[ATTENDED: January 25, 2020] Bob Mould
I saw Bob Mould perform in 1996 at Avalon in Boston. I don’t remember that much about the show. He had a three piece band I believe (and Rasputina opened). It was mix of Hüsker Dü, Sugar and solo songs (according to setlist.fm–see below). Interestingly, there is a scathing review of his 1998 show in Chicago here.
So here it was 24 years later and Mould was touring again (he has toured a lot in the meantime, make no mistake) and I thought it would be fun to see him again.
This time it was just him and an electric guitar. Once again he played Hüsker Dü, Sugar and solo songs. Although now he had a lot more solo stuff to choose from.
What was fascinating about this show was that since it was just him, he was able to really rock through a whole bunch of songs at a pretty good speed–with minimal accompaniment or soloing.
And it was really quite loud–especially in this normally fairly quiet venue. It was particularly amusing since I was in front of him so that that every time he moved to the left or the right, the amp (which was behind him) was so much louder–he was literally blocking a ton of the sound with his body.
Mould was in good form, telling some jokes and genuinely seeming to have a very good time.
In a set of 22 songs he played eight songs from Hüsker Dü and two from Sugar which was really fun and what (probably) most of us were hoping to hear. But he also played a lot of great solo stuff that I’d forgotten about. I was especially happy that he played “See a Light Little” which was his first great post-Hüsker Dü songs (and which he didn’t play back in 1996–curmudgeon that he was).
Indeed, “Light” belies the idea that it was just furious pummeling, because he slowed down enough to sing this song really nicely (even if the guitar was mostly overdriven and noisy).
His choices of Hüsker Dü covers were mostly obvious (he played five songs that he also played in 1996 (!)) but also a couple of unexpected ones–“Flip Your Wig” and “Something I Learned Today” (!). But it was really fun to hear “I Apologize.” and “Chartered Trips” (which is one he played 24 years ago–not a song I think of as a big one).
I was a bit surprised that he only played two Sugar songs, but they were of course great to hear–pop gems in the middle of his somewhat darker solo stuff. In fact “If I Can’t Change Your Mind” was fun because instead of playing the pretty end melody he basically hummed it.
I hadn’t listened to his new album–in fact I didn’t realize he had one–but the songs from Sunshine Rock were really good.
He told us about living in Paris and how much he’s been enjoying it. Including an amusing story about how they love fireworks there and how on a New Year’s Eve (he was here touring) someone set off a rolling firework that went down the street and into the bar where he usually sits. It exploded and shattered a window.
About midway through the set he said, normally I start talking here but instead I’m just going to play some new songs. He played four new songs–the guy on Setlist transcribed some words:
Song 11 –
Winds of climate change
Heart on my sleeve (x2)
We’re going to war
We’re going to die
Song 12 –
Hypocrisy
Democracy
Next Generation
Song 13 –
Sky keeps burning
Blasphemy
Do what you want
We pay for it all
Forecasting rain
Song 14 –
I want to be everything for you
Mould had a ton of energy and was just a blur of chords. A few times he stomped around the stage as he played some heavy chords. Most importantly, his voice sounded great–classic Bob Mould.
The set was strange in a way with just him ripping through songs, but it was also a lot of fun. I enjoyed hearing songs that I’m unlikely to hear anywhere else. There were definitely times when I would have appreciated drums or a bass line, (the drum fill was so obviously NOT present in “Makes No Sense At All” it was sorely missed). Nevertheless, it was still a really fun evening.
| 2020 SOPAC | 1996 Avalon |
| The War ⊗ | Wishing Well ϖ |
| Flip Your Wig ÜF | Hoover Dam $C |
| I Apologize ÜN | Needle Hits E $B |
| Hoover Dam $C | Your Favorite Thing $F |
| Stand Guard ≅ | Fort Knox, King Solomon ß |
| See a Little Light ϖ | Can’t Help You Anymore $F |
| Celebrated Summer ÜN | After All the Roads Have Led to Nowhere $B |
| The Descent ∇ | Explode and Make Up $F |
| You Say You ¶ | Hardly Getting Over It ÜC |
| Thirty Dozen Roses ♦ | Poison Years ϖ |
| new | Sinners and Their Repentances ϖ |
| new | Lonely Afternoon ϖ |
| new | Roll Over and Die ß |
| new | Chartered Trips ÜZ |
| Sunshine Rock ♦ | Celebrated Summer ÜN |
| Hey Mr. Grey ⊗ | I Apologize ÜN |
| If I Can’t Change Your Mind $C | Makes No Sense At All ÜF |
| Hardly Getting Over It ÜC | Thumbtack ß |
| Something I Learned Today ÜZ | |
| Chartered Trips ÜZ | |
| Never Talking to You Again ÜZ | |
| Makes No Sense At All ÜF | |
ÜZ = HÜSKER DÜ: Zen Arcade (1984)
ÜN = HÜSKER DÜ: New Day Rising (1985)
ÜF = HÜSKER DÜ: Flip Your Wig (1985)
ÜC = HÜSKER DÜ: Candy Apple Grey (1986)
ϖ = Workbook (1989)
≅ = Black Sheets of Rain (1990)
$C = SUGAR: Copper Blue (1992)
$F = SUGAR: File Under: Easy Listening (1994)
$B = SUGAR: Besides (1995)
ß = Bob Mould (1996)
∇ = Silver Age (2012)
⊗ = Beauty & Rain (2014)
¶ = Patch the Sky (2016)
♦ = Sunshine Rock (2019)
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