Descendents

Live In Lincoln (2019)

Mike Elfers

The legendary Descendents revisited Lincoln, Nebraska for the first time in over 30 years, challenging a packed house at the Bourbon Theatre to change the band's mind about the capital city after a previously dismal experience in the 1980's.

The four-piece punk rock powerhouse dominated the stage, seaming together over THIRTY NINE songs on stage. Spanning their entire discography, Milo and co zipped through newer material like "Without Love," "No Fat Burger," and "On Paper," covered countless classics in "Suburban Home," "Silly Girl," and "Coffee Mug," and all of the deep cuts they could sprinkle in between. Bill Stevenson's insane drumming was as accurately effortless as ever, and the mix of three part vocals were supreme and album quality.

The band didn't waste any time, but still held moments to poke fun at the crowd, complimented by Aukerman's water bottle he fastened to his body with a dweeby shoulder-strap. What else can be said about a champion punk rock group other than a terrific show, a generous dosage of material, and a renewed faith in a city the band had blacklisted in 1985.

I figured it was an urban legend among any music community in the country, but I had always heard a tall tale that the Descendents once played a (long defunct) punk venue in Lincoln called "The Drumstick" in front of fourteen or so unwelcoming attendees, and a few shit-head rednecks in the capital of Nebraska sealed not only a boycott of Lincoln by the band, but also inked a new song by the band about the horrible tour-date. Descendents confirmed this story as entirely factual at the show, and even dug out the inspired deep cut "Hurtin' Crue" as evidence. Great show.

Setlist:

Suburban Home

Everything Sux

Hope

On Paper

I Wanna Be A Bear

Rotting Out

Victim Of Me

Silly Girl

I Like Food

Shameless

Pop

Van

Testosterone

I'm Not A Punk

Clean Sheets

Weinerschnitzel

Myage

Who We Are

Global Probing

I Don't Want To Grow Up

Without Love

Nothing With You

No Fat Burger

Feel This

Get The Time

Coffee Mug

When I Get Old

Coolidge

Thank You

Descendents

(Encore)

'Merican

I’m The One

Bikage

Smile

Hurtin' Crue

Good Good Things

Fighting Myself

Hey Hey

Pep Talk