Bob Mould playing solo electric at the Underground Arts. |
It was my first time at the Underground Arts, a small club in the basement of an office building for doctors and businesses. It was unlit and had the smell and taste of a musty basement. In other words, a perfect venue to see punk legend Bob Mould.
The show opened with a solo electric set from Frances Quinlan of the local band Hop Along. The indie rock band burst out of the Philly music scene with their 2015 album Painted Shut and are scheduled to play a group of shows in July, opening for Conor Oberst. The shows will conclude with a gig opening for Wilco at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, NJ. Quinlan's vocals are distinct, something that many indie band struggle to find. With a wide range of high and low, her voice can sound beautiful but can turn raspy at will. I was only familiar with a few of the songs played but my favorite Hop Along song, "Sister Cities," capped off the set.
Mould came to the stage and blasted through a 90 minute set composed of 21 songs. The set spanned Mould's entire career from Husker Du to Sugar to his solo work and was developed to perfection. He opened with a few Sugar songs, "Hoover Dam" and "Your Favorite Thing," followed by a good amount of solo material separated by the Husker Du song "I Apologize." By the halfway mark of the set, it went uphill and never came back down, playing everything the crowd wanted to hear. Mould ended with the power pop tune "I Can't Change Your Mind," the soft and loud dynamic "Celebrated Summer," and still politically relevant "In a Free Land," which was a song added to the 1000 Days, 1000 Songs initiative to protest the Trump presidency. You can find the website here. It didn't stop there as the encore consisted of a cover of the Mary Tyler Moore theme, "Love Is All Around," and "Makes No Sense at All." The best part of the show was the three Husker Du songs, "Chartered Trips," "Hardly Getting Over It," and "Flip Your Wig," in a row. Two fast paced numbers separated by a slow, delicate one. With only his voice and guitar, I've never heard one person make so much noise. My ears were ringing and it was only him! A solo performance is something unique that you don't get to witness often. It is the mark of a true musician who can sound just as good by themselves as they can with a band.
Not only is Mould exceptional musically, he is a genuinely nice guy who cares about his audience. After a few song in, he asked the crowd, "what did you do today?" He listened attentively to a few answers and carried out a conversation with the crowd. Later he told the onlookers that he almost didn't make it to the show as he was stuck in Washington DC because of the March for Science protest.
To see an up and coming indie rocker and one of my favorite musicians play at one show was something special. I could see Mould over and over again and never get tired of seeing him perform. There is something for everyone when listening to Mould's music. The intense hardcore punk, soft and emotional ballads, pop riffs and harmonies, and even some electronic music. His storied past, personality, and the catalog of material have propelled him into not only into an icon of punk but a fantastic musician and performer.
Setlist:
Bob Mould:
1. Hoover Dam (Sugar song)
2. Your Favorite Thing (Sugar song)
3. Losing Time
4. See a Little Light
5. The War
6. I Apologize (Husker Du song)
7. The Descent
8. You Say You
9. Lonely Afternoon
10. Sinners and Their Repentances
11. Stand Guard
12. Chartered Trips (Husker Du song)
13. Hardly Getting Over It (Husker Du song)
14. Flip Your Wig (Husker Du song)
15. Voices in My Head
16. Hold On
17. If I Can't Change Your Mind (Sugar song)
18. Celebrated Summer (Husker Du song)
19. In a Free Land (Husker Du song)
Encore:
20. Love Is All Around (Sonny Curtis cover)
21. Makes No Sense at All (Husker Du song)
4. See a Little Light
5. The War
6. I Apologize (Husker Du song)
7. The Descent
8. You Say You
9. Lonely Afternoon
10. Sinners and Their Repentances
11. Stand Guard
12. Chartered Trips (Husker Du song)
13. Hardly Getting Over It (Husker Du song)
14. Flip Your Wig (Husker Du song)
15. Voices in My Head
16. Hold On
17. If I Can't Change Your Mind (Sugar song)
18. Celebrated Summer (Husker Du song)
19. In a Free Land (Husker Du song)
Encore:
20. Love Is All Around (Sonny Curtis cover)
21. Makes No Sense at All (Husker Du song)
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