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Social Distortion

May 15, 2024 By Matthew Berlyant Photography by Matthew Berlyant Web Exclusive

When Social Distortion started in 1978 in Fullerton, California and Bad Religion a few short years later in the San Fernando Valley in 1980, both suburban SoCal/LA bands joining the rising punk explosion that had started in Hollywood several years earlier, I’d bet neither of them would imagine that close to forty-five years later, both would not only still be touring, but would be on a co-headlining tour together playing for 3,400 people on two separate nights. As with other prominent co-headlining tours, the bands took turns headlining, with Social Distortion headlining the first show and Bad Religion headlining this, the second and final night of their two-night stand at the gorgeous Pier 17 Rooftop near South Street Seaport, complete with stunning 360 degree views of the New York City skyline and great sets by two legendary bands.

Social Distortion started things off with a career-spanning, nearly hour-long set that ran the gamut from early chestnuts like “1945” and first Lp classics like “The Creeps,” “Hour of Darkness,” and of course the immortal “Mommy’s Little Monster” (the title track of said LP, which celebrated its fortieth anniversary last year; technically that’s what they were touring on, so more songs were showcased from it than normal, perhaps?) all the way to selections from 2004’s overlooked Sex, Love, and Rock and Roll (“Reach for the Sky” was a highlight of the set in particular) and even a few new songs as well, which makes one hope for a follow-up to their last proper album, 2011’s also overlooked Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes. The band sounded great on this lovely evening with lead singer/guitarist Mike Ness’ raspy voice seemingly unaffected by a bout with tonsil cancer last year and David Hidalgo’s Jr. ‘s drumming anchoring the band through the entire set.

As if that wasn’t enough, Bad Religion then came out and essentially proceeded to do the same thing, namely play a career-spanning, hour-plus set that ranged from 1982’s “Fuck Armageddon, This is Hell” (from that same year’s debut Lp How Could Hell Be Any Worse?) all the way to “My Sanity” from 2019’s The Age of Unreason, their most recent studio album. And while it’s a far cry from some of the incendiary shows I saw them do at City Gardens back in the early nineties when they touring for such classic albums as Against the Grain and Generator, they are now not only scene veterans, but wise elder statesmen as well (just as they were wise young messengers back then), and given their timeless music and also sadly timeless, topical lyrics, they wear that distinction exceptionally well