Blog spotlight: Boblog

For the last 20-plus years, Bob Mould has been one of my musical heroes, first with the influential punk band Hüsker Dü, then as a solo artist. Back then, I read music magazines and newspaper articles or watched the occasional TV show for interviews with him and to find out the latest developments in his career. These days, he still pops up in the mainstream outlets, but I also have a more direct link to him: through Boblog, his personal online journal.

Bob Mould is not the only celebrity blogger out there, and he is likely not even the most famous. But just as blogs have given voice to average citizens across the globe, they too have allowed noted actors, published authors, celebrated athletes, and many more well-known personalities an uncensored outlet for their observations and insight, away from the PR machine.

Part of Bob Mould’s appeal, aside from his musical talents, is his everyman quality. His music has never been predicated on glitz or pyrotechnics; rather, he’s always been known for the rawness of his lyrics and his delivery, the very qualities that you’ll find in his live show as well. You want fireworks? Then open up your ears.

You’ll find these same characteristics in Bob’s blog, or Boblog. To start off, it uses Google’s Blogger platform, with some tweaks to make room for Bob’s commercial concerns (tour dates, online store, and so on). Currently, you’ll find plenty of blog real estate devoted to Bob’s two latest releases: his new CD District Line (named for the heavily traveled Metro route in Bob’s adopted hometown of Washington, DC) and his concert DVD Circle of Friends. These may change over time; as I recall, a couple of years ago, the site had a different header touting what was then Bob’s newest work.

The posts themselves are executed in classic blogger style; that is, they’re of reasonable length, they scan easily, and they incorporate crisp, clear images and videos. Nothing distracts; it’s all there to support the content.

Bob tends to keep busy with live rock show and dance club gigs, and right now is an especially hectic time. Thus, the current posts are more businesslike. Dig into the archives, however, and you’ll find posts addressing hot-button topics such as steroids in professional sports or homophobia in mainstream culture. By the same token, though, Bob also discusses holiday festivities, and vacation plans. And there’s plenty of rock-star’s view music content to go around.

The visitors to Bob’s blog are most likely already fans of his music, and they’ll be pleased to pick up tidbits that offer some insight into his art. For those who aren’t familiar with Bob Mould, they’ll probably see a blog filled with recollections of music, friendship, travel, and more–that is, a blog like anyone else’s. On either level, it works; it’s entirely up to the reader how much they want to take away.