Bob Mould Takes Pittsburgh

When a friend texted me the list of Hüsker Dü songs that Bob Mould played at his 2019 Pittsburgh show, I swore that I would never miss him again. Not simply because I wanted to hear the oldies. Those songs (which included "In A Free Land," which we had played in our tribute band Hüsker Don't) were the icing on the cake that was Sunshine Rock, the solid album that he was supporting on that tour. 

Then Bob released Blue Hearts last year, on which he sounded just as pissed off as he had 40 years ago on Everything Falls Apart. I don't blame him one bit. It came out early last fall, at a time that I was feeling pretty down about the world and worried about the impending doom that was facing us in the election. He wasn't specifically addressing that on the album, but his fury helped lift me up and remember to do that we can to help us all survive. (For a better idea of what drove that album, check out this link to his FB page and read the plaque that he has pictured. It's more illuminating that I realized. Thanks, Bob, for continuing to enlighten me.) 

Having said all that, I was ready, willing and eager to see him this past Tuesday at Small's Theatre. As the tour started, Mould posted regularly on Facebook about how masking was required at his shows and how he wanted everyone to be safe. He could have lashed out at the idiots for posted snarky comments against masking but he kept his cool about it, and held firm. He might be angry, but he has class.

The trio Kestrels opened the show was a tight set of heavy pop. Some of their songs recalled Sebadoh, especially when they dropped some gonzo basslines, driving the power chords of the tunes. They mentioned that J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., helped them with one of their singles and that influence was noticeable as well, in the best way. 

Then Bob Mould's trio hit the stage. True to his beliefs, the man walked out with his mask on, hanging it on his mic stand before things started. He wasn't preachy about it, nor was he dead serious, but very matter-of-fact. Or, a better way to look at it might be that he was showing common sense. And courtesy. 

Then we were off. A whole slew of songs from Blue Hearts came out in full force, with very little time to breathe between them. That album should be experienced with lyric sheet in hand, since the vocals are mixed low. In person, my crazy ears couldn't always make out everything but the power of the group (with bassist Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster) carried it.

From there, the band jumped all over the place through the Mould catalog. At least two songs from Workbook, his first solo album, factored into it - "Sinners and Their Repentences" and "See A Little Light," the latter with a message that seems especially true after what the last 18 months have been like.

Then it started. The band kicked into a stop-start intro that could only mean one thing - the moody Hüsker epic "Celebrated Summer." It seems a little maudlin to say that it made me a little misty but I only got to see Hüsker Dü once, and they weren't at their best (playing the entire Warehouse album from top to bottom.) So hearing this baby sung by the man himself was a little overwhelming. Even if he couldn't quit hit the high notes like he used to. (He knows his limits. Gotta dig that.)

The hits just kept coming. "Something I Learned Today" (a song which takes me back to September of 1984 when I bought Zen Arcade). "Hardly Getting Over It," the pensive not-quite ballad from Candy Apple Grey. "I Apologize." Hearing "Flip Your Wig" was meaningful too, since this was a song where Mould and Grant Hart traded vocals in the original. Narducy, who helped with harmonies and high notes throughout the evening, took care of the Grant lines well. When the evening finally wrapped up after about 75 minutes (longer than his last set, according to my accomplice for the night), "Makes No Sense At All" closed it up. Like everything, it still sounds plenty relevant today. 

I have to wonder how Bob feels since everything he sang in "Divide and Conquer" has become true. But that's a thought for another time. It was a great night, and like the jazz festival (see previous post), it was great to be among kindred spirits.