This is about Frances Gumm – a band that existed in Minneapolis, MN in one form or another from around 1991 – to the present day. Sharing a name with the iconic actress from Grand Rapids, MN (which also happens to be where I spent many childhood years on the farms of my grandparents and my aunt & uncle, but that’s another story for another day), this transplant from Massachusetts is driven by an angular crossfire of guitars, and the sonic explorations of Paul Dickinson’s introspective poetry.
Bass : Eric Forst
Drums : Steve Healey or Leo Kuelbs
Guitar, Vocals : Paul D. Dickinson [Poetry Grenade; Sonic Boom Records, Tiny Daggers]
Frances Gumm • Thursday 11 Jun 1992
Minneapolis, MN • Uptown Bar
stereo soundboard recording
duration (43:18.54)
original cassette side A (37:26):
[01] Vertical Bob (03:03.53)
[02] Deuteronomy (02:34.10)
[03] Stone Genius (03:17.19)
[04] This Is Our Mess (01:35.03)
[05] Damages Attributed (02:19.63)
[06] Cease And Desist (02:43.09)
[07] Phase Two (02:59.40)
[08] No Mercy (02:02.30)
[09] Cindy Sherman (02:30.57)
[10] Coalition (01:51.12)
[11] Desperate Ranger (04:25.28)
[12] Diorama (02:35.38)
[13] Proofreading My Desire (02:38.41)
[14] Try (02:49.52)
original cassette side B (5:52):
[15] So Much Of Nothing (03:01.68)
[16] I Will Not Be Destroyed (02:50.56)
Bass : Eric Forst
Drums : Steve Healey or Leo Kuelbs
Guitar, Vocals : Paul D. Dickinson [Poetry Grenade; Sonic Boom Records, Tiny Daggers]
bill:
Pavement
Frances Gumm
1, 5 : Vertical Bob [1992 7” single]
2, 8, 9 : Mercy [1991 7” EP]
3 – 6, 10 – 14 : Cruella [1993 CD]
7 : ???
I believe the line-up on this date was the same as on the first two singles and the 1993 Cruella CD.
Ironically, I located an online review of the first Frances Gumm full-length release, Cruella, on a blog titled Vaguely Offensive, which basically posited the notion that if Pavement hadn’t turned into the indie-accessible band they eventually became, they might have ended up being Frances Gumm. I don’t know when that review was written, or if the reviewer knew that Frances Gumm had actually supported Pavement on the 1992 tour, but here’s the proof. After listening to this set again, just as the night it was performed and recorded, I couldn’t have said it any better myself than that blogger’s summation: “I can appreciate how, if this was your local band, they would be completely underground relevant.” Listen and learn, kids….
If you listen closely, you can hear the tiny edit clicks before the start of most songs. Nothing significant (no music or comments) would have been removed, only dead space or extended tuning. This was the copy I made for my archives, as the original cassette master was given to Paul shortly after the show.
This is strictly a soundboard tape; there is no audience feed in the mix.
Recorded / transferred / edited / tracked / tagged by: J.Free / Sonic Archives
Download or stream the show from Live Music Archive
Frances Gumm • Saturday 7 March 1998
Minneapolis, MN • Seventh Street Entry
stereo audience recording
duration (12:16.47)
[01] start (01:00.00)
[02] Simple (03:20.62)
[03] Your Number One (03:03.72)
[04] Take And Take (02:05.53)
[05] Good Bye (02:50.70)
[06] Rock ‘n Roll (03:03.70)
[07] My Evil Plan (03:12.49)
[08] Beautiful Friend (01:59.51)
[09] 1989 (02:37.10)
[10] unidentified title (03:06.46) [van / ambassor to chaos]
[11] No Apologies (03:09.53)
[12] unidentified title (03:10.50) [shadows / some people goin’ up / down]
[13] unidentified title (02:49.13) [lit your cigarette]
[14] I Will Not Be Destroyed (03:14.41)
[15] unidentified title (03:15.04) [liberation is / I don’t recognize your answer]
[16] end runout (00:16.03)
Bass : Eric Forst
Drums : Steve Healey or Leo Kuelbs
Guitar, Vocals : Paul D. Dickinson [Poetry Grenade; Sonic Boom Records, Tiny Daggers]
Bill:
Arcwelder
Brick Layer Cake
Frances Gumm
Live Sound : Randy Hawkins
This is strictly an audience recording; there is no soundboard feed in the mix.
Recorded / transferred / tracked / tagged by: J.Free / Sonic Archives
Download or stream the show from Live Music Archive
Three of the band’s later releases, and a re-release of an early cassette, can be purchased directly from the band at the Frances Gumm bandcamp page
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