Mudhoney American Tour

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9/1/06 The Double Door. Chicago, IL


9/2/06 Music Mill. Indianapolis, IN


9/3/06 The Majestic Theatre. Detroit, MI
Also on Bill: Radio Birdman, The Dirtbombs, Easy Action

9/10/06 "Southern Comfort Music Experience." San Diego, CA

9/15/06 The Larimer Lounge. Denver, CO
Supported By: The Geds
Venue Website: larimerlounge.com

9/16/06 The Larimer Lounge. Denver, CO
Supported By: Machine Gun Blues
Venue Website: larimerlounge.com

11/3/06 The Echo. Los Angeles, CA

11/4/06 12 Galaxies. San Francisco, CA

11/17/06 The Knitting Factory. New York City, NY

11/18/06 The Knitting Factory. New York City, NY


so far those are the dates (thanx to the muddclubb for the info)

the Detroit one is pretty awesome, and the weirder one is the San Diego, where they're headlining with The Roots ! that's funny
www.myspace.com/scmx

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EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: Full Circle With Mudhoney
Story by Tex Cravens - Photos by Steve Dewall -
September 2nd @ The Music Mill


With a collective résumé that includes such legendary bands as Green River, Lubricated Goat, the Monkeywrench, Bloodloss, the Thrown Ups, Nirvana, and the Melvins, the members of Mudhoney (Mark Arm – vocals/guitar, Steve Turner – guitar, Guy Maddison – bass, Dan Peters – drums) might very well be the most overqualified lot of indie rockers in existence (hats off to Jim O’Rourke, of course, who, so far, has yet to appear on a Mudhoney record – that is, if you choose to believe the credits).

Named after a Russ Meyer flick, some of you might recognize Mudhoney as the band that helped put Sub Pop records on the map, as well as laying the foundation for the “Seattle Sound” or “Grunge” or whatever the Great Unwashed came to call this unsullied variety of rock ‘n’ roll that took over the airwaves in 1992. In fact, Nirvana might forever be the band from that region to hold the selling power, but it’s Mudhoney who have had the staying power on my turntable…and Tad…big, fat Tad.

It all started in 1988 when Sub Pop released the band’s first 7”, which features the classic “Touch Me I’m Sick.” The single was followed up a few months later with their first EP, Superfuzz Bigmuff, which made a dimple in the British indie charts with the help of a European tour opening for the likes of Sonic Youth, not to mention the somewhat legendary befriending of the UK press by the iniquitous Sub Pop moguls.

With a string of 12” singles, as well as classic albums such as the self-titled full-length release on Sub Pop and the often-overlooked Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge, Mudhoney were dissident heroes by the time Nirvana’s Nevermind became a household word in 1992. With that came a legion of cockeyed musicians from all over the orb who were searching for fame and fortune via Seattle, tracing the steps of the major label swill that devoured any band that looked good in flannel and had a fleeting regard for the concept of intonation. And for every 10 starry-eyed bands that attained such major label aspirations, there was a band that operated outside the row that also managed to get swept up by a major because “some A&R guy heard through the grapevine that Kurdt was playing their record whilst shooting up during a Rolling Stone interview” or however that half-baked story goes that my buddy John Chalfin used to tell me.

Mudhoney signed to Reprise/Warner Brothers and released Piece of Cake in 1993. Arguably, this move alienated many of their older fans, for whatever reason. When asked about Mudhoney’s residence at Reprise, Arm says that “things came pretty easy for us from day one, and I think that fomented an ‘it's all good’ attitude within the band, which culminated in Piece Of Cake, which is not only an album title, but accurately describes our attitude at the time. The truth is, all is not good, and once I stopped hammering myself senseless, I began to see things clearly again and the truth revealed itself to me.”

I’ll admit that I pretty much stopped buying Mudhoney records after that album and missed out on most of their records on Reprise, only to “discover” such gems as My Brother the Cow and Tomorrow Hit Today years after the fact. Personally, it had much less to do with a major label or the ensuing albums, and more with the over-saturation of all-things-Seattle, most immediately embodied by the emergence of the Edward Van Vedders and Jerry St. Cantrells who made the trek from Bentley’s to Broad Ripple after radio and MTV caught on.

Now, I’m an inclusive type of guy, but it seemed as if the whole punk element – the element that made the music so kick-ass to begin with – never quite registered and/or had been discarded for the more obvious elements. The result – Candlebox, Collective Soul, Stone Temple Pilots, et al. Deep in my asshole, I held these fuckers responsible for ruining it, although hindsight has demonstrated that such sentiments were probably reactionary and misplaced. Regardless, it felt like the Ramones had gone disco or something (actually, they went to the mall), and there was firm irony in the realization that the music was eventually co-opted by an approach that bands like Nirvana set out to destroy.

It was also around this time that Arm started up one of his many side projects, hooking-up with Maddison and his Aussie brethren, Martin Bland and Renestair EJ. “We were big fans of what was going on in the Australian underground in the ‘80s, which was cluttered with great art-damaged punk rock. We originally met Guy, Martin, and Ren when they came to Seattle in '89 with Stu Spasm's Lubricated Goat. They eventually moved to Seattle, starting with Martin, who arrived in '91 just in time for the first Monkeywrench album,” says Arm.

Together, they (re)formed Bloodloss (Bland and Ren released a couple of records under that mark in Australia during the late ‘80s) and released a couple of records on Sympathy for the Record Industry. They eventually signed on to Reprise/Warner themselves, releasing Live My Way in 1995, which certain band members proudly assert to be the poorest selling album in the label’s history. Not long after the whole Nirvana craze eventually died down, Reprise and Mudhoney parted ways. “Reprise, [in] the early 90s, had the finest teats of all the majors, and we suckled greedily - like roly poly piglets. By '97 the teats had dried up and we were forced out of the pen. Our time with Warner Brothers was fine until the end. They never tried to tell us how to record or how to do things, until the end. I think we were very lucky in that respect,” says Arm.

It was around the same time that original bassist Matt Lukin ultimately decided that he had pretty much had enough touring and decided to retire to the chesterfield and Gamecube (and bong) indefinitely. According to Arm, Lukin is now “living an ascetic life devoted to carpentry and herbs, kinda like Jesus.”

With the release of March to Fuzz (a “greatest hits” compilation, if you will) in 2001, one could’ve easily concluded that the band had called it day. Contrary to such assumptions, the band brought Maddison on board, went back to Sub Pop, and in 2002 released one of their most consistent and compelling records to date, Since We’ve Become Translucent.

And this brings us full-circle, doesn’t it? Long gone is the pressure associated with the Nirvana-induced crusade that swept through their hometown and temporarily demolished it. After almost 20 years, they’re still doing it and, in light of current events, the unsettling racket makes more sense than ever. Let’s face it - these guys probably could’ve called it quits on numerous occasions, but here they are – they’ve survived, still give a shit, and still rock like hurricanes. If one toys with the idea that they might still have day jobs, it makes it all that much more persuasive. Arm sums it up succinctly, “Our motivation these days, as it was in the beginning, is our joy and love for rock 'n' roll and the kicks it gives us in return.”

With that, their latest album on Sub Pop, Under a Billion Suns, is as combustible as anything they’ve ever done, only with more vigor and character. I wouldn’t call it “maturation” by any stretch (maturity and rock ‘n’ roll might even be mutually exclusive), but there are certain elements in the music that require a skill set that only comes with experience, and it is with this adeptness that the band forges ahead as opposed to merely leaning on past undertakings. Make no mistake - the idiosyncratic Mudhoney thud is indelible and, as always, they’re in tune with what’s going on and still clever, cheeky, and gutsy enough to call out the bullshit while the mic is on without sounding like a bunch of pretentious dicks.

Oh yeah…and they’re playing at the Music Mill, located at 3720 E. 82nd St., Indianapolis (317-841-1850), on Saturday, September 2nd. Age 21+ only. Doors open at 8:00 pm, show starts at 9:00 pm. Local favorites The Retreads open the show. Tickets: $16.00 in advance; $18.00 day of show; and available at the Music Mill box office with no service charge, all Ticketmaster outlets, or Charge-By-Phone in Indianapolis at [phone].

Do the world a favor and come on out.

-- Tex Cravens --

[Smallstone]

I'm just curious?
Anyone on this board from the USA go to the Chicago show at the weekend? Or the Indianapolis gig?
Anyone from Detroit lurking around? The line up to that show looked awesome!! Radio Birdman and the Dirtbombs!! WOW!
Someones mailed the set list to Pete T for the Indie Music Mill show. Looks cool.

Seems like there are more Europeans/Antipodeans and lovely folk from South America than North America on this board. Which is not a complaint or diss - just an observation that may be wrong

Any show reports from the Dour Festival? Any one make it to the Czech Republic?
Anyone?

[yershtick]

I made it to the Detroit show. It was a blast! I haven't had so much fun at a show since 2000 when I saw Monkeywrench play the same venue with Nebula!

[denimdemon]

I was at the Indy and Detroit shows. My band actually opened the Indy date; it was an amazing show...to say my expectations were met is putting it mildly. Met Mudhoney, ended up hanging out with them at length, and also ended up guestlisted for the next night in Detroit. Seeing Radio Birdman in the U.S. was pretty amazing...hope they tour here again...I never expected to see them on U.S. soil. Our bassist had seen them in Australia while there in 2002 and said they were absolutely great - it turns out he wasn't lying at all! The Dirtbombs were also good, though they played a nearly identical set to what I'd seen the past couple times I saw them. Easy Action was ho-hum IMO. Guy and Dan both said the Chicago show was awesome, sold out and a great crowd.

-Mike

[denimdemon]

After looking at the set list for Indy posted on Muddclubb, I'm nearly positive they snuck "Beneath the Valley of the Underdog" in toward the end of the set somewhere. Perhaps I was drunk and euphoric, but I remember it happening...or so I believe.

-Mike

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right on ! We want more Americans on this board. As Tim said, it's pretty strange that there aren't so many yanks on this forum. I think we need to do a campaign, like posting in other band's alike forums the existance of a Mudhoney forum or something like that.


anyway, thanks for the info buddy !
the San Diego show is coming !

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Denver articles

www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_4333008

music
Mudhoney broke ground for Seattle sound

Grunge seems like a distant memory-an anachronism, even.

How bizarre that the word grunge represents something decidedly of the past, yet the music remains prevalent today in the underground and radio markets. Now they just call it something different, like alt-rock or stoner rock. But it's still grunge.

Nirvana brought the seediness of grunge to the masses through its sophomore record "Nevermind" in 1991, but it was Nirvana's labelmates and neighbors Mudhoney who first unleashed the sound in Seattle a few years earlier. Nirvana's "Bleach" was released on Sub Pop in June of '89, but it failed to connect. A month later came Mudhoney's eponymous debut - and Sub Pop's first true indie hit.

Mudhoney never reaped the financial rewards that Kurt Cobain and his buddies enjoyed. But it is one of the most revered bands to ever come out of Seattle - and hardcore fans appreciate the group's importance.

Five things you should know about Mudhoney, which plays the Larimer Lounge tonight and Saturday:

1. Mudhoney singer Mark Arm was born Mark McLaughlin, and he got his musical start in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue in an uninspired band called Mr. Epp and the Calculations, formed in 1980. Three years in, the group added guitarist Steve Turner. It broke up in early 1984, leaving Arm and Turner to their side project, the Limp Richerds, which also dissolved later that year. A whirlwind of other bands followed for Arm and Turner, including Green River, which featured future Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard, and the Thrown Ups. In 1988, Mudhoney was formed, and Sub Pop released its first EP, "Superfuzz Bigmuff."

2. Arm and Turner named themselves Mudhoney after a Russ Meyer film neither had ever seen.

3. Mudhoney's first North American tour was mostly a bust, but a European jaunt went well, and its second, opening for Sonic Youth in the U.K., went even better. Soon Arm and Turner were stars in Britain, and primed for success back home.

4. The band was signed to a major-label deal with Reprise after its second record, "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge" - considered by many a reaction to Nirvana's success - but its records never sold well enough for the label. They were dropped in 1999 after touring "Tomorrow Hit Today," and many felt as if the band was done. But Guy Maddison replaced departed bassist Matt Lukin and the band was back in action, returning to Sub Pop with "Since We've Become Translucent" in 2002.

5. Mudhoney's latest, "Under a Billion Suns," was released in March. The taut musical tension is still there, augmented by a new political razor blade, which makes this 18-year-old band as exciting as ever.

Mudhoney plays the Larimer Lounge tonight with The Geds and Saturday with Machine Gun Blues. Tickets, $15, are available via bigmarkstickets.com.

Pop music critic Ricardo Baca can be reached at 303-954-1394 or [e-mail].

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www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060907/LIFESTYLE/609070306/1024v

Mudhoney stays true to Seattle grunge


It's been 15 years since the musical levees surrounding the city of Seattle overflowed, saturating the world with a sound so groundbreaking it spawned its own genre.

No one loathes the labels of that era more than the bands which participated. There are only a few other localized genres that have been born so quickly and had such a large impact on the music industry as the music that has been coined "grunge" or the "Seattle Sound."

If you're looking for a band that epitomizes the genre, search no further than Mudhoney. Never compromising, the band has always given fans an honest look at music.

"At this point, it's almost like being in a band is the same as when we started," explained vocalist Mark Arm in a telephone interview with the Tribune from Sub Pop Records in Seattle. "It's sort of like a hobby. It's not like our careers. I would prefer it that way. I would rather be playing the music that I love instead of dealing with concerns like 'what kind of music do we have to play to make a living?' "

The band recently released its seventh studio album, "Under A Billion Suns," four years after 2002's "Since We've Become Translucent." Never one to rush a release, Mudhoney is all about taking time.

"It's not like we're in some hurry to strike while the iron's hot or anything," Arm said with a laugh. "We don't need to follow up our last video hit."

"Billion Suns" has gotten extra attention this summer, partly because of its heavy political message. Three years ago, politically driven musicians faced heavy criticism and many chose to avoid the topic. These days, a revolution in protest music is happening in the industry.

"Nerves were pretty raw at that point," Arm said of the reaction to negative finger-pointing at the Bush administration. "The Iraq war was pretty fresh and for some people, they had deluded themselves into thinking there was something to win. I think now, it's more than clear that it's just a mess."

Celebrities and entertainers have the right to stand up for their beliefs and convey that in their art, according to Arm.

"Everybody has the right to speak out," he said. "That's kind of what the country was founded on. People started going, 'well, entertainers shouldn't be talking.' Who should? No one else should then. They all seem to forget that Ronald Reagan was an actor. Arnold Schwarzenegger is an actor."

The band is taking the show on the road for a few select dates this fall, including two in Denver at the Laramie Lounge on Sept. 15 and 16.

"Denver's been trying to get us to go there for awhile. We haven't been there in a long time," Arm said.

The members of the band keep regular jobs and touring isn't as easy as jumping in a bus and traveling the country. Arm works in the warehouse at Sub Pop, guitarist Steve Turner does a lot of solo work, drummer Dan Peters is a stay-at-home dad and bassist Guy Maddison works as a nurse in a cardiac intensive care unit.

"Every once in a while, we'll go in the phone booth and strip down to our super rock gear, come out and play a show and quickly go back," said Arm, laughing. "We have to make sure we're getting enough money to cover the flights and the hotels. It's a really weird, backward way of doing things."

Maddison has to give the hospital 90 days advance notice before taking time off and Peters has to work out the schedule with his wife. Arm has perhaps the most flexible job as an employee of the band's own label, Sub Pop.

Arm has been an integral part of the underground Seattle music scene going back to the mid-80s when he helped form Green River. The band would eventually be widely thought of as the original "grunge" band, featuring Arm along with Bruce Fairweather and Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard and Montana native Jeff Ament.

"Playing music went hand-in-glove with hanging out," Arm said of the era. "It was like we were entertaining ourselves and our friends. Starting a band was something to do for kicks. The intention was never really to go very far beyond that. It actually lasted way too long for what it was supposed to be."

When Green River parted ways, Ament, Gossard and Fairweather moved on to form Mother Love Bone, while Arm got together with Turner to start Mudhoney. The melding of musicians with a potpourri of bands was something that kept the scene fresh, according to Arm.

"Seattle's kind of a small town," he said. "Especially in the '80s. The local punk rock underground music scene was definitely really small. There weren't many places to play and there was a lot of time to fill. So, you might as well ... if you're not playing with these people, you're playing with those people. It was something to do on a Tuesday night."

In the beginning, Mudhoney started out with modest goals.

"Our goal when we first started was to get a single out," Arm explained. The band's first single was the super-successful "Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More/Touch Me I'm Sick" on the then-fledgling Sub Pop Records label.

"There was this attention coming from the U.K. We went to Europe and did a tour and when we came back we were bigger than ever," Arm said, recalling the band's explosion of popularity. "The intention was to have a good time and mission accomplished."

Having been at the center of so much rock and roll history, Arm still manages to keep a level head.

"I'm just living my life and doing what I can. Patting myself on the back seems like a real waste of time. It also seems like a foolish, arrogant thing to do," he said with a chuckle. "You know, I'm still a small fish. But, I'm a tasty fish."

Douglas can be reached at [e-mail].