Clutch
Alaska State Fair
ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre
Palmer, AK
September 5, 2021

** 16 BIT **

Source: Sonic Studios DSM-6P w/3-way lo-cut filter (@ 80hz, middle setting) > Tascam DR-2d @ 24 bit/48 kHz
Mastering: .WAV > iZotope RX7 Advanced v7.01.315 (De-click) > Sound Forge Pro 14.0 Build 140 [minor edits, normalize, & fades, Boz Digital Labs T-Bone plug-in (slant EQ)] > CDWav
(tracking) > iZotope MBIT+ (dithered and downsampled to 16 bit/44.1 kHz) > Trader's Little Helper (level 5) > FLAC > TagScanner 6.0.35 (tagging)
Location: DFC, in the "aisle" between rows K and L, approximately 20 - 25 yeards from the stage lip
Recorded by: Steve "ballsdeep" Hagar
Mastered by: Dennis Orr

Setlist: (1:22:38)
01 Pre-show Announcement
02 Intro
03 The Mob Goes Wild
04 Cypress Grove
05 Pure Rock Fury
06 Chat
07 Big News I
08 Noble Savage
09 Chat
10 The Face
11 A Quick Death In Texas
12 In Walks Barbarella
13 The Dragonfly >
14 Firebirds! >
15 Burning Beard
16 Chat
17 The Soapmakers
18 Chat
19 Strive For Excellence
20 Chat
21 Spacegrass
22 The Elephant Riders
23 Chat
24 Earth Rocker
25 Encore Break
- Encore -
26 Electric Worry >
27 X-Ray Visions

Neil Fallon - lead vocals & rhythm guitar
Tim Sult - lead guitar & backing vocals
Dan Maines - bass & backing vocals
Jean-Paul Gaster - drums & percussion

Show Notes:
Oh-where-oh-where to begin with this???

Woke up about 6 weeks (give or take) prior to our Fair fleshing out their last couple dates.

Looked at who texted me...and it was my "brother" (graduated from h.s. in a class of 29) Glenn.

Clutch...Palmer...State Fair...Sept 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think to myself "at the SBS Woodlot Stage"?

No, they've got the 5K capacity Borealis (and the sound system) all. to. themselves.

Full on chub action was on after that...submitted their name (and many others, close to 30 artists total) to my contact at the Fair back in '12 or so, and I think this is the 5th band that was on that list (Stone Sour, Pat Benatar, Collective Soul and Tesla were the others who made it...realize that list was created with "overall appeal" in mind vs. mine alone, but yeah, I had a smaller list of "club/theater" bands for the SBS stage, as it holds 1000-1200 GA, and Clutch was at the very top of it way back when (wish I still had a copy of it around, others I've been hoping for are Jason Isbell and Alice In Chains and Joan Jett and Blackberry Smoke for the bigger stage, Murder By Death and Drivin N Cryin and Red Fang for
the smaller one).

Was already headed down for Billy Idol (already upped), so asking Glenn to squeeze in accommodations for one more night was granted, and this was on like Sean John, Donkey Kong, Billabong AND Rae Dawn Chong.

While I realize some folks have a sour taste in their mouths (and rightfully so) when it came to dealing with management regarding show documentation, ol' Oscar was always all smiles the 5-6 times I'd see him at C! shows down in the States and I'd tell him "bring 'em to Alaska" (and, I never, ever had to deal with him in that regard, I just did my stuff on the d/l)...while I didn't get to tell him "thanks" at the show, I did see him onstage a few times in his traditional bowler hat...nice to see they have continuity on both fronts there.

First...the bad news. I had no idea that this was their ***first show in 21 months***, and from talking to folks prior to the show...they apparently did a 2+ hour *soundcheck* that I could have easily found a way to record from just outside the venue (have done a few in the past)...but took my time getting down there, (got in about 90m prior to showtime), and pretty much missed that whole ball of wax. They apparently played a bunch of different songs, "young Steve" would have been all OVER that shit. #LESSONLEARNED

But the good news is they delivered a mighty and visceral set, and having taped shows there going back 20 years, I knew right where to stand to "maximize the kill count".

The entire show was a damn ten ton heavy thing to the ol' hairy coin purse...shades of rockabilly mixed in with their phat low end bouncing off the mountains...sadly, they only sold about 1000 tickets...which would have ***just about sold out the SBS Woodlot stage*** :D ...but that's a talk show for another day, as the almighty C! acted as if they were playing for 10,000.

The sequence of The Dragonfly > Firebirds > Burning Beard was a highlight, if not the centerpiece of the proceedings, as the skies OPENED UP during those 10 minutes, to the point of saturation.

Remember that "show that fries the Sonics" comment in the Billy Idol notes?

Yeh, *this* taper was prepared with a 2nd ballcap, and nary a care for looking like an idiot as he shifted one brim over the left ear, and put a 2nd hat on with the brim over his right ear...a perfect little "shield from the rain" (yes, it was dripping off the brims about 5 minutes later...it was that wet).

Then, the rain abated, and low and behold we were treated to the BRAND NEW song "We Strive For Excellence"...just like this capture ;)

Remembering from the Facebook (such an ugly word) comments: one guy said something about "Farrah Fawcett, in the new song lyrics? Clutch has to be right next to the Beasties when it comes to dropping whack lyrics into songs...and making it work" (thought I'd prolly put Frankie Zappa right up there as well, with honorable mention to "the deliberate schtick of Weird Al")

Aaaaaaaaaanyhow, I could ramblebabble on and on for hours about how awesome it was to see one of my 4 fave bands (the *actual* Black Crowes, Pearl Jam and Tesla being the other 3) in my home state, and with no desire for Pearl Jam or the Karaoke Krowes (what they're trotting out now) to come up here, I could say I'm pretty damn happy that Clutch is the 2nd after Tesla.

He's clutch, he's reliable, he's THE MAN, THANK YOU Dennis for all you do.

And to cps for dragging my trash over here.

And Glenn and his wife for their hospitality.

AND the Alaska State Fair for pulling this all together...hearing who they're working on for next year has me rather twitterpated.

And to Oscar (Clutch's TM) for pitching the gig to them, and for ***the same 4 guys in a band since '92*** making the trek up and delivering the goods.

Neil said at some point (paraphrased) "this is our first show in 21 months...thank you Alaska...this is good medicine".

"Yes Neil....yes it was".

ballsdeep sez: (fill in the comments with your fave way to Fuck Hagar))

Thanks for listening/reading/giving a shit. Every. Last. One of you.

Images for all shows as well as full size images for this show.

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