Social Distortion and Bad Religion at the Masonic

The Masonic is total chaos during general admissions shows. Having ushers more strategically placed to keep people from blocking the aisles in the first place would go a long way toward preventing the nearly impenetrable mass of bodies that accumulated in every passageway. The lines outside were extremely long, and instead of wrapping them around the same block, they chose to have them split across streets, causing confusion and adding risk. This may have been due to there being two simultaneous shows that night, but it still could have been done better.

The sound team actually turned up the volume for the one piano solo in the Social Distortion set, but otherwise maintained their aversion to keyed instruments (evidenced by the total absence of piano in the mix during the Nick Cave show we saw there a few years ago, and the recent English Beat performance which featured TWO keyboard players, NEITHER of whom was at all audible, among other examples). Hint: If you're a touring act and can afford it, bring your own sound techs. 

Nevertheless, though the long lines cost us the ability to watch Mike Ness' son's band and some of Social Distortion's set, both headliners gave solid performances that made it worth our troubles. This was our second time seeing Social Distortion, and we have no regrets. Mike Ness has preserved his voice well. They're no slouches, and they respect their audience. Their brand of gritty, roots rock just never goes out of style. They're just the sort of band whose sound is so classic that you don't even have to be in the mood for it. It just sounds good. They don't fuss with fancy lighting, and they don't waste time. Even if you're only a casual fan, or just like rock and have a chance to see them, go. 

Bad Religion did a mix of new and old songs, among them 21st Century Digital Boy, with its lyrics, "I don't know how to read but I got a lot of toys," now more relevant than ever. If you've found your way to our obscure blog, you've probably spent enough time online to read about the declining US literacy rate, and we don't have to point out the coinciding rise in internet use and digital gaming to make the point. It's plainly observable, and was sufficiently predictable that singer Greg Graffin was able to paint this picture well before the 21st century arrived. After so much time, the possible interpretations to Bad Religion's lyrics have only proliferated, and the power of their live performance really drove home a lot of later-life reflections. Unrelatedly, Jay Bentley has mastered the effect of moving like he's riding a small, invisible bull, which probably accounts for the cowboy hat. Mike Dimkich also dressed the part, presumably because it's his bull, and he just lets Jay ride it. In the encore, they also surprised us with their spot-on finale, Thin Lizzy's The Boys Are Back in Town, which caught us off guard and hit us right in the funny bone so hard that we lost it. Our composure didn't find us again until somewhere in the merch line.

Upcoming Events 2024

The Slackers

In a few days, we'll be seeing The Slackers at the Magic Bag. While we're bummed that they won't be at the Blind Pig, where we usually see them, it's been a few years, so it will be good to see their familiar faces. They've released a new album since we last saw them, too. Doors at 7pm. 

Bad Religion, Social Distortion

Social D has always been a good band, and they're even better live. We saw them a while back at one of the outdoor amphitheaters, and this time, they're playing the Masonic Temple Theatre. This will be our first time seeing Bad Religion, which has been on our bucket list since 1996. The Midwest has been neglected by a lot of acts for a long time, so we are thrilled to see so many good bands finally making their way here. Doors open at 6pm. 

Amyl and the Sniffers 

For a while during the pandemic, we followed Justin Hawkins on YouTube, and have him to thank for introducing us to Amyl and the Sniffers. We're going to see them when they play the Majestic on Thursday, 25 July. We don't really know too much about them, but man, she is the REAL DEAL. There are a lot of frontmen and women who put up some sort of toughguy façade, and that serves its purpose, generating interest among their corresponding fan demographic. That's fine, but we're not interested in that. 

There's just something special about people who are just unfiltered, unvarnished, pure pigment. Just when we thought punk had nothing left to say, we heard her and her sniffing friends. They're coarse but tight. Amy is untamed but not macho. We can't wait.

Faun

What a shocker!!!!! For years, Faun has been doing 2 or 3 shows on the opposite coasts in the US, leaving everyone in the middle hanging. Imagine our surprise when we got an email invite to the presale for their fall appearance! They're playing The Majestic (why there???) on Friday, 4 October with doors at 7pm. We wouldn't be surprised if this show sold out and ended up being moved to a larger (better) venue. A full US tour has been a long time coming, and we're still pinching ourselves. 

Spring and Summer 2020

In stark contrast to 2019, this year has a wealth of concert listings. It's as though musicians around the world have suddenly remembered the existence of the Midwest, and the fact that this is where the serious rock fans live. While there's no way we'll be attending all of these, several upcoming shows caught our attention, and we think it's worth listing them here. Some interest us more than others, and we've highlighted our favorites. The commentary is complimentary.

• Carnivore A.D with Sheer Terror at The Sanctuary, March 5 at 7pm

• Cactus at the Token Lounge, March 13 at 7:30pm

• Haken (opening for Devin Townsend) at the Crofoot Ballroom, March 13 at 7pm

               If you're there to see Haken, don't dick around. They are not headlining, so if you're late, you could miss them, and that would be sad.

• Sepultura at Harpo's, March 29 at 6pm

• Bad Religion with Alkaline Trio at the Fillmore Detroit, April 15 at 6:30pm

               Sometimes, it's a relief when the opening act doesn't interest you. You can grab a late dinner and a cheaper drink elsewhere, then skip the line while Alkaline Trio plays.

• King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard at the Royal Oak Music Theater, April 25 at 7pm

• Dead Can Dance and Agnes Obel at The Masonic Temple April 28 at 6:30pm

               DCD are always outstanding, and fans are fortunate that they are together again. Enjoy it while you can.

• Here Come the Mummies at St. Andrew's Hall, May 7 at 8:30pm

• Testament at St. Andrew's Hall, May 14 at 6pm

• Black Flag at the Machine Shop, May 29 at 7pm

               Is this real? Is it really them? Which singer is on this tour? Presumably, it will be Greg Ginn with a group of young'uns, fronted by Mike Vallely. That's what their website says, anyway.

• Primus with Wolfmother and The Sword at the MI Lottery Theater at Freedom Hill, June 26 at 7pm

               We'll happily skip Wolfmother, but Primus and The Sword are a fun combination. According to their website, Primus plans to honor the late Neil Peart with their performance: 

          "This summer, Primus will pay homage to prog-rock legends Rush with a "Tribute to Kings," a           cross-country tour that will feature the iconic 'A Farewell to Kings' in its entirety. Special                     guests Wolfmother will be joining the tour, with The Sword and Battles opening select dates.

          A special pre-sale, including VIP upgrade options, will go on sale, Wednesday February 19 at              10am local time. General public on sale Friday, February 21 at 10am local time."

• Megadeth and Lamb of God at DTE Energy Music Theater, July 1 at 6pm

          We're not LoG fans, but someone likes them.

• Ministry, KMFDM, and Front Line Assembly at the Royal Oak Music Theater, July 10 at 6pm

               The last time we saw Ministry, the opening act was pitiful, and we've never seen such an obvious split within an audience. It was abundantly clear which fans were there for the respective bands, and there seemed to be little, if any, overlap. This time, we have to thank Ministry for touring with KMFDM. That not only makes sense, it completely transforms the bill. We can hardly wait.

• Kansas, Europe and Foreigner at DTE Energy Music Theater, July 28 at 7pm

• Krokus at the Token Lounge, September 30 at 6pm

• Faith No More with Korn at DTE Energy Music Theater, September 10 at 6pm

               They're playing with Korn. We are torn. Korn is absolute fucking garbage. What do we do?

• Einsturzende Neubauten at St. Andrew's Hall October 24 at 9pm