Though he was every bit the force that Bob Mould was in the influential post-punk band Husker Du, Grant Hart [ tickets ]--through a combination of bad luck and bad moves--has struggled to get heard since that legendary group split two decades ago. On Wednesday night (3/19), Hart was at SXSW, apparently trying to drum up some label interest for a new solo album he's got in the can.

After taking the stage solo--oddly placed directly behind a bar--Hart opened with the Husker Du dirge "No Promise Have I Made." While it began somewhat shakily, Hart found his voice midway through the song. A strong take on the fantastic Hart solo song "2541" followed (versions of the track appeared on a post-Husker Du EP, as well as Hart's "Intolerance" album).

At points during his performance, Hart--who was Husker Du's drummer--seemed to lose interest, and his guitar playing became too sloppy to carry his songs; "Green Eyes" lacked any form at all. But when he put in some effort, as he did on "Never Taking To You Again" (from the Husker Du classic "Zen Arcade"), the old spark was back.

Overall, though, the show was a frustrating synopsis of what's been wrong with Hart's post-Huskers career: a lack of focus, uneven material and questionable decisions (why grouse about the annoying aspects of SXSW when you're using it at a forum to sell your art?). And without a backing band, those problems (as well as Hart's less-than-stellar guitar playing) are amplified.