34958hq439, the need for water was real. I must’ve had 7 or at bottles by the time the night was over. Without that water I would’ve been hauled out of there by EMTs halfway through the first set. And when someone did pass out just after Tin There, during intermission, they got them out safely and professionally. All pro. I hope that guy is alright.
The FOH security crew at Radius were consummate professionals. I was chatting with the FOH manager (Roland, I think?) for awhile before doors and he was a solid guy. Really there to watch out for the fan and keep people hydrated and safe. He even made that gifts for Karl and Rick from a few fans made their way to the tour manager, which is just above and beyond.
I’ve got friends in that line of work back home in Minneapolis, and that mindset - as opposed to a confrontational mindset - is a very distinct choice on the part of venue management/ownership. Radius gets a 11/10 from me on that front.
Agree on Border Country. Experiencing the tracks live made the newer tracks hit totally different!
Moaner was huge for me too. For decades I felt like it was a bit of a weird fit on Beaucoup Fish. On my more flow-y mixtapes it was hard to place since it’s just so massive! But the live experience rearranged my thoughts about Moaner completely. Core memory, that one. And Two Months Off! Just beautiful.
Meeting fans was amazing too! I was able to introduce at least 5 or 6 people to Bootleg Babies, and a bit of the history around it, which was really cool. I kinda felt like it was my duty as an elder fan, who was there lurking on RTSR-trade and the dirtylist, to bring folks into the fold a bit. Was so cool
to hear people’s stories about how they fell in love with UW - all unique and beautiful. So many people that were also there for their first show! My only regret is not talking to *more* people. Next time I might just bring a bag full of burned copies of Bootleg Babies to hand out.
