Angsty alt-rocker Bob Mould arrives in D.C. to support an uncharacteristically happy new album
Mould comes to City Winery DC for his intimate solo electric tour in support of "Sunshine Rock."
Bob Mould has been encouraged by the recent Democratic debates. “I think everybody that’s been up there has had something worthwhile to bring to the party,” he says. “My fantasy would be, once the party sorts out the candidate, that everybody who’s been involved in these debates would be presented as [a team]: ‘Mayor Peter is going to be running the military, and Kamala Harris is going to be our AG.’
“It would be great if the party told everybody, upfront, who they’re going to get — sort of like superheroes. It’s going to take everybody to stop this thing. Actually tell people: ‘This is what you’re voting for. If you don’t like Betsy Devos, here’s whoever might be best for Education.’
“What a novel idea,” he continues. “Transparency in politics.”
The pioneering post-punk/alt-rock legend is as engaged in American politics as ever — even though it’s been almost a decade since Mould moved from D.C. and over three years since he moved out of the U.S. altogether, to Berlin.
“It’s a progressive city, a really great city. I feel very safe there,” he says. “I like my day-to-day life there. I like the rhythm of it, the scale of the city, the people are great, food’s inexpensive. It’s a simpler life.”
Not that Mould doesn’t miss D.C. and Blowoff, the wildly popular bear-oriented dance party he threw with Rich Morel for 11 years. “My time in D.C. was amazing. I really found, through Blowoff, a part of myself that I hadn’t fully realized before. I’ve got great memories of all that.”
Mould will be back next week for an appearance at the City Winery. It’s part of an intimate solo electric tour in support of Sunshine Rock, a rather surprising album given Mould’s generally angsty, often furious brand of music.
“I’m real happy with the response to it,” he says. “I think people were skeptical that I was writing an optimistic record, or at least trying to write in that direction. People have responded well, the press has been great, the band tour was a success, and these shows have been going really well.”
Bob Mould performs Thursday, Sept. 26, at 8 p.m., at the City Winery DC, 1350 Okie St. NE. Tickets are $35 to $40. Call 202-250-2531 or visit www.citywinery.com.
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