As I wake and drink my coffee this morning I am still on such an incredible high after last nights Sugar show. As a devotee of Bob Mould in all of his musical endeavors, and after seeing Husker Du several times in my very early teens, and Bob countless times solo, I’d never had the opportunity to see Sugar live. In some ways, Sugar has always been my favorite. Catchy, melodic, musically nuanced, often raw, and always powerful. I put off a trip I’d dreamed of for decades for a day to see this show. I knew I could never be disappointed by it, but my God, I had no idea that it might become the best concert experience of my life thus far.
David Barbie on bass was nothing short of joyful. His talent has always been solid as a rock as a bass player. His basslines and harmonies were always a very important factor in how and why Sugar is so great. Last night he stood on that stage just beaming. He knew how good this music was, and he seemed both grateful and joyful about getting to share it live again. Malcolm Travis, despite having what appeared to be a slight physical issue at one point during the show, delivered a blistering and powerful drum performance- he’s always been a shining star and among my favorite drummers- and this show was no different . Sugar would not be sugar without him. And Bob Mould. His high-intensity energy, blistering guitar work, and raw, cathartic delivery coupled with his amazing ability to blend punk and melody, his passion for his music is always on full display and I’ve never seen a show in which he fails to bring every bit of himself to the table. He doesn’t just play his music. It emanates from his soul.
The setlist was even better than I could have imagined, including the classics like Changes, Good Idea and Hoover Dam, but also a few songs I wasn’t expecting- like Panama City Motel . The highlight of the night for me was JC Auto from the. album Beaster. It is without a doubt, my favorite Bob song of all time and because of its intensity I thought it might be a hard one for Bob to do on tour. When I heard the opening notes I almost cried. Silly, I know, but my God- this was a musical highlight of my life.
There are two more shows at Webster Hall, tonight and tomorrow night. For the love of Bob, if you have any ability at all to get there, just do it. We fly to Ireland tonight or there would be nothing stopping me and I will be there with bells on when they return to New York in October for Bobs birthday show.

PS- I was having a pretty bad psoriatic arthritis flare and called Webster Hall in advance of the show to inquire about seating. It was the first time I’ve had to do this and was hesitant- but the venue was exceptional with ADA accommodations. If you need them- use them.