Bad Religion performs at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on May 20, 2024.
On Monday, May 20, a co-headlining tour that was four decades in the making reached its epic conclusion with a sweeping celebration of life, community, and the legacy of punk as Bad Religion and Social Distortion played a pair of unforgettable sets at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre. All night long, both bands honored fans by presenting a concert that paid homage to the past while offering a glimpse at what’s ahead.
“We really missed this place, this building. We’ve been here numerous times so we just feel right at home,” said Bad Religion vocalist, Greg Graffin, early in the band’s show-closing set. “And, of course, tonight is the final night of a very historic tour with Social Distortion. We’re so glad all of you are here to see it. Forty years in the making, we’ve never toured North America together until now. So, thanks a lot for being here.”
Bad Religion performs at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on May 20, 2024.
Bad Religion – Graffin, Jay Bentley, Brian Baker, Mike Dimkich, and Jamie Miller – began with “The Defense,” “Los Angeles Is Burning,” and “Only Rain” before kicking it into high gear for “Stranger Than Fiction,” which had everyone on the floor singing along. The first crowd surfers of the set appeared during “Fuck You” as Graffin’s unrelenting vocals cut through a wall of furious guitars.
Later, Graffin noted that this Monday night crowd seemed more lively than the audience at the group’s show at The Salt Shed the previous Saturday. This only encouraged fans to go even harder as Bad Religion plowed through a heavy-hitting setlist that included “Infected,” “My Sanity,” “Sorrow,” and much more.
Earlier in the night, Social Distortion – Mike Ness, Jonny “2 Bags” Wickersham, Brent Harding, and David Hidalgo Jr. – found the perfect balance between nostalgia and anticipation, balancing classic songs like “I Was Wrong” and “Mommy’s Little Monster” with new material including “Over You” and “Born to Kill,” two songs off of what will be a new album that Ness called his “favorite Social Distortion record yet.”
“I can tell you this is my favorite Social Distortion record yet for many reasons,” said Ness explaining that the new music is celebrating the visionaries of the late-70s, artists like David Bowie, T. Rex, and the New York Dolls. “It’s going back to the beginning, revisiting the spirit of starting something when 99 percent of the world was telling you that you couldn’t do this.”
He continued to honor punk pioneers saying, “Thank God for the blessed Ramones and The Clash and The Pistols and Generation X, Sham 69, The Lurkers, The Jam, I could go on all night. You listen to the first wave of punk music and it was still pretty blues-based, stripped-down rock and roll.”
Social Distortion performs at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on May 20, 2024.
Elsewhere in Social D’s set “Lude Boy” – which Ness explained was a favorite of the members of Bad Religion – made a rare appearance and “The Creeps” brought fans back to 1983. About two-thirds of the way through the performance, a medical emergency led to a 20-30 minute break in the action. After an encouraging moment of applause for all involved with the incident, the band returned to the stage with a more contemplative energy that met the moment.
Ness spoke of his own health scares and commiserated with anyone who has gone through a rough patch.
“I know I’m not the only one in this room who had a rough year. I’m sure you’ve lost someone close to you or someone passed away that you loved very much. Maybe you lost a job or went through a dark period. I guess what I’m trying to say is, we think we know what we want life to be, but sometimes it throws curveballs at you.” he said, later adding some words of encouragement. “Visualize a positive outcome. Keep only positive people in your life. The story of my life doesn’t always go the way we think it’s going to.”
Social Distortion performs at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on May 20, 2024.
The set-closing one-two punch of “Story of My Life” and “Ring of Fire” brought everyone back into the present, offering an opportunity to embrace the unexpected and enjoy a moment of camaraderie.
Check out photos from Bad Religion and Social Distortion’s tour-ending performance – featuring support from Lovecrimes – at The Riviera Theatre in Chicago, below. More information can be found at Badreligion.com.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)
