I, like many Americans, traveled back to my hometown for Thanksgiving, and coming back to New York, I can’t shake that good old high school feeling.
No, I don’t mean that feeling you get watching “Young Adult” (just wait, ladies, you’ll see). Emo jump-starters The Promise Ring are getting back together, and Fugazi are finally ready to launch a long-standing project that puts many of their live show recordings and paraphernalia together in one place.
First, with the second: the seminal D.C. post-hardcore band is unveiling Fugazi Live Series, “a complete online archive” of about 800 shows recorded during the group’s extensive touring between 1987 and 2003.
“Show pages will feature data from the concerts and (when available) related photos, flyers and MP3 downloads. The goal is to make the shows available to browse for free or to download for a small fee. Initially the band will release 130 downloads (101 new shows plus 29 of the shows released on the now out-of-print Fugazi Live CD series). Additional downloads, photos, flyers, etc. will be added regularly until the entire archive is available,” reads a release on Dischord’s website.
To go hand-in-hand with the band’s vaunted affordability ethos, downloads will be pay-what-you-want, with a $5 suggested donation. Dischord account holders already have access to the Beta version, available now.
In its live life on earth, Fugazi played more than 1000 shows,” covering all fifty United States, Europe, Australia, South America, Japan and many points in between.” (I never got to see Fugazi live, so I’m sure the cream that rises to the top of this will be a real treat. I uncovered my dubbed copy of “13 Songs” on cassette this weekend at home, coincidentally [or not].)
Then there’s Promise Ring, who are reuniting for two shows in the Midwest in February and are releasing a rarities collection next year.
They perform in hometown Milwaukee on Feb. 24 at Turner Hall, and will hit the Metro in Chicago on Feb. 25. Tickets went up on Friday (the Friday after all that damn turkey you ate, remember?). The lineup boasts vocalist Davey von Bohlen, drummer Dan Didier, guitarist Jason Gnewikow and bassist Scott Schoenbeck.
Meanwhile, Dangerbird will be releasing a rarities comp in 2012, Didier told Alternative Press, who first reported the news. It would be the first set from the group since 2002’s “Wood/Water.”
Didier detailed: “One song from the ‘Wood/Water’ session that didn’t make the record [“All Good Souls”] (as it was, ironically, was a rocker) that was only on the 2×10″ version of W/W. Also, we have three songs that we demoed before W/W that again, were rockers, that we never recorded for the record. There are a few different odds and ends as well throughout, but that will be the meat of it.”
Didier also mentioned The Promise Ring may lay out more show dates in the coming year. Their last peformances were in 2005, after they broke up for the first time three years prior. For me, and most, it was more about albums like “30° Everywhere,” which I latched on to about the same time I did Jimmy Eat World’s “Clarity” and I was getting interested in my hometown heroes (of the time), the Get Up Kids.
Now, if only Fugazi would play out again… won’t happen, but talk about something to write home about.