One of the best things to come out of the US in recent years surely has to be District 97, and whilst their music has never been in the easy listening section of the prog shelf, their most recent studio album Stay For The Ending seemed to widen their appeal with a particularly strong set of songs. It was arguably their most accessible offering, whilst still refusing to compromise on their adventurous approach.
Live For The Ending is unsurprisingly a live album, showcasing the whole of Stay For The Ending, and adding a couple of extra songs for good measure. So some may be wondering if they really need a live version of the last record; is there really any point? Well in my opinion, the answer is yes. Stay For The Ending is quite a polished piece of work; still gritty and muscular, but with a sheen of perfection. Obviously a studio recording can be tweaked, overdubbed, played around with until it is as good as it can possibly be. The first thing to notice with Live For The Ending is just how good District 97 are at playing this music live, especially when it was relatively new to them. The joy of playing live shines through immediately, and they know exactly what they are about. Even without the visuals, it is clear that Leslie Hunt owns every stage she plays on, and her voice makes District 97 so special. She does soft and sweet, and screamingly unhinged, often in the same song, but she is always spot on. It is also more obvious in a live recording how important Jim Tashjian’s backing vocals are. They are quite upfront in fact on several of the new songs, and his delivery is critical in reproducing what can be complex song structures and arrangements. Needless to say his guitar playing is excellent too, from delicate textural runs to brutal riffing and angular solos. He simply doesn’t put a foot wrong. His solo on On Paper, originally from In Vaults, is so well judged balancing fireworks with restraint.
Tim Seisser is a giant on bass guitar, underpinning the band’s sound perfectly. Complex and at times heavy songs need precise bass to keep things sounding sharp and powerful, and that is exactly what Tim provides. His towering performance on a dramatic song like The Watcher is riveting. The intro has a tricky time signature and Tim is locked in with Jonathan Schang’s powerful drums. When Leslie wails ‘I am the watcher!’ with a voice that’s at once chilling and scary, the bass provides the perfect mood to back up the unfolding drama. A towering riff stalks the stage like a lumbering beast, the band in perfect unison. Schang’s drums are so clever; the time signatures are often difficult, but he has the skill to make it all sound easy. His style is unselfconscious, but truly inventive. His solo in Deck Is Stacked is amazing, but concise, avoiding the usual drum solo clichés. Also avoiding clichés is keyboardist Andrew Lawrence, who has a deft touch, but also chimes in with unexpected textures and flourishes. He complements Jim Tashjian perfectly, and their traded solos in several songs are exciting to hear.
Many of the tracks from Stay For The Ending actually sound better, more urgent live, and a case in point is second song Mirror. It was a highlight in its studio format, but live it crackles with energy and passion, swaggering around the stage. The closing section sung by both Leslie and Jim is immense and triumphant, and one could be forgiven for thinking they had peaked early, but more gems follow. Life Cycle shows District 97’s ability to control their power, with a slow burning piece which slowly unfolds, only reaching full power towards the end. X and X-Faded follow, with that distinctive and menacing single note piano riff. It’s a very accessible song, and shows another face of a band capable of many guises.
About half the set here is from 2023’s A Sunday In September gig at The Bedford, and it certainly sounds as though the band were on fire for that show. Another four tracks are culled from the show the day before at Boerderij, with the rest from a 2022 show on home turf in Chicago. The recordings are excellent, and Jonathan Schang’s production has made the different shows fit together seamlessly, so it comes over as one complete performance. The one cover in this collection is also the most restrained song, performed with love and respect for their late friend John Wetton. Matte Kudasai is a beautiful piece, tastefully played by the band, and beautifully sung by Leslie Hunt.
Overall, this live document of a very special band at the top of their game is to my mind essential listening. And for those of us already missing them, it may serve to tide us over until they come up with some new tunes.
TRACK LISTING
01. Stay For The Ending (5:01)
02. Mirror (8:17)
03. Many New Things (5:49)
04. Crossover (5:22)
05. Divided We Fall (4:51)
06. Keyboard Interlude (1:57)
07. Life Cycle (6:33)
08. X (1:02)
09. X-Faded (3:40)
10. Deck Is Stacked (7:33)
11. The Watcher (9:36)
12. Matte Kudasai (4:45)
13. On Paper (5:14)
Total Time – 69:40
MUSICIANS
Leslie Hunt – Vocals
Andrew Lawrence – Keyboards
Jim Tashjian – Guitars, Vocals
Tim Seisser – Bass Guitar
Jonathan Schang – Drums
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Spirit of Unicorn Music | Cherry Red Records (in the UK)
Country of Origin: USA
Date of Release: 14th February 2025
– Recorded Live at:
Reggie’s Rock Club, Chicago 19/4/22 (3,5 & 12)
Boerderij Cultuurpodium, Zoetermeer 9/9/23 (8-11)
A Sunday in September, The Bedford, London 10/9/23 (1,2,4,6,7 & 13)
LINKS
District 97 – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | X | Instagram
