The sold-out Mudhoney/Sonics show at the Showbox on Saturday was fantastic and a huge relief. I heard dismal reviews of the previous Sonics reunion a few years back (on Halloween I think?) and it made me uneasy. I can't handle seeing legendary musicians or bands when they're over it and just dialing it in... and the Sonics' heyday was at least 30 years before I was even born!

ANYWAY, I'm happy to report that the show was awesome. I knew Mudhoney would bring it because a.) I saw them at Bumbershoot and b.) they have stayed the rock course and remained themselves over the years, never "evolving" into a drum-machine solo project or "experimenting" with go-go dancers and world music (you know who you are, jerks).

Hot highlights from the show after the jump!

- A guy jumped off of the bar ledge into the audience and skidded sideways until someone grabbed him around the waist. He regained his balance and just kept on dancing.
- Most of the city of Tacoma was in attendance. They like to sit and eat during the show, which is fine, except for this one guy who tapped me on the shoulder and made a "my hands are one foot apart from each other" signal and then pointed at the woman sitting in front of where I was dancing. "You guys need to back up," he said. The woman refused to turn around.
- Mudhoney still look pretty babe-ly.
- Yes, "Touch Me I'm Sick" is still a seethingly rad song.
- New Mudhoney songs sound like Mudhoney songs, which is a very good thing! (See above rant.)
- Mark Arm sipped red wine in between shredding (during the first half of their set) and prowling around with the mic, howling, and making weird faces (the second half of their set).
- The Sonics wore all black, with different Western-style accents on each of their shirts.
- Though all the Sonics looked like they were having the best time ever, sax/harmonica player Rob Lind was the most fun to watch. I forgot how gnarly and great horns sound on all that old garage rock!
- The Sonics' encore included "Strychnine," "the Witch," and Neil Young's "Keep on Rockin' in the Free World"—afterward, Mudhoney joined them on stage and everyone left feeling like they'd seen something totally historic.