On Monday night, Toronto had the pleasure of hosting a high-energy triple bill that nearly blew the roof off HISTORY. Californian punk rock mainstays Social Distortion and Descendents were joined by the Chats, a fast paced trio from Sunshine Coast, Australia.
The night opened with a jolt of Aussie chaos. The Chats tore through their set with an infectious, unrefined vigour. Short, sharp songs eventually had the crowd thrashing back and forth. Their viral sensation, Smoko was well received by the audience. The Chats frenetic set built up the anticipation for the next act.
Descendents followed and immediately cranked the tempo and the nostalgia dial. Watching a band this far into their career play with the same manic urgency as their earliest records is what keeps the fans coming back. Their mix of melodic hooks and blistering speed kept the pacing relentless. The band’s trademark self-aware humour kept things loose and fun. Cutting into classics I’m The One, Rotting Out and When I Get Old they were leaning heavily on the Everything Sucks album and the crowd clearly knew every word.
By the time Social Distortion took the stage, the excitement in the room had reached another level. Their unmistakable blend of punk rock snarl and rockabilly swagger got everyone undulating into a sea of motion. Fans started tossing themselves upon the waves and began crowd surfing. Crashing down enthusiastically into the pit between the barrier and stage. Hi-fiving security guards and mugging for photographers as the pass through onto the next wave.
With the release of the band’s eighth studio album and their first in fifteen years, we got to hear a big chunk of the new material including the album’s namesake, Born To Kill, Don’t Keep Me Hanging On, No Way Out and my favourite Tonight. Of course there were still plenty of the classics played like Mommy’s Little Monster, Prison Bound, Through These Eyes and the set closer Story of My Life. The encore also provided a selection of great tunes. Reach For The Sky, Dear Lover and finally Don’t Drag Me Down.
All three bands helped make the evening a rocking good time. Social Distortion and its fans aren’t getting any younger but you can be sure when they head this way again, most of us will be back in the building, ready for another chance to sing Ring Of Fire at the top of our lungs!
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Be sure to check out Live Nation Ontario to see all of the other great acts that they will be bringing to Toronto this year.
