Punk and indie rock veteran Bob Mould is in the middle of a fall tour taking him across the South, and he’s mixing in at least three new songs into set lists that span his extensive solo career and early work with the deeply influential Hüsker Dü and Sugar.
“I think they’ve been going over really well,” he enthused about the new tunes (“Breathing Room,” “Hard to Get” and “When Your Heart is Broken”) on a recent call from a tour stop in New Orleans. “With new stuff where people don’t have a recorded version playing in their head alongside what I’m doing, it’s a little bit of a disadvantage for the crowd because they don’t know where the pushes, the pulls 9[are], where everything is. Having said that, they’re getting a good response.”
Mould is embracing variety on this tour. “I’ve been mixing up the middle of the set a little bit,” he said. “Some nights I lean a little bit harder into the fast punk rock depending on how the crowd’s reacting. I’ve been adding a little more storytelling, seeing as it’s an election year and I’ve got things on my mind.”
Credit: Photo courtesy of Granary Music
Credit: Photo courtesy of Granary Music
Mould returns to the area to finish the tour with solo electric performances at the 40 Watt Club in Athens on Thursday, Oct. 24, and the Earl in Atlanta on Friday, Oct. 25. The latter, marking his first show in Atlanta since a City Winery appearance two years ago, is sold out.
After his Southern swing, Mould will wrap up 2024 with his first shows in New Zealand and Australia in 11 years, before ramping things up next year. He’s got a new album in the works, and expects to couple its release with a full band tour (alongside usual bassist Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster).
“I think it’s safe to say ‘25 is gonna be a pretty busy year,” Mould said. “We’re trying to get the pieces in place.”
Openingthe Athens and Atlanta concerts with solo electric performances of his own is Athens music scene veteran and renaissance person David Barbe, whose history with Mould goes back decades. The two, alongside drummer Malcolm Travis, made up Sugar. The trio’s 1992 debut album “Copper Blue” is an indie rock classic, though the group split up a few years — and one EP and one album — later.
“Of course, Bob’s fantastic every night,” Barbe said in a conversation with the AJC days after Mould’s interview and their first show together on this run. “My end has gone really well. I don’t have a deep experience playing solo shows so this has been a new and exciting experience for me.”
Barbe’s limited solo experience is partly down to the sheer number of music-related pursuits he balances. He co-owns and produces/engineers records at Chase Park Transduction Studios in Athens.
“I feel really fortunate that, 27 years after opening the doors, it’s still going strong,” Barbe said. “The stream of new records coming in that place is mind-blowing to me,” he added, noting Chase Park productions ranging from Drive-By Truckers and Deerhunter hits to fan favorites by Ill Ease and the Dexateens.
Barbe also oversees and teaches in the University of Georgia’s renowned Music Business Certificate program.
“My faculty [including Cracker’s David Lowery and Elf Power’s Andrew Rieger] are all people who have significant and current experience in the music business,” he said. “Our graduates are making significant inroads in the music industry. We have large pockets of people that work not just in Atlanta or Athens, but in L.A., New York and Nashville, that have amazing careers.” Nashville country music star Megan Moroney, for example, took Barbe’s class five years ago.
He feels lucky to enjoy the variety of things he does. “I love being in the studio, I love creating and writing and touring, and I love the personal relationships from working in music,” Barbe acknowledged. “And teaching about the music business at UGA? I love that, too, it’s extremely rewarding.”
Barbe is drawing from his extensive recording career, everything from the bands Sugar and Buzz Hungry to his 2017 solo album “10th of Seas,” to put together his tour set lists. “Each night I’ve got more of a menu than a set list,” he said. “And I’ve unveiled a couple of brand-new songs this week, too.”
Mould and Barbe were both looking forward to seeing each other again, and had not discussed any potential joint performances in the shows. “It’ll be good to see David,” noted Mould hours before their first soundcheck. “I reached out, and he was like, ‘Hell yeah, I’ll play some shows.’ I’m looking forward to seeing what’s on his mind and what’s been on his plate the last little bit.”
Just ahead of the tour, Mould was the beneficiary of a social media post from former Congressman Beto O’Rourke that went viral. Focusing on his memories of jogging in Washington with then-fellow-Congressman Tim Walz, now the Minnesota governor and Democratic vice president nominee, O’Rourke recalled discussing their favorite Minnesota artists: Prince, the Replacements and Mould’s own Hüsker Dü.
“It felt like a campaign cycle worth of press in one morning,” the singer-songwriter said with a laugh about the response. “It was very, very nice. To do the work and try to spread the good word for 45 years and see a cultural moment where everything might be lining up in our collective favor, that makes me feel like I did something.”
Mould, who’s been enjoying new music by Fontaines D.C., La Luz and Militarie Gun, hopes his fans share his admiration for public officials with specialized taste in music. “It makes me feel good and hopefully it makes music fans feel good that we’ve got a couple of people who actually listen to good music.”
Mould and Barbe are both excited about their Georgia appearances. “City Winery’s been great the last three times but every now and then it’s good to change things up, and sure enough the Earl came through early,” Mould said about the Atlanta show. “But we got a clean sellout and it should be fun.”
CONCERT PREVIEW
Bob Mould, with David Barbe opening
Thursday, Oct. 24, at 40 Watt Club. Doors open at 7 p.m. $30-$35; $125 for tables. 285 W. Washington St., Athens. 40watt.com. The show Friday, Oct. 25, at The Earl is sold out. badearl.com
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