Social Distortion
at the Middle East
by J. Lianna Ness
By the time Social Distortion hit the stage, the club was packed to capacity and the temperature inside was hovering precariously close to the three-digit range. It’s been four years since their last record, and a year since their last live show in the Boston area, but S.D. continue to withstand the test of time. Their set consisted of well-chosen selections from each of their previous releases (including their electrifyng version of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” which, not surprisingly, was dedicated “to the ladies… let it burn, motherfucker!”), as well as songs from their brand new CD, White Light, White Heat, White Trash (550 Music). You won’t find any ballads or rock ‘n’ roll outlaw love songs on the new disc (quite frankly, I thought we nearly lost them when they started experimenting with that country and western sound). They’ve bounced back with their original vision as singer/guitarist Mike Ness ruminated, “When we started out, punk was about individualism and doing what the fuck you wanted to!” – a sentiment echoed in new songs such as “Don’t Drag Me Down.” Applause must go out to the individual whom so many bands rely on to make or break a truly successful live performance such as the one this evening: The soundman. The music sounded clear and crisp with nice even levels – I could hear every word sung, every note of the crunching guitars and thumping bass, and every strike of the drums.
