November 7, 2006
The Lakewood Theater, Dallas, Texas
Social Distortion with The Chelsea Smiles and Blackpool Lights
Words by Misty
There couldn’t have been a more fitting setting for a Social Distortion show than Dallas’ historic Lakewood Theater.
Long before we actually reached the venue, the theater’s massive neon marquee announced itself from blocks away, glowing against the Dallas night and giving the entire evening an immediate sense of nostalgia. Walking toward the old theater felt like stepping back into another era of rock ‘n’ roll, and the bands taking the stage that night fit the surroundings perfectly.
The Chelsea Smiles kicked things off with a raw, old-school punk sound that immediately brought bands like The Ramones to mind. Fueled by killer guitar work, catchy hooks and plenty of attitude, they didn’t need much time to win me over. By the end of their set, I found myself singing along to songs I’d only just heard for the first time. For an opening band, you really can’t ask for much more than that.
Blackpool Lights followed, keeping the momentum going as the Lakewood continued to fill. Their sound carried some of the same punk and rock ‘n’ roll spirit that had brought much of the crowd there in the first place, but they put enough of their own twist on it to stand apart. As their set progressed, more people packed into the theater and the anticipation for the night’s headliner became impossible to ignore.
Then the house music stopped. The lights dropped. And the moment everyone had been waiting for finally arrived.
In true rock-star fashion, Mike Ness walked onto the stage carrying an armful of long-stemmed roses. He began tossing them into the audience as the opening strains of “Reach for the Sky,” from Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll, rang through the theater.
The place erupted. The crowd surged toward the stage, everyone fighting for a better glimpse of the band, or, if they were lucky enough to get close, the chance to reach out and touch one of the icons standing in front of them.
From there, Social Distortion delivered exactly the kind of performance their reputation promised. The set reached across the band’s career, mixing newer material with the old favorites that longtime fans had come to hear. Decades after first emerging from the Southern California punk scene, Mike Ness and company still carried themselves with the swagger, grit and unmistakable rock ‘n’ roll attitude that made Social Distortion what they are.
There was nothing about the performance that suggested a band simply going through the motions or living off its past. Social Distortion still rocked just as hard as they did in the ’80s.
Between the glowing neon of the Lakewood Theater, a crowd packed tightly inside an old Dallas landmark, Mike Ness throwing roses from the stage and three bands carrying the spirit of old-school punk and rock ‘n’ roll through the night, this was one of those shows where the venue and the music seemed made for each other.
If Social Distortion comes through your town, don’t miss them. Some bands grow older. The great ones just become classics.
