Sugar w/ J. Robbins

Sugar features Bob Mould, David Barbe, and Malcolm Travis, the lineup behind the band’s early-’90s run and its acclaimed debut, Copper Blue. J. Robbins, billed here with his Jawbox connection, is a singer, guitarist, songwriter, and producer whose work also includes Burning Airlines, Channels, and other post-punk projects.

Expect a guitar-centered rock show rooted in melody, volume, and tightly wound rhythm-section force rather than nostalgia alone. Sugar’s return follows new activity after decades away, while Robbins brings the perspective of a longtime independent-music lifer with deep ties to the Dischord and D.C.-area post-punk world.

For Cincinnati-area fans who know Bob Mould through Hüsker Dü, his solo work, or Sugar’s compact but influential catalog, this MegaCorp Pavilion stop is a rare chance to see Sugar as a full band again. The event page also notes that Sugar has partnered with PLUS1, with a portion of each ticket supporting The Trevor Project’s crisis-intervention and suicide-prevention work for LGBTQ+ youth.