Sugar, the alternative rock trio fronted by former Hüsker Dü co-leader Bob Mould, plays a sold-out three-night run at First Avenue in Minneapolis starting Thursday at 8 p.m., bringing the band's 2026 reunion tour to the city where Mould's musical roots run deepest. The shows mark a homecoming three decades in the making for a band that broke up abruptly in 1995 and, until this year, had never played together again.
A Return to Where It All Started
Mould formed Hüsker Dü at Macalester College in 1979, and the punk trio made its debut at First Avenue's 7th St Entry on January 3, 1980, according to Meet Minneapolis. First Avenue is part of Mould's Minneapolis history. As the Minnesota Star Tribune reports in an interview with Mould, Sugar's 2026 tour follows the band's 2025 recording session.
Sugar — Mould, bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis — was active from 1991 to 1994, releasing the acclaimed *Copper Blue* in 1992, the *Beaster* EP in 1993, and *File Under: Easy Listening* before splitting in January 1995. *Copper Blue* was named Album of the Year by NME and reached No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart, according to BrooklynVegan, cementing Mould's post-Hüsker Dü project as a major force in alternative rock. *Beaster* debuted at No. 3 on the UK Official Albums Chart, while *File Under: Easy Listening* broke the top 10 of the Billboard 200, as The Line of Best Fit notes.
New Songs, Old Wounds Healed
Why First Avenue Matters
The setting for Sugar's Minneapolis return has a history that predates the city's alternative-rock era. According to First Avenue's official history, the building opened as the Northland-Greyhound Bus Depot in February 1937 and became a rock club in 1970. The venue says it remains one of the longest-running independently owned and operated venues in the United States, has remained independent and locally owned since reopening in summer 2021, and books more than 1,000 shows annually across its venues and other independent Minnesota venues. First Avenue also identifies Hüsker Dü's first album, “Land Speed Record,” as one of the recordings made live at the 7th St Entry.
That independent model became especially visible during the 2020 shutdowns. Rolling Stone reported during the pandemic that First Avenue owner Dayna Frank was president of the National Independent Venue Association, which sought federal assistance for independent venues. The Current also reported in 2019 that a Minneapolis music-history study found First Avenue met the requirements for National Register listing, although that passage does not establish that the venue was formally designated.
Sugar's current reunion isn't purely a nostalgia trip. The band recorded three new songs — “House of Dead Memories,” “Long Live Love” and “Keep Looping” — during a session in June 2025, its first new material in more than 30 years, per the same Line of Best Fit report. The group played its first shows together since 1995 in May 2026, and on August 6, Sugar premiered a 20-minute documentary titled “Changes: The Story of Sugar” on YouTube, featuring archival footage including filmmaker Lance Bangs' video of the band's 1992 live debut at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia.
Mould's reunion with Sugar marks a return to the band's original run. Mould's sexuality has also been discussed in profiles of his career.
A Tour With a Cause
Sugar's reunion also carries a charitable component: a portion of each ticket sale will be donated to The Trevor Project. The campaign names The Trevor Project as its beneficiary.
The North American leg of the “Love You Even Still 2026 World Tour” kicked off August 11 in Denver as a 24-date run that includes the sold-out Minneapolis stand. Mould's solo band's rhythm section has also drawn attention for performing together in an increasingly popular R.E.M. tribute act, according to High Road Touring. The reunion brings Mould back to performing Sugar songs live.
Old Songs, New Guests
“JC Auto” is a song from *Beaster*. Guitarist J. Robbins is joining Sugar for the run, adding another musician to Mould's extended circle. “JC Auto” remains part of Mould's Sugar-era catalog.
Hüsker Dü's history remains central to the Minneapolis scene Mould helped build. Hüsker Dü's influence is part of that scene's legacy, underscoring the reach of the Minneapolis music community decades before Sugar's fans packed First Avenue this week. The band's tour announcement preceded the Minneapolis dates.
