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Photo © by John Falls.

-1 Additional Photos & flyers

If you have photos from this show write us at fugazilive[at]dischord.com .

Comments

By: Antti V over 2 years ago

Fugazi plays a duo of shows in Toronto on the fall 1993 Canadian stint, and this entry is the first one. The two-night residency takes place at the beloved, now closed, RPM Warehouse. The venue was an actual warehouse converted to a nightclub in 1984. The place was a tour stop for a wide variety of acts, ie. The Rolling Stones, The Ramones, Beastie Boys and NIN. Later named The Guvernment, the venue faced shutdown in 2015.

The show starts with Ian's friendly remarks, and Brendan clangs his farmer's bell in support. This is a nice, brotherly move as I'm quite sure Ian was bored to urge the same things every night, many a time to deaf ears. Let's see how things work out this evening...

The mix balance is okay, but the sound feels a tad thin and indistinct. Still, no element drowns out, and the usual victim, Joe's bass, is prominent in the mix. The drums have clarity, but lack the power of some of the era's stronger recordings. All in all, this is a good, steady quality tape best enjoyed as a whole allowing it to absorb the listener in.

Ian's plea has been in vain and the show stops right after Smallpox Champion for a sharper talk. The band push on to a blazing flow of tracks despite the escalating rowdy acts. Highlights include Guy's Latin Roots and a bouncy, Brendan-led Cassavettes.

Joe steps in to address the crowd surfing during interlude 2 and this is telling of the band's frustration with the shenanigans. Ian digs out a heavy Instrument to slow things down after the intense first flow. The song forms a strong pair with an energetic take on Blueprint. Another highlight is a seamless flow from Merchandise all the way to Runaway Return. Every song in between gets a blazing treating.
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By: Antti V over 2 years ago

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A few rare tracks appear with inspired back to back performances of Break-In and Song #1. The former catches the band a bit by surprise causing a few whoopsies. For a change they are momentarily performing songs to an enthusiastic crowd without constant stops. More frustration follows as Joe steps to the mic once again to address the crowd surfing. This gives Ian a well-deserved breather as it's often him acting as the band's voice in these situations.

Guy's epic Last Chance for a Slow Dance creates a somber atmosphere. Promises follows in the same vein, leading the band to the encore break via a great mid-section jam. It's a joy to listen to the song's twists and turns, especially with a clear drum sound.

Returning The Screw gets some special attention as it's placed at the start of the encore. Before the song begins, check out Brendan, Guy and Joe jamming on a cool riff. Ian claims that the song is about dropping your guitar, but I doubt that's true. The song gets a top-notch rendition, whatever its backstory might actually be. The following Exit Only has a bit of a messy beginning, but finds its wheels soon. We get a great, seamless flow to a powerful Reclamation as the shows climax. Sweet and Low sounds loose and spacey this evening, emphasized by the work at the soundboard. The extended rhythmic jam at the end leaves a peculiar atmosphere when it fades out. Definitely a show highlight!

This is a "mixed feelings" type of entry for me. Annoyances caused by the tedious live show horseplay can be off-putting. The band seems stressed due to the rowdy acts, and border crossing troubles could be a factor too. All in all the band still performs with the characteristic energy and fervor. On a positive note there are quite a few performance highlights and a couple of rarities. Good, steady recording quality also makes this entry worth investigating.

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Fugazi Live Series FLS0580 Fugazi Toronto, ON Canada 9/9/1993

If you had a different price in mind for this download Click Here.
Show Date:
 1993-09-09
Venue:
 RPM Warehouse
Door Price:
 6 (canadian)
Attendance:
 1400
Played with:
 Shudder to Think, Mudfish
Recorded by
 Joey Picuri
Mastered by
 Warren Russell-Smith
Original Source:
 DAT
Sound Quality:
 Poor Good Very Good Excellent
Play Sample Track
1. Intro
2. Smallpox Champion
3. Interlude 1
4. Facet Squared
5. Latin Roots
6. Styrofoam
7. Cassavetes
8. Interlude 2
9. Instrument
10. Blueprint
11. Interlude 3
12. Merchandise
13. Walken's Syndrome
14. Long Division
15. Runaway Return
16. Interlude 4
17. Waiting Room
18. Break-In
19. Song #1
20. Interlude 5
21. Last Chance for a Slow Dance
22. Promises
23. Encore
24. Returning The Screw
25. Interlude 6
26. Exit Only
27. Reclamation
28. Sweet and Low
29. Outro

Please Note: Available recordings have been mastered to correct for volume shifts, drop outs, etc. but some sonic anomalies will still exist, especially early in the set when the mix is being settled. The band has rated each show for sound quality and set the general price of a download at $5 per show. If you have a different price in mind feel free to utilize the alternative pricing option.