The Adicts – The Billy Bones – The Henchman – Disguster – at The House of Blues – Anaheim, CA

Anaheim, California is perhaps best known as the home base for "The Happiest Place on Earth", Disneyland. When one thinks of Disneyland, images of child-like scenarios always come to mind. It’s no wonder then that the House of Blues at Downtown Disney made the perfect spot for The Adicts to play on Thursday night. Every time The Adicts play, just like  a trip to Disneyland, you can’t help but feel like a kid again. Confetti, beach balls, streamers, glitter, and vocalist "Monkey" with literally tricks up his sleeve, all combined deliver one of the most enriching times you will ever have. Disguster, The Henchmen, and The Billy Bones all played with Adicts as well.

When the night began with Disguster, the House of Blues was already completely packed. Usually as the night progresses, the amount of people present tends to augment as well, but on this school night, people were trying to cram each other in whatever spaces they could squeeze themselves into. It was no surprise then that when the pit broke out for Disguster, it was a crowded and eager pit full of people running away from each other. Disguster played Punk Rock that set the mood inside the venue for the good times provided by pushing and shoving. Their music worked people up and even distracted you from the massive bodies pushing behind you. Disguster’s set was fun and even rowdy, and it was easily seen in the reaction of the audience and pit.

The Henchmen went on second, and Psychobilly fans in the audience rejoiced and gathered round the pit once they went on. The Henchmen’s songs were fast paced and powered by excessive energy, which caused people in the pit to go insane. People were jumping in and being thrown in, and if you weren’t wrecking with the kids, you were on the outside building up a defense to save your life. Every so often The Henchmen would play slower songs with a more Rock-N-Roll 50s Rockabilly edge, which was good for the audience because it seemed like they could use the breaks. The Henchmen played a clean set and heightened everyone’s anticipation for the night, but there would still be one more band until The Adicts would play.

The Billy Bones are a band that bring sass back into the spirit of ’77, and offer you the good times of ’77 Rock-N-Roll that are hard to find now. When The Billy Bones began to play, people left the aggression behind and went into the pit smiling and even dancing through the circle pit. Vocalist Billy Bones was charismatic and very talkative, but it made the band’s set feel like a more personal experience between them and the audience, which is always a good thing for both parties. During their set they paid tribute to The Animals and The Skulls, reminding people about the music and influence of both bands. The Billy Bones were humble, enjoyable, and pleasant to watch and experience.

When The Adicts were rumored to finally be next, people began to cram themselves in unbelievable manners. People were literally freaking out and becoming tense over the anticipation of seeing The Adicts. At one point, the entire crowd started chanting "ADICTS! ADICTS!" over and over again, and somewhere in the background you could also hear a jokester chanting, "BRITNEY SPEARS! BRITNEY SPEARS!" Moments before the greatly awaited band went on, the lights dimmed, and low and haunting music began to play. Suddenly the crowd went crazy and started pushing forward and backward. People were already falling and keeping one another off each other, and the band hadn’t even begun to play! Suddenly the curtains are drawn on stage, and Fiddlin’ Dan is in the middle of the spotlight playing the violin intro always played at the beginning. The crowd began to pogo and jump as high as they could; the climax of the night had finally arrived.

Almost immediately after Dan finishes his intro, Monkey comes out and the band begins to play "Joker in the Pack". As joker cards and confetti begin to almost float and fall into the venue, the sight in the venue is almost unbelievable and amazing to witness. The floor is completely and utterly filled with people who look like they are either having the greatest time of their life, or just severely dehydrated. Whether it’s a combination of both, everyone seemed absolutely thrilled to be there. The pit broke out and it was the most vicious circle of the night. It seemed like chaos had manifested itself into joy, and the crowd’s inner child had suddenly come out and exposed itself.

As the night went on, The Adicts continued to play their most popular and loved songs, and there wasn’t a single person in the audience who wasn’t singing along and didn’t know the words to every song. Monkey continuously impressed the crowd with his enthusiastic stage presence and magic-like tricks, pulling endless ribbons out of his mouth among the many dazzling tricks. Glitter seemed to fall from the sky, streamers seemed to run at you, and confetti filled the entire venue. Witnessing an Adicts show is almost as great, if not better than going to Disneyland. The Adicts bring out the best in everyone, and just like Disneyland, seem to bring out the kid in you. The band went on to play the majority of the songs from their albums "Sound of Music" and "Songs of Praise", and when they dismissed themselves with "Viva La Revolution", the crowd seemed extremely upset over their departure.

As the band began to leave the stage, the audience was already demanding an encore. After a brief tease, The Adicts made their way back to the stage and went on to play "Numbers". It was during the encore that the beach balls were brought out and thrown into the audience, and while people were pogo-ing or pitting, they also played volleyball and sought after the colorful beach balls. When it was truly time for The Adicts to dismiss themselves, people seemed to finally accept it and appreciate it. The curtains began to close off the stage, and people scattered out with expressions of gratitude and joy. Outside the venue, all you could make out from people’s nearby conversations consisted of phrases like, "The Adicts were so amazing!" and, "That was SUCH a good show!" Thursday night, The Adicts blew away Anaheim and may have caused some concern and disturbance for Mickey Mouse himself.

Truly, "The Happiest Place on Earth" took on a whole new meaning Thursday night in Anaheim, and The Adicts can be thanked for that. Never has a Punk show been stripped of its hostility and replaced with the cheerful merits that a show like an Adicts show provides. The next time your family is deciding on a vacation or even a family activity for everyone to enjoy, save yourself the fee of 80 dollars a ticket to feel like a child at Disneyland, and go to an Adicts show instead. It’s cheaper, there’s no lines, and you’re guaranteed to feel a joy you haven’t felt since you were a child. Who said Punk Rock couldn’t do that for you?

-Stephanie M-
Big Wheel Music Scene Reporter
 

 
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