A's Musical Daily Driver
(Newest On Top)
Sep 12 - Oct 13, 2026
Sept 27, 2026​​​
May 7, 1977
Boston, MA
Boston Garden
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Rough day mentally today. This show is the first thing I found that's helping. Not surprised.
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1977 was very likely the Dead's best year and May in particular is widely considered the best month of that year. This show happens to be one day prior to the legendary Cornell University show in Ithaca, NY which is considered by many, if not the majority, to be the very best show the Band ever played. (Check that one out too. You won't be disappointed.)
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Very strong setlist and tremendous performance. Not to mention that it's also Bill Kreutzmann's birthday, which was dutifully announced by Bobby. It's got a 4* out of 5* rating in my collection. I don't have much more to say about it other than, if you're interested at all, it's a mandatory listen.
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First Set: ​
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Second Set:​
Drums ->
The Wheel ->
Wharf Rat ->
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Encore:
U.S. Blues
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- A
Sept 26, 2026​​​
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Sugar
"House Of Dead Memories" - New Track, 2026
"Judas Crade" From: "Beaster (2012 Remaster)"
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Harrison Willis turned me onto Bob Mould as a freshman in college in 1990 with "Black Sheets Of Rain", his most recent post-Hüsker Dü record at the time. I'd listened to some Hüsker Dü in middle and high school but not a ton. I realize now that the reason for that was not hearing the "right" material. I wish I had. I'd never heard anything at all that sounded like what I heard on BSOR. It was painfully evident that it hadn't been made for commercial appeal but just for pure musical expression. His voice was more raw and passionate than anyone's I'd heard before. The guitar work sounded like a velvet covered sledgehammer. His lyrics, as always, were very personal. I can say that within two or three songs I realized that I had found something genuinely new and was an immediate and very passionate convert​. It's never wavered.
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In 1992 Bob formed a new band he called Sugar. In that same year they released their first of three records entitled "Copper Blue (2012 Remaster)" which has become a holy recording for many people. Sugar's records do have a more polished, and some would say commercial feel than his previous solo work, and certainly more so than Hüsker Dü's material but it's magical all the same. I love it just as much as his early solo work. If you haven't heard that record, do use the link above and give it a listen.
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By early 1995 Sugar disbanded and Bob got back into his solo work. Because of their sparse touring and limited dates I never had a chance to see Sugar. They've been defunct since. Until now.
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Earlier this year Bob announced the reformation of Sugar and the tour that would follow. People around the world were stunned that they might now have a chance to see them when it was always assumed that Sugar was dead and gone. A Sugar show in the present day was much more than a unicorn. Upon the announcement I decided that I'd travel wherever was necessary to catch one of these shows. There weren't, unsurprisingly, a ton of dates on the tour. Fortunately, one is going to take place on October 21 of this year in Nashville, TN which is three hours from where I live. Easy enough. Two of my dearest friends, one from here in Memphis and the other from north Georgia, are hitting it with me. Yes, the show itself is one of the most significant that I will ever have attended but one element that's going to make it particularly special is that while I've seen Bob play on many occasions, neither of these guys has. Taking part in their experience is one of the things I'm most looking forward to.
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I'm going to bring my digital audio recording rig with me. While I'll have to do it covertly, I'll be recording the show. The recording quality is not going to be optimal as I won't be able to set up mic stands and do it in the open but we'll see how it turns out. If it's a good listen I'll post it to YouTube and share it here. Fingers crossed.
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Take a listen to all the material I've linked to here and if you like what you hear, make a concerted effort to catch one of the remaining shows. There aren't many and they're all happening very soon. Don't miss the chance. Dates and info can be found on BobMould.com as well as SugarCopperBlue.com.
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Dig it, good people.
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- A
Sept 22, 2026​​​
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Alice In Chains
"Sea Of Sorrow"
"Bleed The Freak"
Live at the Moore Theatre - Seattle WA, Dec. 22, 1990
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I've written about this band a good bit elsewhere on this site so I'm not going to go into great detail here. These particular tracks are special to me, however. They're wonderful renditions of two of my favorite tracks from their "Facelift" album. Layne's performances are what's so special to me here.
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I was fortunate enough to see AiC with Layne right after the release of "Dirt" when I was a sophomore in college, 1992. I'll never forget it, not only because of the band's spectacular performance as a whole, but particularly because of Layne's spellbinding performance, presence and aura that night. It's said so much about so many artists but that guy had an overwhelming, palpable presence. Trust & believe. Jerry and Sean would ultimately find their way to sobriety years later but Layne would not. His heroin addiction and alcoholism would first isolate him from the band and render them almost completely non-functional even during the recording of their self-titled album and ultimately cost him his life. Numerous other musicians in my very favorite bands would also lose their lives to addiction, most importantly Jerry Garcia, but for reasons I still do not comprehend the loss of Layne has always, and still does, feel unique and particularly painful.
Perhaps that's because of his age at the time of his death and his nearly limitless potential that would never be realized. It probably also has to do with his never finding recovery while his two closest friends, and myself, would. I've never been able to come to terms with that. It seems an insurmountable injustice and incredibly unfair. It seems that he never chose to pursue that path and give himself a chance. I now know that that's all it takes to make a beginning. Willingness to do something about it. Considering the depth and intensity of his suffering, a suffering I myself have lived, I have never been able to understand why he never suffered enough to want something different for himself. That makes me angry. It didn't have to happen. Losing many friends myself to addiction over the years has never made his death easier to deal with or understand for me. I suppose it just is what it is.
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I hope you feel and hear something special with these two tracks.
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"Aim my smiling skull at you"
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- A
Sept 19, 2026​​​
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Izzy Stradlin & The Ju Ju Hounds
"Train Tracks"
From: "Izzy Stradlin & The Ju Ju Hounds"
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As you might know, Izzy was a founding member and the rhythm guitarist of Guns 'n Roses. By 1991 that band was obviously in full swing and its popularity had grown to gargantuan proportions across the globe. At that point in their career, Izzy became uncomfortable and jaded by the "megaband" state of things. "I didn't like the complications that became such a part of daily life in Guns n' Roses". In addition, Axl had decided to reduce Izzy's share of the band's royalty income, which he found infinitely insulting and unacceptable. "Fuck you! I've been there from Day One. Why should I do that? Fuck you, I'll go play the Whisky", a small club in Los Angeles where the band played a ton in their early days. Much to the shock of both the band and the fans he declared his departure. I would argue that his decision was understandable for a guy who just wanted to start a band and play the guitar. The musical purist in me sees his decision entirely respectable.
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He got to work immediately on his solo career and in 1991 he and his band, Izzy Stradlin and the Ju Ju Hounds, released their debut record. As it turned out, it was the only album he would release with that band, sadly enough. I was a freshman in college at the time and was given the record by a friend who wasn't at all interested in it. Upon a first listen I was completely mind blown. It was a staggering departure from the Guns n' Roses material but to me it's an incredibly good record. I love it from beginning to end. If you've never heard it, hit the link at the top and give it a listen. I really believe that you'll be quite impressed.
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​​I was fortunate enough to see Guns n' Roses twice in 1990 so I got the chance to see Izzy while he was still a part of the band. Lamentably, I never got an opportunity to see Izzy in his solo days, which was understandable considering the small scale of his touring. I really wish I'd had the chance but you can't catch 'em all.
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In the previous post I shared a couple of tunes from Social Distortion. Interestingly enough, Izzy recruited Charlie "Chalo" Quintana, the Social D drummer for the Ju Ju record. Such a fantastic player. Izzy made a great choice.
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Finally, what the hell is that bubbling sound in the beginning of this song? 🤣
I hope you dig it.
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- A
