Posts Tagged ‘bad religion’
Saturday
23:43
Bad Religion, Strung Out @ HOB Sunset // Hollywood
Bad Religion
Strung Out
Saved the best for last. This was round 4 for me of the 30th Anniversary HOB tour and this one was my favorite. Strung out…Bad Religion…HOB Sunset? Count me in. I went to this gig with Jennifer, Kelvin, and Anthony. Strung Out brought in Jennifer and Anthony. While Kelvin and I are SO fans, we were there even more for BR.
Strung Out played a good show, and had a decent setlist. I enjoyed hearing Velvet Alley the most, but also dug a bunch of the other tunes. Their shows always reinforce just how much I don’t know their older catalog as well as I know the newer material. The bummer about the SO set was the crowd…the meatheads. The pit was just vicious with the Beef n’ Cheddar crowd and a couple bloody fights even erupted. So lame. We stayed out of the pit for SO for that reason, but also Kelvin and Anthony where in good spots toward the front and I just wasn’t feeling like going in with this band. I still enjoyed watching their set and they made a good opener.
Then after the usual half hour intermission came on the Bad Religions, of course opening with Do What You Want. I was excited for this show and was in and out of the pit the entire set. I ran into my BR buddy Keshav at the show. The crowd was much improved for BR, so the pit was actually fun and just how it should be for a punk rock show: chaotic, but not stupidly dangerous. Jennifer joined in the pit for the No Control songs and Anthony stayed behind the pit mostly for the show. The block of Process of Belief songs was a nice surprise, those first three songs on that album always get me pumped. They played a very nice setlist and it was just an awesome show.
My thoughts on the whole tour?
I made it to four of the Hollywood shows. Not too bad considering I live in San Francisco. That’s one of my favorite venues, and hey, with my parents house in LA that makes it easy.
I liked the mix of songs, even if the setlists were a bit predictable and the encores were repeated (I know, I know the process of choosing the setlist considers several factors). It was pretty rad hearing tunes like Marked, The Handshake and Delirium of Disorder live.
Brett only played one of the shows I attended, but hey it was cool having the extra bit of dynamism/depth for the one show. I don’t consider his absence lacking, but rather his presence a bonus at shows.
Two of the my four shows unfortunately had a high number of meatheads on the floor, but aye, I know that’s a part of the scene.
My favorite shirt worn on stage of the tour has to go to Baker for his Larrydavhead t-shirt. Haha, so good.
Cheers to BR for playing a rad tour, and still looking like they’re having fun every night. At this rate, I look forward to the next HOB romp in 2012!
BR will be touring the US for new album tour in the Fall. I’ll be there.
Saturday
23:32
Bad Religion @ HOB Sunset // Hollywood
Bad Religion
Round 3 of the 30th Anniversary tour. Alison, Kelvin and I made it to this one shortly before BR took the stage, missing The Dickies open up. I half-expected us to stay back off the pit floor on this one and I was fully-correct. We were just to the right of the soundboard. Though a bit further back than I’m used to, and out of the action, we still had a nice view. I didn’t mind taking a break from the pit for one show, even if a few songs nearly made me weave my way down there. This was the first show of the tour that I saw with Brett playing as well. That third guitar adds a nice sound to the performance. They played a couple songs I hadn’t heard in a while: Marked and Delirium of Disorder. Other than that, the setlist was as expected. I’m glad I made this show, but I have to say I’m looking forward to the next one, this Saturday, most of all on the tour.
Sunday
23:18
Bad Religion, The Vandals @ HOB Sunset // Hollywood
Bad Religion
The Vandals
Great show. Kelvin and I got here just as the Vandals started at 9:15pm. They had a short set due to the line-up that night (Joe Sib speech after them), but oh what a setlist. I couldn’t have chosen a better one. All songs Hitler Bad, Vandals Good or older included Anarch Burger, Urban Cowboy, And Now We Dance (my favorite), People That Are Going To Hell and Ape Drape. Vandals always put on a fun show. And yes, Warren sung a song at the end. It wasn’t I Have A Date as exected, but instead a Queen song.
Joe Sib gave a fifteen minute talk on California Calling and then at 10:30, the Bad Religions came out. To the crowd’s delight, as it was Easter Sunday, their bassist Jay Bentley dressed up as the Easter Bunny, haha. I’m impressed he kept that suit on the entire show. Photo credit to Kelvin on the above BR shot. Muuuch better crowd this night (far fewer meatheads) and a great setlist. Old, new, rare. In the middle of the set some blonde girl started flailing her arms, pretty much attacking me out of nowhere. I was able to block the blows and fended her off before she calmed down/security told her to GTFO. I guess she mistook me for someone who hit her in the pit. A guy next to me just looked at me with a “Crazy bitch!” look about her. And a crowd surfer’s foot made contact with my mouth…stupid crowd surfers. No bruies from this show, however, just a good time.
Saturday
23:24
Bad Religion @ HOB Sunset // Hollywood
Bad Religion
Well it’s another Bad Religion “world tour” of Southern California, another House of Blues romp. Last time they did this was in 2008 with a score of shows in Hollywood, Anaheim, San Diego, and Las Vegas. I caught eight BR shows that tour — eight shows within a five-week span, six at Sunset, two at Anaheim. I also lived in LA at the time. This year, I live in San Francisco. If you know me, you know that won’t stop me from catching a good show, namely one put on by my favorite band. I must concede, due to distance and maybe just getting older, I have toned it down a bit…only four shows this tour.
Last nights show kicked things off. Dan and I got there just in time for BR’s 10:30pm set. The fanfare began with playing some cliche triumphant melody and then the band broke out into Do What You Want. The show was sold out, so that sure made the floor packed. Unfortunately, there were far too many meatheads for my liking in attendance, but aye, what can ya do? I was around the pit for this show, but held back around the perimiter (rather than bordering it or inside) a bit more than expected. But songs like New Dark Ages and Generator will always bring me out and to the front.
It was my first time hearing the electric version of Won’t Somebody and the new song Resist Stance, so that was cool. The setlist was cool, but didn’t bring out any super rare tunes. It was a nice enough show and I look forward to a better one tomorrow.