Omaha punk fans lined up outside The Astro at 5:00pm last night for an unforgettable concert. Usually a nocturnal bunch, the crowd came to see Social Distortion, nicknamed the “Godfathers of Punk,” and were home in time for the ten o’clock news.
Love Crimes, the band of Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness’s son Julian, opened and set the tone. “IT’S LIKE HEARING SOCIAL DISTORTION SONGS I DON’T ALREADY KNOW THE WORDS TO!” A man yelled to his friends as Love Crimes played their rockabilly lineup, which was reminiscent of Social Distortion’s early style.
After this energetic kickoff, Social Distortion took to the stage. The group has been together since 1978 and are pioneers of the genre.
The show was incredibly personal. The band’s energy transported the audience back to an early 80s basement punk show with a focus on their messages and the connection between musicians and the audience.
The crowd was not made up of one specific age demographic. Ness praised this, saying it showed how the band’s music has been passed down generationally.
Social Distortion played familiar hits with new takes. Beats and melody were different within the songs “I was wrong” and “Ball and Chain,” with special touches for the hardcore fans to catch that made them sound fresh. Additionally, they surprised fans with unreleased pieces.
An unforgettable moment featured Ness’s reflections on life’s ups and downs. Specifically, within the last year he has battled oropharynx cancer, or cancer of the tonsils. He spoke to the crowd about how motivational messages from fans kept him going and reminded him that his music can be grounding. He then shared tSocial Distortion’s unreleased song, “Warn Me,” which he wrote during that period. He brought his son, Julian, back to play guitar with the band for this piece. The song beautifully emphasized the importance of needing family close while handling challenges.
After the crowd sang their hearts out to “The Story of My Life” and the band’s encore cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” everyone left with a reminder to persist through life and stay hardcore.