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Mr. Bungle
w/Battles
Friday, September 15th, 2023/ The Fillmore,
Detroit, MI
Nearly 24 years after their last performance in Michigan, the madcap mayhem of Mr. Bungle finally returned to rock The Fillmore in Detroit. Fronted by founding members Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, and Trey Spruance, Mr. Bungle added Scott Ian of Anthrax and Dave Lombardo, formerly of Slayer, as part of their completely unexpected rebirth in 2019 after nearly two decades of dormancy. While each era and iteration of the band, from their humble mid-‘80s origin through peaks of indie and alternative success in the ‘90s, has featured different sounds, songs, and styles, Mr. Bungle began as a somewhat comedic death metal band and decided to return to those roots when regrouping and relaunching a few years ago and releasing re-recorded versions of their very earliest songs as a new album, The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo. After a number of touring delays and cancellations due to COVID, they’ve finally been able to play short runs of shows, much to the delight of their patient fans.
The Detroit stop on Mr. Bungle’s tour definitely did not disappoint, though it may have left some confused at times, which of course has always been one of the band’s primary goals. After an entertaining opening set from Battles, the set change music on the PA was ‘70s pop rock and AM Gold rather than classic punk or thrash, and no sooner had the anxious crowd gotten into the heavy grooves of Mr. Bungle's opening numbers before the hard left turns began to emerge, such as a bit of the traditional Mexican classic, “La Cucaracha” being worked into a metal medley and a note-perfect, respectful rendition of 10cc’s “I’m Not In Love” appeared between the extreme metal of “Bungle Grind” and “Eracist,” a balance that fits perfectly into the band’s style whether some in the audience understood that or not. Ian and Spruance played off each other all night with blistering solos and leads, and most songs were delivered at a tempo that may have even been a bit faster than their original renditions (from nearly 40 years ago). A faithful cover of the Circle Jerks’ classic, “World Up My Ass” paired well with Bungle’s own “Anarchy Up Your Anus,” and the instrumental pre-chorus of “Mathematics” had long-time fans chanting lyrics from “Love Is a Fist,” a beloved track from Bungle’s 1991 major-label, self-titled debut that uses the same bit of music as a chorus.
The alternating blend of original songs and covers continued to pick up in the show’s final third with bits of Slayer’s “Hell Awaits,” Seige’s “Cold War,” and Sepultura’s “Territory” all receiving strong renditions and a great crowd response between originals like “Spreading the Thighs of Death” and “Raping Your Mind.” Most notably included was a great cover of Spandau Ballet’s “True,” with Patton encouraging the disgruntled metal crowd to sing along with the ‘80s synth-pop classic and the only Bungle original to be featured from any of their other albums, “My Ass Is on Fire,” now back to something closer to its original arrangement (compared to tours from the late ‘90s) but ending with a short Pepto Bismol jingle tag rather than the lengthy breakdown of the song as it appears on their self-titled album (also hilarious, unexpected, and a perfectly fitting accompaniment to the song). Overall, some in the crowd may have wished to hear more of the band’s classic material, but Mr. Bungle delivered a face-melting metal extravaganza that would be hard for anyone to top. Their style, sound, and humor are definitely not for everyone, but for their limited yet adoring following, it is the perfect blend of humor, talent, and creativity.
Mr. Bungle set list:
Richard Strauss-“Also Sprach Zarathustra, op. 30” (intro tape)
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Grizzly Adams
Sudden Death
Hypocrites/La Cucaracha (trad.)/Habla Espanol o Muere (S.O.D.)
Bungle Grind
I’m Not in Love (10 cc)
Eracist
Glutton for Punishment
World Up My Ass (Circle Jerks)
Anarchy Up Your Anus
Mathematics/Love Is a Fist
Hell Awaits (Slayer)
True (Spandau Ballet)/Cold War (Siege)
Spreading the Thighs of Death
My Ass Is on Fire/Pepto Bismol Jingle (tag)
Raping Your Mind
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Satan Never Sleeps (Timi Yuro)
Territory (Sepultura)
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“Disco Diarrhea” loop (outro tape)
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The Breeders
w/Horsegirl
Saturday, September 9th 2023 / The Fillmore,
Detroit, MI
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of their best and most successful album, Last Splash, alt-rockers, The Breeders, treated Detroit to a musical time warp of grungy greatness. Fronted by former Pixies bassist/vocalist Kim Deal, the entire Last Splash-era line up of the band was on hand to revel in the nostalgia with the mostly middle-aged gen x-ers in the audience. Performing that classic album in its entirety and in sequence, the band also included selections from their 1990 debut, Pod, and from their most recent LP, 2018’s All Nerve. While the moshing was minimal, the performance was engaging, and each player got a strong ovation during their spotlight moments. The crowd also delighted to hear the opening notes of each new song throughout the night, and the vibe of the show was one of positivity and the joy and laughter of catching up with old friends.
After a well-performed set of sometimes experimental and noisy garage rock from up-and-comers, Horsegirl, The Breeders took the stage with little fanfare and were warmly welcomed as they comfortably launched into “New Year” and their signature hit, “Cannonball,” which, of course, got the biggest reaction of the evening as fans laughed and sang along amid a bit of movement among those on the GA floor. Guitarist Kelley Deal got plenty of love during her spotlight moments on songs like “No Aloha” and “I Just Wanna Get Along,” and bassist Josephine Wiggs traded instruments with drummer Jim McPherson for the crunchy, “Roi,” and its reprise at the end of the set, just as they switched positions on the original album recordings of those tracks. The distorted ballad, “Do You Love Me Now?” and the catchy hooks of popular singles “Divine Hammer” and “Saints” maintained the tone and the audience engagement through the set.
The Breeders returned to the stage for a five-song encore and again for a two-song second encore, most notably featuring “Doe” and closing with “Iris” from Pod, but also including “Go Man Go,” a newly released track that was originally a B-side from Last Splash and a sampling of some of the band’s most recent songs as well. The novelty of getting a chance to see such a beloved group from decades past, who themselves have gone through lengthy periods of hiatus and several line-up changes alike, was truly a treat, and the smiles on stage and in the audience were equally wide at the end of the show. It was great to see a group of The Breeders' era getting so much love and appreciation in a modern setting, even if they are still just now becoming recognized for their influence and for their creative takes on the styles and sounds of one of the most significant periods in all of rock history.
The Breeders set list:
New Year
Cannonball
Invisible Man
No Aloha
Roi
Do You Love Me Now?
Flipside
I Just Wanna Get Along
Mad Lucas
Divine Hammer
S.O.S.
Hag
Saints
Drivin’ on 9 (Ed’s Redeeming Qualities)
Roi (reprise)
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Wait in the Car
Doe
Nervous Mary
Go Man Go
Walking with a Killer
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When I Was a Painter
Iris
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Steve Miller Band
w/o Maggie Rose
Friday, August 11th 2023 / Jackson County
Fairgrounds, Jackson, MI
A temperate late-summer evening at this year’s edition of the Jackson County Fair in Jackson, MI brought Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Miller and his band to the grandstand and an entertaining evening of hits and fan favorites along with them. Miller, now 80, toured this summer to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Joker, but his set list of essential rock radio classics remained essentially unchanged as the mostly seated audience sang along with “Swing Town,” “Abracadabra,” and “Jungle Love.” Miller shuffled in lesser-successful singles such as “The Stake,” “Wild Mountain Honey,” and “Dance Dance Dance” which provided a nice balance in the presentation. A sure thing like this show is perfect for a county fair audience, as long as the weather is good, of course.
In the case of this show, a series of issues resulted in it being pushed back from an earlier date in the week only to be subject to severe thunderstorms and potential tornado activity in and around the entire mid-Michigan area on the rescheduled date. Ironically, the show was first moved because the scheduled opener, soul and country singer Maggie Rose, could not make the first date, and to avoid having to cancel and refund the show due to the threat of severe weather, Miller and his band took the stage only 15 minutes after showtime, bumping Rose entirely from the evening’s performance. Thankfully, the weather held out in the immediate area until about 20 minutes after the show ended, but without an opener, it was much a much shorter concert.
A rock and roll road warrior for nearly his entire life, Steve Miller is extremely comfortable on stage and bantered in a friendly tone between most songs, sometimes recalling events that occurred during the writing or recording processes or that were an inspiration for a given song, but he generally maintained a good pacing and kept the show moving forward with from one song to the next. A particularly impressive rendition of “Fly Like an Eagle” allowed each member of the band a brief solo that didn’t take away from the song and showcased each player’s talents. The crowd were delighted to hear and sing along with "Jet Airliner" earlier in the show but were a bit confused at it's inclusion a second time (only three songs later) in an updated acoustic arrangement (especially notable since it was the only cover song of the night). ‘60s hits like “Living in the U.S.A.” and “Space Cowboy” still sounded great with age and as part of a set with Miller’s bigger, ‘70s hits. The closing pairing of “Take the Money and Run” with “The Joker” followed by a one-song encore of “Rock’n Me” ensured the crowd left happy and no doubt reminded anyone who may have forgotten the many notable rock classics penned by this amazing guitarist and songwriter.
Steve Miller Band set list:
Swing Town
The Stake
True Fine Love
Abracadabra
Jet Airliner (Paul Pena)
Fly Like an Eagle
Wild Mountain Honey
Jet Airliner (alt./acoustic) (Paul Pena)
Dance Dance Dance
Living in the U.S.A.
Space Cowboy
Serenade
Shubada du Ma Ma
Jungle Love
Take the Money and Run
The Joker
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Rock’n Me
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