It didn’t take much for me to decide to go to Bob Mould’s show in St. Paul this weekend, despite the ongoing cold and bluster of an upper Midwest winter. Ripping down I-94 with my similarly aged friend on the exact 40th anniversary of Hüsker Dü’s first show in their very same home city, I think we were expecting something special. The elder statesman of American Punk and architect of Alternative Rock delivered.

God Bless former Dü bassist Greg Norton, also still cranking it out after all these years and opening with his current band, “Porcupine”. Greg still has the same somewhat manic stage presence, and with him and Bob in the same building, the acknowledged specter in the room was the ex-drummer of the legendary band, Grant Hart, who had passed away from cancer in 2017 forever nixing in hopes of a full-fledged reunion.

Bob and his ace rhythm section (for the last decade) exploded on the stage with the opener “The War”, and followed with 26 more songs from across the entire span of his career, including solo, Sugar, and “Hüsker Dü. “I Apologize”, three songs in, electrified the full house at the old Palace Theater in the heart of the city as the crowd fitfully shook off the cold for the next 2 hours.

Showing no signs of flagging energy at age 58, Bob was in great vocal form with his characteristic bite and snarl. Wearing his trademark flannel shirt, his guitar playing, which is often underrated despite his very identifiable sound, was top-notch. Surprise of the night was “In A Free Land”, but the breathless and emotional moment was the singer’s solo performance of Hart’s “Never Talking To You Again”, the centerpiece in an 8 song Hüsker Dü run to close the show and close the loop with his contentious relationship with his ex-bandmate.

As his band left for the wings, Bob stood at the lip of the stage, looking professorial with his white beard, receding hairline, and wire rim glasses. Thanking the crowd (many the same age) he acknowledged the moment, showing us that some of those rough edges have perhaps been buffed off over the years. Perhaps we have too.

Thank you, professor.