Mudhoney Played White Eagle Hall with Shut Up and 50 Ft. Furies, 10/4/19

Mudhoney at White Eagle Hall

I Was, in Fact, Pretty Sick

Since before leaving for London with CoolMom, I've had some kind of upper respiratory nonsense that has left me feeling kinda shitty with a never-ending cough. I took it easy all week last week, but I wasn't about to miss our good pals Shut Up on their opening slot for the hugely influential Mudhoney at Jersey City's White Eagle Hall. So, I hopped into the CoolVan and made my way to Hudson County.

First of all, I'd like to say a special thanks to White Eagle Hall. Since they opened, they have been one of the most welcoming venues in the area to us. We here at CoolDad Music appreciate all of the support and access they've given us over the last couple of years. It's a beautiful space that puts on great shows; and, if you haven't been there yet, do make it a point to check it out when one of your favorite bands comes through.

I rolled in and got to say hi to Bob, Dan, and Jamie of Shut Up at the merch table as I was picking up my pass. I entered the performance space just as Jersey City's 50 Ft. Furies were taking the stage, and they absolutely blew me away. The band say they are "destroying the patriarchy one gig at a time." During their set, they took on targets like Brock Turner and Donald Trump. Even though the topics were serious, the delivery and the personality of the band couldn't have been more fun.

50 Ft. Furies

50 Ft. Furies

50 Ft. Furies

50 Ft. Furies

Asbury's Shut Up were up next, and they brought their usual relentless energy to tracks off of their recent Nope. The music is aggressive. Bob Paulos wails on the drums. Jamie Conner tosses her hair wildly while playing bass. Dan Matthews careens around the stage when he's not screaming at the mic. At the same time, Shut Up have such a good chemistry on stage that they make every show feel like a party among close friends.

Shut Up

Shut Up

Shut Up

Shut Up

As we waited for Mudhoney to take the stage, a few people pushed up to the front. "Is this your spot?" a woman asked me.

"I'm just gonna take pictures for three songs. Then you and your friends can have it," I said. She relayed that info to her friend, and I think they were both pretty happy about it.

Mudhoney came out and opened with "In 'n' Out of Grace" from their classic Superfuzz Bigmuff. They got to "Touch Me I'm Sick" about halfway through the set. By that point, I'd made my way up to the balcony; and I could see the crowd going nuts for every song. Throughout the set, it was easy -- and kind of amazing -- to hear the ways in which Mudhoney influenced bands that came after them, bands who've sold milllions of records from the 90s to today.

Mudhoney

Mudhoney

Mudhoney

Mudhoney

All in all, it was a feel-good night of music on a night when I wasn't feeling good. Getting out and seeing friends and a great show at a beautiful venue proved to be some pretty effective medicine.