By Christopher David<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew the punk rockers wouldn\u2019t like some of these songs,\u201d a visibly grateful Mike Ness noted to a sold-out crowd at House of Blues on Sunday night, introducing \u201cSick Boys\u201d from Social Distortion\u2019s self-titled 1990 album. \u201cBut, you don\u2019t get anywhere in life without taking some risks.\u201d There was no trace of risk during the 75 minute set that saw that album (currently celebrating its 25th anniversary as Social Distortion\u2019s introduction to a wider audience) played in its entirety, sounding every bit as energized as the band on record.<\/p>\n
Time has been kind to Ness, and he seemed to recognize this in his banter with the crowd in between songs. \u201cA lot of my friends ended up dead or in jail,\u201d he mused, reflecting on what could arguably be called the \u2018post-punk\u2019 version of Social Distortion, beginning with the 1990 record. \u201cAnd all I wanted to do was play guitar.\u201d Play guitar he did, striking poses like a tattooed, wiry Springsteen throughout the night, blazing through classics like \u201cStory of My Life\u201d and \u201cBall & Chain\u201d (which turned into arena-sized singalongs) and even letting a bit of politics into the room as he held aloft a stuffed monkey at the set\u2019s midway point.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would rather have this guy right here be our next president than Donald Trump,\u201d and the crowd clearly agreed.<\/p>\n
The second half of the set explored rarities and covers as Ness introduced some of his musical influences predating punk. A prominent, woozy organ wove through an inspired version of the Stones\u2019 \u201cWild Horses,\u201d slightly more raucous than the original though no less poignant, and Hank William\u2019s \u201cAlone & Forsaken\u201d rested comfortably against the mid-tempo waltz of \u201cThis Time Darling,\u201d a tune that Ness mentioned only recently dusted off.<\/p>\n
By the time the band brought the house down with back-to-back encores of \u201cFolsom Prison Blues\u201d and \u201cRing of Fire,\u201d fans new and old had been given an engaging and often intimate sense of Ness\u2019s influences from punk to country to straight-up rock n\u2019 roll, making Social Distortion\u2019s position as a necessary and well-heeled band clear to everyone in attendance. And if the second show (Tuesday 8\/11) is anything like the first, it\u2019s a damn good week to be a Social Distortion fan in Chicago.<\/p>\n
For photo gallery of show, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n