Dust off your battle vest and break out the studded bracelets, and prepare to go back in time to 1982. After having to postpone their 40th-anniversary celebration after front-man, Keith Morris, contracted Covid, the band is picking up their first tour in 15 years to a sold-out crowd at Pomona's, Glass House, before their big hometown show in Hollywood. Joining them on tour are Detroit's Hardcore-Punk pioneers, Negative Approach, and Reno's primitive Straight-Edge outfit, 7Seconds. The two So-Cal shows of the tour have the added bonus of Jersey's, Bouncing Souls. All the makings for a quintessential punk show. So how was the predominantly older audience going to fare this Tuesday night?
Negative Approach kicked off the show at 7 pm, and despite being a little early, the crowd didn't need any warm-up. Those already on the floor were cheering along while the pit got going. As aggressive as Negative Approach were, everyone in the pit was respectful to each other as they made their rounds, making sure not to push down the two in wheelchairs joining in on the fun. The highlight of the set was hearing Ron Sakowski's meaty bass tone as frontman, John Brannon, growled through tracks like "Tied Down" and "Lost Cause."
Following was 7 Seconds, and this set was a real highlight of the entire show. The band claimed when they broke up in 2018, that they wouldn't be doing any reunion shows, but here we are 5 years later. The audience was excited, and the band was excited. Kevin Seconds maintains his mantra of being young 'til he dies and he gives one of the most energetic performances of the night. The room was only maybe half full as it was relatively early, but everyone joined in the singalongs, especially when the band powered through their cover of Nena's "99 Balloons." The band oozed positive vibes and it was clear the crowd was giving it right back.
The "little brothers" of the show were the Bouncing Souls. The band definitely felt like the odd one out, but it was a nice bonus to have them join the show. You could tell the slight younger fans in the room were getting their moment. At one point, a crowd-surfer was fighting his way onto the stage. As the bouncers tried to pull him off, bassist Bryan Kienlen, fought to pull him on stage, eventually getting it through the bouncer's head to let him onto the stage. The fan took over mic duties during the band's "Manthem" chorus. While the set had its moments, overall it was starting to feel a little like the room was tired. However, the audience lit up during their cover of "Lean on Sheena" and of course the crowd-favorite, "True Believers" as they closed their set.
As the Circle Jerks started to set up and the 4-page setlist that probably took longer to write than most of their albums, was taped to the floors, the room began to fill. Without cutting the lights, no big walkout or hype song, the band took the stage. Keith took a moment to pour over their excitement to tour for Group Sex's 40th anniversary, but then Covid put that on hold. In that time, the band's second album, Wild in the Streets, reached its 40th anniversary, so now they're celebrating both albums. While many generations covered the floor, even 5 or 6-year-old kids more likely dragged to the show by their punk parents, the crowd was much older. Maybe it was the Tuesday night or maybe its because of the older demographic, It was clear that there was some fatigue in the room. It really showed when the Circle Jerks took a moment to thank the bands joining them on tour and asked the crowd to cheer, but they were met with a lukewarm response. Something that Keith even took note of as he asked "Have we really been that fucking boring?" Perhaps he couldn't see the huge circle pit that overtook most of the floor during the entire set though. Aside from the huge pit though, most of the crowd just stood and enjoyed the show.
All-in-all, the Circle Jerks were great and it's a shame the fans couldn't give the same energy back. Many of the fans left before the encore. It was hard to tell if they thought the show was really over or if they were ready to call it a night. All I know is I recommend not missing the tour if it's yet to hit your town. Everyone seemed in high spirits and there was a positive vibe in the venue. Go have a great time and appreciate some of punk's most legendary acts!
