The Panic Manual

Concert Review: Sugar, J. Robbins, October 8, Masonic Jack White Theatre (Detroit)

Posted on

12 Oct 2026

Paul

Scanning the crowd at Sugar’s show at Detroit’s Masonic Jack White Theatre, it occurred to me that one could have designed a pretty effective bingo card for people-watching. Middle-aged? Check. Bald heads, greying beards, flannel shirts and band tees? Check, check, check and check. Mostly dudes? Another check. The lineup for the ladies’ room was practically nonexistent.

But I’m not here to profile Sugar’s fans. No, I’m here to write about the show.

Reuniting three decades after their heyday, the trio of Bob Mould, David Barbe, and Malcolm Travis has hit the road once again to bring some classic ’90s alt-rock to the masses. The band’s stop at the Masonic on Thursday saw them delivering a career-spanning set that mixed beloved staples like “Hoover Dam,” “Gee Angel” and “Your Favorite Thing” with newly released tracks “House of Dead Memories” and “Long Live Love.” And the band sounded great. Really great. Sugar’s secret weapon has always been its ability to make a racket while keeping things tuneful. The songs may hit hard sonically, but when it really comes down to it, it’s all about the melodies. And three decades on, those songs haven’t lost any of their punch.

Opening the evening was J. Robbins, who delivered a solid solo set armed with nothing more than his guitar and his songs. Robbins, best known for his work with Jawbox, offered a stripped-down version of the band’s signature tune “Savory,” transforming the angular, propulsive original into something a touch more intimate. Other highlights of Robbins’ set included “Exquisite Corpse” and “Dear Leader,” a song he wrote after learning that he shared a birthday with a certain authoritarian American politician. I’ll give you one guess who that might be …

Robbins mentioned during his set how great it’s been to be out on tour with Sugar, noting that the old adage about not meeting your heroes doesn’t always hold true. Some people, he suggested, just need to get cooler heroes.

Song of the Day: Twisted Teens – Stalks

Posted on

11 Oct 2026

Paul

Next month sees the release of Twisted Teens‘ latest album The Holy Cross Tigers, which will end up being the band’s third full-length of 2026. “Stalks” is the latest single from the album, which comes out November 6, 2026 via Sub Pop. Check it out.

Song of the Day: Starcrawler – Kick Me

Posted on

10 Oct 2026

Paul

“Kick Me” is the latest single from LA’s Starcrawler, taken off their upcoming album of the same name. Check it out.

Song of the Day: Grandmas House – Dance

Posted on

7 Oct 2026

Paul

“Dance” is the latest single from Grandmas House, taken off the Bristol quartet’s debut album Baby You’re A Winner, out now on Brace Yourself Records. Check it out.

Concert Review: The Jungle Giants, October 5, Lee’s Palace

Posted on

6 Oct 2026

Paul

“The energy in this crowd tonight is incredible!”

It’s the kind of phrase a band throws out there all the time, the sort of crowd engagement that works to get the audience on their side, but it’s not always necessarily something they really mean. When Jungle Giants frontman Sam Hales delivered the line at Lee’s Palace on Monday night, though, it felt less like obligatory crowd work and more like a statement of fact. After all, not every crowd would have been as willing to jump up and down en masse at the band’s command by the second or third song. Lee’s Palace may not have been sold out, but there were definitely a few diehard fans who made their way out on a Monday night to dance and sing along. Hales even pointed out a few people at the front who appeared to know every word, joking that they were essentially his teleprompter for the evening.

Touring behind their latest record, Experiencing Feelings of Joy, the Australian indie-pop outfit put on a solid show. They definitely know how to work a crowd, and I can only imagine they’d go over well at a festival. As Hales pointed out, the album’s title was an intentional nod to the joy the band feels playing these songs live for a crowd. And while the new material sounded good, I must admit that the absolute highlight of their set came later, when they busted out a cover of Underworld’s “Born Slippy.” The song remains every bit the banger it was 30 years ago, and The Jungle Giants looked like they were having an absolute blast performing it. That’s some feelings of joy in action right there.

Song of the Day: Wishy – Covergirl

Posted on

5 Oct 2026

Paul

“Covergirl” is the latest single from Indianapolis five-piece Wishy, taken off their recently released new album Nature’s Pill, out now via Winspear. Check it out.