Social Distortion, Supersuckers and Blackpool Lights at Avalon 10-17-2006

Up until about four days before the show, I had no idea who was playing alongside Social Distortion at Avalon in
Boston but when I read that it would be the Supersuckers, I felt like I had hopped into some sort of time machine.
Nearly one decade earlier, separated by only a few months, I had seen both bands for the first time at the same venue.
Social D was fresh off releasing the White Light, White Heat, White Trash album and I remember my exact opinion of
both bands – as well as some of the mid and after show shenanigans – vividly. Had my opinions changed after 10 years? Had the
bands changed during that time period? There was only one way to find out and it was going to start in true Avalon fashion – one
hour after doors opened.

In 1997, traveling alongside Social Distortion and the Supersuckers were the Swingin’ Utters. I, for one, would have welcomed
a full reunion, but I’ll tell you one thing about this year’s openers, Blackpool Lights did not disappoint. Hailing from Kansas City,
Missouri, these guys play a refreshing style of no frills, normal dude Midwestern rock and roll. Envision John Cougar Mellancamp before
the second name change with much bigger balls and you’ll get the gist. I’m sure they get the requisite Replacements-influenced tag all
the time so I won’t pile on. You could tell from the jump that the majority of the sparse crowd had never heard them before and Blackpool
Lights handled it like champs. No pleas for sing-alongs, minimal talk between songs there was hardly a moment dead air or shoe gazing – they
just cranked out song after song off their debut full length, This Town's Disaster. The rocking title track is more than enough to pique
your interest. Fronted by former Get Up Kids guitarist Jim Suptic, Blackpool Lights even felt comfortable enough to toss in a partial cover
of Tom Petty’s “American Girl” and a rousing rendition of “Starry Eyes” by The Records highlighted by the axe skills of Chris Tolle from
The Belles who’s tagging along on this tour.

I’ve never been a big fan of the Supersuckers – I think I clobbered them in my 1996 show review – but ever since I heard their cover
of Johnny Cash’s “Mean Eyed Cat” and frontman Eddie Spaghetti’s rendition of “Peace in the Valley,” I’ve started to take a shining to them
The band started off strong with their high-energy “cow punk” and really hit a high note with what might be one of the most prescient songs
of recent memory “Rock n Roll Records (Ain't Selling this Year).” Surprisingly, it appeared as if most of the crowd had come to bask in the
showmanship exuded by the Supersuckers and this was exhibited on the dance floor. The pit was large, the sing-a-longs were loud and the requests
made by the crowd were numerous. Although their between song banter about striving for awesomeness can often be ham fisted and corny, a lot of it
just bolsters their stage persona. Much of the band’s set was constructed of material off the their latest offering, Paid, but they managed
to fit their more well tread cuts, including “Born With A Tail,” in there as well. Eddie Spaghetti has the perfect charisma to lead a band like the
Supersuckers and make them more palatable to someone who was just in the room to catch Social Distortion. It didn’t win me over a decade ago but know
that they have more experience under their belt, and I a more mature ear, I acknowledge what I missed back then. It doesn’t hurt to surround yourself
with three extremely versatile musicians either. Their new drummer, Scott Churilla, formerly of Reverend Horton Heat, is a stick spinning dyanamo and
guitarist Rontrose Heathman can really shred.

For one of the longest running punk bands in America, Social Distortion, and Mike Ness in particular, sure make the audience endure a lot of
rigmarole and histrionics before they take the stage, especially if you’re a member of the media. There are photo release forms photographers need to
sign as well as a strict “no camera flash” policy. Then there are the religious candles to light, the bric-a-brac and other knickknacks from matchbox
cars to weird old games which litter the amplifiers, the fully carpeted stage floor and the Do Not Disturb sign that is often taped to the microphone
stand. Is Ness like that crazy old man who must live by a set routine or has he just earned the right do whatever the hell he wants when show time
time rolls around? Maybe it’s a smidgen of both and not too many people seem to care. With this being the second night of a two-night stopover,
the set list had the possibility of being a crapshoot but with Ness’ occasional penchant for repetition, perhaps much of the previous performance
would be regurgitated. Unfortunately for those seeking the more punk rock side of Social Distortion, this was not the case. Day two was reserved
for the roots rock and country tinged pages of the songbook brimming with numbers from the band’s last studio album, Sex, Love and Rock and Roll.
There was no “1945,” no “Cold Feelings,” hell, not even their great cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb” made the cut. Not to say their
performance was sub par, far from it. It was perhaps the best Ness and his band of revolving musicians have sounded in years but if you were looking
for the frontman to bait the crowd and kick them in the gut with his trademarked snarl and gold Gibson Les Paul, you came to the wrong show. Social D
did treat the fans to a few lesser heard songs including “King Of Fools” off Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell and closed the night appropriately
with their brilliant rendition of “Ring of Fire.”

Below are some photos from the gig