Sep 13

Sep 13 Show Review: Bowling For Soup, Less Than Jake Bring Fun-Filled Co-Headliner To Sacramento

Bowling For Soup
Less Than Jake
w/ Doll Skin, Keep Flying
Ace of Spades
Sacramento, CA
September 8th, 2022

Photos and Review by Jared Stossel

Even though we were almost out of the heat wave, the atmosphere inside Ace of Spades during last Thursday’s Bowling For Soup and Less Than Jake co-headliner was unbearably hot. The venue was much darker inside than usual, and I only surmise that this is because the state of California had been receiving so many warnings about the power grid being overloaded. The show must go on, but power had to be reduced in places where it could (i.e., the bar area and main lobby towards the front of the venue). The atmosphere for this show was rather odd; darker than usual areas while a band known for playing songs like “My Wena” and “High School Never Ends” were more upbeat than ever, with ska and punk acts dominating the landscape that evening. Both of the aforementioned bands have been on the road all summer for their “Back For The Attack” co-headlining tour, and they’ve put together a truly delightful show.

At the Sacramento date, the show was opened by Keep Flying, an up-and-coming punk rock act that incorporates elements of ska with the use of a horn section in their music. They’re high energy and a lot of fun to watch, and their set proved to be a great way to kick off the evening’s festivities. They’ll be sure to impress the crowd as they traverse the west coast with both bands (their dates wrap up on September 17th in St. Louis). Doll Skin followed with a fast-paced, high-intensity set that kept things moving along. Doll Skin have been around for quite some time now; despite incurring lineup changes, they’ve always managed to put on an entertaining performance, really bringing the energy level of any show they perform up a few notches.

At this point, I think it’s safe to say that Less Than Jake and Bowling For Soup are veterans in the punk and pop-punk community. They’ve released countless albums, toured the world numerous times, and they always bring out a crowd. Less Than Jake were first up that evening, entertaining the crowd with a classic set of old favorites (I was surprised there were some Pezcore tracks in the mix!). Toilet paper was launched into the crowd, mosh pits opened, and the good times rolled. I’ve probably seen Less Than Jake about six times, and they’re always a blast to watch perform.

I haven’t seen Bowling For Soup nearly as many times, but their shows are always incredibly memorable. Namely, it’s because the band are mostly improvising their way through a loosely structured act. The musical choices are just the centerpiece of a Bowling For Soup performance; every show I’ve seen from them is completely different, and that’s what makes them so much fun to watch. I always forget how much material I know from this band; I found myself singing along in the photo pit to nearly every track.

To make things a little more interesting, the four-piece Texas rock act set up a countdown timer, telling the fans that when it hits zero, they’ll get to hear “1985”, the cover track that the band popularized in the early 2000s (but not “Stacy’s Mom” of course; they didn’t write that one). They just barely made it, and it inspired one of the funnier moments of the evening. The set list was comprised of the band’s biggest hits, “1985” not withstanding, including “Ohio (Come Back To Texas)”, “Punk Rock 101”, and “High School Never Ends”. And yes, before you ask, they do play the Phineas and Ferb theme song, and yes, it’s fucking awesome when they play it live.

I had been covering shows all week, the heat was ridiculous no matter where you went in the area, and yet Bowling For Soup and Less Than Jake put on a show that made it a little more bearable. I highly recommend this tour, whether you’re a fan of this music or not. You’re guaranteed to have a lot of fun.

Bowling For Soup Set List
High School Never Ends
Almost
Ohio (Come Back To Texas)
My Hometown
Phineas and Ferb Theme Song
Bowling For Soup Comedy Jam
My Wena
I Wanna Be Brad Pitt
The Last Rock Show
Punk Rock 101
Girl All The Bad Guys Want
1985 (SR-71 cover)

Less Than Jake Set List
Automatic
Lie To Me
Last One Out of Liberty City
Gainesville Rock City
Johnny Quest Thinks We’re Sellouts
Plastic Cup Politics
History of a Boring Town
The High Cost of Low Living
Look What Happened
The Science of Selling Yourself Short
Sugar In Your Gas Tank
Theme Song for H Street
The Ghosts of Me and You
My Very Own Flag
All My Best Friends are Metalheads