Bad Religion – Adolescents – at House of Blues – Anaheim, CA

With no previous knowledge on who exactly was supposed to be playing with Bad Religion it was pretty awesome -to say the least- to find out on the bill was The Adolescents. Being Bad Religion’s Punk rock pioneering peers, The Adolescents tore through a set with just as much vigor as you’d expect from a band with that much longevity. You would have thought they were headlining from the way the crowd went wild during the classics “Amoeba”, “No Way”, “Rip it up” and “I Hate Children”. After thanking the audience they left the stage to a screaming fan base as widespread as their personal friends, Bad Religion.

Up next were the stars of the night, Bad Religion. They got the crowd going by having a slideshow of their L.P.s and E.P.s over the last 30 years on a huge backdrop adorning the back of the stage. During the setup and sound check, the roadies taped down what must have seriously been the longest set list I have ever seen. This was going to be one hell of a show.

The same overture  that’s on their 30 year anniversary tour video played  out over the speakers, letting the anticipation build until all the members stormed the stage and opened up with “Do what you want”. They quickly tore through classics like “American Jesus” and busted out newer tunes like “New Dark Ages”. The crowd gladly sung their hearts out to the anthems that have spanned three generations of punk rock. Greg informed the crowd that in celebration of thirty years of playing, the band wanted to play 30 songs!  This got the pit, which consisted of people anywhere between the ages of 15 and 50, even more filled with adrenaline. There was never a slow or still moment in the crowd as Bad Religion played songs spanning their entire career. “Materialist”, “Generator”, “I Want to Conquer the World”, “You Are (The Government)” and “Punk Rock Song” were among the many, many, songs played. There was even a new song played. In between songs the band fondly thanked their dedicated fan base for sticking with them after so many years. They even took us back the “How Could Hell Be Any Worse?” days with “We’re Only Gonna Die” after Graffin fondly reminisced on the earlier days of the band.

Right before their encore, Greg informed the audience that part of this show was going to be used for a live recording! When I don’t think anyone thought that pit could get any crazier, the crowd then exploded in fury as Bad Religion ended the night with some of their most popular songs. The crowd practically drowned out the band as they screamed at the top their lungs the choruses to “21rst century (Digital Boy)” “Los Angeles is Burning” and “Infected”.  It would have been safe to assume the crowd would have been ready for 30 more songs from the way the energy never let up. Even when they ended the night with “Sorrow”, a rather slow and chill song, the pit was just as aggressive as ever. This was definitely a night worth remembering, with 30 years under their belt, Bad Religion definitely had a lot to show for it.
 

-Josh G.-
Big Wheel scene reporter

 

 
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