Hüsker Dü built their reputation as a band on a simple concept -- speed. They were the fastest guns in town, so to speak. But their songs, while defining a genre that would come to be known as hardcore, remained accessible and pretty catchy.

Take as evidence this live recording of Hüsker Dü playing in San Francisco during their first tour out west. They played at the legendary punk club Mabuhay's in San Francisco. Terry Hammer, who posted the recording, was the sound engineer at the show. He recorded the band from the mixing board to a tape Bob Mould gave him.

This lo-fi method of recording was the same the trio used to record their first album, Land Speed Record. They recorded that album at Minneapolis' Seventh Street Entry, a small music venue that exists as an addition to the also-lengendary First Avenue Club.

This recording is not quite as clear as Land Speed Record, which is to say that it's pretty garbled and harsh on the earholes. But it does serve as excellent documentation of Hüsker Dü's early years, when they were still finding their collective voice.

This recording stands in stark contrast to what Hüsker Dü would evolve into, as can be witnessed with their appearance on Joan River's daytime talk show.

The band eventually collapsed under the weight of the trio's personal demons, but they managed to get in some very influential years before that happened.

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