Beautiful Noise (April 28, 2008) & Detroit Bar "warm up show" (April 27, 2008)

SHOW LOG

May 5, 2008

The shows at Detroit Bar and House of Blues took place one week ago. Every person I have talked to has told me the HOB show was one of the best shows they have seen, ever. I know for me, Social Distortion blew me away with their acoustic set -- the harmonies, the blue pearly squeezebox, the awesome double bass, Ness' well-worn voice, and the killer songs -- just beautiful with the entire audience singing along. Cadillac Tramps rocked better than ever, Gabby was funny as hell. Naked Soul and Jigsaw brought some of Mike's best songs back to us. MIA's set was hauled into overdrive first by Kevin Seconds and then by Jello Biafra. It was a great night, fun, joyous, amazing.

SET LIST
#   Title                           Singer         Drummer
---------------------------------------------------
1   When It's Over            Todd         Chris
2   Gas Crisis                    Todd           Chris
3   Shadows of My Life        Todd           Chris
4   Tomic Bomb              Todd Chris
5   Used to Know Me         Todd Chris
6   New Left                Kevin Chris
7   Angry youth             Kevin Chris
8   Tell Me Why             Kevin Chris

9   Scotty Rew              Todd Larry
10  Machine Gun Etiquette   Todd Larry
11  Modern Way              Biafra Larry
12  Small Man               Biafra Larry
13  Murder                  Biafra Larry
14  Las Vegas               Biafra Larry
15  Lynch the Landlord      Biafra Larry
16  California Uber Alles   Biafra Larry
17  Halloween               Biafra Larry **HOB only
17  Viva Las Vegas          Biafra Larry **HOB only
18  Boredom is the Reason   Everyone Larry

Those who know me well are aware that I need to ruminate a bit before I speak, and this is no different. My first thought about the weekend was that it was just about as perfect as we could make it. I didn't want it to end. If that was my "groundhog day," I would just continue missing the chord change into the third chorus in "Halloween" so I could relive that weekend over and over, to see the big smiles on Chris's face and watch Biafra dive into the frenzied crowd (among many, many other experiences). But now, sitting in my office at home, other thoughts and feelings are beginning to sink in.

I thought I said goodbye to Mike at the funeral two months ago. As it turns out, I had unfinished business. I had to say goodbye to MIA as well. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do so in the way that it happened, with my old band mates and important figures from our past like Kevin Seconds and Jello Biafra, and incredible amounts of love and goodwill from all of you. It was a resurrection and a funeral, with a fairytale ending for the band and for Mike's legacy. Thank you so much.

What happens next? I don't know. Right now, the music of MIA is like the Latin language: unchanged and unchanging, in a state of recorded preservation. As we watched SD from the wings I mentioned to Jim Guerinot that it felt strange being yanked musically back to 1983 hardcore. Like a surreal black and white episode of the Twilight Zone turned color, there was Mike Ness playing a beautiful version of "Telling Them," a song I heard them play countless times, eye to eye at the Cathay or elbow to elbow at Ichabods or Fenders. Mike sang it the same, but it was different, performed alongside more recent compositions by a strangely diverse, sensitive and complex band. The kids in the audience were gone, replaced by older men and women who still knew all the words but were somehow more relaxed, more benevolent. Everything and everyone had matured, but I was about to open a time capsule, hoping I could remember my guitar parts as they were 25 years ago and hoping my fingers could keep up. It felt strange indeed.

So what do we do now, a bunch of guys in our forties intoxicated with a beautiful nostalgia? Last weekend was more than a show, it was an event. I don't think we could ever top it. Thing is, a band is a hell of a lot of work if you want to do it right. And it is time-consuming. All for a few fleeting moments of unbridled excitement. I went into this, besides the intent of helping Syd and the kids, with three main personal goals: We will not suck, there will be no bullshit, and it will be fun. Those goals were met. Maybe it's best to end with a bang, not a whimper. Or maybe there is some middle between bang and whimper where the band that was MIA, reincarnated yet again, can exist. Would anyone care? I haven't figured that out yet.

Nick

---------
I've been through this all before,
the scene's the same, so close the door
This empty room seems to suit my mood
it suits me fine
so keep it all forever now
keep it all forever now
Hold my life, throw away the key
When it's over, when it's through
I'll turn and walk away from you
so think about these words I've said
I gave to you just all I had.
-- (from "When It's Over" on the LP After the Fact)