Bob Mould on All Things Sugar Reunion, Hüsker Dü, Hedwig, Earplugs, More
[Brooklyn Vegan]
By Bill Pearis
“it was a really well kept secret,” Bob Mould says of the announcement that his very popular ’90s band, Sugar, were going to reunite for their first tour in 31 years. “The day that we actually announced, I had a couple dozen really upset friends, like, ‘why did you not fucking tell me?’”
I talked to Bob for the April 6 episode of BV Interviews, primarily about Sugar — how the reunion came to be, stories from ’90s including touring North America with UK shoegazers The Boo Radleys, inciting a near riot in London’s Finsbury Park, and whether they would be playing at ’90s volume this year. “I don’t know if I can take 122 decibels at my mic position anymore, let alone whatever the decibel level is 20 feet out in the crowd. We intend to be forceful. I don’t think we need to punish.” On a similar topic, Bob also tells us his opinion of earplugs.
Bob also tells us about being a Williamsburg, Brooklyn pioneer in the early ’90s, being signed to Creation Records in the UK, music documentaries, that time he joined Militarie Gun on stage to play Hüsker Dü’s “Makes No Sense at All,” the possibility of Hüsker Dü studio album reissues, his solo band’s rhythm section’s increasingly popular side hustle as an REM tribute act, his involvement with the Hedwig & The Angry Inch movie and more. Also: what are the chances of more new Sugar music?
Listen to the episode below or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Sugar play their first show since 1995 on May 1 at Webster Hall in NYC, the first of three shows at the club. They’ll then be back as part of their fall tour to play Brooklyn Steel on October 16 and Basilica Hudson on October 18. All dates are listed below.
SUGAR – 2026 TOUR DATES
May 2, 2026 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
May 3, 2026 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
May 4, 2026 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
May 23, 2026 – London, UK – O2 Forum Kentish Town
May 24, 2026 – London, UK – O2 Forum Kentish Town
May 26, 2026 – Belfast, UK – Ulster Hall
May 27, 2026 – Dublin, Ireland – National Stadium
May 29, 2026 – Manchester, UK – New Century
May 30, 2026 – Bristol, UK – Electric Bristol
May 31, 2026 – Nottingham, UK – Rock City
Jun 2, 2026 – Glasgow, UK – Barrowland Ballroom (w/ J. Robbins)
Jun 3, 2026 – Leeds, UK – The Irish Centre
Jun 4, 2026 – London, UK – The Clapham Grand
Jun 7, 2026 – Oslo, Norway – Leiligheten Rockefeller
Jun 9, 2026 – Stockholm, Sweden – Debaser Hornstulls Strand
Jun 10, 2026 – Copenhagen, Denmark – VEGA
Jun 11, 2026 – Berlin, Germany – Huxleys Neue Welt
Jun 13, 2026 – Paris, France – L’Élysée Montmartre
Jun 14, 2026 – Antwerp, Belgium – De Roma
Jun 15, 2026 – Utrecht, Netherlands – TivoliVredenburg
Jun 17, 2026 – Lausanne, Switzerland – Les Docks
Jun 19, 2026 – Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain – Azkena Rock Festival 2026 (w/ Social Distortion, Old Crow Medicine Show, Voivod, Imelda May, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Sleaford Mods, Evaristo Páramos)
Aug 11, 2026 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom (w/ J. Robbins)
Aug 14, 2026 – Portland, OR – Pioneer Courthouse Square (w/ J. Robbins)
Aug 15, 2026 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
Sep 10, 2026 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue (w/ J. Robbins)
Sep 11, 2026 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue (w/ J. Robbins)
Sep 12, 2026 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
Sep 26, 2026 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield (w/ J. Robbins, I Speak Machine)
Sep 30, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
Oct 8, 2026 – Detroit, MI – Masonic Temple Theatre (w/ J. Robbins)
Oct 9, 2026 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater & Ballroom
Oct 10, 2026 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE (w/ J. Robbins)
Oct 12, 2026 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer (w/ J. Robbins)
Oct 13, 2026 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer (w/ J. Robbins)
Oct 14, 2026 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
Oct 16, 2026 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
Oct 17, 2026 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner (w/ J. Robbins)
Oct 18, 2026 – Hudson, NY – Basilica Hudson (w/ J. Robbins)
Oct 20, 2026 – Newport, KY – MegaCorp Pavilion (w/ J. Robbins)
Oct 21, 2026 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
Oct 23, 2026 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern (w/ J. Robbins)
Oct 24, 2026 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre (w/ J. Robbins)