| Hüsker Dü at The Roxy, LA - May 8 1986 |
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Hüsker Dü The Roxy, Hollywood May 8 Making their official major label concert debut, Hüsker Dü blew apart any doubts that newfound chart power would weaken their audio muscles. The Twin Cities trio's recent three-day stint at the Roxy drew most every scribe in town, trend-setters and seekers, and lots of local near-greats, as well as the usual hardcore boys up front. Looking like regular guys, save bassist Greg Norton's twirly mustache, the band attacked fiercely, low on personality performing, high on Everyman heroic presence. They pulled from the most recent platters of the past couple years, the groundbreaking New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig, which included nerve- stunning songs like 'The Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill' and 'Makes No Sense at All. Their only pseudo-commercial concession was a bulk of tunes from the new Warners charter, Candy Apple Grey. |
And blistery greats songs there are, especially 'Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely' and 'Sorry Somehow', the record's organ fills missing, but not missed. The album's startling ballad development was represented by the mid-tempo 'Hardly Getting Over It', a slight pace breaker. What sets Hüsker Dü apart from much of their thrash-mash brethren is how brilliant they are within their framework, melding pop elements and melodicism into hardcore [some text is missing here] guitar is a ringing counterpoint to his vocal range; ditto for Grant Hart's, calmer anxiety versus his drum kinetics. Compassion and the power to back it up are rare, but Hüsker Dü manages it, from their opening explosion to the encores - a sincere, halfway a capella 'Love is All Around (the Mary Tyler Moore theme) and 'All This I've Done For You'. High-intake heaven. - Darryl Morden |
