SUGAR was a band that seemingly came out of nowhere for a couple years in the early-mid 90s, made a huge splash, and went away as quickly and unceremoniously as they appeared. Leader Bob Mould hasn't been one to look back too often – but a bit of nostalgia isn't unheard of either. I've been a hardcore fan-boy since seeing his first band - Hüsker Dü - a couple times, then almost every time after that he's been to Michigan in other incarnations.

Admittedly I am not quite as passionate about the SUGAR albums as some of his other output – especially Workbook and the under-celebrated Black Sheets of Rain, but I certainly like them, especially the Beaster EP. It took me a couple decades, but when I read his memoir, I finally figured it out... the SUGAR albums, while guitar-heavy with great songwriting, don't swing. They're mechanical and pulsing, but too locked in. When I read that they were recorded to a click, with drums last, it all made sense. I've had this discussion with friends in recent years, and they defend it as a positive, something that makes them great, and I can understand and appreciate that too.

Still, Copper Blue, FUEL, and Beaster were the soundtrack to my 1992-4. I saw every show they played in Michigan. It’s great stuff from a guy who’s done a lot of great stuff. The music-buying public disagrees with me – Copper Blue is easily his most successful album, in no small part due to timing of its release during the post-Nevermind alternative boom. Being in one of most influential post-punk bands doesn't pay the bills, but Copper Blue certainly did. It was great to see Bob get the payday and accolades he deserved.

In a surprise move, SUGAR announced they were coming back for a couple shows in NYC and London. Knowing a tour would follow, I kept my eyes out and made plans to meet some friends in the Twin Cities for 3-nights at the legendary First Avenue. Tickets procured, flights booked, hotel rooms reserved. It was on.

I arrived in MPLS mid-afternoon on Thursday, took the blue-line into the city, and walked up First Avenue to my hotel, which sits directly behind the First Avenue and 7th Street Entry. From the sidewalk I could hear SUGAR sound-checking inside. They were playing (to my delight) "Fortune Teller" – a deep cut and early favorite of mine from Copper Blue. Holy smokes it sounded killer. I was excited before but now I was EXCITED! I checked into my room, chilled out for a few, then headed out to get some food and meet up with friends. Sadly, that’s all I would hear of “Fortune Teller” over the weekend.

I got the Pecos River Red Chili at the Loon Café a couple blocks up. Cubed sirloin steak in a spicy tomato base: pure awesomeness. My pal Paul came over and it was great to reconnect after a few years. Back at the First Avenue, opener J. Robbins went on to the sold-out room at 8 pm sharp. He's ex-Jawbox and supported Bob's last solo-band tour too, with his own band. I enjoyed that quite a bit, enough to buy the record, but I think I liked the solo-acoustic set even more. The highlight of his set was a poll of who'd Googled famous people with the same birthday as themselves, revealing the horror that he shares his special day with Donald Trump, and his song about it "Dear Leader." In case you've been living in a cave, fewer cities have been hit harder with racism, rioting, ICE violence and deaths, and other ramifications from the current regime than Minneapolis, and none have fought back with a more admirable and united resistance. I'm not sure every person in the room was on the same side, but it sure felt like it at that moment.

*L-R: The view of First Avenue & 7th Street Entry from our room, Pecos River Red Chili at the Loon Cafe, and night-one after-party at the Depot.*

SUGAR hit at 9pm sharp with the first 3 songs from Copper Blue and ripped through 90 minutes of selections from their limited catalog. After “Changes,” a couple songs in, Bob yelped at the audience “Is it louder than `94??” as they went into “Company Book.” It wasn’t, but it was still pretty loud.

Bob was as animated as I've seen him in some time, the band played fantastic, and the sound was awesome. The highlight of each night for me was the 3-song Beaster set. (More on overall impressions below....), but they hit everything from the "hits” to the deep cuts to the two new songs released just before the first reunion shows.

After the show we snagged a table over at The Depot, an adjacent bar that's part of the First Ave compound, and had a couple rounds while we analyzed the show. Present and accounted for were Paul (I call him Paulie but no one else does, and he doesn't really like it), his friend and my new friend Dave (from Iowa via Atlanta), and my prior-internet only/now IRL friend Mark, from the band High on Stress. It was a great time, a little too-great come Friday-morning, but worth the pain.

Early-afternoon Friday my long-time friend and lost-weekend-show-bro of many decades Jim arrived from the U.P. of Michigan. We hit the town, getting a photo taken by a grumpy homeless lady in front of the Mary Tyler Moore statue, grabbing a sandwich & beers, then taking the elevator to the top of the Foshay Tower – the first skyscraper in Minneapolis with a storied history. The observation deck offers stunning views of the city in each direction – and due to the flat topography and clear day – for miles beyond. Jim’s somewhat of a skyscaper buff so he fills me in on all the history in whatever city we’re getting in trouble in.

L-R: Limited edition poster from the Minneapolis shows, the Foshay in real life, Jim & Jer on the observation deck (I’m holding my glasses on in the wind, not doing some David Lee Roth/Bret Michaels’ rock shtick), and the view from the top.

From there we took a Lyft over to the CC Club, a famous Minneapolis rock & roll hangout dive bar – for beers with Paul and Dave. Turns out it's for sale and has been for a while. I quickly schemed to buy it, recruited Jim, Dave, and Paul as partners (each with their own assignments, I was just the bankroll), and vowed to never change a thing when I took it over. I excitedly texted TrooperGirl back home as much, but she became oddly silent when I demanded our bank account routing number. Negotiations are still underway, albeit one-sided. Stay tuned.

*L-R: Jim & Jer with Mary Tyler Moore then at the CC, my new venture - the CC Club, and night-two after-party.*

Night two was just as sold-out as night one, but felt more packed. Maybe more people on the floor? I don’t know, but the show was pretty similar to night one. A little looser maybe, a little steamier in the club. We met a nice, outgoing, colorful girl from DC named Virginia who wearing a Super Drag shirt (or was it Supergrass? I don’t know the difference), had some great stories and joined us for the after-party. Hope she sees this and reaches out!

On Saturday we started with breakfast at the Hen House Eatery, an eclectic downtown hipster joint with a great menu and creative branding. The California Benedict was on-target and the giant cinnamon roll (split between two) gave me a SUGAR buzz (pun intended) that put a skip in my step and a foot on the throttle of my bowels. Jim took off to hang with his daughter Ali, who's wrapping up her doctorate at the UofM, and I met up with my pal Burk, who lives a couple hours away, shares my obsession of record shopping and does an admirable job driving me around and tolerating my obsession of visiting famous Minneapolis rock and roll landmarks.

Somehow, partially by chance, we all ended up at the Electric Fetus, one of the finest record stores in the country; Paul, Dave, Jim, Ali, Burk and me – and had a quick visit and some introductions where needed. Paul had just been for a walk around Cedar Lake, "You know," he says "the New Day Rising lake?" My eyes bulged as I looked at Burk and he knew what was coming; our next destination was clear. It's been on my radar for years, but I'd forgotten. We took some photos at the lake shore and I got a little emotional at the historical significance of standing where that photo that I'd been looking at since 1985 was taken, when Ali casually asked if we'd seen the Mary Tyler Moore house a couple blocks away. So of course, next thing I'm dragging the tepidly enthusiastic and moderately hangry crüe up the street for a photo-op.

*L-R: New Day Rising 1985, New Day Rising 2026*

After some awesome tacos we bid adieu to our brother Burk until next time, as he had business elsewhere, and we headed over to HiFi Hair and Records for a little SUGAR pre-gaming. Jon Clifford is a Minneapolis rock & roll mainstay, historian, and central character with great hair himself, and loves spinning a good yarn as well as anyone. Check him out starring in the video to “Takin’ a Ride” by The Replacements below! The small group exchanged stories for an hour or so – mostly about The Replacements - and then headed back downtown for night three.

*L-R: JP at the MTM house, Cheap Trick star at First Ave, Pre-party at HiFi Hair and records*
*Below: Jonny in the “TAKIN A RIDE” video*

By this point I was somewhat exhausted on count of the activity, sightseeing, concerts, drinking, socializing, walking, and pure spectacle of it all over the weekend, but I was absolutely up for the show. In the atrium of the hotel I ran into a girl who'd left her purse (with her ID, needed to get into the show) at her mother's house in Hopkins (no idea), sent an Uber to the wrong address and was rather distraught about the whole thing. I offered to help, which she was appreciative of, but without a car there wasn't much I could do. I was looking for her at the show, but never saw her again. Hope you got it sorted out, kiddo, I was rootin’ for ya.

We bumped into one of my rock & roll brothers David Jarnstom (from Rad Owl & Jon Snodgrass/Greg Norton Büddies band (see the video below when we played together with those dudes last year) and we had a good chat in front of the Cheap Trick star on the side of the building. Never did grab a pic, but that happens when you’re living in the moment.

J. Robbins played another great set and SUGAR hit the stage again at 9 pm sharp, but something was different on Saturday. There was electricity in the air. Things had been dialed up a notch. Bob was more energetic and visceral than I've seen him in maybe decades (and he's always pretty energetic) and Malcolm Travis - the senior member - was hitting the drums with a little more weight, gusto, and precision than he had the previous two nights. Bassist David Barbe introduced Malcolm, then "this other guy you might know" Bob, who then got a several minute ovation that got me - and I think Bob and several others in the room - a bit emotional. At the end of the show, after the bow, Bob stayed out alone for a moment and it happened again. Even though he’s relocated many times since he left after the Hüsker Dü breakup, he clearly belongs to this city and it to him. Being there as a tourist and witnessing that exchange really hit hard. The after-show went late with Dave and David and Paulie and Jim and Ali at The Depot sharing stories of touring, concerts, Minneapolis, and of course the great show we'd just seen. The next morning I was back at the Blue Line station at 6:20am; eyes red, ears ringing, and rock & roll heart full.

Gallery images from night-three by Adam Bubolz, used with permission @adambubolzphoto

SUGAR Setlist for all 3 nights (according to setlist.fm)

After some thought and digestion of the shows, I found a new appreciation for SUGAR. They are truly a great band and even better than I remembered - fun to watch, proficient punk rock. There's a little more space than some of Bob’s other projects, the songs have a little more room to breathe, and with the limited catalog, more familiarity. David Barbe's lead vocal songs add another layer of texture to the stew. It's a more succinct and organized but wider and broader product. And live, it swings they way I like my rock and roll to swing.

I'm not optimistic that this reunion will be long-lived. Malcolm Travis has admitted that it's a challenge at his age, and Bob isn’t one to look in the rear-view mirror for very long. But when the first rumors of the reunion surfaced I said there was no way Bob would do it, so what do I know anyway? I won’t complain if I’m wrong again.

For now let's enjoy the ride, and let these guys enjoy the accolades they deserve. They are a hell of a band and it was a hell of a weekend. See you in Detroit.

Jeremy Porter lives near Detroit, fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos, and plays acoustic shows all over the place. Follow him and them on Facebook to read his road blog about their adventures on the dive-bar circuit.
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