Chicago Live 1993
Melany Odeh
While Fugazi would include the city of Chicago to their tour itinerary on 9 different occasions between 1988 and 2001, sometimes even playing back to back shows at the Oak Theatre (May 1993) or, later on, at the Congress Theater (May 1998 and June 2001), they would play the Aragon Ballroom just one time, and from what I gather, things did not go off without a hitch.
As a result, this recording and entry in the live series surely is an interesting one, and one well-worth visiting, in spite of just a handful of small drawbacks, such as minimal cuts in between songs, some low end rumble, or Joe (very unusually) being out of sync for a couple of bars during an otherwise crushing version of Public Witness Program.
Fugazi back in Chicago, touring the brand new In On The Killtaker album. This time they hit the historic Aragon Ballroom, having played two back to back shows at the city's Oak Theatre a few months prior at the tail end of their spring 1993 tour of the US. Aragon tends to get a bad rap for it's acoustics, and admittedly the sound of this recording feels somewhat boomy and a tad out of balance, quite possibly because of the room's characteristics. I would still rate the sound as very good, because nothing feels unpleasant, and all the elements are audible and distinct.
Now for the show itself. Don't think the crowd's enthusiasm would be diminished because of the two big Oak Theatre shows just a little while back. In fact, the audience welcomes the band with open arms and there's a great atmosphere right from the start. Ian opens the show with funny remarks about the stage height, urges people to refrain from crowd surfing, and off we go into the anthemic Smallpox Champion.
The band is on a hot streak to say the least. The initial flow is filled with fiery performances, my highlights being the absolutely stunning duo of Facet Squared and Walken's Syndrome. Still, I gotta give big credit to how the flow goes from Merchandise to a surprisingly early appearance of Blueprint. This genious move does wonders to really lift the atmosphere through the roof.
Instrument and Rend It form an intense and heavy pair, as both Ian and Guy hold nothing back in their respective performances. The mid-set classics follow in the same vein, with Waiting Room being one of the hardest rocking versions of the song I've heard so far.
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The list of red-hot performances could go on and on. But I have to give a special mention to the final four tracks heading to the encore as they are vibrant Fugazi punk rock at its absolute finest. Public Witness Program's exceptionally high intensity causes Joe a few slips, but the onslaught of Great Cop more than makes up for it. Tonight's Two Beats Off is the epitome of the "Picciotto Cool", and a totally infectious Repeater shakes all the leftover energy off the room, fueled by a wonderfully jarring intro jam by the whole band. Listen to the big singalong during the bridge, and you can't help but join in for the insane partying of the final explosion.
Cheered back to the stage, the band continue the jams with the same level of excitement. Admittedly the flow is a bit uneven going from Cassavettes to the calm of Long Division, and then back to a very rocking Runaway Return, but that is only a microscopic gripe, as all the performances are top notch. Promises takes the evening to a close with Sweet and Low in a sure-fire fashion, where it all just feels like a big, inspired jam session.
Not only were the stars really out, but they also aligned for this evening at the Aragon. Essential addition to any Fugazi collection, this entry delivers the band's live experience at it's most enjoyable and then some. Strong performances, great flows, a tangible atmosphere - it's all here. And with a pleasing enough sound and a steady quality throughout it's very easy to rank this as one of the finest entries on FLS I've encountered so far.
[which] opened in 1910, in the Logan Square neighborhood, as a vaudeville and movie house. It was designed by J.E.O. Pridmore. The theatre featured a balcony, and large stage, with Moorish interior decor. The exterior, of red brick, featured an elaborate terra-cotta facade in Neo-Gothic style.
Essentially, both performances are quite convincing and meticulously delivered. The audio is easily great, the mix well balanced, and as a result it is a pleasure to relive the band in good form through these recordings.
However, note that the first night is a bit of hit-and-miss due to a rough crowd and the unrelenting interruptive course of events. As a result, the flow of the overall performance never really gains full momentum.
A steadfast rendering of Blueprint, arguably addressing both the pitfalls of the corporate music industry as well as mindless MTV-induced rituals and machismo unfolding in front of the band night after night, conveys a clear-cut message,
Both set lists pretty much offer standard 1993 fare, slightly favouring the upcoming In on the Kill Taker release (Last Chance for a Slow Dance is the only track from the album that did not make the cut on these two nights), yet throwing in a decent portion of earlier work as well.
The first recording presents 20 live tracks total, including 7 songs from In on the Kill Taker, 3 from Steady Diet of Nothing, 6 off of the Repeater album, 1 track taken from the 3 Songs 7", another 2 songs from the Margin Walker EP and 1 track from the S/T debut EP. Out of these, Exit Only, Blueprint or Two Beats Off are personal highlights.
The recording from the second night showcases 21 live cuts, including 8 tracks from In on the Kill Taker, 4 from Steady Diet of Nothing, 6 off of Repeater, as well as 3 staples from the S/T EP. The string of songs closing out this particular set, i.e. Reprovisional into Shut the Door into Sweet and Low, is truly phenomenal.
The day of the first ever U.S. WOMAD show starts at 4:30am for the production team. A squadron of trucks miraculously becomes a colourful city of tents showcasing crafts, technology and exotic food. A brisk morning gives way to a beautiful, breezy day as the two stages are set, banners are raised, and after years of waiting and months of pre-production, WOMAD U.S.A. is up and running.
On the other hand, Sheila played her set with the sun setting behind the stage. Guo Yue of Trsan joined Crowded House onstage for another only at WOMAD collaboration, and Remmy delivered a really hot set on the improvised stage 3. On to L.A.
Our coach stops at a casino for lunch. Lo and behold, the Drummers of Burundi are there, looking somewhat taken aback. I hope someone takes the time to explain the Las Vegas phenomenon to them, lest they think that all Americans are insane.
The last show of the first ever WOMAD U.S. tour takes place at the largest-capacity venue yet, the Polo Fields in beautiful Golden Gate Park. It turns out to be a very fitting end for this very special tour. Drawn to the park by very positive advance press and another perfect day, people stream into the park in droves. Over 50,000 are in attendance when Sheila Chandra takes the stage to commence the last WOMAD U.S.A. festival of 1993. Inspired by the incredible crowd, she performs brilliantly and receives an overwhelming response. Not to be outdone, the other artists follow suit and deliver an absolutely electrifying series of performances.
As a way to commemorate 20 years of SVT vehicles, Ford brought out a mint-condition 1993 Mustang Cobra R before showing the press the new GT500 Convertible. With a mere 47,000 miles on the odometer, the fire engine red Cobra R looked terrific.
The smell and sound of the original Cobra R immediately filled the area as Ford said something about its history. We were too busy oogling over the fox body beast sitting before our eyes to really listen to what they were saying.
We won't bore you with all the details as we know you are really here to check out some photos. Enjoy the live photo gallery below, and be sure to check out all the latest news from the Chicago Auto Show here at our hub.
Chicago is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1967. The group began calling themselves the Chicago Transit Authority (after the city's mass transit agency[1]) in 1968, then shortened the name in 1969. Self-described as a "rock and roll band with horns," their songs often also combine elements of classical music, jazz, R&B, and pop music.
Growing out of several bands from the Chicago area in the late 1960s, the original line-up consisted of Peter Cetera on bass, Terry Kath on guitar, Robert Lamm on keyboards, Lee Loughnane on trumpet, James Pankow on trombone, Walter Parazaider on woodwinds, and Danny Seraphine on drums. Cetera, Kath, and Lamm shared lead vocal duties. Laudir de Oliveira joined the band as a percussionist and second drummer in 1974. Kath died in 1978 and was replaced by several guitarists in succession. Bill Champlin joined in 1981, providing vocals, keyboards, and rhythm guitar. Cetera left the band in 1985 and was replaced by Jason Scheff. Seraphine left in 1990 and was replaced by Tris Imboden. Although the band's lineup has been more fluid since 2009, Lamm, Loughnane, and Pankow have remained constant members. Parazaider "officially retired" in 2017, but is still a band member.[2][3][4][5][6] In 2021 he revealed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.[7]
In September 2008, Billboard ranked Chicago at number thirteen in a list of the top 100 artists of all time for Hot 100 singles chart success, and ranked them at number fifteen on that same list in October 2015.[8][9][10] Billboard also ranked Chicago ninth on the list of the 100 greatest artists of all time in terms of Billboard 200 album chart success in October 2015.[11] Chicago is one of the longest-running and most successful rock groups, and one of the world's best-selling groups of all time, having sold more than 100 million records.[12][13] In 1971, Chicago was the first rock act to sell out Carnegie Hall for a week.[14] Chicago is also considered a pioneer in rock music marketing, featuring a recognizable logo on album covers, and sequentially naming their albums using roman numerals.[15]
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