Bob Mould is one of those artists. His signature sound, so viral that it infects almost every "punk," "alternative," or "modern" rock band that has recorded an album since 1987, never fails to put me in a better mood, even though he was once described as the "most depressed man in rock and roll."
A few months ago, when tickets went on sale for his show at the 9:30 club, I immediately bought tickets for a friend and myself. Another friend checked his spring break schedule and bought a ticket. This was an event. The last time I saw Bob was a solo electric performance in late 2005, when I had just moved back to DC, and several weeks before in Philadelphia, and the day after at the 9:30 club. That last show was turned into a DVD, which I of course pre-ordered.
So today was the big day. After surviving the opener, a band called Halou with a haunting singer and good sound but nothing I would shout about, I stood with my two friends in a crowd that was probably on average 5-15 years older than we were, and watched an almost 50 year old man take the stage and put on a show that would humble pretty much any act out there today. Simply put, Bob Mould brought the rock.
I could go through the set list and describe every song and my reactions, but as lame as it sounds, I can't put into words how good a show Bob Mould and his band put on. This is a guy who can reach back through twenty years of music and play songs that could not only be at home on today's radio, but if better promoted could be chart-toppers. Not because they're written to be, but because they're just that good.
I'll leave you with the pictures I took, since my words really aren't sufficient. If you have a chance to see Bob Mould in your town, buy the ticket. The $20 price of admission is a bargain.
