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Monday, October 17, 2005

Concert Review: Bob Mould, the El Ray, Los Angeles, CA 10/15/2005

I'm the same age as Bob Mould, singer and guitarist for my favorite band for a decade, so when he walked by on his way back from a bad Baja Fresh dinner I just smiled. He, friendly as can be, stopped, and I thanked him for being in Husker Du. If I was 18 I'd probably just gawk and mumble "Hommina Hommina Hommina".

The El Ray is a bit seedy but it looks nice if you can't see well. This was the end of Bob's tour to promote Body Of Song, an excellent cd that sounds less electronic the more you listen to it. Shiny Toy Guns opened and they alternated between electronic dance music and the post-emo stadium rock I hear in my gym between slow jam hip hops. The female singer looks like Buffy and the hairy drummer like Animal from The Muppets. They're obviously a Big Thing band and if they make it, well, good for them. I went outside during their set and stared at Wilshire Blvd. Up the street, H.I.M. was playing, and their fans were young, dumb and lumpy. Here at the Bob show there were two groups: skinny kids to see Shiny Toy Guns and middle age fuggs like me here to see a an old hero only to look around and realize, hey, we're our parents now!

Bob and band came to pun crock, so "I Am Vision, I Am Sound" was rendered like "New Day Rising". The show opened with a few Sugar tracks, veered into Body Of Song, went back to Sugar and then ended with an emphasis on Husker Du classics, starting with "I Apologize", "Chartered Trips" (I laughed/sobbed with joy on this one) and "Celebrated Summer".

The band was great but the sound was lacking, which is how it is for me at most large shows. Either the sound check is designed to only sound good at the control board or it's just a given that most live shows sound like crap. Bands should tour with their own PA system and sound board. Volume should be secondary to a good sound. Like in martial arts, you work first on speed and accuracy, and then power.

This was my first show in maybe two years. I don't like concerts anymore. The thought of standing in a crowd of smelly, inconsiderate loudmouths doesn't have the appeal it once did.

6 Comments:

Blogger Eric XXL said...

This was my first show in maybe two years. I don't like concerts anymore. The thought of standing in a crowd of smelly, inconsiderate loudmouths doesn't have the appeal it once did.

My sentiments exactly. I make an exception for electric Mould. An excellent show, it almost made me forget the horror of Modulate.

Anyhow, back to Bob's Big Gay Disco party for the foreseable future.

2:14 PM

 
Blogger Richard said...

My friend here in Athens that does luthier work worked on some of Bob's stuff when he was here. He said he was a real nice guy.

6:30 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I went to see Bob in NY a couple of weeks back. I also avoid club shows these days. I do make the exception for Mould. I have seen him a few times solo over the years. I never saw Sugar but I saw Husker Du plenty (dating back to the Metal Circus days thru Warehouse.
It was a treat to see him with a full band again.
He looked healthy and he's balder than I am! I thought the crowd was more tuned to his Sugar output than his Hu Du stuff (of course that's only because I was one of the few people there who was old enuff to have seen the huskers!

My favorite (not) moment was during the angst of "Hardly Getting Over It" when during the an especially quiet part, you could hear the hysterical laughter of these asshole club kids obliterating the quiet.

I got very sad during "I Apolgize". Too many friends that are dead that I used to go see Husker Du with.

7:53 AM

 
Blogger emerson said...

The slow rendition of "Hardly Getting Over It" proverd to be very effective, once I realized what song it was. I'm not a fan of very slow songs (mostly) so if it was a song I didn't know I'd have just stared at my watch hoping the next one was from New Day Rising. The first Sugar album was featured. I'm more of a Beaster/File Under Easy Listening fan. I would have soiled myself is they did "JC Auto".

I like that Bob did a hits show. There's nothing wrong with that and he can do it for many years and make money while satisfying fans.

8:09 AM

 
Blogger Eric XXL said...

I too would have soiled myself to have heard JC Auto

10:26 AM

 
Blogger HRH Courtney, Queen of Everything said...

His Boston show was great; hearing those HD songs with a band again was a highlight of my year.

And I hear you about the shows--the "club kids" don't know how to appreciate a dark moment like that version of Hardly Getting Over It.

7:54 PM

 

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