It seems like Unwound obsesses over time, often focusing on the past, present, and future. Currently advancing through their first tour since 2002, the group reunited under the tour header Unwound: 1991-2091 –suggesting their eyes look towards the future. Heading down the West Coast from Seattle, next to their hometown of Olympia, Washington, the post-hardcore unit played two nights at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco. Each night was split into two sets, a rare move from a rock-oriented band. When I caught them during the first night, the set break slowed everything down, shaping the night into a slow burn, but not without explosive bursts. Both setlists were full of peaks and lulls, a thoughtful take on the conventional “loud quiet loud” approach that many 90s indie bands employed. Individual songs also peaked and quieted, with Sara Lund’s skilled drumming providing the foundation for bursts and troughs of guitar noise and bass power. Together, the group conjured the sonic m...
