Mudhoney Tourbook, 2002
4/14/02 The Crocodile Cafe. Seattle, WA (50 min)
Attendance: 400
Supporting: The Shins
Supported By: Hot Hot Heat, Rosie Thomas
Set: Can You Dig The Light, The Straight Life, Take it Like a Man, In The Winner's Circle, Our Time is Now, Dyin' For it, Inside Job, Where The Flavor is, Crooked and Wide, Sonic Infusion
Notes: All of the songs on the forthcoming album are played. Can You Dig the Light, Take it Like a Man, Winner's Circle and Where the Flavor is are premiered. The occasion is Sub Pop's 14th Anniversary Party, and while the club is filled well beyond capacity, only a few tickets are available to the public and many are left standing outside. On Can You Dig the Light, Mark plays a Farfisa organ that's set up stage right and is semi-obscured behind the PA. Dan pulls out a pair of mallets for Take it Like a Man. The guys rock through the album without much audience interaction, save for when Mark addresses a lout that's been shouting for Hate the Police: "We still hate the police, but we don't need to prove it by playing it every fucking time. Here's another hit from yesteryear that I'm sure you'll enjoy." An encore of Long Way to Go is scuttled due to lackluster audience response.4/26/02 EMP Sky Church. Seattle, WA (85 min)
Attendance: 900
Supported By: Fluf, Golden Pig Electric Blues Band
Set: Can You Dig The Light, Who You Drivin' Now, Inside Job, Poisoned Water, In The Winner's Circle, Our Time is Now, Sweet Young Thing..., Touch Me I'm Sick, Take it Like a Man, The Straight Life, You Got it, Where The Flavor is, I Have to Laugh, Crooked and Wide, Sonic Infusion
Encore: Into the Drink, Long Way to Go, Dyin' For it
Notes: On the occasion of a relatively rare all-ages show the crowd is filled with enthusiastic people, many of whom who were in diapers when Superfuzz Bigmuff was released. Mark plays Farfisa organ on Who You Drivin' Now?. During that song, a good deal of the audience starts up some good natured, un-macho moshing and that continues for most of the duration of the show, slowing down a bit during the new material. Later on, Mark introduces Our Time is Now as a "soon to be old favorite." When they get back onstage for the encore, Mark points out Dan and Mark with, "Ladies and gentlemen, Mike Musburger and Kurt Bloch" (Mike and Kurt filled in for Fluf's rhthym section, who missed their flight). A group of people begins chanting for Suck You Dry and Mark brushes them off with, "Well, apparently there's a few people that won't be going home happy tonight." They then go into Into the Drink, which appeases the people who had been shouting for that one earlier. When they get to Dyin' For it, Mark says, "This is the tenth and final song from our new album. You've now heard it before it comes out."7/13/02 "Capitol Hill Block Party". 11th Ave and Pine St. Seattle, WA (75 min)
Attendance: 2,000
Supported By: Hell's Belles, Ursula and the Androids, Jackie and The Control Tops, Pretty Girls Make Graves, The Gossip, The Long Winters, Teen Cthulu
Set: Inside Job, Poisoned Water, You Got It, The Straight Life, Sweet Young Thing..., Our Time Is Now, Touch Me I'm Sick, In The Winner's Circle, Dyin' For it, Into the Drink, Take it Like a Man, I Have to Laugh, Crooked and Wide, Sonic Infusion
Encore: Suck You Dry, Long Way to Go, You Stupid Asshole
Notes: This show takes place in the middle of a closed off intersection. The Block Party itself is spread out over three stages and two days. The guys are introduced by City Council member Judy Nicastro, and then there's a short delay before the band hits the stage where the guys stand around sidestage, looking towards the sound board, when their entrance music fails to materialize. The verses to Touch Me I'm Sick are switched around. First it's "I won't live long...", then "Fourteen years old..." and Mark improvises the third verse: "Eight years old / Lying on your stomach / That's the way I like it / And...I can't think of a word that rhymes with stomach" (earlier, the hosts, Jackie Control Top and Ursula Android made a series of pederast jokes culminating with "What's the best thing about having sex with an eight year old girl?" "What?" "You can flip her on her stomach and pretend that she's an eight year old boy."). After the song, Mark asks, "Do I seem a little off? I baked my brain pan watching Jackie and the Control Tops and Ursula and the Androids and now I can't think straight." Before Where The Flavor is, things get thrown on stage. A woman in the audience throws a bra that lands near Steve and soon thereafter begins applying lipstick and checking her appearance in a mirror. She elicits no response. Over on guy's side, a microphone appears. Guy asks, "Is this for me? Does this belong to anyone? It looks expensive." No one steps forward to claim it, and he sets it down by his amp. A few stage divers have sprouted up over the course of the set, and during Crooked and Wide, one gentleman gets up, shows the audience more skin than they want to see (read: any skin at all), and then wusses out on making a dive and climbs back down off the stage. There's some internal disagreement as to when the fast section of Sonic Infusion begins, with Dan holding out a bit longer than the other guys expect. When they come back on stage for the encore, Mark trips and falls flat on his face. He recovers and tells the crowd, "Sometimes it ain't easy being the grand dame of rock." After he's recovered a bit more, and while the other guys are still tending to their instruments, he quips, "Hey, Dave Meinert (an organizer of the Block Party): Did you see the expression on Mayor Greg Nichols' (who introduced another band) face when Ursula Andoid said for everyone to come closer so she could see their tits? All ages shows in this town are doomed!" (Greg Nichols is a proponent of moderating Seattle's draconian laws regarding all ages concerts). "Normally, I'm not political, but this song is dedicated to Peter Steinbrueck," is Mark's introduction of You Stupid Asshole (Steinbeck being strongly opposed to changing said laws). As the set ends, Mark encourages everyone to attend the Block Party tomorrow, but also invites them to a show that Mudhoney is doing with Pretty Grils Make Graves (neither band could advertise their performance earlier than this due to an agreement with the organizers of the Block Party).7/14/02 Sit and Spin. Seattle, WA (70 min)
Attendance: 200
Supported By: Pretty Girls Make Graves
Set: Here Comes Sickness, Take it Like a Man, The Straight Life, You Got it, The Winner's Circle, I Have to Laugh, Where the Flavor is, Crooked and Wide, Touch Me I'm Sick, Sweet Young Thing, Our Time is Now, Inside Job, Sonic Infusion/Beneath the Valley.../Baby Can You Dig the Light
Notes: This show was not announced until the night before because of an agreement that Mudhoney and Pretty Girls Make Graves had with the organizers of the Capitol Hill Block Party. A small group of women is celebrating the bachelorette party of a Miss Amanda, and loudly making sure that everyone else present, especially the guys on stage ("Guys! Amanda's bachelorette party! A-man-da!"), are aware of that fact. Mark refers to it a few times during the set. Early on, Steve comments, "Amanda's hot!" Guy points out, "It's a little late to tell her now." After I Have to Laugh, some of Amanda's friends try to push her up on stage. She demures, and eventually one of her friends gets frustrated and gets up in her place. Mark just says, "Let's go with it," and the woman dances wildly to Where the Flavor is until reaching the bridge, which confuses her, at which point she returns to the audience. Mark addresses the crowd before Touch Me I'm Sick: "Thanks for coming out on this Sunday evening. I hope you're not fried or frazzled. Well, I guess it's OK if you're fried. Thanks to Pretty Girls Make Graves for playing. They were awesome. Thanks to you all for coming out to Amanda's bachelorette party." He switches up the verses to that song as he did the previous night. The set ends with three long songs that blend into each other. During the solo to Sonic Infusion, Dan loses a drumstick. He quickly grabs another one, only to have it go flying off as well. He holds onto the third stick just fine, and jumps fully back into the song. As Steve is finishing Sonic Infusion, Mark starts up the opening riff to Beneath the Valley.... He has a little trouble, but gets on the right track as Steve looks on and laughs. Beneath the Valley... doesn't contain the double-time section at the end and as they start winding it down, Mark heads over to the Farfisa, waits a minute, and starts up Baby, Can You Dig the Light?. The section between the first and second stanzas of that song is extended by Steve, who noodles around as Mark looks on, waiting for his cue to sing.8/23/02 House of Blues. Anaheim, CA
Supported By: John Wahl, Throw Rag
Set: Inside Job, Poisoned Water, You Got it, In the Winner's Circle, Where the Flavor is, I Have to Laugh, Sweet Young Thing, Our Time is Now, Touch Me I'm Sick, The Straight Life, Beneath the Valley, Baby Can You Dig The Light?, Urban Guerilla
Encore: Sonic Infusion, Dyin' For it, Suck You Dry
Notes: The crowd is pretty mellow, save for the obligatory put during Touch Me I'm Sick and the lone stage diver during Suck You Dry. At one point Mark quips, "Welcome to Anaheim fucking California. I've always wanted to say that." He plays a Vox organ on Baby, Can You Dig the Light?. Urban Guerilla, a Hawkwind cover, is premeired.8/24/02 "Sunset Junction Festival". Bates Stage. Los Angeles, CA (70 min)
Supporting: Sonic Youth
Supported By: Mondo Generator, Bluebird
Set: Baby Can You Dig the Light?, Inside Job, You Got it, In the Winner's Circle, Where the Flavor is, I Have to Laugh, Sweet Young Thing, Our Time is Now, Touch Me I'm Sick, The Straight Life, Crooked and Wide, Take it Like a Man, Urban Guerilla, Sonic Infusion, Dyin' For it, Who You Drivin' Now? (set somewhat out of order)
Notes: This show took place outdoors at the intersection of Bates Ave and Sunset Blvd in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. The guys seem to be in slightly higher spirits than for the previous night. Mark's mic at his keyboard isn't working for most of Baby, Can You Dig the Light?. He motions to the soundman with little success, but yelling and signalling from the audience rectifies the situation. Steve introduces Touch Me I'm Sick with, "This is the one that started it all," and then starts laughing. During the solo to Urban Guerilla, Dan loses the beat, which is cause for laughter all around.8/29/02 "A Benefit for Jonna McCurry." The Showbox, Seattle, WA (85 min)
Attendance: 800
Supported By: Nebula
Set: Baby Can You Dig the Light? (w/Craig Flory), Dyin' For it, You Got it, The Straight Life, In The Winner's Circle, Sweet Young Thing, Our Time is Now, Touch Me I'm Sick, I Have to Laugh, Crooked and Wide, Where the Flavor is (w/C.F., Jeff McGrath, Greg Powers), Take it Like a Man (w/ " "), Poisoned Water, Inside Job, Sonic Infusion
Encore: Who You Drivin' Now?, Suck You Dry, Urban Guerilla (w/ " ")
Notes: This show was a benefit for Jonna McCurry, a showbox employee with large medical bills. Dan, Guy and Steve are all wearing vests this evening. They play an extended version of Baby, Can You Dig The Light? in near darkness, save for Dan who is bathed in blue light. Craig (and Jeff and Greg later) is setup stage right, to the side of Guy. As the song ends, he keeps playing as he exits stage left. The crowd - featuring a high percentage of slamdancing goons - goes crazy for Sweey Young Thing and Touch Me I'm Sick, and after the latter, Mark says, "Now we're going to take a trip down memory lane." (wild applause) "Yeah, I thought you'd like that. We're going all the way back to 1998." The crowd groans a little, and Mark laughs. During the encore break, an employee of the Showbox comes onstage and spends quite a while verbally berating the audience for not bidding enough in the silent auction, which is perhaps not the best way to liven the bidding, but is a great way to kill excitement in the crowd. Mark plays the Farfisa on Who You Drivin' Now?. During Suck You Dry, Steve breaks a string and goes over to the guitar rack for his Danelectro. He gets to it just in time for the solo, but doesn't have time to put it on properly, so he cradles it for the rest of the song. At the end of Urban Guerilla, he machine guns the audience with his guitar, a la Pete Townshend.9/6/02 De Melkweg. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Attendance: 700
Supported By: The Catheters
Set: Baby Can You Dig The Light?, The Straight Life, Poisoned Water, Inside Job, Sweet Young Thing, Our Time is Now, Touch Me I'm Sick, In the Winner's Circle, Dyin' For it, Suck You Dry, Take it Like a Man, Where the Flavor is, I Have to Laugh, Crooked and Wide, Sonic Infusion
Encore: You Got it, Into the Drink, Urban Guerilla
Notes: A packed and receptive crowd greets Mudhoney for the opening show of their European tour.9/7/02 La Boule Noire. Paris, France (90 min)
Attendance: 200
Supported By: The Catheters
Set: Baby Can You Dig The Light?, I Have to Laugh, The Straight Life, Poisoned Water, Inside Job, Sweet Young Thing, Our Time is Now, Where the Flavor is, Touch Me I'm Sick, In the Winner's Circle, Take it Like a Man, Crooked and Wide, You Got it, Dyin' For it, Sonic Infusion (set possibly out of order)
Encore: When Tomorrow Hits, In 'N' Out of Grace, Urban Guerilla
Encore 2: You Stupid Asshole
Notes: Danny, guitarist for The Catheters is having equipment troubles throughout his band's set, and eventually uses the head of Guy's amp. The equipment troubles carry over to Mudhoney's set. Steve breaks a string during I Have to Laugh and switches from the Mustang to the Danelectro for the rest of the show, and whenever Mark gets too close to the mic he gets shocked. The mic eventually stops working altogether, so Guy gives him his mic while saying, "Take mine. I sing like a horse anyway." Several times, Guy steps to the mic after a song and says, "Merci" and midway through the set he asks the crowd, "What is the French word for 'hot'?" Someone shouts "Chaud!" and Guy says, "It is fucking chaud in here." As they finish their performance, Mark tells the crowd that they might come back in another seven years.9/8/02 "Peel Session". Maida Vale Studios. London, England
Set: The Straight Life, Dyin' For it, Urban Guerilla, I Have to Laugh
Notes: Mudhoney records a Peel Session that is aired on October 2.9/9/02 Nottingham Boat Club. Nottingham, England
Supported By: The Alchemists, The Catheters
Set: Poisoned Water, The Straight Life, Take it Like a Man, In the Winner's Circle, Sweet Young Thing, Our Time is Now, Touch Me I'm Sick, Where the Flavor is, I Have to Laugh, Crooked and Wide, Inside Job, Suck You Dry, Dyin' For it, Sonic Infusion
Encore: When Tomorrow Hits/In 'N' Out of Grace, Urban Guerilla
Notes: You Got it might have been performed during the main set, but was not on the setlist.9/10/02 QMU. Glasgow, Scotland
Supported By: The Catheters9/11/02 Manchester University. Manchester, England
Supported By: The Catheters, The Heads9/12/02 The Electric Ballroom. London, England (75 min)
Supported By: The Buff Medways, The Catheters
Attendance: 1200
Set: Baby Can You Dig the Light?, The Straight Life, Poisoned Water, Inside Job, Sweet Young Thing, Our Time is Now, Touch Me I'm Sick, Where the Flavor is, I Have to Laugh, You Got it, Take it Like a Man, Suck You Dry, Dyin' For it, Sonic Infusion
Encore: When Tomorrow Hits/In 'N' Out of Grace, Urban Guerilla
Notes: During The Catheters' set, a club employee comes on stage and tells them to stop. They ignore him and begin another song, so the guy starts taking equipment offstage mid-song. Mark steps forward and puts some of it back in place, allowing the band to finish properly. During the break in In 'N' Out of Grace, Mark thanks the support acts, the audience and, "...I'd just like to thank us for being who we are." He then introduces Urban Guerilla with, "We'd like to regale you with a piece passed down to us from the good people in Hawkwind."
Pictures9/13/02 Arena. Madrid, Spain
Set: Baby Can You Dig the Light?, The Straight Life, Poisoned Water, Inside Job, Sweet Young Thing, Our Time is Now, Touch Me I'm Sick, Where the Flavor is, I Have to Laugh, You Got it, Take it Like a Man, Suck You Dry, Dyin' For it, Sonic Infusion
Encore: You Stupid Asshole (encore incomplete)
Pictures9/14/02 "Azkena Rock Festival." Azkena. Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain (75 min)
Supported By: Five Horse Johnson, Diamond Dogs, Bonzos
Set: Sonic Infusion, The Straight Life, Poisoned Water, You Got it, In the Winner's Circle, Sweet Young Thing, Our Time is Now, Touch Me I'm Sick, Where the Flavor is, I Have to Laugh, Crooked and Wide, Inside Job, Suck You Dry, Dyin' For it, Beneath the Valley...
Encore: When Tomorrow Hits/In 'N' Out of Grace
Notes: They might have also played Who You Drivin' Now? at some point during the main set. The venue holds approximately 1000, and is nearly full. After Five Horse Johnson finishes their set, Dan comes onstage and introduces himself to their drummer. The drummer acts quite honored to make his aquiantence. There are problems with the bass throughout the show. Early on, Guy switches his bass for one belonging to the bassist for Fast Horse Johnson. The bass problems continue during the beginning of In The Winner's Circle, and Mark stops the song to attend to the problem, saying, "We need bass on this song." Mark tells the crowd "Gracias" a handful of times, and Guy is quite talkative, including mentioning how "caliente" the place is. People are shouting requests for songs (This Gift, Over the Top, Hate the Police, etc.) When someone shouts for Touch Me I'm Sick, Steve consults his setlist and then gives the guy thumbs-up. During Touch Me I'm Sick, Mark switches up the standard improvised verse to something about being in Spain and knowing something about this history, "but now it's alright." At the end of Beneath the Valley..., Mark looks over at the drum kit at is surprised because Dan isn't there, having started the break a bit earlier than the other guys. The three guys on stage keep the jam up, and Mark takes control of the drums for a couple of minutes. As they exit for the encore break, Guy tells the crowd that they have to leave for a couple of seconds because he wants to use his own bass.
Setlist [37KB]9/20/02 The Grog Shop. Cleveland, OH
Supported By: Cobra Verde, The Chargers Street Gang
Set: Baby Can You Dig the Light?, Take it Like a Man, Suck You Dry, Touch Me I'm Sick, I Have to Laugh, Sweet Young Thing, Inside Job, In 'N' Out of Grace (set incomplete and out of order)
Notes: They come out for a quick soundcheck before they start the show proper and riff on I Have to Laugh a little. When Mark is ready, he disappears into the crowd while the other guys finish their preparations. When they're done, they look for Mark and Guy comments, "Wait, there he is. I can see his blond locks," as Mark makes his way back through a cheering crowd. During Touch Me I'm Sick, a drunk guy is thrashing about and manages to knock over Mark's mic stand, which hits Mark in the lip on its way down. Mark spins around and checks for blood as the other guys drop the song. After recovering, he pics up the mic and says, "Let's try this again. Don't let me get his this time" and they pick up where they left off.9/21/02 Abbey Pub. Chicago, IL
Supported By: The Nerves, Cash Audio
Set: Baby Can You Dig the Light?, The Straight Life, Poisoned Water, Inside Job, Sweet Young Thing, Our Time is Now, Touch Me I'm Sick, Where the Flavor is, Crooked and Wide, I Have to Laugh, In the Winner's Circle, You Got it, Dyin' For it, Suck You Dry, Sonic Infusion
Encore: When Tomorrow Hits/In 'N' Out of Grace, Urban Guerilla
Notes: Mark prefaces Sweet Young Thing with , "I know we're in Chicago now, and it might offend the purists, but this next song is in the Pacific Northwest genre." After Touch Me I'm Sick, Mark tells the crowd, "Thank you...I guess." At the end of the main set, Mark thanks Cash Audio and The Nerves, and "thanks to you for coming out, and thanks especially to us." When they finish In 'N' Out of Grace, Mark says, "I can only think of one song that can follow that." The crowd starts screaming "Hate the Police!" and Mark gets a huge grin on his face and says, "Urban Guerilla by Hawkwind. That's right! You win!"9/28/02 The Old Firehouse. Redmond, WA (75 min)
Attendance: 200
Supported By: The November Group, Kentucky Pistol, Logicprobe
Set: Baby Can You Dig the Light?, The Straight Life, Poisoned Water, Inside Job, Sweet Young Thing, Our Time is Now, Touch Me I'm Sick, Where the Flavor is, I Have to Laugh, In the Winner's Circle, You Got it, Dyin' Fot it, Suck You Dry, Sonic Infusion
Encore: Into the Drink, In 'N' Out of Grace, Urban Guerilla
Notes: This show is the 10th Anniversary Party for the Old Firehouse, the oldest all-ages venue in the Northwest. Pretty Girls Make Graves were originally scheduled to be on the bill, but dropped off at the last minute. Before Sweet Young Thing, the following exchange takes place: Steve: "This song is called Freak Momma." Mark: "Or is it?" Steve: "Sweet Freak Momma." Guy: "...Ain't Freaking Sweet No More." Right as they get to Touch Me I'm Sick on the setlist, people start screaming for the song. Mark tells the crowd, "We don't really play that one anymore. We do more of a psychadelic organ thing now. Do you really want to hear it? (loud cheering) OK, just this once." Dan throws some cowbell into the intro to You Got it, and the end is prolonged by Mark and Steve, including a little tapping by Mark. A kid from the audience runs onstage during Suck You Dry, sings the first chorus into Steve's mic, which isn't on, and exits via a stage dive (more of a stage fall). Before Sonic Infusion, Mark says, "You don't know how lucky you are to have this place. I grew up by Totem Lake and we had nothing." There's no talking during the breakdown to In 'N' Out of Grace. As they leave the stage for the final time, Mark says, "Maybe we'll be back for the 20th anniversary party."12/9/02 Key Arena. Seattle, WA (60 min)
Attendance: 16,500
Supporting: Pearl Jam
Supported By: Brad
Set: Baby Can You Dig the Light?, The Straight Life, Poisoned Water, Inside Job, Sweet Young Thing, Our Time is Now, Touch Me I'm Sick, Where the Flavor is, I Have to Laugh, Dyin' For it, You Got it, Sonic Infusion, Urban Guerilla
Notes: The show is sold out, but only two-thirds are in their seats by the time that Mudhoney's set starts. When they're ready to go on, the house lights go down, the stage lights come alive, their entrance music (Uncle Sam's Seattle) comes on, and the crowd starts cheering. Then...nothing happens. When the song is almost over, the guys hit the stage, and Mark repeats the last line of the song in a falsetto: "Seattle! Seattle! Our hometown!" The crowd is respectful and polite, but far from enthusiastic. A few people stand, and many times more attempt to but are harrassed into sitting by people behind them. Matt Lukin is in attendance, and the set is watched by all of Pearl Jam as well as Kim Thayil and Steve Earle. Mark switches up the first two verses of Dyin' For it. The guys turn in a well-played set and close with a nice rendition of Urban Guerilla.12/13/02 North Six. New York City, NY
Attendance: 300
Supported By: Oneida, Oakley Hall
Set: Baby Can You Dig the Light?, Our Time is Now, The Straight Life, Where the Flavor is, Sweet Young Thing, Touch Me I'm Sick, You Got it, Poisoned Water, Dyin' For it, Take it Like a Man, Inside Job, Crooked and Wide, Sonic Infusion, Urban Guerilla (set incomplete and out of order)
Notes: They open with Baby Can You Dig the Light? and the mic at Mark's organ fails to work. The band would play through the main passage while Mark would tap the mic and motion to the soundman. When they'd get to the part where he would try to sing, he would find that it still didn't work and they'd go through it again. After three or so times through this, he finished the song from his normal mic and without the organ. A few songs later, Steve blows a fuse in his amp and the band plays on while he attends to it. After he gets back in action, he tells the crowd that a member of Oneida happened to have a spare fuse in his pocket. In the Winner's Circle is on the setlist, but scratched due to the delays.12/14/02 North Six. New York City, NY
Supported By: Dan Melchiors Broke Review, The Scholars
