FOW At The FEZ

To say I fell head over heels for Fountains Of Wayne's debut is an understatement. The opener, "Radiation Vibe" became an anthem of joy for me, a theme song.

"Baby, baby, baby
Come on, what's wrong
It's a radiation vibe, I'm groovin' on
Don't it make you want to get some sun
Shine on, shine on, shine on"

It was perfect, and always seemed to come in handy.

By the second record, "Utopia Parkway," a genuine masterpiece of pop smarts, all of us, friends, family, co-workers, customers at my shop, had sold our souls for this band. Between 1996-2000, we had seen the band perform a good number of times, at the Bowery Ballroom, and in long-gone lamented NYC places like Tramps, Hogs N Heifers and The Fez under Time Cafe. We'd travel in mobs. One Friday afternoon, a dozen of us went to the opening of the movie "Scream" and then grabbed 3-4 taxis downtown for the show at Tramps. And there had to be the same number of us taking up tables for both acoustic nights at The Fez.

Those two nights at The Fez were something else, and thankfully, one of us recorded them both.

Now, don't expect a Bob Clearmountain remix here. We are living in a time where an iPhone can record the audio of a concert at Madison Square Garden and have it sound better than "Live At Leeds." These shows, if I remember correctly, were recorded on a minidisc player, also long gone, but not as lamented as the club. The good news is that the room was small and the crowd was well behaved during the performances. Just, turn it up, maybe a little EQ-ing and you should be good to go.  It is what it is.

FOW At The FEZ, 11/30/99
Red Dragon Tattoo
Barbara H
Hat & Feet
Survival Car
Karpet King
She's Got A Problem
Nothing Good
Channukah Under The Stars
The Man In The Santa Suit
Utopia Parkway
Prom Theme
Leave The Biker
Troubled Times
Radiation Vibe
Happy Birthday, Wendy
On & On
Sick Day
Panama
I've Got A Flair

zip 1

FOW At The FEZ, 12/1/99
I've Got A Flair
Red Dragon Tattoo
Joe Rey
Hat & Feet
Survival Car
I Know You Well
She's Got A Problem
Nothing Good
The Man In The Santa Suit
Prom Theme
Utopia Parkway
Fine Day For A Parade
Leave The Biker
Troubled Times
Radiation Vibe
Across The Universe
Travelin' Man
Careless

zip 2


"Shine on, Adam!"