photo credit: groovehouse

Spawning across, and brining together three generations of punk rock, the Social Distortion show at Houston’s lavish House of Blues was a long awaited affair. The last visit to Houston was a Warehouse show in late 2006, with a solo Mike Ness performance sandwiched between the two. H-town punk rock fans have been waiting 4 long years for the return of Social D, with whom them they brought Memphis, Tennessee’s gruff and tumble Lucero, and from across the pond, folk-punk’s Frank Turner, to aid in a raucously good time.

– sunbear

Had I arrived earlier, I would have seen exactly how opener Frank Turner, Winchester’s answer to Tim Barry, Tom Gabel, or Chuck Ragan (any number of Revival Tour musicians) rallied the sold-out House of Blues’ 1500-capacity crowd into a freewheeling frenzy. About 30 seconds into his set (which was already 20 minutes in), I needed not guess; the guy was fan-freakin’-tastic. Turner’s was a charming, funny, and most importantly captivating frontman. Winning over cheers of applause by showing his Texas tattoo on his left bicep (for an Englishman, that’s pretty damn awesome), Turner schooled the audience on the lyrics of his final number, the rollicking “Photosynthesize” before leading his rambunctious (and thoroughly sloshed) band to a delirious crescendo. Cheers to you, mate!

photo credit: nicole kibert

Lucero’s fanbase in Houston is a dedicated, but very small one. While the band came out to mild applause by those uninitiated, there were clear pockmarks of fervent loyalty across the House of Blues for the band, who had, the previous year, led a packed club-capacity venue to a crazed fever pitch with their gritty yet earnest alt-country-rock sound. Bringing back the E Street-style brass-blast of their past visit, Lucero stormed out the gate, lacquered horns ablaze, with the colorful tale of lost youth that is the 1372 Overton Park track “The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo.” This visit saw the band stretching the legs of that album, their latest, which was virtually ignored in favor of old fan favorites the last few visits. “Darken My Door” might have been full of ramshackle sentimentality, but Houston’s disrespectful talking over Ben Nichols’ intimate ode “Mom” was downright infuriating for us Lucero fans. Maybe I expected too much from the weathered and aged punk rock fans in the house. Age doesn’t always equal the wisdom to show respect. Closing things out with a lengthy take on the anthemic “Tears Don’t Matter Much,” each musician taking a solo of some sort, Lucero were all endearing smiles as they were treated to whisky shots from the front row. Glad some cared enough to show love for this great band.

photo credit: groovehouse

Like the retro hot rods frontman Mike Ness is so fond of, Social D came out firing on all cylinders. Blasting out the gate with “The Creeps,” Ness was garbed in a dapper zoot suit, minus the jacket, colorful tattoos creeping up his neck toward his slick backed hair. He was the spitting image of a 1940’s crime boss, that is if Bugsy Seigel could rock out a Les Paul Gold-top. Proving that Ness’ choice of dress was the only bit of nostalgia about this tour, Social D were an unstoppable, uncontrollable force of nature as they powered through fan favorites like “Mommy’s Little Monster” and “Sick Boys” with the latter being a specifically deafening sing along.

photo credit: groovehouse

Material from the band’s upcoming album Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes were not simply tolerated by the fans, as most newer material is by any average punk band. No, you’d have thought that these songs were as classic as they had all the vitriol and punk thunder of their aged brethren by the way everyone, and I mean everyone, was singing along to “Still Alive,” but lets face it, Social D would be nothing without their 30 year back catalog. “Ball and Chain” from their self-titled album was given a unique facelift as it was slowed down considerably and backed by a piano. Ness led a girls vs boys sing along to “When She Begins,” instructing the ladies sing the low part and the guys take the falsettos. After much teasing and some button-pushing banter (Dallas is always a sore spot here), Mike Ness led the band into the much-anticipated final song, their rousing and scorching rendition of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”

If anything, Friday night’s show wasn’t a mere nostalgia act for the long time fans of Social D. It was a testament to the lifespan of the legendary band and how despite a few jostles in their 30 year career, no one will ever be able to compare to the irreverent and street-smart sound of Social Distortion

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SETLISTS:

[Lucero]

The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo
Nights Like These
Kiss The Bottle
Darken My Door
Mom
Raising Hell
Tonight Ain’t Gonna Be No Good
Sixes and Sevens
Tears Don’t Matter Much

[Social Distortion]

The Creeps
So Far Away
Mommy’s Little Monster
Sick Boys
Bye Bye Baby
Don’t Drag Me Down
Making Believe
I Was Wrong
Still Alive
Ball and Chain
When She Begins
Machine Gun Blues
Through These Eyes

encore:
Prison Bound
Cold Feelings
Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash cover)