Rancid - live at Liberty Hall

After waiting ten years to see Rancid play a club show, I finally got to see it last night. There was wheeling and dealing and calling in favors to get to go, to say nothing of sitting in the heat for an hour with a bunch of obnoxious fucks… and it was totally fucking worth it. Even the gutterpunk jobless fucks bitching about ticket prices were more of a joke than a call to arms. Seriously, when insightful dialogue such as “Wal-Mart and Starbucks are owned by the same people… that’s why there’s always one in each town” comes out of someone who hasn’t bathed in weeks, you’re less than inclined to take what they say seriously.

The Architects (officially the most personable band in KC) hooked me up with a guestlist spot, and I completely forgot to bring my camera. Idiot me, again. On the bright side, as I was on my way to Liberty Hall, I spotted a ticket laying facedown on the sidewalk. I picked it up and lo and behold, it was a ticket for the very show to which I was headed! Score twenty bucks for me. There was a guy selling ‘em for thirty right next to me, and if I’d waited five minutes, I probably could’ve made forty. However, there was an Architects’ set to see, and a place down front to snag.

The Architects played a smoking set, with a set that was pretty equally split between both albums, as well as tossing in a cover of Stiff Little Fingers’ “Suspect Device.” And, as per usual, the boys were the target of idiotic verbal jabs (a histpry of which goes back to the first time I saw the Phillips brothers play Lawrence, opening for NOFX). Brandon’s “Quoi, motherfucker?” was the band banter highlight.

Back to the current show… the Unseen played their usual set. I think this was my sixth time seeing them, and I’m never more than “well, that was good.” I was pretty impressed by the fact that they dedicated “So Sick of You” to the bitchy gutterpunks, tho’. More “get a job” style balls than I would have expected from the Unseen. They also played a cover of “Paint It, Black” that smoked… although I could barely hear it. The sound during their set was ten different kinds of suck ass. Usually, “So This Is Freedom?” and “Are We Dead Yet?” pretty much blow my hearing away, and I could barely hear anything five feet from the speaker stacks. Out in the audience, it was far worse.

Rancid… goddamn. It was worth the wait. I can’t even begin to remember all the songs they did, although OpIvy’s “Big City” put a grin on my face that pops back up every time I think about it. Sadly, though I was enjoying the shit out of the …And Out Come the Wolves-heavy set, I left about halfway through. I had work at 4am, I was starting to get royally dehydrated, and a tiny Latina girl decided she wanted to be my “friend.” That was my cue to skedaddle.

Still, I recommend this show to ANYONE who’s ever listened to a Rancid record and even remotely liked it. They’re busting out stuff from the first record like “Adina”, “Tenderloin” from Let’s Go, all the way up through new stuff like “Antennas” and “Fall Back Down.” Tim dances around like a madman, Matt Freeman is the best bass player is rock ‘n’ roll, and hearing Lars do “The War’s End” all by his lonesome is fucking beauty.

from Rancid (1993):
Hyena
Whirlwind
Hyena

from Let’s Go!:
Salvation
Sidekick

from …And Out Come the Wolves:
11th Hour
Roots Radicals
Junkie Man
Time Bomb

from Life Won’t Wait:
Bloodclot
Something In the World Today

from Rancid (2000):
It’s Quite Alright

from Indestructible:
Fall Back Down
David Courtney

You might be interested in playing drum sets or in some other kinds of musical instruments but you should try some lessons in electric guitars or similar, expensive instruments, before you buy Martin or Fender guitars when you aren’t truly interested in the long run.

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