After day one of Fat Wreck Chords‘ 25th anniversary celebration in San Francisco, I hightailed it home to get changed and proper for the screening of the “A Fat Wreck” documentary at the Roxie Theatre (review coming soon). Meanwhile, back at Thee Parkside, a full-fledged after party was underway with all the bands and VIPs of the weekend. By the time the movie got out I was so wiped from a day of shooting, drinking, and dancing, that I went home and prepared my gear for day two.
Day two’s opening act was just as well-thought out as day one’s. Uke Hunt began the day with lighthearted strums on the ukulele, a little saw violin, and maracas, and various other fun instruments. The local ‘supergroup’ is always a crowd favorite, and despite it being before 1 in the afternoon, the turnout was great. I always love what Spike and co. come up with, the banter and humor, as well as the random songs they cover to fan’s delight.
Better get stretching though, because the in-your-face pop punk quartet Masked Intruder was next to the stage. I always post up by Intruder Green because I’m certain to get some wild jump shots, and this performance was no different. I was pleased and surprised to see Officer Bradford actually get down during the set…skanking on stage before jumping into the pit and causing a raucous. Fans joined in and before you knew it there was a huge circle pit! Before some fans had even finished their first beer.
The crowd was able to catch their breath when The Flatliners began to play. I have been a fan of these guys for awhile, and I am usually pretty damn impressed by these guys, but for some reason this set just fell short. However, Erin Burkett was a huge fan and even found her way to the photo pit to snag some shots of the Canadians ripping it up. It could also be, that I was hungry and thirsty and spent the majority of their set finding refreshments. Sorry Chris!
That is in contrast to local heroes Dead To Me, which was one of my favorite sets of the day. There was this excitement and beautiful energy that surrounded the guys that made it really a treat to see. And to be able to see Jack Dalrymple perform three times in two days, priceless!
There was definite anticipation over the entire weekend for Tilt to perform. To my knowledge, this is the first time the band has played reunited since 2001. Everyone was super excited to see what Cinder and co. would bring to the stage and they did not disappoint. I’ve always been a sucker for female-fronted punk bands, they just bring a unique and different sound that is so refreshing in the male-dominated arena of punk rock. I don’t know if Cindy thought I was trying to shoot up her skirt (which I wasn’t!), but she ended up giving me and fans alike a little show.
At this point the sun is in all its blaring glory, beating down on the dehydrated punks like a ton of bricks. Just in time for Good Riddance to start playing and get us all a sweaty mess. I was able to do much more dancing during day two, and Good Riddance. is one of those bands that gets the legs moving.
At some point I wandered into Thee Parkside just as Darius Koski (of Swingin’ Utters/Filthy Thieving Bastards) was beginning his acoustic set. It was the proper break I very much needed away from the sun. He plays a great blend of rock, blues, country, and soul with such passion – such a talented musician.
Back outside for a little memorial set with members of No Use For A Name, Old Man Markley, NOFX, and many more gracing the stage to pay tribute to Tony Sly and all the beautiful music he made.
Lagwagon is the natural progression after No Use and before NOFX, and Joey Cape once again showed the world why Lagwagon has been around for 20+ years. Simply put – they rock. Great stage presence, amazing guitar riffs, thoughtful lyrics, stinging vocals…the band has it all. I believe during a crowd surfing session, this is where my leg got injured, as I wasn’t able to walk right after that. Well deserved injury during a great set by one of my favorite bands.
With no further ado, the final act of the weekend….NOFX. The band has this glitter in their eyes, like pure joy when they take to the stage, and it is definitely felt by the fans. Thankfully, day two Fat Mike decided to wear shorts instead of a kilt, so no ball shots.
Have a look at photos from all of the day’s performance below, and stay tuned for a review of “A Fat Wreck” in the following days.
***Big thanks to Vanessa, Jason, Amanda, Audrey, all the staff at Thee Parkside, and everyone else that made this weekend an incredible celebration of being wrecked for 25 years!***