Right between two states of mind

I went out again last night, this time to the old Mac Hall Ballroom to see Bob Mould. Middle age and grey hair obviously mean nothing to this man, because it was an amazing show. He still has that voice, that shout with the ragged tear in it that makes everything he sings sound like it's coming from inside my head.

I was little hesitant to go, afraid he would be reduced to a nostalgic novelty act. It seems like so many bands from the eighties and early nineties are dusting themselves off, grabbing a few replacement members and hitting the road in search of a bit of cash. Growing up in Calgary, I never really got to see most of the bands I liked, at least not when they most relevant or popular. So I'm pretty susceptible to the lure of these reformed bands... Even though I know that seeing Camper Van Beethoven in 2004 is much, much different than in 1984, I still fall victim to the collector mentality - well, at least I'll be able to say that I saw them. (Actually, I resisted on that show, and heard that it was painful to watch...)

It was funny, too, because unlike the super-young and ultra cool crowd at the Warehouse on Thursday, I actually recognized people at this show. Lots and lots of guys with less hair than I remember, and wives instead of girlfriends. I actually saw someone walking around in a Soul Asylum shirt, which must be as thin as a tissue by now. We must have been at the same show: Soul Asylum at the Ballroom, 1994. they sucked. It was making me feel very old and pathetically nostalgic for the crappy gigs of my youth

But Bob Mould was having none of that crap. He played solo, with just his electric guitar, although he turned the distortion and feedback up to 11 in order to replicate some of the racket of Husker Du. He's actually looking pretty good these days. I guess that's fringe benefit of looking middle-aged at 20 like Bob Mould did - things can only get better as you age.