It is hard to believe that Mothguts is turning 20. They haven’t aged. They, however, put on an exceptional show at Wonder Bar. The evening featured three strong bands—Mono Means One, We Used To Cut The Grass, and Mothguts—and they did not disappoint.
Mono Means One’s set lived up to their prog-synth-funk reputation. A three-piece with no vocals, they set the bar high with their swirling instrumentals. Somewhat reminiscent of “Dance on a Volcano” (the intense instrumental of pre-bubble gum pop Genesis), Mono Means One played with both virtuosity and as a remarkably tight band. Guitars were not needed, as the bass and keys were more than enough to carry the melodies, hooks, and musical themes.
We Used To Cut The Grass, Cody McCorry’s experimental band, also featured no vocals, leaving space for both drummers, a tight horn section, jazzy keys, and funky bass. Their performance showcased heavy funk bass, melodic hooks, bebop solos, and complex polyrhythms from the co-drummers.
Mothguts opened their set by announcing they would be performing new songs they had never played before. I paused briefly, trying to understand what exactly that meant. Could it be true, or was it just Mike Noordzy’s typical dry humor? The band then launched into a musically aggressive set (in a good way) that assaulted the audience (again, in a good way). There were no vocals—there seems to be a theme here. What the band resented was… Modern Jazz? Freeform Jazz? Hard Bop? Noise Funk? Perhaps it was an endurance test, or the soundtrack to a long, difficult journey. Be that as it may, the performance was intense and extraordinary. The absence of vocals left ample room for all of the musicians to feature their individual performances. The sound was perfect, and the hamburger was delicious.
Joe Lugo was there, and his photographs are featured here as well.
