and personal experience and even had a chance to chat with Jon after the concert. As luck would have it, I will once again make a trip to the Twin Cities next week, this time St. Paul, to see The Posies at the Turf Club, another smallish size club with good sound and decent sight lines. For a preview of the St. Paul show, here's a very interesting article/interview with Ken Stringfellow that is terrific on so many levels. I've been to the Turf Club previously once to see the Baseball Project (w/Scott McC, Buck, Wynn and Pitmon). Should be great, really looking forward to it and they are one of my wife's favourite bands, so what's not to love?

I had a few other early Posies show to choose from to post, but I thought in tribute to their 30th anniversary, why not start at the very beginning. This is the first live public performance by Ken and Jon, before they formed the band, playing some cool covers and an original on duo acoustic guitars. I acquired this recording along with other early shows in a trade many many years ago. They're sound kind of rough and definitely not too polished yet, but the spirit and energy is there. So, what's not to love?
Enjoy!

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THE POSIES
FOE Hall
Bellingham, WA
August 26th, 1987

01. Mrs. Robinson
02. I'm Looking Through You (Beatles cover)
03. Don't Look Away (?)
04. Promise (Violent Femmes cover)
05. Swinging Party (Replacements cover)
06. I've Just Seen A Face (Beatles cover)
07. Standing Still (R.E.M. cover)
08. That's Entertainment (The Jam cover)
09. The Killing Moon (Echo & The Bummymen cover)
10. I Can't Reach You (The Who cover)
11. English Rose (The Jam cover)
12. Stretch Out And Wait (The Smiths cover)
13. Separate Beds (Squeeze cover)
14. Greeting To The New Brunette (Billy Bragg cover)
15. Surely You Jest (?)
16. Superman (Troggs cover)
17. I May Hate You Sometimes
18. So Sad About Us (The Who cover)

THE POSIES- 1987-08-26 FOE Hall, Bellingham, WA FLAC. rar
Please let me know if the link doesn't work. Still trying to tweak the downloads. - Thanks!

Yo La Tengo- Murdering Even More Classics 2018

Sorry for the lack of posts in 2018. I've been caught up in my local NHL team's playoff run that just ended on Sunday afternoon. Really, the Jets aren't the real excuse since I follow the NHL playoffs regardless of what teams are in, but I pay special attention to (my favourite team) the Blackhawks and of course, the Jets. I've been busy! Work, eat, watch hockey, sleep...repeat. This has been going on pretty much everyday since April 11th, so you get the picture.

Just like the playoffs, a springtime tradition wouldn't be complete without the annual WFMU-FM's Request-a-Thon featuring the always amazing, Yo La Tengo. This year's radio event aired March 10th with Yo La Tengo fulfilling the requests of listeners that pledged money to hear the band bravely work their magic with their near perfect renditions of the hits as they remembered them. Actually, they sound pretty tight this year and yup, I think they're getting better each year! Though I don't live anywhere near the New Jersey area code, I look forward to hearing this set and it's definitely a highlight of my busy, unexciting life. Enough talk, there's lots of music to get to.
Enjoy!

Please respect the original poster's request:
Please do NOT trade this in lossy format. 
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and mine: DO NOT SELL!
  
YO LA TENGO
Live on Todd-o-phonic Todd's
Request-a-Thon with Gaylord Fields
WFMU-FM's Monty Hall
Jersey City, NJ USA
2018-03-10
6 sets from 3-6pm

Broadcast live over 91.1 WFMU-FM, Jersey City, NJ USA.

Lineage:
WFMU-FM > Sony XDR-F1HD > Edirol R-09HR (44.1/16) >
Sony Soundforge 10 > FLAC level 6 aligned on SB

Set 1:

01 - I Wanna Be Your Dog (3:51)
02 - Have I The Right (2:08)
03 - These Days (1:35)
04 - Wall Of Death (3:12)
05 - Let The Sunshine In (1:36)

Set 2:

06 - Whip It (2:06)
07 - It's Your Thing (2:01)
08 - U.S. Blues (3:16)
09 - Yes It's True (2:14)
10 - Cinderella (2:51)
11 - Point That Thing Somewhere Else (4:39)

Set 3:

12 - Winterlong (3:16)
13 - Can't Help Falling in Love (2:12)
14 - I Can Hear the Grass Grow (2:18)
15 - Rebel Rebel (3:22)

Set 4:

16 - Shame Shame Shame (2:19)
17 - I'm Not Your Stepping Stone (3:17)
18 - Take Me Home, Country Roads (1:57)
19 - Dancing In The Dark (4:56)
20 - Down By The River (5:23)

Set 5:

21 - A Song From Sub Pop (1:40)
22 - I Think We're Alone Now  (2:31)
23 - Gimme Some Money (1:09)
24 - Venus In Furs (4:42)
25 - Bastards Of Young (2:48)

Set 6:

26 - Evil Woman (1:59)
27 - Rock Island Line (1:21)
28 - Goin' Back To Marlboro Country (2:31)
29 - Children Of The Revolution (2:16)  
30 - My Generation > Medley of Requests (11:25)

With references to:

Don't Change - INXS
Dead Moon Night - Dead Moon
It's The End Of The World As We Know It - REM
Free Fallin' - Tom Petty
Manic Depression - Jimi Hendrix
Second Cousin - Flamin' Groovies
Cruel To Be Kind - Nick Lowe
Talking Blues - Bob Marley
Helter Skelter - The Beatles
Look Through Any Window - The Hollies
Fox On The Run - The Sweet
Satellite of Love - Lou Reed
You're An All-Star - Smash Mouth
I Need To Know - Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
Baby Blue - Badfinger
My Generation - The Who

Total Running Time: 1hr 31min 05sec

Personnel:
Georgia Hubley - drums, vocals
Ira Kaplan - guitar, vocals
James McNew - bass
Bruce Bennett - guitar, vocals

WFMU-FM is a listener supported, independent community radio station.
It is the longest-running freeform radio station in the U.S.
Donations to the station can be made here:
https://pledge.wfmu.org/donate?step=landing
playlist:  http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/77816

YO LA TENGO- 2018-03-10 Monty Hall, Jersey City, NJ- WFMU-FM FLAC. rar 

I've been informed the RAR file may be corrupt and there has been trouble opening and playing the file. I'm posting an alternative WinZip link for the same show and please let me know either way if it works or not. If the WinZip works I will use this in the future. Thank you!

YO LA TENGO- 2018-03-10 Monty Hall, New Jersey, NJ- WFMU-FM FLAC. zip

New Duncan Imperials- The Albert, September 15, 1994

In mid-January of this year a local news story caught my attention, "New owner of Royal Albert isn't ruling out reviving famed music venue". The Royal Albert Arms hotel was up for auction a couple of months ago after failed attempts to reopen the once notorious hotel/bar/music venue. In 2007, pharmacist Daren Jorgenson purchased the Albert and intended to convert it to a boutique hotel. It has been closed since a water leak closed the restaurant and hotel along with many controversies surrounding the ownership and shady dealings related to the building. I thought perhaps the new owners might demolish the building to build condos or more parking for the area, so I was pleasantly surprised by the news the Albert could be back. It has since been announced Alycia's restaurant will open soon at the Albert. If you're from Winnipeg you would be familiar with Alycia's which was an institution in the North End for decades serving the city's best perogies and cabbage rolls.

The Royal Albert Arms Hotel, back in the day. photo: NDI fb

If you were a fan of loud indie-rock, punk or weird alt-music in the 1980's-early 2000's, you would be familiar with the Albert. It was a small grungy, decent place to see upcoming and touring alternative bands that weren't popular enough to fill the Pyramid or Spectrum or too alternative for the mainstream. When bands weren't playing the bar, it was a sketchy half empty joint except for old regulars, but was packed on draft night, bands or not. The next door bar, Wellington's had a similar vibe musically, but I always thought of Wellington's as the scarier version of the Albert, if that's possible. I've seen many great bands and shows at the Albert in the day. Green Day before they went major label, the Weakerthans, Nova Mob, Monsula, Liquor Giants, Plumtree, New Duncan Imperials and many other punk bands I can't remember well before I started taping bands. Unfortunately, I didn't see Soul Asylum or Husker Du when they played there in the mid-80's.

Poster from show at The Albert. (not from the 1994 show) Photo: NDI fb

The band that I most associate with the Albert was the always entertaining, New Duncan Imperials from Chicago.  i don't know why, but the band clearly had a love for the city and more specifically for the Albert. Before I even saw them live, I heard that they played annually at the Albert since their days when the three members of NDI were in the band, The Service. They traditionally, at least in the early days to the mid-90's, played three consecutive nights and played two sets a night. Back in the old days bands in bars played multiple sets instead of opening warmup bands. I've seen NDI at least four times, the first show in 1994 and I must say they were one of the best live bands I've ever seen. At least, dollar for dollar they were the best value for your entertainment dollar because I think the cover charge was only $5. The small crammed stage was filled with props, bras hung across the front and back of the stage and a big furry velour monster (complete with moving mouth and lit up eyes) that was terrifyingly cuddly. They tossed out lots of "free stuff" such as noise makers, confetti, silly string and they gave away a real velour shirt after the velour sex dance dance off. If your idea of a good time is watching 3 guys in straw hats and baby blue tuxedos rocking out to the White trash Boogie, the New Duncan Imperials are a must-see! A little politically incorrect at times (by today's standards), it's funny as hell non-stop action that must be seen to believed. They are amazing to see once or twice, but after the third or fourth time, their shtick does repeat itself, but who cares! They played their final show ever in 2011, but they have reunited since, so who knows maybe they'll be back to christen the "new" Royal Albert when it re-opens. Keep your fingers crossed!!

This live recording was my first ever recording on my Sony recording Walkman almost 24 years ago. The sound is actually pretty good considering I was squeezed tightly in the crowd on the small Albert dance floor. Lots of crowd noise, but it adds to the excitement and craziness of the show. Listening to it now really brings back a lot of great memories and it does have that "feels like you're there" sound. I converted my cassette master to FLAC for your listening pleasure. They play two sets, the break is between track 15 and 16, in case you're burning to disc.
Enjoy!

Do NOT sell or convert to mp3 (except for personal use).
Please share!

NEW DUNCAN IMPERIALS
Royal Albert
Winnipeg, MB
September 15, 1994
AUD Master

Sony mic> Sony WM-GX35 Recording Walkman> Sony CDitII-100 Cassette> Aiwa tape deck> ADS Instant music> usb> Nero SoundTrax> WAV> Direct WAV splitter> FLAC> rar

01. Pitch A Fit
02. Mystery Date
03. Piss Me Off...
04. Queen Of The Road
05. Good Lovin'/6-Pack Of Love
06. Polka Pocahontas
07. Shut Up and Drive
08. Home Sweet Mobile Home
09. Pistol Packin' Mama
10. Turkey Neck
11. Gizzards, Scrapple & Tripe
12. Aah!
13. Pensacola 99
14. Shook Me All Night Long
15. Tilt-A-Whirl
16. Don't Hate Me Just Because I'm Beautiful
17. If I Like You
18. Oh My God, We're Fucking
19. Queen Of Venus
20. Evl Uncl Bud
21. Skipper & Prince
22. Female Voodoo
23. Velour! (Sex Dance)
24. Feelin' Sexy
25. Running With A Fork In My Mouth
26. I'm Schizophrenic (No, I'm Not)
27. Motel 666

Encore
28. String Of Pearls
29. (Fight For) Your Right To Party

NEW DUNCAN IMPERIALS- 1994-09-15 Royal Albert, Winnipeg, MB FLAC AUD Master. rar

Kathleen Edwards- Utrecht, Netherlands April 26, 2003

When some people walk away from a career in music, they may explore other endeavors in the arts such as art, film or writing. Others may want to stay connected with the music scene, manage bands, host a radio show or open a bar or pub to double as a small venue to play whenever they feel like it (I'm thinking maybe someone like Jeff Healey) and drink for free. Others want to settle down in their hometown away from the spotlight and the rigours of touring to open and run a cafe called, quite fittingly, Quitters Coffee. Quitters isn't just a cafe, it's also a place to eat for lunch with events in the evening (theme trivia nights, Sens games on the tube) and a cozy great place to hang out in the suburb of Ottawa, Stittsville. If I live in or around Ottawa, I would seriously be a regular customer. If there's anyone I would like to have barista the shit out of my latte, it would be Kathleen Edwards.

Always humble and always a proud ambassador for Canada, Kathleen Edwards has been of a favourite of mine since first hearing songs from her debut album, Failer. Who names their debut album, Failer? (well...the Posie's debut album, Failure, for one) Seems doomed from the beginning fight? But if you've followed Kathleen's career, you come to know her sense of humour and casual self deprivating personality that truly separates her from the pack. When you're at a Kathleen Edwards show you always feel welcome, entertained by her off-cuff comments and it's a pleasure to spend the next hour or so in her presence.

In reality, Edwards is only stepping back from music, just a bit. In the past year, she has played more than a handful of gigs in and around Ottawa and was noticeably visual during the Junos (see the video on the TDIT Facebook page) this past spring in Ottawa and more importantly (at least to me anyways) she performed during a visit from Rogers Hometown hockey on March 19th. Hearing that Kathleen has played more gigs this year than previous years, it's a good positive sign she is more interested in performing more and who knows, maybe recording a new album wouldn't be out of the question. Not being controlled by a record label or pr agencies much be a refreshing change when you've spend a majority of your adult life dedicated to music. It's like pressing the pause button, taking a look around you and discover what is really important in life and pressing the refresh button to pursue what feels right. There are many veteran artists that have bypassed record labels and independently released music with the help of crowd sourcing sites and their fans (Juliana Hatfield for one) and recording from their home studios (Paul Westerberg). I could see in the near future, Kathleen possibly pursuing this route that allows her to control the process so she can make music on her terms. Fingers crossed!

This summer when I was preparing (downloading/ripping) music for my annual roadtrip, I added Kathleen Edward's, Failer to my iPod. I've had this on CD for years, but since it wasn't on the pod I hadn't listened to it as much as her other albums that were previously ripped. I must admit I listened to that album more than anything else all summer and rediscovering it's brilliance was wonderful. I was recently digging around my live KE shows and found a number of shows from earlier in her career. The show I'm posting is her second ever show in Europe and it showcases songs from the Failer era and like most artists, songs that aren't performed regularly anymore. When someone in the crowd requests, Hockey Skates, she responds that this is probably the only song they know. Does she underestimate her fanbase or is she right? The "hit" single might in fact be the only song they would recognize. Anyways, the sound in this recording is remarkable and as the notes indicate, I'm not sure if this was a radio broadcast, soundboard or audience recording. It's a good one and if you like her early stuff, this is a must hear. As a bonus, there's an interview and in-studio performance of Independent Thief at the end.

I know Quitters is only the name of her cafe and it's all tongue n' cheek fun, but trust me she'll be back. If you're in or around Ottawa or better yet, Stittsville, drop into Quitters Coffee and say hi to Kathleen Edwards from TDIT.
Enjoy!

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KATHLEEN EDWARDS and Band
Muziekcentrum Vrendenberg
Utrecht, Netherlands
Blue Highway Festival
April 26, 2003
FM or AUD?

1. Independent Thief (solo acoustic)
2. National Steel
3. One More Song the Radio Won't Like
4. Westby
5. Copied Keys
6. Hockey Skates
7. The Lone Wolf
8. 12 Bellevue
9. Mercury
10. Six O'Clock News
11. Changes (Black Sabbath cover)
12. Maria
13. Interview
14. Independent Thief (live solo acoustic in studio)

KATHLEEN EDWARDS - 2003-04-26 Utrecht . rar

The Weakerthans- WECC, Winnipeg, MB Dec. 3, 1998

A couple weeks ago, the West End Cultural Centre (WECC) celebrated 30 years as a music venue in Winnipeg. The renovated church has since become an institution for music fans of all genres and musical styles. The WECC has endured many trials and tribulations dealing with financial difficulties as well as upgrades for much needed renovations about eight years ago that helped refresh this vital venue. An excellent well written article appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press: And The Bands Played On, detailing the history of the WECC and I was amazed about how many people were responsible for keeping this venue operating for so long. An interesting and informative read!

Personally, I have attended many many concerts, readings, plays and fundraisers there since the doors first opened. I honestly can not remember the first show I attended at the West End, but there were several talent /hootenanny nights I was at in the late 80's for sure. The earliest ticket stub I can find is from Moxy Fruvous in 1992, but there are numerous too many to count (or remember) shows from the late 80's, 90's, 2000's and right up to present that I was at. I have seen some great concerts there and it has become my preferred venue to record at as the much improved sound system is clear and crisp and depending on the size of the crowd and the setup of the room, you can usually get pretty good sight-lines to the stage. With the renovations came a upper mezzanine that allows a view over top of the crowd on the floor and a more chatter-free sound area. If they expect a smaller "intimate" size crowd, the seating is arranged with tables and chairs. With a medium size crowd, the chairs are in rows (no tables) and for a sold out (or expected larger crowd) show, it's a general admission free for all standing. As far as I remember all the shows I've been to at the WECC are general admission, no reserved seats. The atmosphere at the WECC is much more relaxed than bar shows with a less drunken vibe and more people-friendlier staff (mostly volunteers). They host many all-ages shows and I've seen everything from punk to jazz, folk, blues, rock and everything in between.

The first time I saw the Weakerthans live was at the WECC as an opener in 1998. It was the Bonaduces album release for their brilliant record, Democracy Of Sleep and the Weakerthans and B'ehl opened the show. The band was performing many "new" songs at the time, that would appear a couple years later on Left and Leaving as well as songs from the debut, Fallow. I recorded both the Weakerthans and Bonaduces sets and have hoarded these recordings for almost 20 years. I thought it was about time I shared the Weakerthans set as I finally transferred the cassette to CDR and I've listened to this recording a lot in the past few weeks. It sounds fantastic, the sound is clear without too much distractions and it's a rare early performance from a band that personifies the spirit, energy and sense of community and social conscience of Winnipeg. Very similar to the mandate and purpose of the West End Cultural Centre. We are lucky to have a lovely venue like the West End and proud that the Weakerthans are from my hometown.
Enjoy!

Share!
Please do NOT sell or convert to mp3!

THE WEAKERTHANS
West End Cultural Centre
Winnipeg, MB
December 3, 1998
AUD Master

Sony mic> Sony WM-GX35 Recording Walkman> Maxell XLII 90 Cassette> Fisher Cassette Deck> Teac CD recorder> CDR> FreeRip> WAV> Direct WAV splitter> FLAC> rar

01. The Last Last One
02. Diagnosis
03. Aside
04. Letter Of Resignation
05. None Of The Above
06. This Is A Fire Door Never Leave Open
07. Watermark
08. Left And Leaving
09. Confessions Of A Futon Revolutionist
10. Wellington's Wednesdays
11. Everything Must Go!

THE WEAKERTHANS- 1998-12-03 WECC, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar 

Sorry folks, the file is no longer publicly available for download. For some unknown reason, I had a takedown down notice for copyright infringement. I've shared the Weakerthans many times in the past so I don't think the band has a problem sharing live shows, but perhaps their publishing company, record label or overzealous lawyers have an issue. Please PM me first if there are any objections sharing live shows on this blog.

On that note, please PM me if you are interested in the show. I will try to hook you up!
Thanks!
Binky