Mighty Mudhoney
by Russ Allsup
First a little personal history. I love music. I’d have to say it’s my favorite thing. I’ve been to many shows, and I moved to Los Angeles in 1991, right as the grunge music movement was taking over. That year I got to see most of the Seattle bands that made it big- Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Temple of the Dog and some lesser known ones but I never did get around to seeing Mudhoney, who to me were always the underdogs of the whole Seattle music scene. Might be twenty five years late, but when I heard Mudhoney were playing, I decided that there was no way I was gonna miss this show. I made the drive to downtown Los Angeles on a mission. I hadn’t been to a really good low down and dirty fuzzed out garage rock show since After I parked my car I got in line for the show. I could tell it was gonna be a good night when I saw the Melvins’ Buzz Osbourne four people in front of me, waiting to get in. As I entered the Regent, I could tell it was one of the many theaters that had been built in Los Angeles during the 20’s and 30’s. They really knew how to make ’em back then. Most of the remaining theaters of that era really have character. I always wonder what type of past events had happened in a place like this. You could just feel the history there. As I walked around, there was a DJ spinning 45’s from the late fifties and early sixties- all obscure, cool tunes that I’d never heard before. The mood was set and the LA crowd was ready to hear some REAL tunes.
The Freeks came out and had that 60’s Detroit garage sound down pat. For a five piece, they have all the bases covered. The crowd was sparse at the beginning of their set, but by the end of the third song it was a packed house. They won over the crowd and came away with a few new fans. Good songs and a great way to start the evening. Next up was a band that there is a buzz about right now- Fuzz. A project of guitarist/singer Ty Segall, who is the drummer / singer for Fuzz, a three piece with a HUGE sound. Based around garage jam riffs with a sound that reminded me a little of early Black Sabbath cranked to 10, these guys just jammed away and blew away the audience at the Regent. If you like your music loud and raw check them out. They’re one of the heaviest bands I’ve heard in awhile. After that it was time for the one and only Mudhoney.
They came out and were just relentless with their audio assault of the senses. Opening with ‘Poisoned Water, the four piece played a 23 song set that left every fan in the building completely satisfied. It was just one song after the other in Mudhoney’s own unique style. Formed in 1988, the band proved why it has outlasted most of it fellow rock bands- it was all about the music. No frills or fancy stage production here, just straight ahead rock with no excess. By the time the band finished their set, around one in the morning, the crowd was wiped out. This was a take no prisoners set from one the the great Northwest’s mightiest bands.
Sometimes you need a night of very loud, brutal stripped down rock music to make you feel alive and remind you why you fel in love with music to begin with.
This was one of those nights.
