Husker Du in Vegas

I am working on an article about the history of alternative entertainment in Las Vegas. Over the weekend I picked up a particularly funny memory from Bob Mould who these days is best known for his blog, Blowoff and solo discs. But when Mould rolled into Las Vegas on April 23, 1987 it was as frontman for 80s hardcore legends Husker Du. Of course, back then there was no Hard Rock or House of Blues in Las Vegas, and like most rock bands playing Vegas (including the Beatles in 1964), Husker Du performed far from the resort corridor. In the case of the Huskers, the band played the UNLV Ballroom. While most 80s hardcore shows, especially ones on a college campus, were promoted by fans and offered few barriers between audience and performer, the kids of Vegas appear to have done a good job recreating the Strip's intricate system of access and VIP status. Mould notes of the gig: "I remember an inordinate amount of people with some sort of credentials: security of this, security of that.  The entire day and night at the venue, people being obsessed with credentials. Catering people acting like law enforcement members, for example. Otherwise, an unremarkable day."