Grousing The Aisles: Peak-a-boo

Alice In Chains 12/20/92 SBD (FLAC)

While Nirvana and Pearl Jam get most of the attention for starting the grunge scene in Seattle, my favorite band from that era is Alice In Chains. AIC was all over the map, switching from rockers like Man In A Box to the more mellow I Stay Away; in either case, all of their best songs are not only catchy but have great lyrics as well.

The show featured today is taken from the band’s heyday in 1992, when the band returned home to play a holiday concert at the Seattle Arena. The setlist reads like a list of the band’s greatest hits, stomping through amazing versions of the aforementioned Man In A Box, Dirt, and Them Bones. My favorite part of the show is the way the late Layne Staley delivers the lyrics to the encore, Rooster. Too bad Staley couldn’t stay off the junk — let that be a lesson, folks.

Jane’s Addiction 10/11/90 SBD (FLAC)

I’ll never forget the first time I heard Ritual de lo Habitual. My sister threw on the album and the pounding beat of Stop! got my attention quickly. In 1990 Jane’s Addiction toured to support Ritual playing the best shows of their career.

Luckily for us some sketchy Italian bootlegger obtained a soundboard copy of this show from Milan. Highlights include an epic Mountain Song, a fun Been Caught Stealin’, and an absolutely soaring version of Idiot’s Rule. Porno For Pyros is cool and all, but imagine if Jane’s had stayed together for another few years?

Keller Williams 12/26/06 SBD (FLAC, MP3, STREAM)

Warren Haynes isn’t the only artist who returns to his hometown for a holiday benefit concert every year. Multi-instrumentalist Keller Williams has played six post-Christmas benefits in his hometown of Fredricksburg, Virginia to benefit the local SPCA. This soundboard recording from December’s benefit shows the range and versatility of K-Dub. Keller could be the first jamband artist to take a stab at a Smiths cover with his unique version of There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.

But The Smiths weren’t the only artist Williams covered, as he also played For What It’s Worth, Stayin’ Alive, and Scarlet Begonias, even going so far as to play a solo piano rendition of Stella Blue. While Keller keeps it interesting with the covers, his originals get better with age. Keller played a few songs off his album Dream, which is slated for a February 6th release, and some old songs, including a terrific mash-up of Freeker By The Speaker and Cameo’s Word Up. From the day Bill Nershi made his announcement that he would be leaving SCI Keller’s name has been popping up in replacement discussions. After listening to this show, I really hope he cuts the Cheese and continues his solo career.

Jerry Garcia Band 3/19/78 SBD (FLAC)

Jerry Garcia played with many different formations of the Jerry Garcia Band. My favorite is the late ’70s edition featuring John Kahn on bass, Keith Godchaux on piano, Buzz Buchanan on drums, as well as Maria Muldaur and Donna Godchaux on backing vocals. Check out this kickass show from Pittsburgh’s Stanley Theater for an example of what that band was capable of.

Highlights include a cover of Paul McCartney’s Let Me Roll It, a beautiful Mission In The Rain, and a heart-wrenching The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down. While I’m not the biggest fan of Donna’s off-key wailing during many Dead shows, her voice is nearly perfect, which benefits the songs in a big way.

Allright, folks, what you got for me? Many thanks to Hidden Track reader O_Crunk for uploading some great shows for us last week.

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5 Responses

  1. I love the props to Alice in Chains…highly underrated band. Can’t believe it has almost been 5 years since Staley died.

  2. i’m going back into the archives again because, frankly, last week’s uploads barely registered on my bandwidth meter. i got this ish coming out of my ears, ya heard! c’mon peeps start crackin’ these here internets.

    first, i must say that AiC’s ‘jar of flies’ would probably crack my top 100 albums of all time. it’s just a laid back classic that to this day has staying power. it has aged quite nicely.

    second, if you haven’t peeped the runnin’ pardners show over at etree. get on it. it’s a classic that i saw unfold in front of my own eyes. had me thinking i was at the maple leaf or something.

    and now on to the good stuff. three goodies from the vault.

    i’m going to drop this madeline peyroux FM recording from two years ago. if you have not heard of this chick, you’re missing out on a modern day billie holiday. most people i play this for actually mistake her for holiday. the best part is the soulful, subtle backing band. kinda like recent norah jones efforts but just a little more of that old school analog feeling. hey, chicks dig it too…(so put that umphrey’s away for just a second).

    Madeline Peyroux
    Park West
    Chicago, IL
    2005-06-08

    Lineage: fm>SoundBlaster>wav>flac>mp3

    Announcer (0:48)
    Don’t Wait Too Long (5:22)
    Dance Me to the End of Love (4:37)
    Don’t Cry Baby (4:13)
    J’ai Deux Amours (4:09)
    Careless Love (5:39)
    I Hear Music (4:01)
    I’ll Look Around (5:50)
    Lonesome Road (6:17)
    Desintation Moon (3:52)
    This is Heaven To Me (5:32)
    Walkin’ After Midnight (6:34)

    number 2 on the list is sure to be popular. what better pairing in the history of NOLA then dr. john and the meters? i ask this seriously. this one has that tape warble of many generations of tape cassettes, so be warned audiophiles, this one is not top notch, but bumps as well as you can expect.

    Dr John with The Meters
    “Mardi Gras Mambo”
    St Bernard Civic Center
    New Orleans,LA march 5 1973

    Sbd ?gen cass. > CDwave > Flac > mp3

    81:27 min

    01 Instrumental Intro >
    Mardi Gras Day (instrumental)
    02 Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya
    03 Let The Good Times Roll
    04 Right Place,Wrong Time
    05 Iko Iko
    06 Medley :
    High Blood Pressure
    Don’t You Just Know It
    Well I’ll Be John Brown
    Jackomo (cut)
    07 I’ve Been Hoodooed
    08 Loup Garou
    09 Wang Dang Doodle *
    10 Junko Partner
    11 Qualified
    12 I Walk On Guilded Splinters
    13 Mess Around
    14 Mardi Gras Day

    * tape flip

    last is just a bunch of demos from the billy bragg / wilco ‘mermaid ave’ sessions. which to this day is the best thing wilco has done IMHO.

    Billy Bragg & Wilco
    Mermaid Avenue Demos

    CDR>EAC>WAV>FLAC>MP3

    – She Came Along to Me
    – All You Fascists
    – Agin’st the Law
    – Agin’st the Law
    – When the Roses Bloom Again
    – California Stars
    – Hesitating Beauty
    – Greenback Dollar
    – My Flying Saucer
    – Hoodoo Voodoo
    – Ain’t Gonna Grieve My Lord No More
    – Give Me a Nail

    enjoy!

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