Celebrating their 40 year anniversary, Social Distortion kicked off their co-headlining tour with Flogging Molly in Dallas on Tuesday night. With support from Le Butcherettes and The Devil Makes Three, the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory was buzzing with excitement in anticipation of the evenings festivities. Sadly, the venue was about a quarter full when Le Butcherettes kicked things off at 6:30 pm. Always a force to be reckoned with, Le Butcherettes played their guts out to the small, yet appreciative crowd. The Devil Makes Three followed as the crowd size slowly grew as more concert goers were finally getting off work and making it to the venue on a weekday night. While the band’s performance was flawless, they lacked the energy and stage presence that Le Butcherettes established.
By the time Flogging Molly took the stage, the Pavilion was packed to the gills. The seven-piece Celtic rock band roared through their set leaving everyone breathless. The band was sharp and their energy level was at a 10 from the first song to last. Playing 13 songs across five albums, the band had the crowd singing-along, clapping in unison, or in other various states of fervor. Songs like “Float,” “A Prayer For Me In Silence,” and set closer “If I Ever Leave This World Alive” were stand-out songs for the audience who sang every word back to front man Dave King. This was less of a band performing 13 songs as it was a celebration between them and their fans.
Social Distortion met a crowd that had been more than adequately warmed up by Flogging Molly’s set. Playing a career spanning set that included a song Mike Ness wrote as a high school senior (“1945”) and a new song, “Over You,” from their latest, in-progress album, the band pleased the crowd with several songs they haven’t played in several years (in Dallas at least). “Bad Luck,” “Cold Feelings,” and “Sometimes I Do,” from 1992’s Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell, were welcome surprises, as was the absence of their cover of “Ring of Fire.” Long a constant set closer to any Social D performance, it was nice to get some other songs that have been rarely played in recent past. That said, long time live staple “Story of My Life” was welcomed warmly by the crowd, as was “So Far Away,” both from the bands 1990 self-titled album. They closed their set with “Don’t Drag Me Down” from 1996’s White Light, White Heat, White Trash LP, that Ness said was sadly still relevant today in light of the racism that seems to persist in our country. Further, acknowledging the recent tragedy in El Paso hit close to home for the North Texas crowd.
– J. Kevin Lynch (words); Lauren Frederick (photos)
Tour Dates
08/14 Houston, TX – Revention Music Center
08/16 Orlando, Fl – Orlando Amphitheatre
08/17 Atlanta, GA – Coca Cola Roxy
08/18 Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
08/20 Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
08/21 Baltimore, MD – Mecu Pavilion
08/23 Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans
08/24 Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia
08/25 New York, NY – Rooftop at Pier 17
08/27 Buffalo, NY – Canalside
08/28 Boston, MA – Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion
08/30 Westbrook, ME – Maine Savings Pavilion @ Rock Row
08/31 Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony
09/03 Toronto, ON – Echo Beach
09/04 Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion
09/06 Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
09/07 Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
09/08 Minneapolis, MN – The Armory
09/10 Des Moines, IA – Water Works Park
09/11 Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s Council Bluffs
09/13 Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom *
09/17 Bonner, MT – Kettlehouse Amphitheater
09/18 Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center
09/20 Portland, OR – Veterans Memorial Coliseum
09/21 Seattle, WA – Wamu Theater
09/22 Eugene, OR – Cuthbert Amphitheatre
09/24 Sacramento, CA – Papa Murphy’s Park
09/26 Berkeley, CA – The Greek Theatre @ Berkeley
09/27 Paso Robles, CA – Vina Robles Amphitheatre
09/28 Las Vegas, NV – Downtown Las Vegas Events Center
09/29 Mesa, AZ – Mesa Amphitheater
* no the Devil Makes Three