If you have photos from this show write us at fugazilive[at]dischord. Only days before their legendary two-night stand at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City, Fugazi played another 3 shows on as many nights in the state of New York, the one in Binghamton - attended by some enthusiastic patrons - the last of these three. Another show from the US tour in the fall of This is quickly becoming one of my favorite eras in the Fugazi Live Series. This here gig in the small town of Binghamton, NY, is one of the most fun I've yet to listen.
I don't want to spoil the banter but let's just go with it and say that there's a lot of it and it's great! We also get something that's actually dangerously close to a Brendan drum solo..! The sound of the recording is a bit muddy to my ears, as the low end is a little overpowering. Ian's guitar is slightly prominent on the left side of the stereo field, but on the other hand I can somehow separate nicely how Ian's SG is the low end commander and Guy's Rickenbacker flies more in the high end.
The vocals tend to drown a bit, and I could use more of Joe's powerful tone. The band is in a muscular condition after touring very, very hard, and overall this mix emphasizes that unified wall of sound to my ears, and I really like it. The band jam on through their beautiful brand of punk without any trouble from the audience.
Both Ian and Guy praise the people for being so cool, and I think these kind of shows were few and far between in the heyday of stage diving. And in my opinion it's great to listen to some really positive vibes too as it brings out a different side of Fugazi. Long Division makes it's way into Blueprint in a really cool way and it results in a truly anthemic performance. Other highlight for me is a nice, long Shut The Door that feels somehow extra experimental here. I definitely get mental images of a horrifying crack den during the improvised part!
Then it's time for Sweet And Low, and the performance continues that experimental feeling, with all kinds of little flourishes added. Very happy to find this today. Thank you for recording the shows and taking the time to master and release them for download. Brings back memories which are always priceless.
