Growing up in the 90’s, you couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing “Runaway Train”. I heard it constantly, and I loved it every time. I’m not sure why I was attracted to such a sad song at such a young age, but I guess that just shows that a great song can speak to any generation.
I wasn’t necessarily the generation that first embraced Soul Asylum and The Juliana Hatfield Three – that would be Gen X. But as an elder Millenial who started embracing bands from the 80’s and 90’s Minneapolis scene while I was in college, Soul Asylum became a band that spoke to me. I had originally planned to see them live in March of 2020, but as Covid was beginning its onslaught, I was talked out of attending their L.A. show (it was the last day before the shutdown happened). So I finally made up for it last Friday night, when the band returned to the city in support of their latest album Slowly But Shirley.
While I had steeped myself in Soul Asylum‘s catalog over the years, I remained unfamiliar with Juliana Hatfield‘s work (outside of her collaborative album with Paul Westerberg, The I Don’t Cares). Knowing how critically beloved she was, I was interested in finally seeing her for myself with her band. My first impression: this is pure 90’s. The Three’s rhythm section was heavy, hitting with a grunge force that could get your head bobbing, while Hatfield let raw and honest lyrics emanate from her being. The bite and spite of tracks like “My Sister” I’m sure spoke to many a beleaguered teenager in the 90’s.
Hatfield kept her stage banter to a minimum, letting out a few “thank you’s” while focusing primarily on letting the rock speak. For the most part, I will admit her songs didn’t connect with me musically (not quite melodic enough for my taste), there were moments in songs like “Little Pieces” that were pretty and tuneful enough to resonate with me. Ending with the sharp “I Got No Idols”, Hatfield and her band signed-off, even as some die-hard fans in the audience were shouting for an additional song.
When Dave Pirner and the rest of Soul Asylum hit the stage, they went from 0 to 100, blasting out their fight song “Somebody to Shove”. The audience was cheering, fist-pumping and ready for a rock show. The band were ready to oblige. They made opening a one-two punch by following that track with a song that’s become one of my favorite 90’s hits, “Misery”. This song works on so many levels, being both tongue-in-cheek and yet wholly sincere, a thoughtful burner and an anthem. If you want evidence that Pirner is one of the more underrated songwriters of his era, just give this track a few deep listens.
And as the band blasted into “Trial By Fire” from their solid new album, there was no argument that the punk rock fire still burns bright in the group. Everyone on stage was jumping, moving, and having a blast. There’s nothing more contagious than a band having fun on stage. That energy passes to the audience and makes the viewing experience all the better. And throughout the evening, no one was having more fun than Pirner. From his little “aw shucks” expressions, his goofy dance moves or goofier dad jokes, this was a man loving his time on stage.
The band mixed in more new tracks like “Freeloader”, and a powerful block of “The Only Thing I’m Missing”, the propulsive “High Road”, bluesy “Sucker Maker” (which the fans really dug) and the catchy “Freak Accident”. But for the very old-school fans, dove into their pre-90’s output with “Never Really Been”. Yes, the band was making dirty punk records before scoring their huge hit with “Runaway Train”. And after “Black Gold”, the group went into that somber singalong, with the audience chanting along.
Being that that song is a sad one, Pirner and company didn’t let that be the ending note for the show. They returned to rocking with 2006’s “Bus Named Desire”, and then encoring with the sea shanty-esque “Bittersweetheart” and “Just Like Anyone”. The energy never dampened, the mood never soured. Soul Asylum put on a damn good rock n’ roll show. May they continue for years to come.
Listen to Slowly But Shirley now, out on Blue Elan Records.
The Indy Review 