Violent Femmes, "Prove My Love", 1983, Milwaukee "At Twelve" w/Howard & Rosemary

[@Louis-dk2mj]

Brian Ritchie is criminally underrated as a bass player. One of my first and favorite bass heros

[@josephcazzuto7198]

Yup! Up there with Mark Sandman, John Entwistle, Dave Blood, Simon Gallup, Mike Watt, Lester Claypool, and Flea.

[@changopardomuzik4953]

Bro that acoustic bass sound is unique, especially in the 80s no one was using acoustic bass to record and play with maybe during acoustic sessions but he used it full time.

[@patrickguitar8676]

Criminally??

[@richardburchett]

I listened to this record a lot when I was young and it must have sunk in how that’s what a bass is supposed to sound like

[@satanslovechild6458]

@@josephcazzuto7198 Billy Gould, Bill Laswell, Trevor Dunn

[@MrGiorgioud]

A sound so original that no fucking musician managed to rip it off to date. What a band!

[@jerrysanders9101]

Well said

[@seankensing]

From the first time I heard this band they were immediately and permanently in my top 5 of all time.

[@user-fo1kz3zc8x]

ONGG

[@atdotcom64]

40 years later I still agree

[@dk7934]

This is the sound of my youth

[@brianach1817]

This band is my entire high school existence

[@ashbyedwards]

I've seen VF over a dozen times - I'm continuously floored every time I watch this video. This is bad ass-ness that's right on the edge of insanity. Not technically difficult but only these three could have pulled this off - these three only! Lightning in a bottle folks! God bless American music.

[@suzannelagoni203]

I have seen them over 28 times now! 27 in Milwaukee and once in Chicago with Echo and the Bunnymen. Loved that I lived on the east side back in the early 90's.

[@stealthsadhu306]

Femmes, doing what they do. Saw them last night in Kingston NY on the 40'th anniversary of their first album tour. Played for over an hour and a half more after they ran through the album, without a break. Brian close shaved and cropped, Gordon in freakishly long hair and resurrected bathrobe. They somehow played with all their early passion and crispness but with many more colors and textures added and refined through the years. Many back-up horns and percussion players, Gordon playing more banjo and fiddle than I've seen. They all looked like they were having a great time and it was like a love affair between them and the all ages colors orientations punk to Christian to hippie to trans to kids to grandparents and beyond audience. We all know the road behind stretches longer than the one ahead, but these guys are at some kind of old age peak. Reply

[@LisaDawnn]

Love their energy and vibe :)

[@snakewhitcher4189]

That is a solid live performance. I'm green with envy.

[@knowledgetruth4504]

great upload, thank you. This version is just as good (if not better than) the studio recorded version on the album.

[@somnambul75]

I can't bear it. Awesome!

[@petephelan969]

They're the best. I but all their slbums the first time I heard them. Awesome. I saw them in in concert in 1991.

[@EricCubed956]

I saw them in Bellingham. Nirvana was the surpise opening guest!

[@eboethrasher]

I saw them as the surprise opening guest for The Grateful Dead, lol.

[@metallicmuse]

I'll always love these dudes. The part where Gordon is trying not to lose it after someone shouts "WHAT ABOUT HOWARD?" and he changes up the lyrics to "Howard's been through some sh..." is so cute I can't help but laugh every time. 😆

[@RealNiceClark1]

Fecking brilliant musicians.

[@talk2xonita]

👌 Gotta love youtube!!! Thank you for sharing.

[@aleraso80]

that's an incredible live band!! fucking cool :)

[@bertphillippi7783]

The words come right back!

[@BullCricket75]

❤❤❤ best performance I've seen to date!

[@richernest3359]

Crazy Carol Sings them.Look for her awesomeness.

[@samh6246]

This was my great aunt and uncle's show 🧡 I'd found the interview my uncle Howie did with them but I've never found this one before.

[@AReservoirDog]

that laid-back monotone singing he does is great.

[@VinnytotheK]

"What about Howard?!" Lol

[@anthonymitrow476]

brilliant

[@revko1nyc]

DAMMIT and I let my pals talk me out of seeing these guys at the Ritz in NYC 1989! Should have gone alone...

[@djurlivet]

going to concerts alone is usually fun. you don't have to talk to anyone and can just get lost in the music and yer drink of choice.

[@attentiondeficitsquirrel7660]

Yes you absolutely should have.

[@xedgelord75x65]

Your friends are dumbasses lol

[@VinnytotheK]

Gotta say, they're DEFINTELY still worth seeing today. Victor DeLerenzo isn't in the band anymore of course (the drummer), but the new drummer definitely keeps up! They're touring the US right now too.

[@roddyblow]

Must have been jamming for years, great recovery when Gordon came in too early after the solo

[@clash11000]

Nice! Thanks for sharing.

[@MooyakAttack]

Fucking bad ass! Gordon doesn't get dressed, fuck that. He'll rock in pajamas just because it was a little cold in there.

[@scotts1672]

No he wore a bathroom as a protest in high school.

[@stealthsadhu306]

​ Actually he wore it for no other reason than he felt like it. When the administration and his mother told him he couldn't he got his back up. He wore it again the next day. "I hope you know this will go down on your permanent record."

[@bugpiss]

he just like me fr

[@oldboehne1153]

My first concert

[@rodriguezang28]

So cool 😎 lol I love them

[@mikehunter1755]

All my life I never met another person who bought this album.

[@TheVeek192]

No way.

[@thorr18BEM]

Me either.

[@theslipingkangooroosTSK]

En import à l'époque : 160 francs !

[@bennybasher2266]

my best friendship was built on this album :) weirdo music brings weirdo friends together

[@shawnsnowman4141]

You need better friends

[@starskully]

I was hoping they chatted with Howard and Rosemary!

[@leahflower9924]

I'm waiting for you to come lol

[@robloxtwoface]

Howard's been through some shit

[@AV9000x]

We've all been through some shit

[@beewm4225]

Good shit

[@craigsmale7432]

Well played... is that Mr. C in the background?

[@patrickfagan663]

I love you Chloe

[@dathorndike4908]

This must have been filmed very early in the morning. Gordon is wearing a bathrobe.

[@scotts1672]

Gordon wore a bathroom to high school as a protest to some rule they had or life in general. There was such contrast between sleepy Gordon in the bathrobe and Gorder in the wife beater T shirt.

[@stealthsadhu306]

Actually he wore it for no other reason than he felt like it. When the administration and his mother told him he couldn't he got his back up. He wore it again the next day. "I hope you know this will go down on your permanent record."

[@patrickcarroll1080]

This is amazing! dephot , who are you? I'd like to get in touch somehow....Clancy Carroll

[@bjelliott]

Gordon doing his best Arthur Dent.

[@rohansask9638]

Bathrobe is a nice touch, Gordon. lol

[@Twang-Train]

🤘🚂

[@tomcole9573]

And that's how it's done.

[@BaronKimball]

Unplugged

[@DavidBerlin]

They were so young. And Gordon was always SO CREEPY.

[@scotts1672]

Gordon was creepy cute, like Ted Bundy and you wanted to tell her stay out of the VW! He is related to Howard Hughes and didn’t get Hughes looks

[@mattwilliam4803]

-I was 17

[@connormckee4431]

Where was the bass coming from?

[@Timmybear]

That's what Brian Ritchie was playing. An acoustic bass.

[@stealthsadhu306]

For playing on the street. Like Victor's garbage can and brushes.

[@punkmom08]

Fucking Rad ❤

[@xeno_ripper]

Acoustic bass' aren't loud

[@eboethrasher]

Acoustic Bass guitars with pickups that plug in? They are as loud as acoustic guitars with pickups...

[@davegrier523]

Quite possibly the worst band ever.