What do Steve Carell, Alan Dershowitz, Derek Jeter, Debbie Stabenow, and Kermit the Frog have in common? If you guessed that they will all serve as commencement speakers at colleges across the USA this Spring, give yourself a pat on the back.
Now, you can add punk rock icon Bob Mould to that list. Mould, who began his band Husker Du while an undergrad at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, will return to his alma mater on May 17 to address this year’s grads.
Mould joins Usher, who will be speaking at Emory University’s graduation and representing the music industry. It’s a gig that usually goes to media giants and sports stars. But every once in a while, colleges go a little off the beaten path.
Bob Mould does something unexpected
In recent years, Macalester has turned to cultural leaders like Faith Abiodun and Elona Street-Stewart to address graduates. Last year, CNN anchor and attorney Laura Coates had the job.
Mould may seem an odd fit given that recent run, but to many, he is an inspired choice. To put it plainly, Macalester has long had the reputation of being a liberal-leaning college. Mould has not been shy about expressing his political views, many of which also tilt left.
It’s interesting to imagine the type of speech he might have given had he been tasked with this assignment in 2020. That’s when his 14th solo album, Blue Hearts, was about to drop. With titles like “American Crisis,” Fireball,” and “Racing to the End,” Blue Hearts spoke passionately about a teetering nation.
He may have been delivering a commencement address with the album’s second track, “Next Generation.”
“They burned our history books and put trackable knowledge in our hands – They stream a fountain of lies with alarming frequency – Some things don’t change too terribly much – Don’t let them f**k this whole world up – Divide and conquer all.”
Mould’s latest album, Here We Go Crazy, was released over a month ago. Whereas most musicians hit the late-night circuit or appear on SNL to promote a new release, leave it to the punk icon to follow a different path.
But he has done a few traditional things, such as sitting for interviews with magazines like Rolling Stone and Louder in the past few months. In the latter, he struck a more upbeat note than we might have expected at this time in history. He told Louder that though the songs go to “some dark places … by the end, I think it offers hope, and that’s something we could all use at this time.”
Musically, Mould claims he is doing little more than following the successful formulas he established with Husker Du in the ‘80s and Sugar in the ‘90s. To be sure, Here We Go Crazy is jam-packed with excellent rock & roll. But there are always surprises in Bob Mould’s work.
One may come from how he twists “You Need to Shine,” which is toward the end of the eleven brisk songs that make up the new album. This might well be a preview of his speech at Macalester in May.
“I worry for the future – I worry for the pain – I worry myself sick about the wear and tear and strain – I’m sending you a message – With hope for brighter days – Beginnings and their endings, the longing always stay.”
“So uncertain, close the curtain, close the blind – But in this darkness here’s the only thing I find – All I want is happiness for you – First thing on my mind – Great things are happening daily – You need to shine.”
I’m unsure how the message will play without guitar, but it’s worth hearing. The University of Maryland is turning to Kermit the Frog to uplift the sagging spirits of its graduates. For my money, Bob Mould can deliver it even better.