The Jayhawks
Cinco de Mayo Festival - WXRT Block Party
Chicago, Illinois
May 3, 2002

Source: Sonics DSM-6 > Ugly Preamp > Sony PCM M-1 (master tape)
Transfer: Tascam DA-20mkII DAT > Tascam DR-680

Setlist:

Disc one (44:47):
(1) Lin Brehmer intro (2:01)
(2) I'm Gonna Make You Love Me (4:25)
(3) Banter (0:15)
(4) Save It For a Rainy Day (3:12)
(5) What Led Me To This Town (4:25)
(6) Lost My Drivin' Wheel (4:23)
(7) Jennifer Save Me (4:55)
(8) Nothing Left to Borrow (3:29)
(9) Two Hearts (3:20)
(10) Banter (0:42)
(11) Clouds (5:06)
(12) I'd Run Away (3:50)
(13) Banter (0:46)
(14) One Man's Problem (3:50)

Disc two (48:17):
(1) Angelyne (4:07)
(2) A Break in the Clouds (3:44)
(3) Ain't No End (4:13)
(4) The Man Who Loved Life (4:29)
(5) Smile (3:58)
(6) Banter (0:33)
(7) Settled Down Like Rain (3:05)
(8) Banter (0:48)
(9) Big White Cloud (3:54)
(10) Sister Cry (6:52)
(11) You Look So Young (4:38)
(12) Blue (7:50)

Note: There are no fades applied, so if you are among the 99% of collectors who no longer burn to CD, this is seamless. If you do burn CDs, you can split the files anywhere you want.

Md5 signature file is included. Sorry, no artwork (feel free to make some)

Comments:

This was a public outdoor party sponsored by WXRT for Cinco de Mayo. I no longer remember the exact location of the show -- it was somewhere on the northwest side of Chicago near the Morton Salt factory (now the Salt Shed) in a giant tent on the street. Whoever planned this had no interest in the sonic experience; I remember that it was a giant tent with all sorts of weird curvatures that trapped and reflected the sound in all directions. The sound was horrific; furthermore, the event drew a very casual party crowd that had no idea who The Jayhawks (or the opening act, Poi Dog Pondering) were, nor did they have an interest in listening to them. I remember the event being a cacophany of loud chatter and muffled music.

However, I remember working my way through the crowd to the overhead PAs during the opening sets, and by the time the Jayhawks came onstage I was directly in line with the PA on the right side. Listening to this 21+ years later, I'm shocked at how good it sounds compared to my negative memories; with a bit of spit and polish (using software that wasn't available in 2002), this actually sounds really good, and somehow there is virtually no audience interference. You would never know that the Jayhawks were basically the house band for a block party based on the recording.

There is a funny moment where a heckler shouts that the sound sucks. Gary responds that "We are in a tent! This isn't exactly Carnegie Hall."

In terms of the performance, it's actually really good -- I remember feeling sorry for them while watching the show because so few people were paying attention, but this is a solid show. The band sounds great. They're pros.

Bottom line, if you're even a casual fan of this period of the Jayhawks' career, it's worth the download. The negatives I mentioned above don't come through on the recording at all.

Mp3 samples are included in the comments.