Big Head Todd and The Monsters Celebrate 40-year Career at The Sound

Two-hour, 23-song show a blues-rock romp featuring hits, covers, and new songs

Big Head Todd’s founding trio have been intact since their 1986 start.

It’s common for bands to express appreciation for their fans during a live performance. But statements like, “Thanks for coming out tonight!” and “We love you [insert city name here]!” are so often repeated they ring pretty hollow.

So, when Big Head Todd and The Monsters’ frontman Todd Park Mohr acknowledged the band’s 40th anniversary early into their Nov. 21 show at The Sound in Del Mar, California, by saying, “Thank you for allowing us to live the lives we lead,” the sincerity caught me by surprise. It was genuinely grateful and the feeling filled the air from the first note to the final wave goodbye.

The Colorado-based (and beloved) band eased into their nearly two-hour set with the slow-burning “Josephina” from their 2014 album Black Beehive. It was, perhaps, a subtle start to commemorating nearly four decades of music, but the opener was quickly followed by “Resignation Superman,” one of the group’s bigger hits. Featuring Mohr’s soaring vocals and chugging guitar, it confidently shifted the night into second gear.

In addition to celebrating their 40th anniversary—the timing of which a bit suspect given Big Head Todd officially formed in 1986, performing their first gig at a University of Colorado college party—the band took this occasion to perform three songs from their latest release, Her Way Out: “Into the Light,” the charming “Rainbow Girl” (inspired by Mohr’s 7-year-old daughter), and “My New Number One,” which blended nostalgic tastes of AC/DC guitars, Led Zeppelin drums, and Red Hot Chili Peppers vocals.

After 38-ish years, the prolific touring band has performed over 1,000 concerts.

Fans of Big Head Todd know of the rock band’s love of the blues. In fact, it’s what led to their name. Contrary to what some might think, “Big Head” doesn’t refer to the size of Todd’s noggin or his ego. The lead singer suggested the moniker Big Head Todd and The Monsters as a nod to jazz/blues artist Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson and, to their surprise, it stuck.

Todd's head doesn't appear all that large, but his seafoam green and cherry red Fender guitars sure catch your eye.

On this special night, the foursome—Mohr (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Brian Nevin (drums), Rob Squires (bass), and Jeremy Lawton (keyboards, lap steel guitar)—paid homage to some blues greats. Early in the set, they performed a faithful rendition of Willie Dixon’s “Sittin’ and Cryin’ the Blues.” Later, they fired up the crowd with perennial crowd-pleaser “Boom Boom,” a 1961 John Lee Hooker tune that took on new life with Mohr’s gravelly growl, and their own blues romp “New World Arisin’.”

To their fans’ delight, Big Head Todd interlaced all three hits from their platinum-selling 1993 album Sister Sweetly in their setlist. Squires’ bass groove held down the beautifully crafted “Bittersweet,” while the hard-rocking “Circle” featured a brief but brilliant guitar solo from Mohr. The anthemic “Broken Hearted Savior” kicked off their three-song encore, sparking a spirited crowd singalong.

Big Head Todd’s fondness for performing covers during their live shows doesn’t stop at the blues. Tonight, during the soulful “It’s Alright,” they slipped in a snippet of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” and then gave a wink to San Diego as a “harbor town” with the yacht rock staple “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” that was every bit as good as the original. But they saved the best for last, closing out the 23-song night with Boston’s instrumental opus “Foreplay”—marked by Lawton’s ethereal keyboards and Nevin’s hard-driving drums—flowing seamlessly into Deep Purple’s high-octane “Highway Star.”

Before exiting the stage, Mohr took one last moment to thank the near-capacity crowd for 40 years of support and shout out the venue’s sound (when is the last time you heard a band do that?), asking that we have them back. Something tells me Big Head Todd and The Monsters will grace San Diego stages more than a few times before their next milestone anniversary rolls around.