Bad Religion’s Triumphant Return Rile Up Punk Rockers at Showbox SODO, by Holly Homan

Monday night April 15th Seattle’s Showbox SODO hosted the Godfathers of Punk — Bad Religion.

Around since 1979, the only band considered being in the punk genre that rivals Bad Religion in longevity is Social Distortion. Social D was born in 1978 but didn’t release their first album until 1983. Bad Religion released their first album in 1981 so they earn the status as Godfathers of Punk.

Fronted by Greg Graffin (who is a Ph.D and a professor in his “spare” time), who never stopped. He moved about the stage constantly, stopping only long enough to tell jokes to the rapt audience he had eating out of his hand.

The band (Brett Gurewitz – guitar, backing vocals, Jay Bentley – bass, backing vocals, Greg Hetson – guitar, Brian Baker – guitar, percussion, backing vocals, Brooks Wackerman – drums, percussion) played many of their classics like “American Jesus,” “Sinister Rouge,” “Sorrow,” and “21st Century Digital Boy.” They also played some songs from their brand new album True North.

The one and a half hour set included an encore of about three or four songs. By the time it was all over I’d been slammed against the barricade so many times I felt like my internal organs had been rearranged and miraculously I didn’t get whiplash when some crowd surfer again used the top of my head as a landing pad. A great time was had by all. Bad Religion are definitely deserved of their title of the Godfathers of Punk.

Opening the evening was a band from upstate New York called Polar Bear Club. Fronted by vocalist Jimmy Stadt, a nerdy looking guy who leaps about the stage and gyrates like he has 30 volts zapping through him. The rest of the band consists of lead guitarist Chris Browne, Erik Michael “Goose” Henning and drummer Steve Port. Polar Bear Club are a hard core band without the screamo, but with a heavy dose of pop tossed in. They set the stage on fire.

Sandwiched in the middle was The Bronx (see my review of Flogging Molly for a review on their alter egos, Mariachi El Bronx). This is a five-piece fronted by Matt Caughthran, a large tattooed bald guy who spewed forth enough energy to keep the inferno raging that was lit by Polar Bear Club. Twice he leaped over the barricade and mingled with the crowd getting them riled up into a wild froth (see my comments above about rearranged internal organs). Meanwhile guitarists Joby J. Ford and Ken Horne, bass guitarist Brad Magers, and drummer Jorma Vik kept the inferno blazing with their grinding accompaniment. Bassist Brad looks like he came straight from 70s era Lynard Skynard with long hair that he whipped around frequently. Meanwhile guitarist Ken Horne was a dead ringer for 70s era Jimmy Page. They not only warmed this crowd up, they lit them on fire.

Another fun night of live music occurred in Seattle.

– Holly Homan