The last time Mission of Burma hit the Black Cat, they played their classic 1982 album Vs. in its entirety, a nostalgia-driven cash cow that sold out tour dates around the country. It was a surprising move for a band that actually parlayed a reunion tour into a formal regrouping, putting out three new albums over the past ten years — including the surprisingly potent OnOffOn and the sorely underrated The Obliterati.
But people don’t want to hear those, and even fewer want to hear the songs off of last year’s The Sound The Speed The Light, which made up a large chunk of Saturday night’s setlist. But, while “1,2,3, Partyy!” will never be “Trem Two” or “Academy Fight Song,” the band was clearly happy to be playing through the entirety of their catalog again. And the band has never looked tighter. Drummer Peter Prescott’s witty remarks in between songs were as sharp as his airtight drumbeats and Roger Miller and Clint Conley looked like they could have played all night.