A straight-edge pop punk band from San Francisco, a seven-piece ska band from Boston and a rising hardcore band out of Canada, all topped off by one of the most influential punk bands of all time.
No, this isn’t my iPod on shuffle, but it’s the scene last Friday at a sold-out show at the Wiltern, in Los Angeles, for the “War Sucks, Let’s Party” tour.
Veteran punk rockers Anti-Flag were joined by Alexisonfire, Big D and The Kids Table and Set Your Goals, making for one of the most diverse concerts in recent memory. Though the bill did cause some head-scratching for patrons of the show, all the bands shared the commonality of being excellent at what they do.
The show started off with Set Your Goals, to whom the crowd had a mixed reaction. There were pockets of fans that were singing along to every song, but the seasoned punks, that were there to see Anti-Flag were a bit confused by the ninja-like moves of hardcore dancing that were taking place in the spot where the circle pit usually belongs.
Next up was Big D and The Kids Table. Though its style of music was far less aggressive than the rest of the bands on the bill, it was definitely able to get the crowd going.
Next to hit the stage was Canadian hardcore outfit Alexisonfire. While a large percentage of the concertgoers weren’t too familiar with the band, AOF made believers out of them. The band pulled heavily from its newest record, “Crisis,” banging out the singles “This Could Be Anywhere in the World” as well as “Boiled Frogs” and added a few other tunes from that album. “Water Wings (And Other Poolside Fashion Faux Pas)” pleased fans that are familiar with AoF’s older material. The band closed with an extended version of the anthem “Accidents.”
With the eclectic mix of opening bands complete, the crowd sat and waited for the Pittsburgh-bred Anti-Flag to play. As anticipation grew, the pit area in front of the stage became more sardine-like and those stuck in the upper seating sections longed to get closer to the band and the action.
The band brought it as soon as it hit its first note. It opened with the song that the tour was named after, “War Sucks, Let’s Party,” from its latest album, “For Blood and Empire.”
The punk and protest atmosphere, of Anti-Flag, was in full effect from the beginning, as many spectators from the reserved seating areas in the top section of the Wiltern attempted to rush down to the floor. These people were unsuccessful in getting past security, even if they had to be pulled out of the mosh pit by their mohawks.
As the show progressed, it became clear that the members of Anti-Flag knew what they were doing. You can definitely tell that these punk veterans have been around the block. The way that they command the stage is truly remarkable. Bassist Chris Barker was mostly in charge of addressing the crowd, announcing the songs and getting the pit going.
Anti-Flag’s set list was a mix of their newer recordings with past punk classics. New songs like “The Protest for a New American Century,” “Power to the Peaceful” and the acoustic-filled “1 Trillion Dollar$” were interspersed with older material such as “Drink, Drank, Punk” and “A New Kind of Army.” The band was able to find a strong balance between newer, fresher material, and the older songs that their fans were dying to see live.
As the set concluded, Anti-Flag prepared for one hell of an encore.
After a strong 16-song set, the band disappeared backstage. The fans chanted for one more song and eventually the boys returned. They immediately blasted in to the punk anthem “You’ve Got To Die For The Government.”
At the conclusion of the song, singer Justin Sane informed the band that there would be a special guest joining the band on the next song. The crowd waited anxiously to see who would come to the stage, and the Wiltern exploded with noise when none other than Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello appeared from behind the curtain.
Morello shares a common passion for politics with Anti-Flag, and he addressed the crowd about the necessity for change in our country. He joined the band with an acoustic guitar and they covered Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” According to Morello, the song was intended to be a protest song in response to “God Bless America,” and the song originally had another verse in it that Morello and Anti-Flag added in their rendition of it.
Morello’s message was strong and the crowd responded to his presence with amazement. After Morello’s exit, the guys of Anti-Flag were left alone on the stage once again and ended their set with an incredible version of “The Press Corpse” from its latest album.
Overall, the show offered a diverse look at today’s music scene. With some of the major genres in alternative music represented, the concert was a good indication of what will happen in the next few years. Some of music’s rising bands were coupled with one of punk’s most classic bands.
