Last month, prolific journeyman rocker and Hüsker Dü member Bob Mould released his fifteen solo album Here We Go Crazy. This is his first new album in five years and one that finds him embracing more of a guitar-pop sound, marking a slight but welcome departure from his punk roots. Just a couple of weeks after Mould’s release, Craig Finn of The Hold Steady also released a solo album called Always Been. Considering Mould and Finn’s deep connection to the Minneapolis scene – with Finn being unabashedly inspired by Hüsker Dü – as well as two fresh solo albums, it’s fitting that they would join forces for a tour. On Tuesday, April 8th, that tour made its way to Portland, Oregon for a show at the Wonder Ballroom.
“You’re not gonna win in a rock battle with Bob, so we’re going to invite you in,” said Craig Finn just before playing “Amarillo Kid,” a new song that was a highlight of his set. Finn was speaking about his choice to go for a more stripped-down sound on this current tour, playing solo acoustic with the backing of Nelson Devereaux on an array of instruments. While this decision was an odd one considering his day job, The Hold Steady, is one of the hardest rocking bands out there, and his new album features The War On Drugs as his backing band, it also allowed the lyrics to shine without being drowned out by a wall of guitars and drums. This more subdued version of Finn shined on songs like “People of Substance,” “Bethany,” “Jessamine,” and “Crumbs” as he gave his almost spoken word-like treatment to stories of down-and-out characters taking a deadbeat approach to figuring out life’s mysteries. Finn strummed his guitar while Devereaux gave the songs rich musical textures using a saxophone, clarinet, and flute. Finn shared stories in between songs, like the time he stage-dived during a Hüsker Dü show in Minneapolis, before going into the catchy “It’s Never Been a Fair Fight.” By the time he closed out with the darkly confessional tune “Clayton,” he had presented a different, more folksy side of his artistic identity that won over diehards and casual fans alike.
Playing as a lean trio with the power rhythm section of Jason Narducy and Jon Wurster – both fresh off their tour playing R.E.M. tunes with actor Michael Shannon – Mould wasted little time as he hit the stage and blasted straight into “Star Machine.” From then on, Mould embarked on a tour de force of punk-soaked rock and roll as he delivered a relentlessly terrific barrage of guitar-driven power. Even a crowd that could’ve been more animated (it was Tuesday, after all) didn’t stop Mould from prowling the stage and laying down serious riffage on songs like “Fur Mink Augurs,” the slower rocker “The Ocean,” the grungy “Black Confetti,” and intense blast of “American Crisis.” As the legendary shredder machine-gunned his way through the sprawling setlist featuring songs from across his solo career with the energy of someone decades younger, Wurster’s tentacle-like approach to power drumming and Narducy’s supremely tight bass playing proved to be a perfect backbone to propel each song forward.
After the upbeat and almost power pop melodies of “I Don’t You Anymore,” he unleashed the first Hüsker Dü tunes of the night with “Hardly Getting Over It” and “Celebrated Summer.” Mould rode the wave through the pounding urgency of “Hard to Get,” the driving anthem “When Your Heart is Broken,” and the soaring rocker “The War” before laying into Hüsker Dü’s punk classic “Flip Your Wig.”
Mould and his band never relented over the course of their ninety-minute set, closing out with a handful of Hüsker Dü tunes much to the satisfaction of the audience. While plenty of rockers in their sixties might be looking to pump the brakes a bit after such a long and illustrious career, Mould is all gas. Throughout his set, he seemed as eager and excited – even giddy at times – to strap on his guitar and shred through his catalog. For the audience, his performance offered an impressive glimpse of an artist who is as sharp as ever and continues to evolve his music after more than forty years in the game.
