Philadelphia is hosting a plethora of music history’s most amazing comebacks in 2015, from Morrissey’s first non-cancelled regional dates in six years, to Sleater-Kinney’s first local date in nearly ten years, and The Juliana Hatfield Three, Refused, L7, Ride, and Babes in Toyland’s first 215 dates in right around two decades… However, this Thursday, July 9th, will mark the first Mudhoney [who have been together and actively releasing albums and touring since 1988] show in Philadelphia since 2003…
Somehow, Mark Arm, Steve Turner, and Dan Peters (and Guy Maddison, who joined the band in 2001) haven’t been in the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Affection since they were touring 2002’s Since We’ve Become Translucent, when they hit up the North Star Bar nearly 12 years ago… The most tragic thing about this little factoid is that, not only did Mudhoney found what would go on to be known as “grunge,” which has been the primary influence of so many of recent years’ best indie acts, but no one ever did grimy, dirty alt rock better…
While Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam, who cashed in biggest on the Seattle scene came to be associated with acts like Neil Young, Guns N’ Roses, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mudhoney, who inadvertently kickstarted the scene, always remained the perfect amalgam of The Stooges and the MC5 (The two first but, let’s face it, also best punk rock bands of all-time.) And while hearing the Mozzer do “What She Said” from the stage of America’s oldest operating opera house or hearing Refused kick out “New Noise” in Fairmount Park are likely to be things Philthy remembers for years to come, so will hearing Mark Arm shout, “Touch me, I’m sick!” this Thursday from the city’s most legitimately badass mega-venue.
Well, if you’re not as excited as I am to mosh it up with what I’m assuming will be a bunch of adults rebelling against their families, homes, and jobs for a couple hours this Thursday, then you may want to check out Ryan Short and Adam Pease’s 2012 doc I’m Now: The Story of Mudhoney. The feature film tells the definitive history of the band, largely in their own words, in addition to archival footage and interviews courtesy of peers, fans, and living legends like Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard, Keith Morris, and Kim Thayil, among others. And although the film presents a relatively conventional narrative (sort of along the lines of Behind the Music), it tells a story that needs to be known on a much wider scale than I suspect it currently is, making it essential Rock’N’Roll viewing.
