Summer Circus at Metro

I've wanted to see Bite Me Bambi for a while, and now I finally have. They were super fun.

For Suicide Machines set, Jo and I stayed in the middle almost at the DJ booth. Unbeknownst to me, Metro has a fence in front of the stage now - "almost at the DJ booth" was basically in the pit. So that was fun. 

Fishbone played a short set and weren't great by Fishbone standards. So, unbelievably great. Glad I was right by the pit for dancing room for that.

Less Than Jake still leaves me cold. I mean it's horn-driven power-pop/pop-punk/90s-ska, so I should love it. But I do not. We left early.

Stopped to by swag on the way out. Got Fishbone's new record (!), but Bite Me Bambi weren't around - I settled for picking up 2 Suicide Machine records (one for each of us - we have yet to decide whose is whose). I ordered the BMB record when I got home from the internet machine.

Stiff Little Fingers at Metro

Ricky Warwick opened. Apparently he's the singer for Thin Lizzy now. Anyway, he played a solo acoustic set. Bill described him as an Irish Billy Bragg. Which was pretty accurate, but he wasn't nearly that political (if at all). He closed with Ace of Spades, so that was cool.

Stiff Little Fingers killed it. Were they old? Yes. Did they play loud and fast? Yes and yes. Opener Suspect Device set the tone. I think they played their songs faster live (which seems normal for young bands - but this was no young band).

I had stabbing pains in the abdomen which finally overcame me halfway through Barbed Wire Love (which opened the encore). I heard that and closer Alternative Ulster gripping the railing trying to remain upright by the bathroom downstairs. It sounded good anyway. Was it just brutal gas? Kidney Stones? Something more nefarious? Only time will tell.

I eschewed the lakefront ride, and biked straight home. The sky opened up five minutes after I got in, so I guess I made the right call.

Jawbox at Metro

The Jesus Lizard at Metro

pic courtesy of the chicago reader

Stiff Little Fingers, Death By Unga Bunga at the Metro

Joe Strummer at Metro

I had been carrying around a big Strummer obsession for quite some time.  I finally got to see him here.  He opened with Diggin' the New (fittingly), but there was Clash stuff pretty generously strewn throughout.  The timpani (or whatever passed for them) were insane for Tony Adams.  A. Maz. Ing.

Jon Langford opened (with the Skull Orchard band/album).  This is where THAT obsession began.

Jumpknuckle at Metro

If i remember correctly, Metro used to have a bunch of 'local' bands for cheap on Wednesdays.  This was one of those shows.  Jumpknuckle played with Hushtower, Superhero Forehead and Tiny (not this Tiny).  I don't know if i saw any of those other bands - i know i did hangout backstage with the Jumpknuckles before watching their set from the floor.

I seem to recall subway down the block beforehand as well.

The Toasters, Dance Hall Crashers, Hepcat, Voodoo Glow Skulls at Metro

Helmet at Metro

Justin always used to cheer at the quiet breaks in songs in the hopes of making it on a live recording.  He succeeded when two tracks from this show (Bad Mood and Distracted) were made the b-sides on the Unsung 12".

Bonnie tells me that she lost her shoe in the pit and we pulled her out.  That certainly sounds like something that could happen.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Bad Religion at Metro

The only thing i remember about this show was watching Bad Religion from the balcony.  It's one of the only shows i've seen from there, maybe the only one.  I'm sure i went down front and center for the bosstones.

Pearl Jam at the Metro

I worked with a guy named Lars at the pizza place in Evanston.  He was studying opera at Northwestern.  Listening to him sing, or even shout back to the kitchen, was amazing.  He was from Seattle.  He said we should see Pearl Jam.  We did.  He was right - they were good.  Other folks discovered this fact as well...

I could have sworn this was the first time I had seen Pearl Jam, but this show was after I saw them open for the Red Hots at the Aragon.  They did play Metro once before this (21 July 1991), but that was before I was living in Chicago, and thus before I met Lars.

Ice-T, Body Count, Hard Corps at Metro

 I think this is the correct date...

Special Beat, Toasters at the Metro

This show was 25 bucks - obscenely expensive for that time for us.  Halfway through the opening band, Johno and I decided it was worth it.  The Toasters were great.

And then Special Beat came out and blew them away.  Roger and Neville spent the whole show running back and forth across the stage.  We could not believe how much energy they had.  And of course a set made up of the best songs of The Beat and The Specials is nothing to sneeze at!  They only played one new song: Rainy Days.  General Public finally recorded it for their reunion album. And I eventually found the demo of it that Special Beat recorded (thank you, internet).

Fishbone at the Metro

We drove up from Champaign.  I can't remember who all "we" was.

Schooly D opened.  He likes his women middle-aged - between 11 and 13.  This is a lot less funny now that i'm not 19 years old and have teenage children of my own.

Fishbone was, of course, amazing.  I stage dove for the first and only time.  I was not caught.

Fine Young Cannibals at the Metro

Jeff and i met the girls there.  This is the first time Amy and i met (she does not remember this).  Monkey Rhythm opened and was introduced as "the best band in the world."  Both Jeff and i wondered why, if true, were they opening?...

It took me a while, but i eventually found Monkey Rhythm's only record.  It took even longer, but i even found it digitally as well (especially because it took over ten years for digital music to even exist).

There was a crazy dancer in front of us for much of FYC.  This wasn't a big deal, as the Metro was only about 1/2 full.

Amy's mom's date gave us all a ride home.