Catching up with MC50 featuring BILL GOULD on tour. Photos and videos.

The MC5 50th anniversary tour has been in full swing for nearly a month now, so we thought it a good time to catch up with Bill Gould. 

September 11th 
9:30 Club Washington, DC 

Spectrum Culture

Then, for a few glorious moments in the set-closing “Looking at You,” we were transported: the band firing on all cylinders, Durant and Abernathy both on their knees trading Tyner-esque howls while Kramer beamed down on them like a proud father. I got a glimpse of what it must have felt like to be in the presence of the honest-to-god motherfucking MC5—the closest I’ll ever come, short of time travel, to that experience. There is not enough testosterone or amphetamines in the world to fully replicate the moment that Kick Out the Jams so vividly preserved; but even after 50 years, its aftershock remains awesome to behold.



September 13th
Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA

Pancakes and Whiskey

Kim Thayil, playing his first major shows since Chris Cornell passed while on Soundgarden tour, accompanied Wayne on guitar all night. He didn’t solo a ton, but when he did he made it count. Kim definitely grew up on this music and he was definitely loving playing these songs and I would assume it’s pretty therapeutic for him to be out on stage again. Brendan Canty from Fugazi, among a ton of other bands, kept the beat going all night. Brendan was literally a machine on the drum kit and never seemed to tire. Billy Gould from Faith No More was right there with Brendan keeping everything going. The bass player can sometimes get lost in the mix at shows, but you couldn’t miss Brendan’s notes thumping through the entire room. Finally Marcus Durant from Zen Guerrilla took care of almost all of the vocals during the show. If you looked quickly you could even mistake that it was Rob Tyner on stage, the original lead singer who died in 1991.

September 17th
Irving Plaza New York, NY

Brooklyn Vegan

September 19th
Danforth Music Hall Toronto, ON

Aesthetic Magazine