CINCINNATI, OH- An auspicious occasion happened on Mother’s Day in Cincinnati. Social Distortion and Bad Religion made a stop on their co-headlining tour to the Brady Music Center. A near-capacity crowd made their way to partake in the festivities put on by these two iconic bands. Even after 40 years, each band is still at the top of their game. This is the first time they have toured together, and the coupling inspired much of the status quo for punk shows in the form of circle pits and crowd surfing—no stage diving, though, as is indicative in a theater of this size.
Opening the night was Love Crimes, which is helmed by Julian Ness with their own brand of greasy rock and roll. Julian Ness is no stranger to the punk rock life, as he is the son of Social Distortion’s Mike Ness. Love Crimes powered through a nine-song, 45-minute long setlist. Julian’s powerful crooning voice sounds remarkably like his father’s, yet unique enough to forge his own path on stage. He sauntered across the stage like a seasoned pro, giving as good as he got. The band is rounded out by bass player Collin Schlesinger, drummer Josh Roossin, and guitarist Trevor Lucca.
As this was my first experience with the band, I’m not at all familiar with their set list, but they worked as a cohesive unit. There was very little production for them other than lighting, but they performed with vigor, and I would suggest catching them live when the opportunity presents itself.
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Throughout the tour, the two co-headliners have been switching off on who would close the night. Bad Religion was up next. Wasting no time in setting the mood for their intense 22-song set, the band stormed the stage en force. With arms raised high, singer Greg Graffen embraced the audience as he entered.
Bad Religion is known for their vocal harmonies, which were on display, but they also brought thundering drums and some fiery guitar solos to the stage that had the crowd jumping for the whole set. Whilst a small, merry band of crowd surfers made their way to the front atop the enthusiastic crowd, the merriment commenced as soon as they launched into their opening song, “The Defense.” Opening up slam pits in the center of the packed crowd, they took the audience on an incredible journey of hits spanning their 40-plus-year discography.
The band, rounded out by bassist Jay Bentley, drummer Jamie Miller, guitarist Mike Dimkich, and guitarist Brian Baker, did well to match the energy of the crowd. Between songs, Graffen would interact with the audience, sharing stories of their tour history. He does well to engage apart from the songs. With such a comprehensive set list, everyone was guaranteed to hear their favorites. It is hard to pick a specific moment, but I have always had an affinity for “Infected,” and it was played so well. They ended their set with an instrumental of Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys are Back in Town,” which no doubt had the crowd still wanting more.
The band will spend June and July in Europe and a sold-out show at the Garden Amphitheater in Garden Grove, CA. They don’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon, and the show is a must-see.
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It’s been an eventful year for Mike Ness and crew since 2023. First was the announcement of the 2023 tour, which also faced going on without guitarist Jonny Two-Bags for medical reasons. Then the postponement of said tour as Ness was diagnosed with throat cancer and the subsequent treatment for it, which he came out on top of. Then the announcement of this co-headlining tour and the rescheduled tour with the Bellrays as support later this year. He was also given the key to the city of his hometown of Fullerton, CA, on his birthday, which was named Mike Ness Day. All things considered, I anticipated that we were in for a great show. Though he may still be recovering from the cancer treatment, he sounded as strong as ever vocally.
After a short break for the set change, the band took the stage whilst The Clash’s “Guns of Brixton” played over the PA. Ness came out sans guitar to greet the crowd with kisses and waves. They opened their set with the tour debut of “I Was Wrong” from the album “White Light, White Heat, White Trash,” which is actually my favorite album top to bottom.
I wouldn’t categorize Social D as solely a punk band anymore. They have transcended past that moniker for decades now. Although the spirit of punk does thrive in the music and lyrics, Mike Ness has taken his band to newer heights that include elements of some greasy rock and roll to a bit of country too. Long-time fans have embraced it, holding no ill will towards the evolution. The band is rounded out by bassist Brent Harding, drummer David Hidalgo Jr., keyboardist Ben Alleman, and guitarist Jonny Two-Bags. It was cool to be able to briefly reconnect with my friend, J2B, with a smile, a wave, and a fist bump.
They wove their way around 15 songs from their 40-plus-year career as a band, with highlights including “Mommy’s Little Monster,” the tour debut of “Sick Boys,” “1945,” and “Reach for the Sky.” They closed their main set with what are perhaps their two most well-known songs, “Ball and Chain” and “Story of My Life.” After a short break, they came back with a two-song encore which included “Born to Kill” and their well-loved, high-octane cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” All in all, a great set of music from these punk rock icons.
The tour will run through the end of May, and after a short break for a few months, they will be back on the road in September and October with Riverside, CA’s The Bellrays in tow. I am looking forward to catching that tour as well, and I urge you to catch it too.
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