I spent a lot of time traveling with my book distro to regional shows. There were a few bands that I regularly tried to see. Catharsis was one of them. I traveled to Greensboro for this show at the university. I was unfamiliar with Refused, but Brian from Catharsis was really into them. I’d heard good things, had been told they put on a good show, and that I should have my camera ready. I was blown away. They were strange and awesome and intense in a tiny space. It was totally captivating. People clearly knew this band and were stoked.
Refused sky rocketed from obscure to hella popular. The Shape of Punk to Come is a solid record and all-time fave. They were never a band I was close to and I never saw them again. But that one show when they were still an underground band, albeit one with a buzz, is one of those anomalies of experiences that I treasure.