Bad Religion @ The Fillmore, 12 Nov 10

30 years.  Nearly one third of a century.  A timespan long enough for many things like careers, mortgages, relationships, marriages and even lives to be conceived and developed, and in many cases ended at the end of that period.  The 30 year mark is a true test of one's endurance and stamina.  It is the pivotal point of any existence, the point of no return; when faced with this life-altering decision, one might say, "with so many years under my belt, I have seen and done it all.  Now, do I call it a day here or continue the fight?"  For the members of Los Angeles' Bad Religion, they have chosen not to call it a day and are forging onward to write and perform the most intelligent and thought-provoking punk rock known to modern American culture.  They continue their legacy of touring the U.S., prominently displaying their punk anthology that has shaped the lives of millions of American youths, and their performance last night at the Fillmore in Denver, CO was no exception.

Opening the night was the worthy Off With Their Heads.  The four-piece from Minnesota delivered a powerful set raw and gritty punk rock in the same spirit of the likes of Social Distortion and Down By Law which immediately got the crowd going.  Though not delivering anything too earth shattering, the band pumped out memorable and catchy songs that would set the tone for the mayhem that would ensue in the hours to come.

As the night went on, the Bouncing Souls found their way to "bounce" onto stage, leading into their set with "Highway Kings," which ignited a circle pit that spanned across the entire floor.  The Jersey quartet, nearly as old as Bad Religion, kept the momentum going at an almost non-stop rate with the anthems "Sing Along Forever", "Hopeless Romantic", and the Warped Tour favorite "East Coast, F*ck You!", as well as old memorable tunes like "Say Anything."  Singer Greg Attonito, dressed in a white shirt and a red necktie, kept the audiences attention with a few intimate sing-alongs at the front of the stage, while guitarist Pete Steinkopf, bassist Brian Kienlen, and drummer Michael McDermott created a wall of sheer punk rock sound that shook the room.  The band ended their set with the uplifting tunes "True Believers" and "Here We Go," making a blissful conclusion that would transition seamlessly into another brutal force that was yet to take the stage...

It was 10:30pm.  The lights quickly dimmed above the chandeliers of the Fillmore, followed by a dramatic symphonic arrangement of "Pomp and Circumstance" that blarred over the PA system.  A Tour de Force had entered the building, bringing with them 30 years of strength and experience.  Behind the amps and the trapset shone a neon green light, illuminating a 20 foot banner with the name "Bad Religion" in giant letters, immediately commencing an uproar of lifted spirits and applause.  To get things started, the band opened with the fast and furious favorites "Do What You Want", "Sinister Rouge", and "We're Only Going to Die."  Clearly, the band had not lost any of their energy or stamina, even with singer Greg Graffin announcing how old they really were.  The band continued their enduring set with classics from the Epitaph era to include "I Want to Conquer the World" and "21st Century Digital Boy."  Also featured was a selection of songs from their latest record The Dissent of Man, which included the emotionally crafted "The Resist Stance" and the strenuous "Wrong Way Kids," a homage to BR's California roots.

Although Mr. Brett (Guerwitz) did not grace the stage with his guitar presence for this show, guitarists Greg Hetson and Brian Baker were able to deliver driving riffs and standout solos throughout.  Bassist Jay Bentley not only churned out deep melodic bass lines, but he also provided strong backing vocals for several songs, despite his out-of-breath rap vocals during "Let Them Eat War."  Brooks Wackerman, formerly of Suicidal Tendencies fame, provided extra support to BR's stunning assault with his machine gun double bass drum blasts.  As with all BR performances, Greg Graffin did not fail to strike the nerves of the 1000+ audience with his politically charged, analytical, PhD educated lyrics as well as hilarious comments in between songs.  And just when everyone thought the night was over after the ending of "American Jesus," the symphonic overture played once more, giving light to a new banner over the stage of the famous BR "Cross" logo, which could only mean one thing...(shutter!) encore!  Though many "real" punks might have called this a sellout move, it only resulted into continued chaos enjoyed by all.  The band hammered out 1992's "Generator," followed by the evangelical radio hit "Sorrow." Of course, no BR show could have been complete without the classic stomper "F*ck Armageddon...This Is Hell," which triumphantly ended the show for the night.

Looking back on the illustrious night at the Fillmore, one thing is for sure: Bad Religion are here to stay, and will continue to influence the hearts and minds of punks and musicians of all styles alike.  There appears to be nothing that will stop them in their quest.  Age is not a factor for these guys, for age is only a state of mind.  The fact that for 30 years their music has been known, heard, and respected by kids around the world speaks volumes.  However, no human can resist the natural tendency of physical aging, and perhaps this is the only thing that might prove to slow BR down.  It seems that many other bands of their generation are sticking by their side through the long haul; Glenn Danzig was playing next door at the Ogden on the same night!  No matter how long it will last, punk is clearly not dead (not yet, at least), and the men of Bad Religion are living proof of that claim.

Cup of tea, anyone?

The last 24 hours have been a milestone in American history.  The Democrats, a party once in control of Congress that has spun the federal government out of control over the past two years, has lost the majority in the House of Representatives, the group elected to represent the people of the United States.  The balance of power has now shifted, making the two parties almost equal in Congress.  Incumbents that were once guaranteed their seats have now been voted out.  New candidates representing the "grassroots" movement set by the Tea Party have now made their way into Washington, going against the misguided practices of both parties and going back to the fundamentals that this nation was founded upon (or so they say).  The American people have sent a clear message to Washington: we are tired of our voices being silenced, and we want to take our country back.

Now on the flipside, what kind of message are the newly elected representatives sending to the American people?  It seems like the same blanket message across the airwaves; "I will help create more jobs for the nation.  I will turn the economy around.  I will vote to repeal the Obama health care plan.  I will bring America back."  Great statements that many Americans need to hear right now.  However, tonight I was watching Larry King, and I was shocked to see one of my favorite TV Game show hosts - Ben Stein!  At first, I was like, "why the hell is Ben Stein talking about politics on Larry King."  But as he began to speak, he brought up a vital point, one that I didn't realize until now: what about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?  Not one candidate that I saw mentioned anything about fighting the wars that this country is still very involved in.  Whether America wants to accept it or not, these wars are still real issues that we all face, and although there is a lot of hype in the media that things are getting better, they are only going to become worse if we stay the course that we are on.  We will continue to deploy troops to fight a battle that rages on, and with that comes more and more tax dollars to fund the resources needed for that mission.  Tax dollars?  Wait a minute - I thought the new Congress was all about putting money BACK into Americans' wallets.  How is this going to work?  Have any of them even taken a look at what's going on over there?

From being in that AO, I think the most important thing to do first is evaluate at every level what we are actually doing there.  What is the mission?  Who's in charge?  What are our resources going towards?  What can we realign?  Then the leadership can develop a more clear focus to communicate to all audiences.  It's already laid out in military doctrine: Commander's Intent, Purpose and Key Tasks, and End State.  Tell us what to do and give us A WAY to do it.  Soldiers need leadership, and families need re-assurance that their sons and daughters are in good hands.  Communicate that clearly to troops, families and constituents, and we'll actually have a sword to fight this dragon.

So, my question to the newly elected representatives is this: what are you going to do about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?