Bush – Maplewood, MN – February 10, 2015

It’s a cold day in February in Maplewood, Minnesota, something that is not so out of the norm, as fans line up hours in advance to see Bush perform at The Myth. The Myth is a smaller club, giving fans a more intimate showing of larger acts, which makes this show all the more popular. That, and Bush has performed there in the past, putting on an excellent show. This time, they are bringing Theory of a Deadman and Stars in Stereo with them.

Bush owes a great deal of their success to two things: the 90’s grunge era and their ever so attractive and talented lead singer, Gavin Rossdale. Both of these things ensure for a mixed crowd of men and women, as well as a diverse age group, considering the way that grunge has made it’s way back to the present day. Not only that, but Bush has managed to maintain their popularity throughout the years, with some, but little change to their style. It is something that keeps their fans clamoring for more.

Stars in Stereo opens the evening with Becca Hollcraft on vocals. The band is relatively new, having formed in 2011 and have a lot of potential in their sound. Becca garners a lot of attention from both the men and women in the audience with her commanding sound and stage presence.

Next in line is Theory of a Deadman, a band well loved by the majority of the crowd. They are the type of band that always puts on a great show. It’s clear that they very much love what they do and always have fun when on stage. With songs like, “Bad, Girlfriend” and “Hate My Life”, they are able to amp up the crowd for the main act, as if they need it already.

Bush takes to the stage, opening with “Sound of Winter” an upbeat tune that gets the audience moving. There is a stark comparison to Bush audiences of past and present, as not nearly as many are moving as they did back in the 1990s. It’s something I always find funny when covering bands that were once known for their mosh pit style audiences. Even fans in their late twenties have slowed down, putting their younger selves to shame.

The set list is a fantastic array of Bush’s discography. Everything from the grungy tracks of “Sixteen Stone” (Everything Zen, Machinehead, Little Things) to the melancholy “Letting the Cables Sleep”, the fan favorite “Mouth”, and beyond is played. One of the encores includes “Once in a Lifetime”, a Talking Heads cover, which adds an unexpected lightheartedness to the set.