September 29, 1995
Red Hot Night At The Warehouse

They've been called politically correct, straight-edge, sanctimonious, preachy, notorious do-it-yourselfers, indie-rock ...

What they really are is Fugazi.

And what a wake-up call Fugazi's show proved to be at the Warehouse Wednesday.

The often-harrowing lyrics from this D.C.-based band are driven by a dedication to both self-determination and populist politics.

Guitarist-singer Ian MacKaye gave his brief, trademark lecture on mosh-pit etiquette, prompting at least one disgruntled punter to yell "Yeah, thanks Mom."

But the quartet wasted no time once they'd roared into their set with the riveting Smallpox Champion, from 1993's In On The Kill Taker, followed by Reclamation, from 1991's Steady Diet Of Nothing.

After that it was clearly about the music - something the band had been saying for years, to little avail.

And Fugazi kept a good chunk of the 1,700-strong crowd welded to the spot with their searing intensity.

What was instantly engaging about the band was their ability to fire up such a throb with no bells or whistles.

MacKaye politely advised the lighting tech to turn up some soft lights.

Not exactly your typical rock showman.

But MacKaye and singer-guitarist Guy Picciotto reminded us just how exciting it can be to actually see a band hit their stride.

Wednesday's show found the band improvising less than at past shows, instead cranking out varied samples from their five albums.

Only touching on their latest release Red Medicine several times - with off-beat numbers Do You Like Me, Bed For The Scraping, and Fell, Destroyed - Fugazi relied on earlier works like Waiting Room to fuel the anthemic portions of the gig.

But it wasn't until their six-song encore that the band's versatility took over.

From incendiary favorites Repeater, Cassavetes and Exit Only, to expansive jams Long Distance Runner and Sweet And Low, the MacKaye/Picciotto trade-offs and the clockwork rhythm section of Brendan Canty and Joe Lally were seamless.

Fact is, a band doesn't get that good from notoriety alone.