I’ve been slacking on this site. Don’t worry, I’m still around.
School has been taking up a lot of my free time as of late. I am loving it.
I might be seeing Tiger’s Jaw and The Sidekicks this weekend in Kent at The Rathskeller should things pan out right…
I am the type of person that wishes I could do everything every time – specifically I speak of concerts. I go to plenty, but not all of them. Sadly there are certain factors I need to look at when I go to a show:
When is the show? Do I have work or class the next day? Where is the show? Can I afford to drive hours away to see said show and then drive home without staying at a hotel?
Yeah, not the greatest criteria for figuring out if I can hit up a show or now, but it is the truth. I can not jeopardize my job (even though I am writing this at work) or school by missing a day or being too tired to for that matter. I am an adult now and even though I do not want to act like one – sometimes I have to.
Case in point: Screeching Weasel recently made a couple stops near Ohio (but not IN Ohio…). I could not afford the trip down to Covington or over to Detroit and I knew it well in advance. A handful of my friends were however able to take in a show.
Jerks.
So being curious to hear how the show went I asked begged my best pals from Columbus, Pete and Mary Alice who went to the Covington show, to write up a little something something about their trip to see the one and only Screeching Weasel.
Take it away Pete (and thank you).
My beautiful wife and I ventured down to Cincinnati/Covington, KY’s Madison Theater for an evening with one of our favorite bands ever, the newly reformed (sans Jughead who had a falling out with you know who) Screeching Weasel. Much like our recent trip to see NOFX with Brian and Kolb, we stayed at a hotel, choosing the Radisson for our accommodations. That’s us up there, in our room, happy as clams.
No story of the Yuppie Punx would be complete without a full description of our fantabulous surroundings. Well, you’re kind of not going to get it here, because the rotating restaurant at the top of the hotel left something to desired. I mean, my salad was good and all, but the rest of it wasn’t that great. Not a lot of vegetarian options. The worst part of the experience was that the restaurant employees acted like it was some amazing and luxurious place. (“Special Occasion?” You CAN’T be serious, dah-ling).
But anyway, the show. This is the second time we’ve gotten to see Screeching Weasel, the first time being at last year’s Riot Fest in Chicago. Now I do have some mixed feelings about seeing the band without Jughead, but Mary Alice couldn’t care less. Ben Weasel could be standing alone flinging feces at the audience, and she would still pass out from the excitement of seeing “Ben”(Cue girly sighing noise). But Juggy’s absence is not enough to keep me from seeing the band, disappointing as it is.
We got to the Madison about halfway through the second of three bands. We still can’t get out of the local-show-starts-late mode of Columbus. But whatevs, we were in plenty of time to see the Weas.
The venue wasn’t as packed as when we saw NOFX, but it was a good crowd. For some reason, we were able to smoke inside this time(?). We decided that perhaps Fat Mike insisted on non-smoking when his band played; I’d believe it. As I mentioned before, we didn’t have to wait long for Weas to go on, so we got a couple of drinks and scurried to get a front stage spot on the second level behind the pit. After the second band finished (Shot Baker from Chicago), we waited for about 25-30 minutes for the headliners. They walked out on stage, made a few inaudible comments, then good ol’ Dan Vapid belted, “CINDY’S ON METHADONE, 1-2-3-4!!!!,” and the band proceeded to launch into the tune from their classic LP My Brain Hurts.
Now, I’m not one of those “write down the set list” guys, but this set list from Chicagofrom an earlier show this year is pretty darn close. Mary Alice enjoyed snapping many pics of her beloved Ben, and we shouted happily to all the songs we know from over 15 years of faithful listening. We only didn’t know one song, entitled “Vacation” (the title being take off of the Ramones song “Endless Vacation”), which apparently will be on an upcoming new album. Oh boy!
I wouldn’t say the crowd was insane, as so much were the bouncers. They were pulling people from the crowd at an unbelievable rate, just to jettison them from the venue stage left. While I couldn’t see all that was going on in the pit, I had a hard time believing that there could be that many people throwing punches. Sometimes when I see a bouncer rough someone up, I wonder if they did anything to deserve it. That’s totally punk of me to think that.
While Mary Alice and I both agree that Screeching Weasel is not the greatest live band in the world, we would gladly see one of the greatest bands in the world perform an average live show any time. It was a great night with a great band. Pure and simple greatness personified. Greatly.
After the show, we went back to hotel and drank liquor out of these minuscule glasses. We also watched the Good Morning Miss Bliss! (later renamed Saved By the Bell) ORIGINAL Pilot on YouTube. They had none of the classic SBTB characters, and they had an old weird guy playing Mr. Belding. Then we topped off the night with the order from the new and improved Domino’s Pizza. I don’t know what exactly Domino’s is claiming they do differently now, because the pizza still sucks.
Three different levels of rock took place last night in Cleveland thanks to Social Distortion and their hand-picked bill. The punk rock icons made a stop at the House Of Blues Sunday night with special guests Frank Turner and Lucero. The venue was packed from end to end with tickets selling out weeks ago leaving the last minute fans standing in the rain looking for extras – literally.
It’s been a little over four years since Social D took the stage in Cleveland, far too long of a hiatus. It was no surprise at the amount of fans who lined up outside of the venue waiting for the doors to open. Everyone in line looked excited and knew exactly what was going to be happening in just a short time except for a Cleveland police officer who pulled his motorcycle up on E. 9th asking if anyone had an iPod with Social Distortion on it so he could see what they sound like.
Opening act Frank Turner took the stage just after 8 p.m. to a very full and energetic crowd. This was his second visit to Cleveland ever and this time was much better than before as he was not battling the flu and none of his bandmates slipped on the stage and fell on their ass during the set.
Playing “Try This At Home” it was clear that more people in the crowd this time knew who Turner was as they sang along to his folk rock songs. Turner excitedly announced a new sing-along called “I Believe” and taught the crowd their parts. Needless to say, the song was amazing and provided a nice hint of what his new material sounds like. He continued with “Sons Of Liberty”, the ever catchy “The Road” and also played “Photosynthesis”. The set was shorter than the crowd would have liked but was enjoyed by all.
Good ol’ boys Lucero took to the stage after a brief break and did their best to win over the crowd. Sadly not as many people seemed as excited during their set but there was a nice chunk of true Lucero fans who sang from the beginning till the end as loudly as possible making sure all their surrounding neighbors realize they were missing out on something good.
The southern rock act played through their set including “I’ll Just Fall”, “Sixes & Sevens” as well as “Noon As Dark”. They sounded amazing live and appeared so happy to be on the stage with lead singer Ben Nichols even saying “This is a dream tour for us.” “Mom” was a highlight to many in the crowd who all knew the lyrics by heart as was the set ending “Tears Don’t Matter Much.” Their set flew by entirely too fast and many were wishing that was not the case.
Social D made way to the stage with lead man Mike Ness donning an almost rockabilly / Swingers outfit with baggy khakis and a white button up shirt. After absorbing the cheers from all over the venue Ness was handed a guitar and the band broke into three classics “The Creeps”, “Another State Of Mind”, and “Mommy’s Little Monster”. Looking and sounding solid as ever, the band played with great energy and soaked in all the excitement from the crowd.
“Sick Boys” got the fans moving around as Ness and crew thrashed about the stage while everyone sang along – Rock N Roll never sounded so good. With beers in hand and eyes focused on the stage, Social D continued with “I Was Wrong” as well as played a new song from their upcoming album entitled “Still Alive”.
Moving around their catalog, the band played older and newer tracks including “Ball & Chain”, “Bakersfield” (another song from their upcoming release) and “So Far Away”. For having been around for 30+ years, the band showed no signs of being too tired to play or any hints that their musical career would be ending anytime soon. By the sounds of the cheers it was certain that everyone was enjoying themselves at one of the better shows that has come to Cleveland. Add in “Prison Bound” and Cash’s “Ring Of Fire” and many Social D fans were beyond satisfied with the set.
The only downfall of the show that could be seen were the folk who just didn’t know when to stop throwing back drinks – more so than other recent shows. It was quite apparent that a lot of Sunday night concert goers would be calling off Monday morning. A couple fights erupted, one during Lucero, and a select few fans were so piss drunk that they could not stand on their own two feet halfway through the main performance. Nevertheless the surrounding crowd was unscathed by their actions and paid attention to the real reason they came to the House Of Blues: To take in a Rock N Roll show by one of the best acts out there.
January 18th, 2001, Social Distortion will be releasing Hard Times & Nursery Rhymes, the band’s first release in over six years. By the show that the band put on last night, it’s evident that excitement for their new album has reached higher levels.
Social Distortion Setlist:
The Creeps
Another State Of Mind
Mommy’s Little Monster
Sick Boys
Don’t Drag Me Down
I Was Wrong
Bye Bye Baby
Still Alive
Ball & Chain
Through These Eyes
Bakersfield
King Of Fools
When She Begins
Making Believe
So Far Away
Prison Bound
Down Here With The Rest Of Us
Cold Feelings
Ring Of Fire
Anyone who was smart enough to go to the Bad Religion / Bouncing Souls show last night can agree with me on one thing – Best Show Ever.
A trio of punk rock bands with a 20 year gap in age difference treated all the fans to one hell of a show in tropical Cleveland, OH last night at the House Of Blues. Honestly it was one of the highlight shows of the year for me and I left the venue last night beyond satisfied. More on that in a second…
30 years ago, a punk rock band by the name of Bad Religion formed. Seeing how I was only three years old, I had no idea who they were and pretty much had no idea who they were until I was about 12 or 13. I can tell you this, the first time I heard them I became a fan instantly. Intelligent and powerful punk rock was exactly what I was looking for at a young age. I remember I used to take the cassette inserts and read the lyrics and look up the words I could not understand in dictionaries and encyclopedias. I was a punk rock dork.
Just a little over 15 years ago I saw my first Bad Religion show and immediately knew I would love this band for the rest of my life. Seeing them take the stage was one of the most important events in my life as a young punker.
I’ve grown up with this band and I have seen them well over a dozen times. Ask me what my top 5 bands are of all time and Bad Religion will be one of them, if not number one. I guess you would be correct in saying that I kind of like these guys.
Any fan of Bad Religion can agree, they are that amazing.
When Bad Religion posted that they were coming to Cleveland once again I was just as excited as I when I was granted permission by my folks to see them in the mid-nineties. Add Bouncing Souls and Off With Their Heads to the bill, and I was even more pumped to be at the show.
When I arrived to the House Of Blues, the place was already crowded and Off With Their Heads were already rocking through their set. From what I heard, they sounded good. The crowd was getting a kick out of them too as they just pushed through their 30 minute set.
New Jersey heroes The Bouncing Souls took the stage to their adoring fans and blew threw a fun set including old and new tunes. The foursome was impressed with Cleveland on a Tuesday night and did their best to keep the excitement overflowing. They sounded better live this time as they played “True Believer”, “Lean on Sheena”, “Gasoline” and a hilarious screw up of “East Coast! Fuck You!” that had lead singer Greg Attontio on his knees laughing his ass off while the crowd took over vocal duties for him.
The band was all smiles on stage and I would have to assume much more excited to not be playing a Warped Tour. Having seen them earlier this summer at the 100 degree nightmare of a festival, not only did the band look more comfortable this round, but there was also twice as many fans packed at the venue to see them.
Finally the punk rock godfathers most had gathered to see, Bad Religion, took their rightful place on stage to what looked like an almost sold out crowd. Pacing the stage, the band took in their well deserved applauds from their fans of all ages. Without hesitation the band ripped into “Do What You Want” and the place went insane.
Rather than focusing on their recently released album The Dissent Of Man, the band played select tracks from their 30 year catalog including “Only Gonna Die”, “Conquer The World”, and “A Walk”. They sounded better than ever to my ears and seemed focused on only one thing – playing the best show that they could for their fans.
In between a couple of songs Greg Graffin talked about their 30 year career and at one time said “when you’ve been in a band for 30 years, every night could be our last show.” Graffin also recalled the first time Bad Religion played Cleveland in the 80’s at some place called Peabody’s.
It was evident that the band was aging, well not Greg Hetson, but the others showed signs of aging. Graffin wore a more “dad-like” outfit while Jay Bentley’s beard was more salt and pepper. The band though did not let age play a part in their performance. In all the times I have ever seen Bad Religion, this was my favorite show.
I was not in the pit this time thrashing around screaming lyrics I held so close to my heart. I sure as hell was not crowd surfing. Instead I perched myself to the side of the stage anticipating which song the band would play next while gently rocking my head throughout.
The continued their set with “Suffer”, “Atomic Garden”, “Wrong Way Kids”, and two of my all time favorites back to back: “You” and “Fuck Armageddon”. They finished their set with “American Jesus” and exited the stage.
The crowd knew an encore was going to happen and no one moved. Instead, they cheered as loudly as possible letting the band know they wanted more. Not even a minute, Bad Religion was back on the stage and Graffin joked “how’d you know we were going to play an encore?”
The encore consisted of three more tracks including two more of my favorite songs, “Infected” and “Sorrow”. Everyone packed in the venue sang as loudly as possible through each song with arms raised high in the air.
It was an amazing night of punk rock goodness. This show was one of the better shows I have seen in my time and I am thrilled to have been a part of it. Punk’s not dead at all. Trust me, I know this.
Bad Religion Set List:
Do What You Want
Sinister
Only Gonna Die
Recipe For Hate
Flat Earth
Before You Die
The Resist-Stance
Conquer The World
Digital Boy
New Dark Ages
The Devil In Stitches
Requiem For Dissent
A Walk
No Control
No Direction
Avalon
Suffer
Atomic Garden
Wrong Way Kids
Meeting Of The Minds
You
Fuck Armageddon
Generator
American Jesus
Encore:
Infected
Los Angeles Is Burning
Sorrow
Chances are if you have been to a concert, you are like me and have purchased a concert shirt. It’s a way to support a band while at the same time show everyone who it is you listen to. It is almost a bragging right if you think about it – there is nothing more satisfying then sporting a concert shirt the day after the show. If you are lucky, someone will notice it and ask you how the show was (face it, you love it when this happens).
It’s a form of expression. People will judge you for the shirt you wear. Trust me, I know this.
The concert shirt, for me, has become almost a staple in my life. I have tons of them and they all carry certain memories. For the longest time, I made sure that I purchased a shirt at every show I went to. It was an obsession, an addiction that I just adored. After having counting over 400 shirts one day I decided it was time to chill on the addiction and even pack some up and donate to Goodwill.
I can not tell you how difficult that was for me…
Sure, a lot of the shirts were ones I hadn’t worn in years and were by bands that were meaningless to me, but there were a few that held such fond memories I just could not let them go even though I knew I would never wear them again.
I took about 50 or so of them and jammed them in a giant Rubbermaid tub and put them in my attic. I’m no pack-rat, but I know sometimes you should not get rid of something when it holds a fond memory of a good time…
I know I am not the only who shares this addiction / ritual. There is at least one other person I know who does. Her name is Sara and she started the blog Black Shirt Generation. The site is great in that she shares the same love for the concert shirt but has turned it into a project, if not a mission, to find out all the fellow concert tee lovers out there as well as collect their stories.
Rather than sit here and tell you why she started it, I figured I would give her the honors; so Sara, take it away:
Black Shirt Generation is an idea that’s taken me some time to figure out. A long time ago, someone, on some drunken night downtown, put a little idea into my head that one day I was going to “write teen anthems”. Not believing him for a second, I quickly dismissed him…but I must admit, almost 10 years later, I still thought about it.
A few months ago, I was standing in my closet, trying to figure out what I was going to wear, and I started cracking myself up. I have probably 100 black band t-shirts in my closet. I only wear a dozen or so of them, and it STILL takes me forever to pick out one of them.
It got me thinking about how many other music fanatics were out there with the same issue. Closets and drawers chock full of nothing to wear – but also full of memories and stories of days gone by.
From there, the ideas started coming in about maybe THIS is what I was “meant” to do. This was going to be my outlet to the world. It might not be a “teen anthem”, so to speak, but it’s definitely the voice of a generation. My generation, my voice, my story, my memories…
That being said, I wanted the scoop on others’ takes on their love affair/obsession with music as well. Punk rock, rock n’ roll, tattoos, booze, fighting, heartbreak – everything that comes with that uniform of black cotton with your heart and soul silk-screened on across the front.
So I’m looking to you, your friends, their friends and anyone who wants to make it known why they love that holey, frayed shirt that was black at one point in time…and why you or they never got rid of it – even though it would never be worn again.
Thanks Sara. Very cool idea.
Got a fond memory you want to share? Head over to Black Shirt Generation and let her know!
