Fingerprints Music

A three cassette release of the National’s September 24th and 25th shows at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA. Recorded by Erik Flannigan using legendary taper Mike “The Mike” Millard Method. Flannigan explained the idea behind using The Mike Millard Method in the cassette’s liner notes, saying:
“Arguably the most celebrated audience taper of the period, Mike Millard, recorded in and around Southern California beginning in 1974 and continued into the early ’90s. Millard’s legend is built in part on the cunning and subterfuge he used to get his nearly 15-pound cassette deck and microphones into venues like the The Forum, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, and The Roxy.

For years I have pondered what made Millard’s recordings so good, and eventually I had an idea: What if you recorded a concert today with the same equipment Millard used in 1977? Would it sound like his tapes? Would it tap into his Midas touch?

The National was kind enough to let us test the Millard Method for two concerts at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California last September. These live recordings were made with vintage AKG 451E microphones and a restored Nakamichi 550 cassette deck which are identical to those used by Millard circa 1975-81. The idea was to see if we could recreate what Matt Berninger calls the “juicy sonic magic” Millard captured in his 1970s field recordings.

Together with my friend and filmmaker David Dubois, we also produced a short documentary about Millard, his recording methods, and our attempt to recreate his work at the National shows in Berkeley, a venue that is utterly unchanged since the ’70s.

With the advent of smartphones, thousands of people routinely record part of the show when they attend a National concert or any other performance. Forty years ago, when nobody would dare do that, one man made it his life’s work to preserve legendary concerts on tape.

Vol. 1 (Live at Berkeley 9/24/18)
Side 1 1. Nobody Else Will Be There 2. The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness 3. Walk It Back 4. Guilty Party 5. Don't Swallow the Cap 6. Bloodbuzz Ohio 7. I Need My Girl 8. Green Gloves

Side 2 1. Brainy 2. Slow Show 3. All The Wine 4. I'll Still Destroy You 5. Dark Side of the Gym 6. Day I Die 7. Carin at the Liquor Store 8. Graceless 9. Rylan 10. Fake Empire

Vol. 2 (Live at Berkeley 9/25/18)
Side 1 1. Light Years 2. The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness 3. Walk It Back 4. Guilty Party 5. I Should Live in Salt 6. Don't Swallow the Cap 7. Afraid of Everyone 8. I Need My Girl 9. This Is the Last Time 10. Wasp Nest

Side 2
1. Born to Beg 2. Sorrow 3. Apartment Story 4. Pink Rabbits 5. England 6. Day I Die 7. Rylan 8. Fake Empire

Vol. 3
Side 1 (Live at Berkeley 9/24/18)
1. Light Years 2. Mr. November 3. Terrible Love 4. Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks

Side 2 (Live at Berkeley 9/25/18)
1. About Today 2. Lemonworld 3. Mr. November 4. Terrible Love 5. Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks