Social Distortion – Dead Relatives – Suedehead – at House of Blues – Anaheim, CA

Birthdays can bring on a wide range of emotions; some dread becoming older, some love having a day it yourself, and some just love to celebrate where they are in life. The House of Blues Anaheim turned 10 years old on January 12th and with this big milestone, they're hosting bands from a variety of different genres until the 30th of the month as part of "the 10th anniversary series". To kick off the anniversary series, the House of Blues invited Orange County favorites Social Distortion to performfor their birthday party; the concert also happens to be Social D's 70th sold out show played at the House of Blues Anaheim. To say that the event was highly anticipated would be an understatement, as the pre-sale sold out in 10 minutes and the public sale sold out in a minute flat.

The party started early with Suedehead taking the stage at 8PM. Suedehead is a local act hailing from Costa Mesa and provides listeners with "pub rock with soul", which is perfect for a performance at the House of Blues. The lead singer had a heavy British accent, which proved to be intriguing to the crowd, as well as his outstanding vocals. The band played with an overload of enthusiasm that seemed to be part of their charm. They played a short set, and although no pit was formed, the audience seemed to enjoy Suedehead's performance.

The Dead Relatives came on shortly after and appeared to have a decent fan base within the crowd. The lead singer's vocals had a striking resemblance to Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, with elements of classic rock and roll thrown in. Like Suedehead, they were grateful to share the stage with Social Distortion and left everyone in attendance hyped up and anxious.

A few minutes before 10pm, the listed show time for Social Distortion, the curtains opened followed by a huge wave of cheers and screams; however, it was a false alarm. Booking manager Todd emerged into the spotlight to express his thanks to the fans, employees at the House of Blues Anaheim, and Social Distortion for coming out and celebrating; Todd also shared why he believes the venue has been around for a decade. Moments later, the curtain opened to a dark stage, with each band member entering to Spanish-style music. Mike Ness was the last to appear on stage, welcomed with ear-piercing screams from adoring fans.

Social Distortion didn't waste any time getting to their classics; they performed "So Far Away", "Gotta Know the Rules", "Mommy's Little Monster", and "Sick Boy", which had everyone singing along in unison. The group also performed a few tracks off their upcoming album "Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes" including the radio-hit "Machine Gun Blues", "Gimme the Sweet and Lowdown", and the slow number "Bakersfield". Although Mike Ness has certainly gotten older and calmed down a bit during his performances, its undeniable that with every song he sings, he pours every ounce of passion into them and really becomes one with the music. Ness began to play other oldies, including "Through These Eyes", "Making Believe", "When She Begins", with the men singing along to the high parts and the women singing to the low parts. Ness also paid homage to his hero Hank Williams by playing "Alone and Forsaken". The band then departed from the stage and teased everyone with an encore. When they finally came back to the spotlight, rather than bursting into their finale, they performed a more sedate version of "Prison Bound", accompanied by the piano. A slower version of "Down Here With the Rest of Us" was also put on; Ness added another track from their latest album, "Still Alive" and finished the night off with "Ring of Fire".

Although some were disappointed with "Story of my Life" obviously missing from the set, many left the House of Blues Anaheim feeling fulfilled that they had experienced one of the most awaited shows the House of Blues has probably ever seen. It's always a great time when Social Distortion makes a triumphant return to their hometown of Orange County, but to say that you witnessed their 70th show at the House of Blues Anaheim, as well as their performance at the beloved venue's birthday party- well then, you officially have bragging rights.

-Sarah K.-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter


More photos from the show can be seen HERE

 

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