Oct. 13, 2018
Warsaw
Brooklyn, NY
Mudhoney—Seattle’s fierce and fearless Stooge brother from another mother — brought their Digital Garbage tour to Brooklyn’s Warsaw on Oct. 13, proving once again how they remain the last great refuge for those seeking the comfort of the Seattle scene’s biting, sneering glory days.
The set began with the driving guitars and pounding drums of “Prosperity Gospel.” Vocalist Mark Arm howled frantically at his audience, as his satirical and provocative lyrics echoed through the crowd: “Fuck the planet/Screw your children/Get rich!/You win!/Build a prison/Pack ‘em in/Get rich!/You Win!” It was a show opener that gave just a taste of what was to come, as the rage that stems from Digital Garbage began to side-swipe the audience from every angle possible.
Mudhoney balanced their set list by placing newer material alongside some of the band’s most memorable songs. Show staples such as “You Got It” and the anthemic “Touch Me, I’m Sick” made early appearances, along with “Suck You Dry,” from 1992’s Piece of Cake album. Perhaps it was not surprising to see “F.D.K. (Fearless Doctor Killers)” make its way into the set — after not being played by the group in almost a year and half — considering the more politically charged material from Digital Garbage. Songs such as “Hey, Neanderfuck” and the set closer, “21st Century Pharisees,” hit bluntly like a hammer into the head of the conservative modern ethos, with the band seeming almost giddy about in driving the nail.
After a short break, the band returned for an encore that included “Here Comes Sickness,” from their 1988 self-titled debut album, as well as the seminal “Hate the Police.” From there, the show ended with what has become Mudhoney’s go-to closer: a cover of Black Flag’s “Fix Me.”
If the show at Warsaw was any indication, it is clear that Mudhoney have no intention of slipping away or keeping quiet.
