DOA – Channel 3 – The Grim – and The Dips – at Weber’s – Reseda, CA

Sunday, February 3rd marked the end of an era: the last time that D.O.A. would play in Los Angeles.  Yes, Weber’s in Reseda hosted the final stop for the veteran punkers from Vancouver.

If you’ve never been, Weber’s is a sports bar by day and concert venue by night, making it so there is not a bad spot in the house for catching your favourite bands. Thanks to the folks at Bad Sam Presents, there’s been a shitload of awesome shows here, with the D.O.A. farewell show being only the latest.

About 45 minutes or so after the doors opened (which gave people enough time to grab some booze and get caught up with friends) local band, The Dips, took to the stage. Ever since seeing these guys at Punk Rock Bowling last year, I have been trying to get to one of their shows, and tonight was the night! (They won me over last year when their guitarist jumped off the stage and joined in the circle pit, still playing his instrument.) T

hey opened with “Beans and Weenies” and as their set progressed, more and more people started coming into the venue and filling out the floor. Marvin (lead singer) seems to have blast onstage and that bleeds through to the audience (at one point, some kid took the mic and started singing along)! I overheard quite a few people asking who The Dips were at the beginning of the night—by the end of the set, those same people were new fans!  If you like Black Flag, Agent Orange, or the Adolescents, you’ll love The Dips! 

Set-list: Beans and Weenies, Cartoons, No Values (Black Flag cover), D.U.I., Falling Down, Lifeless, Live to Die, Richie Dagger (Germs cover), I Don’t Believe, Gas Prices, Between the Lines, Grandma’s Dick, Young ‘til I Die (7 Seconds cover)

Next up, The Grim! Always one to put on an energetic show, The Grim didn’t disappoint on Sunday. They set up the stage with their banner, some extra lights, and a smoke machine. As soon as the extra bits of equipment went on, a fuse was blown, making the stage go dark! After a few more minutes of futzing around, making Super Bowl blackout jokes, and getting at least a spotlight back on, the band opened up with “Suicide”.

Throughout the entirety of their set, there was a pit happening in one form or another. It started out as a circle, but when someone spilled a beer, the already slick floor turned into a slip ‘n slide. As the night progressed, the energy level kept rising and everyone seemed to be in a great mood. There was one tussle in the pit that got a person kicked out, but otherwise, everyone was in high spirits.  It had been a while since I’ve seen The Grim perform and I had forgotten how much fun they are live.  

 

Set-list: Suicide, Parents, Old Enough, Live to Die, No Respect, 93 Days, Cop Killer, Mannequin Factory, Sunday School, White Woman, Nothing but Needles, Old Town Mall, Saipan Death March, Love Machine, Back Against the Wall

Weber’s was pretty full by the time Channel 3 took to the stage. CH3 always, always, always puts on a fun, funny, and awesome show—Sunday was no exception! I was on the back patio when they started, so I missed their first song, but I made it back inside in time for “Manzanar”. Mike, being the funny guy that he is, would toss out quips and jokes in between songs, but those were short and to the point.

The anticipation and energy of the crowd kept growing. As they got deeper into their set, I thought we’d never get to see Maria on stage, but lo and behold, she was there!

As the last chords of “Indian Summer” faded into the background, the buzz from the crowd increased … D.O.A. would be taking the stage in just a few minutes! 

Partial set-list:  Manzanar, Out of Control, Mannequin, I Didn't Know, Catholic Boy, Hangin Around, I've Got a Gun, Waiting in the Wings, It's The little Things, You Make Me Feel Cheap, Indian Summer

Since Joey Shithead is making a run for political office up in Canada fairly soon, this farewell tour may very well be an honest-to-god farewell. And Weber’s was the location chosen for their final U.S. hurrah. Lucky us! From the moment they hit the stage until the final note sounded, the entire place was just a mass of writhing, bouncing, pitting, and screaming bodies. All the members of the band interacted with each other, and the audience, with smiles, whilst Joey threw in a kick or 5 to punctuate the lyrics.

With over 30 years of material to choose from, it was like a live “Best of” compilation: from “The Enemy” to “They Hate Punk Rock”, I don’t think we could’ve asked for a better set! Sunday’s performance from D.O.A. might have been one of the most intense and high-energy show of theirs I’ve ever seen. They left the stage, when Mike from CH3 jumped up to give his own heartfelt send-off, before they came back up to tear the place down with “Disco Sucks”. 

We wish Mr. Keithley the best of luck in his pending run for Parliament, and hope he gets all the votes! But you can’t blame us if we hope that a loss means D.O.A. will come back and tour. 

Partial set-list: Marijuana Motherfucker, Surfin’ Bird, Already Dead, The Enemy, La Grange, Fucked Up Ronnie, War, Fuck You, I Hate You, Disco Sucks, Woke Up Screaming

 

 

                             More photos of the show can be seen HERE

-Anni Thyme-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

 

 

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