The Neptune Theatre hosted a raucous and well-attended New Year’s Eve show last night featuring a pair of the Pacific Northwest’s most enduring and historically significant rock bands, Mudhoney and Student Nurse. The evening’s headliners were preceded by a short and enthusiastically received performance by folk/punk acoustic guitarist Barton Carroll.
Seattle’s Mudhoney is celebrating their 38th year as an active recording and touring band. That’s no small feat, especially for an outfit that plays in such a consistently aggressive and uncompromising fashion. One could make the case that Mudhoney hasn’t strayed terribly far from their original concept and it wouldn’t be an insult or a backhanded compliment. They do what they do and they do it well – hard-hitting, Stooges-inspired OG punk rock played with honesty and authority. I was young (or at least ‘younger’) when I saw my first Mudhoney gigs. I no longer enjoy their shows from the middle of the pit but it did my heart a world of good to see a very active and energetic crowd of kids knocking each other about and crowd surfing while the band tore through a set that encompassed songs drawn from all phases of their career. Wednesday’s performance was lean, mean, and tremendously satisfying.
It’s difficult for me to think of a more appropriate opener for Mudhoney than Student Nurse, another Seattle band with a lengthy and impeccable pedigree. Remarkably, Student Nurse have been at it even longer than Mudhoney. In fact, Mudhoney front guy Mark Arm briefly passed his band’s torrid set to express how excited he and his band were to have Student Nurse on the bill, explaining that Helena Rogers (Student Nurse’s talented guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter) was instrumental in securing one of his first public performances in a band that predated Mudhoney.
Helena and her bandmates Eric Muhs (bass, vocals, and theremin) and James Lord (drums and vocals) were in a zone New Year’s Eve and the crowd was clearly happy to be along for the ride. Student Nurse plays in an angular yet melodic and very danceable style and they were an excellent foil for Mudhoney’s more punishing (in a good way) attack. Kudos to everyone involved in putting this show together. I can’t think of a better way of saying goodbye to a challenging year.
The cherry on top of the delicious Mudhoney/Student Nurse sundae Wednesday night was brief but very enjoyable acoustic set from Barton Carroll. It takes some chutzpah to stroll out onstage in front of a crowd primed for loud rock & roll armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar in hand but Carroll did so with charm, a selection of topnotch songs, and some serious chops on his chosen instrument. I wasn’t familiar with him prior to this show but I would absolutely go out of my way to hear him play again.
