Godfathers of Grunge

The members of Mudhoney will forever be classified as the Godfathers of Grunge, and for good reason. Their debut — 1989’s aptly named Superfuzz Bigmuff — set the grunge-rock template, stirring punk-rock sneer with metal riffs and drenching it all in distortion.

The success of the album in turn allowed their label, Sub Pop Records, the means necessary to push other acts like Soundgarden and Nirvana out of the Northwest and onto the national stage. Of course, there’s a reason Mudhoney is best remembered as a stepping-stone to bigger bands rather than in the same category.

The quartet could never be bothered to scrub the superfuzz off its sound and record anything remotely radio-friendly (beyond college radio at least.) The approach certainly limited record sales, but likely made for better music. As Superfuzz Bigmuff and their run of excellent early ’90s albums proved, the band’s classification as a gateway to Nirvana would be like calling The Stooges just a precursor to the Ramones.

There’s truth to it, but it also misses the elemental power of the source material, one that no band, no matter how heavily influenced, could duplicate. Key tracks like “In ‘n’ Out of Grace” and “Suck You Dry” showcase the band’s undeniable gift for song craft, along with their Butthole Surfers-like skill for sabotaging their own songs, be it by guitarist Steve Turner’s buzzsaw riffing or singer Mark Arm’s bizarro lyrics.

Other than a brief hiatus in the late ’90s, Mudhoney has continued touring and cranking out records, largely maintaining the same intensity and disregard for hearing loss.

Mudhoney plays 9 pm Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Hi-Fi Music Hall; $18.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!