Dead Kennedys and TSOL are interesting bands to compare and contrast. Both are punk legends from California. Both put out their most enduring album in the very early 80’s. Both have a prominent song about fucking (or not being able to fuck). Both still have three quarters of their classic lineup in place. Don’t get me wrong. I understand the difference. I’m not being intentionally obtuse. One is missing their singer and perceived mastermind. The other is missing their now deceased drummer. One is largely maligned. The other is mostly respected. One is still living on songs that are over 30 years old. The other put out a solid new album just last year.
I knew exactly what I was going to get from this show. I was just looking for a little escapist fun. Maybe one last chance to sing along with some of the greatest punk songs ever written before these iconic bands call it a day (again). The show was at a venue that I’d never been to, The Forge in Joliet, IL on Friday, May 4th. Joliet is a Chicago suburb, and it’s definitely not Chicago. That’s good and bad. It’s bad because Chicago is a hell of a fun place to hang out. It’s good because it’s a hell of a lot cheaper. It turns out that it can be pretty fun too.
When we were checking into our hotel, I saw a couple other punk dudes roll in and I started up a little friendly small talk. “Are you here for the Show? Where are you coming from?” etc… We were five minutes into the conversation before I realized I was talking to DK drummer DH Peligro. He was born in 1959. This guy didn’t look a day over 35. Little did I know that this slightly embarrassing but ultimately cool event would foreshadow my entire evening.
After a quick rest and phone charge, we grabbed an Uber to the venue. We ended up jumping out at a cool looking bar a block or two early. After a few drinks, we headed out to find a different bar. (Variety is the spice of life, kids!) As we were walking along, we saw Peligro head into a bar. (He wasn’t drinking, only ordering food.) Full of liquid courage, we followed him in and struck up another conversation. We had a nice chat (hopefully he would agree) as he waited for his vegan sandwich. It was a pretty nice place, but they were playing all old punk on the sound system. The owner turned out to be a young guy who was a big punk fan. I felt a little vindicated that the dude also didn’t recognize DH because he thought he looked too young. He didn’t charge DH for his food, and DH put him on the guestlist. We also met a very nice woman who came all the way from New Zealand, mostly to see the show. We would cross paths with both again later.
We got to The Forge just before local opener Evil Engine took the stage. They are a female fronted quartet that plays a mix of ‘77 and 90’s pogo revival style punk. (For this show the drummer was female too.) I had seen them once before with 88 Fingers Louie and The Lillingtons at The Metro in Chicago and enjoyed them. They played a handful of new songs as well as a revved up version of the later era Ramones classic “Pet Sematary”. Evil Engine got things off to a good start.
Next up was Gay Black Republican. I had heard of the band, but didn’t realize they were from Indianapolis. They appeared to be supplying the backline for this brief, five stop midwest tour. I was also a little surprised to learn that they have six albums under their belt. We stood near the guitar player, and I was fairly fascinated by him. He was a tall, thin, bald guy with a gray beard. He spread his legs like Johnny Ramone when he played, and windmilled his skinny arm like Pete Townshend. The bass player wore a bandana over what appeared to be a permed mullet. Visuals aside, I enjoyed their energetic set.
When this tour was announced, I was torn between this and the Detroit show. The Bollweevils tipped the scales. Despite my proximity to Chicago and owning all their albums, I had never seen The Bollweevils. Maybe it was because of the anticipation. Maybe it was because I was half in the bag. (Actually there was no maybe about it.) Either way, this was my favorite band of the evening. Their raw energy was undeniable. Singer Daryl Wilson gave what could only be described as an athletic performance. He constantly jumped around the stage, dove into the crowd and sang from just behind the barricade. I’m glad I finally got to see The Bollweevils, and can’t wait to see them again.
TSOL was a close second favorite. They started out by playing their entire first EP. They followed that up with the entire first LP. It was pretty awesome. I’ve seen the band a few times since they reformed in the late 90’s, and they always deliver. Singer Jack Grisham is a large man who performs with a childlike exuberance. He stalked the stage with a big smile on his face. Of course, “Code Blue” was the sing along highlight. (I was pretty amused by two younger attractive ladies in front of us belting it out.) I actually like the newer TSOL stuff. I wouldn’t have minded if they had thrown in a couple of new tracks, but I’m sure I was in the minority. The bottom line is that hearing all of TSOL and Dance With Me is something I won’t soon forget.
The Forge is a modern feeling venue, adorned in glossy black and chrome diamond plating. It’s not really a punk venue, which always makes me a little nervous. There was ample, beefy security, but I never saw them be abusive. The club was full, but the drink lines never got too long. The show was all ages, and I was pleasantly surprised by how many younger people were there. For some reason, seeing young people sing along to “Abolish Government” and “California Uber Alles” gives me hope for the future.
I guess we might as well address the elephant in the room: The legitimacy of Dead Kennedys without Jello Biafra. He is largely credited as the brains of the operation. Maybe that’s true, but the band’s sound has always owed a huge debt to “East Bay” Ray’s surf guitar. Peligro and bassist Klaus Flouride are no lightweights either. Although the situation is not ideal, I don’t begrudge these guys the ability to make a living. This band really seems to draw out the internet trolls. No Jello no Dead Kennedys is their rallying cry. My advice is, if you don’t like it don’t go.
I had seen the reconstituted Dead Kennedys once before, in the late 90’s or early 00’s. At the time, former child actor and Dr. Know frontman Brandon Cruz was handling vocals. I though he did a good job, all things considered. Ron “Skip” Greer does a good job too. It’s very difficult replacing an icon. (Just ask Michale Graves.)The Wynona Riders singer sounds the part, and if you squint he even looks a bit like Jello. He’s been in Dead Kennedys for ten years now, longer than the band’s original run. The fact that the band doesn’t do any new music is a blessing and a curse. It puts them clearly in the nostalgia category, but it doesn’t taint their legacy with shitty new material. (Are you paying attention Greg Ginn?)
By the time DK came on, we had been drinking for quite a few hours. The notes I had written in my phone felt really random. It was a few song titles and physical descriptions of the band. Klaus Flouride’s appearance is probably worth mentioning. The other guys still try to look rock star cool, but he doesn’t seem to care. He looks the part of a kindly dad or even grandfather with his white hair, button up shirt and slacks that were probably pulled up just a bit too high. That didn’t stop him from tearing through all of the hits you would expect like “Police Truck”, “Let’s Lynch the Landlord”, “Kill the Poor”, “Too Drunk to Fuck” and the ever relevant “Nazi Punks Fuck Off”.
There were two encores. The first was “Bleed For Me”, “Viva Las Vegas” and “Holiday in Cambodia”. The second was a version of “Chemical Warfare” that included a bit of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”. Overall, it felt like an excellent performance. It was one of those shows where I would have a really hard time separating how good it actually was from how much fun I had. The truth is, all I was looking for was a little fun. I found it. In Joliet, IL of all places. It always seems to be the last place you'd expect.