OLD GOLD AND BLACK REVIEWER
The Newbar in Raleigh was the place to be March 17, thanks to a $10, three-band extravaganza headlined by the California punk band Rancid.
While the first two bands, The Suicide Machines and Rocket From the Crypt, failed to thrill the packed bar, Rancid's raw, energetic set was well worth the $10 ticket and two-hour drive from Winston-Salem.
The headliners ripped through a superb 25-song set which encompassed all three of their releases. Not only was Rancid's music exciting and pleasing to the ear, but their stage presence was powerful.
Guitarist Tim Armstrong wore a pair of dark sunglasses, a black toque hiding his famed mohawk and a tattered Subhumans jean jacket. Guitarist Lars Frederickson opted for cut-off shorts, suspenders and a sleeveless undershirt highlighting his brawny, tattooed arms. The and's look was indicative of its performance: raw and powerful.
The band opened with "Roots Radicals" and "Avenues and Alleyways," two high-energy numbers from their latest release, ... And Out Come the Wolves, and immediately turned the floor into a swirling, chaotic pit. These two opening tunes showcased the band's best feature: Armstrong's and Frederickson's trading off vocals.
Rancid's high profile frontman Armstrong then slowed the show down with the
ska-based "I Wanna Riot." The concert later included more upbeat ska tunes, like "Old Friend," which Armstrong dedicated to The Offspring.
Armstrong also took the lead for faster numbers like "The Ballad of Jimmy and Johnny" and "The 11th Hour," telling the audience "Do you know where the power lies / and who pulls the strings? / Do you know where the power lies? / It starts and ends with you."
While Armstrong has been billed as today's carrier of the punk torch, his excellence was merely a sideshow compared to fellow guitarist and vocalist Frederickson.
Never pausing from shredding his guitar, harmonizing choruses or huffing and puffing his way through lead vocals, Frederickson was a workhorse. Not only did he have three times the amount of energy as Armstrong, his melodious voice was a perfect complement to the gruff ramblings of his counterpart.
"Junkie Man" proved that punk music can be poetic, as Armstrong crooned "The common man doesn't suffer pain like this, / only the soul that has never been kissed/ Let us adore our beautiful son, / He's ridin' on the rivers of Babylon."
Freeman was brilliant, as he drove the crowd crazy with his bass solo in "Maxwell Murder," and as he took the mic for four numbers, including "Black & Blue," and "Tenderloin," a description of prostitution: "Realize you're dehumanized, you criticize your existence." Freeman also provided background harmonies, and Reed pounded on the drums ferociously all night.
Rancid rewarded the attentive crowd with a perfect encore of "Ruby Soho," "You Don't Care Nothin'," and an extended version of the uptempo ska tune "Time Bomb."
The show was incredible, and once Rancid took the stage, everyone was on their feet until the end. Rancid has been called the second coming of The Clash. After seeing them live, it is safe to say they are much more: The Clash never had that much energy, or a stage presence that powerful.
Rancid is all about music, not image, fame, or theatrics. As Armstrong says in "Radio," "When I got the music, I got a place to go."