I spent my Saturday at Sled island at the Republik, waiting for punk icon Bob Mould's show.
There weren't a lot of people there at the beginning to see fellow Minneapolis trio Fury Things play a high energy set of punk/ pop music very reminiscent of early Husker Dü.
They had a lot of energy, especially the bassist who jumped all over the place. They played a captivating set of catchy songs and got the night rolling off to a great start.
I haven't seen Calgary supergroup Night Committee for a while, so was excited to see them on the bill.
Lorrie Matheson played a pair of ear splitting keyboards including bass on one of them and leaned and dug in.
Frontman / guitarist Andrew Wedderburn did his best Pete Townsend impressing, doing the windmill, leaping around and thrashing away, howling the lyrics and the first couple high octane songs. They slowed down a little after that for more emotional music.
I had just seen Montreal duo Solids earlier this week in Lethbridge, so took the opportunity to wander down 17th ave. to the Ship And Anchor.
It was packed and the party of the night as Calagary favourites the Ex-Boyfriends were on stage playing their special brand of greasy, sleazy rock and roll reminiscent of the Stooges and AC DC. I hadn't seen them for a while.
The band held everything tightly togehter leaving frontman Djewel Davidson, this time dressed in an unbuttoned pink and black shirt showing off his hairy chest, to wander through the audience howling lyrics as audience members played jump rope with his mic cable.
He wandered onto the Ship and Anchor's packed patio and back onto the stage.
There were plenty of big riffs and lots of fun.
I wandered back to the Republik to catch the end of a solid set of post punk from Montreal duo Solids, just in time to join the throngs of people clustered in front of the stage waiting for Bob Mould and his trio to take the stage.
This was off the hook as Mould, blasted dirty chords on his Stratocaster through a double Marshall stack.
Most punks and pop punks and alternative rockers owe some measure of influence to Bob Mould and Husker Dü so Mould, whose voice was drowned out by his thundering bassist and drummer showed the young punks and alternative rockers and even a few old punks , how it was done.
He played sinfully catchy rhythms as he concentrated on music from his brand new CD “Beauty and Ruin.” The new music sounds very similar to his earlier punk and pop music— four on the floor rock and roll, with catchy choruses and a foot tapping rhythm. Mould had more energy than people half his age and his trio was on fire. He barely paused for a breath in between songs other than to grin and quickly thank the crowd and introduce the band — bassist and background vocalist Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster.
The band were fantastic, Wurster was impressive behind the kit while Narducy played interesting basslines and sang excellent harmony. Mould didn't play a lot of guitar solos , other than a long solo near the end of the set.
They played a lot of Bob Mould solo material and Husker Dü songs which the crowd loved, but I couldn't really hear his vocals.
It was an amazing show, they were called back for an encore which ended with Husker Dü's “Makes “No Sense at All.”
— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
