Jay Bentley of Bad Religion performing at The Warfield in San Francisco, CA. October 30, 2016. Photo: Jared Stossel.
Bad Religion
w/ Against Me!, Dave Hause
The Warfield
San Francisco, CA
October 30, 2016
At the forefront of the ever-fucked up political landscape, punk music has always, at least in my mind, had the loudest voice. There has never been a more perfect (yet terrifying) time in the history of the world for two of the punk scenes most politically charged to take the stage on a tour with a name that literally means "Voice of the People". Bad Religion and Against Me! have been taking the country by storm on the aptly named "Vox Populi Tour".
Just days before what may be the most important election in the history of the United States, both bands, including opener Dave Hause, brought politically charged and personal sets to the stage in San Francisco. What surprised me, however, was the crowd prior to the start of the show. They were...quiet. A bit perplexing, really.
In all honesty, it may have been a good thing that they weren't too riled up just yet. Dave Hause's set was very calming for the first half before it moved into full-band territory. Hause's set showcased singer/songwriter performance at its finest, with only Hause and an additional guitarist playing to the house as it was starting to fill up.
By the time Hause had finished his set, the crowd was ready for Against Me!, and it was perfectly evident. The second that Laura Jane Grace and Co. took the stage, pandemonium occurred. The band powered through hits from their catalogue to a raving sea of punk fans, filled to the brim with crowd surfers and fans that know every word to every song by heart. You can't help but get completely caught up in Against Me!'s live show, as each member not only brings out their own personality when playing their respective instrument, but they all genuinely feel like that stage is the only place in the world they want to be.
Bad Religion is still a band that amazes me to this day. They don't look like a punk band; they look like your everyday average members of society. If I had been walking down the street and had no idea who they were, I never would have known that Greg Graffin was the vocalist of one of the biggest punk rock bands in the world. Yet people go completely apeshit for them every time they walk on stage. This San Francisco show was absolutely no exception.
With a nearly thirty (THIRTY) song set list, the band were firing on all cylinders. Crowd surfers were airborne for the duration of the evening. Songs like "You Are (The Government)", "Fuck You", "New America", and "New Dark Ages" only added to the intensity and fuel to the fire, providing the perfect soundtrack to ring in this new election season. What's fascinating about Bad Religion is that they've been writing songs about all of the problems in the United States for many, many years now. What's scary is that the problems in those songs still ring true and haven't been fixed. Their music is incredibly important to this day because it depicts such a graphic picture of the country. They question that which isn't right, and they challenge their fans to join them on their journey of self-discovery and thought. Mosh pits aside, Bad Religion are a truly thought-provoking band (who also kicks a ton of ass).
You Are (The Government)
I Want to Conquer the World
New Dark Ages
Atomic Garden
Come Join Us
Let Them Eat War
Them and Us
Fuck You
The Streets of America
God Song
No Control
Against the Grain
Suffer
New America
Sanity
Recipe for Hate
Robin Hood in Reverse
21st Century (Digital Boy)
Generator
Man With a Mission
You
Change of Ideas
Delirium of Disorder
Do What You Want
Best for You
American Jesus
Encore:
Infected
Sorrow
Fuck Armageddon... This Is Hell
Bad Religion
www.badreligion.com
www.facebook.com/badreligion
@badreligion
Against Me!
www.againstme.net
www.facebook.com/AgainstMe
@againstme
Dave Hause
www.davehause.com
www.facebook.com/DaveHauseMusic
@hausedave
This has been another Shameless Promotion.