Pegboy - Three Songs and Five Shows

I did have a cassette dub of this album for years, but this is not my tape. In the 90's in Croatia we had a war, not 100 min Type II cassettes from Japan.

Time and time and time again, I have put on a Pegboy album and decided that they were my favourite punk band of all time, above the Clash, even above the Ramones. Now, I realise these are heavy words, but so is this band - heavy on the ears, heavy on the liver, heavy on the heart. They are one of those bands whose lyrics you are never able to fully grasp, and sometimes you're not sure whether they're beautiful, pathetic or just stupid, but that's the point when you need to stop reading the lyrics sheet and blast the song at full volume, preferably in the company of a few good friends and/or beers. The band was formed in Chicago by former Naked Raygun guitarist John Haggerty, and while the two bands do share some similarities, I like to think of Pegboy as the heart to Naked Raygun's brains - more monotonous and blunt in their approach, but also (even) more emotionally satisfying. That's if you like punk rock performed by sad men, of course.

As all of their albums are available from most regular music outlets, I will share three songs which do not appear on either one of them, and five bootleg live shows; there is a sixth one available, "Live at the Metro" from 2004, but you can buy that on iTunes and support the band in doing so. OK I did steal it from some guy on SoulSeek but I'm allowed to do that because I am doing such great things for the punk rock scene on these here Internets. On to the track listings:

"Three Songs"

1. Walk On By (2:12)
2. Chutes and Ladders (2:49)
3. Emerald (Thin Lizzy) (3:55)

"Walk On By" is the B-side of the "Field of Darkness" 7"; "Chutes and Ladders" came out on a Chicago bands compilation; and "Emerald" comes from a rare Thin Lizzy tribute disc and features some great swords-and-sorcery lyrics which sound rather hilarious coming out of Larry Damore's mouth.

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"Live at CBGB's July 16th 1991"
1. Method (3:57)
2. Strong Reaction (3:41)
3. Not What I Want (2:31)
4. My Youth (2:49)
5. Field Of Darkness (2:39)
6. Fade Away (3:23)
7. Time Again (2:59)
8. Still Uneasy (2:43)
9. Walk On By (2:11)
10. Locomotivelung (1:45)
11. Through My Fingers (3:51)

A good early show with passable sound quality and some great song choices. There are some problems with the sound of the vocals (sometimes the microphone seems to be distorting the sound, sometimes they're too loud, sometimes they're REALLY off-key) but I can live with that.

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"Live in Pittsburgh December 14th 1995"
1. Intro (1:23)
2. Strong Reaction (4:41)
3. Sideshow (3:18)
4. Not What I Want (3:28)
5. Locomotivelung (2:52)
6. You (2:59)
7. Field of Darkness (4:40)
8. Dad (Didjits) (2:34)
9. Sinner Inside (2:48)
10. Gordo (3:33)
11. Wages of Sin (4:07)
12. Witnessed (2:28)
13. Fade Away (3:41)
14. Never a Question (2:56)

Recorded during the "Earwig" tour, interesting song choices again, plus a cover of DIDJITS, of all bands?! Too bad the sound is really shitty, probably coming from a Walkman in the audience, but I'm PUNK AS FUCK and I like it anyway.

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"Live at the Fireside Bowl, Chicago, 2000"

1. My Youth (4:00)
2. Never a Question (4:10)
3. Hardlight (2:08)
4. Strong Reaction (4:29)
5. Dog Dog (3:58)
6. Method (4:18)
7. Field Of Darkness (4:28)
8. Not What I Want (3:16)
9. Through My Fingers (5:21)
10. Revolver (4:35)
11. Superstar (2:57)
12. Locomotivelung (3:54)
13. Time Again (3:18)
14. Dangermare (4:13)
15. You Fight Like A Girl (3:14)
16. Walk On By (3:11)
17. Treason (Naked Raygun) (4:47)

I guess these were the last days of the band as a functioning unit - they even talk about needing to (and not really wanting to) record a new album if I recall correctly, it's been a while since I last heard this particular bootleg. The sound is good and the set closes with a great Naked Raygun cover.

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"Live at Touch and Go 25th 2006"

1. Intro (1:23)
2. Still Uneasy (3:20)
3. Not What I Want (2:50)
4. Strong Reaction (4:24)
5. Locomotivelung (4:00)
6. Field of Darkness (3:47)
7. Walk On By (2:49)
8. Sideshow (3:49)
9. Time Again (4:55)
10. Superstar (3:27)
11. Fade Away (4:10)
12. Method (4:11)
13. Dangermare (2:51)

The first reunion show, at the Touch & Go records 25th anniversary festival in Chicago. The best sounding one from this collection (although the vocals could be a little quieter, and the guitar a little louder) and featuring wonderful stage banter about Larry being, alternately: 1) drunk off his ass at 1 PM, 2) fat, old and ugly, and 3) utterly unsuccessful in his musical career. THIS is how you speak before an audience. If you don't want to bother with all these shows, make sure you get at least this one and the 2000 one.

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"Live at Riot Fest 2009 (Live at the Congress Theatre)"

1. Dangermare (2:47)
2. Through My Fingers (4:05)
3. Field Of Darkness (3:04)
4. Witnessed (2:38)
5. Time Again (3:20)
6. Strong Reaction (4:00)
7. Hardlight (1:34)

Not much to write about this one - average sound, no surprises in the setlist, plus it's only seven songs, 21 minutes. I do believe it is the only show here which features the two-guitar line-up (Larry now also plays guitar) but it's not like you can hear it or anything. Get it anyway, it's not like you're PAYING for it, is it.

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