Guided by Voices live @ Fine Line, Minneapolis MN (31 May, 2024) [completeish show]

Me and Guided by Voices, we go a long way back. No, I didn't see them at CMJ in 1994 or some such hipster shit. I discovered them through Bob Mould, who had enthusiastic things to say about the fellas in an interview on Spin sometime in 1994. I was a huge fan of Husker Du and in 1994, it was all about Sugar and 'Copper Blue' for me. So on Bob Mould's sage advice, I bought 'Bee Thousand' and the 'Vampire On Titus/Propeller' twofer at the 1994 Boxing day sale at the venerable Shake Records in Ottawa, Canada.
Truth be told, it took me a bit to warm up to the lo-fi aesthetic, especially on Titus. But one of the members of the Sugar email list put me on to the still amazing 30 years later bootleg 'Cryin' Your Knife Away' ( • Guided By Voices - Cry... ), which showed me that the band indeed rocked. And rocked HARD. Then came the legendary appearance on the short-lived Jon Stewart show on MTV, with Bob leg kicks, Mitch windmills and an amazing outro of 'My Son Cool'. By the time Alien Lanes dropped in the Spring of '95, I was a full-on disciple of the band. So when shows were announced in October of 1995 opening for Urge Overkill (not a fan...), I was soooo there. Remind me to tell you about how GBV kidnapped me for a day to go to their London Ontario headline gig on October 26 with Thrush Hermit and The American Flag (then still named Hershel Savage and The American Flag) and how I got to crash with Bob and Pete Jameson and how the price of admission was to find a coke can that Pete could fashion into a bong. There is documented proof of my day with GBV...www.robertpoll...
In any case, GBV became a daily obsession for nearly a decade until they went on their hiatus in 2005. Since their return, maybe the passion is not as white-hot. Maybe we drifted apart a teensy bit but damn, the band still has a mainline to my brain stem. So how a propos that I got to see the band in Bob Mould's old stomping grounds some 30 years on. The band is touring with Wisconsin's excellent Disq (I'll be putting up that show later on) and put on one of those legendary two hour shows with a bezillion songs that still somehow never quite suffice. They played an amazing rendition of 'My Impression Now', possibly among my fave tunes of all time and desert island material. They also played an awesome fast version of 'Non Absorbing' a song that I've always been a bit meh about. It's just great to hear a lot of great new material. 'Meet the Star'? incredible. The well is clearly not running dry for Bobby P.
I was lucky enough to be at the two 40th anniversary shows in Dayton OH last year. But this show at Fine Line reminded me how essential to the GBV experience is to just be on the floor to experience it all. A huge hello to the many fine folks I got to meet and chat with. So happy to be able to share this one with y'all. As always, please go out and see these fine bands and support them by purchasing music and merch.
PS. The video came out great. However, one small caveat. My phone's camera is supposed to be able to capture front and rearview cameras simultaneously, and I was hoping to use this feature to capture people going ape-shit on a few songs. Unfortunately, this killed audio for a second or two, so I won't be doing that again. I also messed up during Teenage FBI and lost some footage there. My bad.
PPS. So bassist extraordinaire Mark did me solid and retrieved the set list that Bob and Doug had been sharing. And like a dumbass I proceeded to lose it not two minute later. After, I saw someone cradling my precious but such is life. Finders Keepers. Btw, You will note that 'Song & Dance' was on the set list between 'The Rally Boys' and 'Game of Pricks' but they skipped it.
The Setlist:
00:09 The band takes the stage
00:56 Jack of Legs
04:30 The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory
06:34 Serene King
09:47 (Bob stage banter)
10:17 Meet the Star
13:40 My Kind of Soldier
16:16 Cavemen Running Naked
18:31 Dance of Gurus
21:10 Motor Away
23:30 (stage banter)
25:59 How Did He Get Up There?
29:54 Romeo Surgeon
33:02 The Best of Jill Hives
35:40 The Race Is On, the King Is Dead
38:54 I Am a Scientist
41:40 Boomerang
43:32 Focus on the Flock
46:46 Planet Score
48:42 Volcano
51:46 Tractor Rape Chain
54:47 For the Home
59:10 I Am a Tree
1:04:05 (stage banter)
1:06:40 Cruisers’ Cross
1:09:47 Haircut Sphinx
1:12:27 Man Called Blunder
1:15:04 Stabbing at Fractions
1:18:32 Jane of the Waking Universe
1:21:16 Alex Bell
1:26:11 To Keep an Area
1:28:19 Unfun Glitz
1:31:02 Everybody Thinks I'm a Raincloud (When I'm Not Looking)
1:34:13 Your Name Is Wild
1:36:11 Teenage FBI
1:38:22 (stage banter)
1:39:53 The Rally Boys
1:41:46 Game of Pricks
1:43:46 Non-Absorbing
1:45:24 Cut-Out Witch
Encore:
1:48:51 The band is back!
1:50:04 My Impression Now
1:52:10 A Salty Salute
1:53:50 Shocker in Gloomtown
1:55:18 Mr Child
1:58:30 Love Is Stronger Than Witchcraft (Robert Pollard song)
2:02:45 Glad Girls

[@clancyw]

This was a fun show! GREAT RECORDING!

[@ST-xg3gy]

Mark Shue is an awesome bass player. The material these guys have to memorize is astonishing.

[@paullvindquist]

Thanks for this! It was my first GBV show (I only really found out about them probably 10 years ago)

[@EdTaboada]

Hey my friend, we know a famous man that once said "The club is open...", it's always great to welcome newer fans to the GBV experience so I hope you had as much fun as I did!

[@robertcraven9618]

Someone told me around 14 years ago that it was a good time to be fan, I think it has always been a good time. Glad to hear you got to see them!

[@ratbaxter]

it was a great show. you caught so many good bob moments on film. lots of cool close-ups... it seems like he was maybe having a lot of fun interactions with someone/a group standing somewhere to the left of you. really rad video, man.

[@EdTaboada]

Oh this makes me happy man! I was so disappointed about the 40th anniversary shows last year because I didn't have it in me to be in general admission and I thought I'd be able to get good footage from the seats. It came out so terrible that it wasn't worth posting. But yeah, this show was fun and fun to record. The band sounds so dialed in right now, I can't wait till the fall tour!

[@eastbaystars]

Anymore info on a fall tour ? I was hoping to see GBV here in Arizona.

[@EdTaboada]

@@eastbaystars Nothing yet, but with the new album coming out , Bob had mentioned that there would be more shows in the fall, so keep your fingers crossed!!!

[@eastbaystars]

Keeping them crossed here! I sure hope you’re right! Thanks.

[@ioncewasmikey]

Looks like a good set! I don't know why they never seemed to play more songs off Welshpool Frillies. Such a solid album but they only ever played 2 or 3 from it. And I'm fairly sure they went back to recording together in studio for that one rather than it being a pen pal project like most of the newer ones have been, so I don't get why those songs wouldn't translate live. One of the best from this lineup IMO.