Let this fact rattle around in your brain for a moment: in just a few years, NOFX will celebrate its thirtieth anniversary.
That's not a typo. NOFX, the band that made "skate punk" a household phrase, has been making music since 1983. Twenty. Seven. Fucking. Years. If you read that and started feeling really, really old, then... well, then you're just like me, I guess.
But having that much longevity can be a real workplace hazard for a punk band. If you think about it, the whole ethos of the genre is based on rejecting anything that's become too established or too credible. If pretending you can still kick ass long after you're past your prime doesn't work well in the rest of the rock world (here's looking at you, Aerosmith), it sure as hell won't be kosher with a bunch of mohawked fans with bad attitudes.
What made NOFX's show Sunday night at the Beaumont so intriguing was realizing that singer and bassist Fat Mike and crew -- guitarist Eric Melvin, guitarist El Hefe and drummer Eric "Smelly" Sandin -- not only understand what their fans expect of them; they're practically mass-producing it. It's questionable how a band that can pack the Beaumont at $22 a head can still try to come across as DIY, but somehow, they sell it very effectively.
Parasitic music industry / As it destroys itself / We'll show them how it's supposed to be, screamed Mike on the opener, "Dinosaurs Will Die," a song released in the year 2000 that -- perhaps ironically now -- takes aim at bands that have overstayed their welcome.
Minus a couple of tracks from their latest album (2009's Coaster), this set was like a guided tour through the loudest, smarmiest, punkiest fan favorites from the last three decades, most notably oi-along numbers like "Bob," "The Brews" and the evening's accordion-packed closer, "Theme from a NOFX Album."
"Our new album has ten songs, and I think the first five are pretty fucking good," joked Mike early in the set. "So, now we're going to play the new album in its entirety."
Judging by the number of older, back-catalog tracks that surfaced during the show, he was obviously kidding. The highlight of the night came in yet another nod to the band's golden days, when Smelly stepped out from behind his drum kit to play guitar for the first time on The Decline, the 1999 EP comprised entirely of one 18-minute song (with Brandon Carlisle of the fantastic opening act Teenage Bottlerocket filling in on the skins). Despite a decent smattering of younger-looking teens that were barely potty trained when the album came out, the entire crowd was ecstatic.
At the back of the stage hung one lone banner, emblazoned with the band's name in its trademark font. It was, of course, hanging very crooked, like decorating the stage at all was just an afterthought. Here was a band that, for good reason, has been churning out great punk music for nearly a third of a century. And they've done everything in their power to make you forget that fact.
A note from the music editor: Sometimes, our wily, street-smart Pitch reps manage to wiggle their way into a show when things go wrong at the door; and sometimes, they don't. Our faithful photographer was locked out of this show, but our writer had his iPhone in hand. Here's what he shot last night. Otherwise, use your imaginations, kids!
Setlist
Dinosaurs Will Die
Perfect Government
We Called it America
Leave It Alone
The Decline
Reeko
Mattersville
The Desperation's Gone
Fuck the Kids
Linoleum
Racism is Funny
Franco Un-American
Eat the Meek
Murder the Government
The Brews
Encore
Drugs are Good
Bob
Bottles to the Ground
Theme from a NOFX Album
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Quit fighting guys and check out some good pics from the show sunday night!
http://www.facebook.com/photo....
I totally get you on the iPhone comment, dude. I've been trying to whittle a new cell phone out of nothing but a gnarled piece of hickory and a dream, but now my wood burnisher's on the fritz and I can't finish the keypad. This could take some time...
@Ryan: Aaron is a Jewish gentleman who survived Crystalnacht and became a great writer? A fine compliment, but a bit inaccurate.
Aerosmith has sucked for decades, they let the sand slip through their fingers in the 80's.
One exception is their bassist, he is still one of the best.
So I was on the 3rd row and you got it all wrong.. First off.. These photos were taken with an iphone a symbol of status and corporate culture.NOFX made their own record label and supports all kinds of up and coming bands, iphones won't let anyone make an application without using their software, it's like NOFX saying "you can only write music for our label if you play these instruments." So if you want to criticize them go ahead but YOUR WRONG! So do you think your review sitting in the back touching your little screen could be an accurate account of this show? Probably not btw Stephen Tyler is an ungrateful rich junky.
different strokes for different folks. none of your opinions are factual. in MY opinion, abe and aaron ladage are right. nofx is a great band. aerosmith sucks. but what i'm saying isn't truth. neither is what any of you are saying.
NOFX Sucks the only thing i respect about them is that they have managed to last this long.And Taking a shot and Aerosmith,who is one of the greatest bands of all time shows what a little Wiesel Aaron Ladage really is.
"terrible music, bad hair and clothing"
Are you sure you are talking about NOFX? Or are you still talking about Aerosmith?
I don't know who this band is. Don't want to know. I do know Aerosmith though and they have not overstayed their welcome. They are still the epitome of cool and they're old men!!!! Something I could never say for punk. Yeah maybe the attitude had some hope, but mix that with, for the most part, terrible music, bad hair and clothing, saftey pins, slamming and the pogo and you have my personal recipie for a snooze fest or a sincerely meant roast. I am glad to see that someone from that genre was taken seriously enough to make it for 27 years. That says more about their talent than anything. congrats
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