Thursday August 25, 2022 found the U.C. Theatre in Berkeley California packed to the gills. Why was that? It was because The Descendents were on tour with The Circle Jerks for the first time in over 35 years! These two iconic bands are responsible for forming the sounds of so many of the punk rock bands since each of them dropped their first albums. This was one of those double headliner shows in that both bands could have easily been the headliner any night. Tonight, they were supported by the Bay Area’s own Grumpster.
Grumpster was up first and I was not familiar with them coming in to this show but, by the second song I was a fan. This youthful, high energy band had the pit going almost immediately. Donnie Walsh, the lead singer/bass player worked the stage and the crowd like a seasoned pro. The band showed their versatility towards the end of their set encouraging the people on the dance floor to grab a dance partner and fall in love. The next song, they were back to the hard driving punk rock we all know and love.
Grumpster are:
Donnie Walsh -bass/vocals
Lalo Gonzalez Deetz – guitar
Noel Agtane -drums
Alex Hernandez – guitar
When The Descendents hit the stage, it was like a bomb going off. The intense release of energy from not only the crowd but, the band as well was just what I expected. This set was the set I had been waiting for since the 1980’s. Opening with “Everything Sucks”, they ran the gamut of their discography with “Coolage”, “Myage” “Weinerschnitzel” “I’m the one” and the apropos “When I Get Old”. Overall, they played somewhere around 30 songs. In fact, they played just about every classic Descendents song that we all know and love. They even played the song I sing to my wife every time she makes up the bed… “Clean Sheets”. I would bet that not one person left thinking, “man, I wish they would have played…”. Milo sang with the intensity of a man half his age and legitimately, looked like he was having the time of his life. The incomparable Bill Stevenson pounded the drums as only he does all the while having a huge grin on his face. These guys were loving life.
The Descendents are:
Karl Alvarez – Bass
Milo Aukerman – Vocals
Bill Stevenson – Drums
Stephen Egerton – Guitar
Setlist:
1.) Everything Sux
2.) Hope
3.) Coolidge
4.) I Like Food
5.) Silly Girl
6.) Victim of Me
7.) Sailor’s Choice
8.) ‘Merican
9.) Nightage
10.) Weinerschnitzel
11.) Clean Sheets
12.) I Wanna Be a Bear
13.) Rotting Out
14.) Myage
15.) When I Get Old
16.) On Paper
17.) My Dad Sucks
18.) Without Love
19.) I’m Not a Punk
20.) Nothing With You
21.) Van
22.) Coffee Mug
23.) Bikeage
24.) I’m the One
25.) I Don’t Want to Grow Up
26.) Thank You
27.) Suburban Home
28.) Smile
When the Circle Jerks hit the stage the crowd was still amped up from the last set. This tour was focusing on the 40th anniversary of two iconic Circle Jerks albums, Group Sex and Wild in the Streets . Most of the tracks came off those albums with a few more worked in. The entire set was broken up in to five to six song blocks. As the 67 year old Morris said, he needs time to catch his breath and hydrate. While the breaks weren’t always welcomed by some, I think everyone in the pit were thankful for them. Again, the set was about 30 songs and filled with iconic tracks like “Stars and Stripes”, “Beverly Hills”, “Coup D’état” and finally finished up with “Red Tape”. The Circle Jerks always put on a great show and reminds us all what 80’s punk rock was all about.
The Circle Jerks are:
Keith Morris – vocals
Greg Hetson – guitar
Zander Schloss – bass
Joey Castillo – drums
This was one of those shows that it truly is “all ages”. I saw teens to people in their 60’s in the crowd and every age in between. This was one of those shows, if you are an old punk, you wait a lifetime for. If you’re a young punk, this is the show you thought you’d never see.. Two of the most iconic punk bands of all time under one roof. My only regret is that I couldn’t make it for the second night. Two nights in a row would have been awesome.
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Photographer of about 10 years, I have been shooting concerts for about 8 of those years. I started to get serious about concert photography about 6 or 7 years ago and now try to shoot as many as I can. I shoot mostly rock but, have done some country and big band stuff. I love music and since I am nowhere close to being a musician, this is a way I can be a small part of what, in the words of Henry Rollins, “gets me through the highs, the lows and everything in between”.
