Fiddlehead - Live Atlanta - Midtown Music Hall - 07-24-94 - Last Show

Label: Bootleg
Year: 1994

This morning I was listening to Fiddlehead on my commute, which, you know, I'm prone to do. I fucking love Fiddlehead. So, also as I'm prone to do, I shoot a text to my buddy James Joyce (yes, THE James Joyce) to air out my theory that Fiddlehead rules so hard, and that they should have been this big, popular, lasting thing.
James agreed. He knows the deal.
And who wouldn't agree? If you like Drive Like Jehu, you like Fiddlehead, they were one guitarist away from being Drive Like Jehu (and possibly one bad attitude away). If you like the weirder parts of Swiz mixed with Bitch Magnet mixed with Slint, you like Fiddlehead. You like Fiddlehead, you just haven't heard them yet. I honestly can't think of a reason why you wouldn't like them, and trust me, I've spent time on the subject. So barring a personal grievance (which is a legitimate possibility), this is something you will like.
The aforementioned James did a couple great posts on the band over at the Beyond Failure blog here, including a crucial contemporary interview with Geoey Cook (vocals) and Mike Haggerty (bass) reflecting on what was, or would have been...go read it. Included in those posts are all of their studio output, and some live recordings (provided by Henry Owings of Chunklet), which are well worth checking out, but this one in particular, being their last show, and seeing as they end with a completely peerless, unfuckwithable triumvirate of "Lock End" (personal favorite), "Hard Genny", and "Waiting With Dave"...well...shit, you just don't do much better, so I was inclined to get it posted here.
Of the "could of, would of, should of's" of 1990's rock music, Fiddlehead are one of the biggest unsung heroes there are, or were. They were perfect.

DL