Show Review: 554

A Review of Social D – October 21 at the Fillmore A Thursday night show got better when I found out I didn’t have to work Friday. My cousin and I got to let what little hair we have down, misbehave a little and enjoy good music from various parts of the country and world. Hailing from England, Frank Turner started the show and got a respectable reaction from the crowd. John and I both thought he/ they were good. Don’t really know who I’d compare them to…Billy Bragg? Joe Strummer? 5 piece with one acoustic and 1 electric + keys. I called it good drinking music, John…good driving music. Frank Turner was very personable and got the crowd to participate.Gave his props to the other bands and left the stage,inviting the early crowd to chat with him at the t-shirt stand. Really good stuff….but maybe better suited to a pub in England? Mike Ness really seemed to like him. Told my cuz….hey…if we’re gonna get a drink, let’s make it a double and get it now. Wanted to start staking out our "headliner" spots when the second act was winding down. That was Lucero and they were pretty good…A poor mans Kings of Leon? They’re from Tennessee as well.slow and fast songs about drinking,loving, fighting…Other influences could be Kentucky Headhunters, Waylon & the Replacements.Noticed some peeps singing along and wearing the bands Tees. Guess they have a little following. Good stuff!! and then by the the time the lights had come up and gone down again….We were really close to the stage….It was fun jostling with the crowd a little bit for a few of the numbers…lol. Liked the weird collection of props Social Distortion had on riser to the side of the stage…kind of 50’s 60’s looking stuff to set the mood. Lucky charms perhaps? Some somber sounding Mexican music that would befit a standoff played, the lights went down and a sweet banner of their skeleton mascot in an old car unfurled and they launched into a 1 1/2 hour set highlighting most of their albums and one new cut. The sound was really good and the band was as cohesive as they have always been. It seems like when I saw them a couple times 20+ years ago…they were the traditional 4 piece…but for touring have added a keyboard player who isn’t credited as being a member. He also worked a harpsichord into a few numbers! The Creeps: I thought the show started off kind of slow. First three cuts off their 1st album. Another State Of Mind : Maybe could have worked these first two off their first album into different parts of the set. Mommy’s Little Monster : This hit about being hell on wheels at a young age got the crowd whipped into a frenzy!! Would have picked this to open the show. Sick Boys : and it continued through my absolute favorite by them…Sick Boys. Is there a bad boy secretly hiding in all us guys? Don’t Drag Me Down : Good sounding later song I hadn’t heard… Bad Luck : Is it Mike Nesses theme song? Loved the 13 he had on his amp…Why is 13 his lucky number? Bye Bye Baby : More good stuff from Somewhere Between Heaven & Hell. Still Alive : Worked a new song into the set….album due in January. Really appropriate for Detroit..Mike lead into it by stating it was a song "about surviving tough times….and this doesn’t mean waiting in line 20 minutes for a Starbucks" Ball and Chain: Another big hit and it was cool the way they reworked it…..slowed it down quite a bit. "and I sit and I pray in my broken down Chevrolet..While I’m singin’ to myself…there’s got to be another way.." Through These Eyes: Wasn’t really memorable….not bad….just didn’t stick out like other songs. Bakersfield: Just because I don’t know a song doesn’t make it a slow point in the concert. I really liked this song. A slow, bluesy number about getting in and out of jams on the road and getting back home….hopefully with the same locks on the door!! :) King of Fools: Sort of forgot about this gem….Mike Ness truly is the King of Fools :) When She Begins: and as the set started winding down…..loved this one to. Hadn’t heard it since I had the cassette…lol. Just mentioning cassettes got big laughs and smiles from the younger crowd. .."When she begins to rock honey….I begin to roll!!" Making Believe (Jimmy Work cover): Not bad….nice slow song. Keyboard player was playing a harpsichord of all things! Sounded sweet!! Encore: So Far Away: Not bad songs in the encore…just not standouts….deeper cuts Prison Bound : next encore…another one of their earlier songs. Down Here (With the Rest of Us) :kind of interesting….decent song I hadn’t heard….Mike Ness claimed it was requested by opening act Frank Turner….maybe about being a rocker,but still grounded and humble?? Ring of Fire (J. Cash cover): and of course they closed the show with their tribute to their one big influence….Mr Johnny Cash. Got people jumping and moving one last time before heading out to the street satisfied and smiling. Ness plays the crowd well….visiting all sides of the stage. Funny banter as well. Met him 20 years ago, but no luck this time. Sorry Lee….didn’t get to give him your regards!! My only regret was they didn’t play a just a smidge longer. I wouldn’t want them to drop lesser knowns for more widely known songs…otherwise I could have stayed home and listened to a best of. Maybe they could have added two of these three ( or all 3) for a show that would still be under 2 hours: Story of My Life, I Was Wrong or Cold Feelings. I enjoyed what we got though and give it a 4 and half out of 5 just because it could have been a little longer.