Concert Review - Social Distortion, Old Man Markley and Dano Forte's Juke Joint Freak Show @ the Anaheim Houe of Blues

For long time music fans, there are fewer and fewer "firsts" one can experience. Last night I experienced several of them. The biggest of which was after a 20+ year wait, I finally got to experience Social Distortion live. For the better part of a decade, the favorite sons of Fullerton, California have played an annual series of homecoming gigs at the Anaheim House of Blues, and faster than igniting a Zippo these concerts sell out. Always. This year was different.

Instead of a handful of shows, Social Distortion has spent the better part of December 2012, and continuing through January 2013, playing a "residency" at the House of Blues locations in Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Diego and Las Vegas.

Along for the ride is a veritable rogues gallery of support acts. Last night, Lucky 13 was on the side of the Anaheim audience because we got to see a pair of spectacular acts supporting Social D.

Up first was Dano Forte's Juke Joint Freak Show, which is one helluva an awesome name for one helluva a one-man band. Yep. One dude, a National resonator guitar, a Hohner Harmonica and a JetStar suitcase drum held sway over a sold out House of Blues audience with crossroads-like expertise as he ran through an all-too short set of Blues standards. Audience members who didn't bolt early actually got to check out more of Dano Forte after the headliner, but more on that later.

Dano Forte's Juke Joint Freak Show at the Anaheim House of Blues

A very quick set change later and Old Man Markley took the stage. Hailing from The Valley portion of Los Angeles, Old Man Markley as I'd learned just hours before the show, plays Punk Bluegrass, or Bluegrass Punk if you will. While waiting for the venue to open, I pulled up a video for their song "For Better For Worse" and was instantly excited to see their live set. OMM did not disappoint.

3 out of 7 members of Old Man Markley

You know how Creedence Clearwater Revival sounds like they hail from the swampiest portion of the Bayou (but are in fact from El Cerrito, CA)? Old Man Markley plays in a similar vein. These seven Valley girls and dudes stomped out an incredibly high energy set of original sounding Bluegrass played with punked up energy like they actually hailed from the banjo-iest parts of the Appalachians. I picked up their Guts N' Teeth CD from their merch table before they ever took the stage and actually ran back to their merch gal mid-set to get the vinyl edition of their new single.

Old Man Markley stomping the Anaheim House of Blues stage

Old Man Markley played a nice and long set, with the seven members using every square inch of the House of Blues stage to stomp around and sing their backsides off. I've seen Bluegrass-style bands live before, but never have I seen a washboard player (Ryan Markley) and especially an Autoharp player (Annie DeTemple) play with such abandon. Violinist Katie Weed, drummer Jeff Fuller and stand up bassist Joey Garibaldi held things together in perfect style as John Rosen picked and grinned on his banjo (seated due to recent knee surgery) and guitarist-vocalist John Carey commanded the center of this wanton music pulpit in fine fashion. By the end of OMM's set, many in the audience must have felt like they'd attended an anti-revival meeting and if they were like me, had the damndest good time doing it. Look for a full review of Old Man Markley's album here, soon.

Old Man Markley violinist, Katie Weed

OMM left an already excited audience fully pumped up for the headliners. Social Distortion arrived on stage as I expected: Not with the lights down and lots of pomp and circumstance, but with stage lights full, each member walking on, with leader Mike Ness bringing up the rear. Instruments in hand, Social D proceeded to rock the living daylights out of the hometown crowd for the next 90 minutes.

Opening with "The Creeps", Mike Ness, Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham (guitar), Brent Harding (bass) and David Hidalgo, Jr. (drums) played a setlist that spanned each era of Social Distortion, with heavy emphasis on material from their newest album, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes. Hearing "Far Side of Nowhere" from the aforementioned new album, along with "Far Behind" were among the live highlights for myself. Most impressively, Ness and his crew deconstructed "Ball and Chain" into a slower, heartfelt example of outlaw balladry. "Story of My Life" started out in a similar vein, but quickly erupted into a full force rocker complete with moshing and an extended sing-a-long section.

Social Distortion at the Anaheim House of Blues

From my vantage point above the floor and to stage left of the House of Blues, I was treated to some excellent people watching during the show. There was the Sick Girl in her jet black hair and matching outfit, trying to dance near the edge of the little mosh pit who responded to being slammed into by a beater-wearing dude by expertly putting him down with a well placed dual hand push. There was an older hippie guy with a Hobbit-style full Dwarven beard and beret to stage right, bopping along all show long. Seriously, the guy could have been Thorin Oakenshied's nephew. Then there was the lower level bartender, who danced along when she could. It is always nice to see the venue's employees actually enjoying the band playing.

But the highlight of the night, at least for one young music fan, was a little boy of no more than seven or eight who was on his dad's shoulders right near the stage the whole night. During the explosive show closing rendition of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire", Mike Ness brought the boy on stage, and bless his heart, he got his first taste of stage fright when he looked out into the crowd. Ness the expert showman and parent, talked for the boy when he couldn't squeak out his name and managed to get a firm nod of agreement when he asked him if Social D was his favorite band. After passing him back into the arms of his wide-eyed father, the band proceeded to close the night with well placed rock & roll fury.

From the stories I heard from other fans in line waiting to get in, some of them had seen Social Distortion countless times. Indeed, for Southern California fans, this residency is akin to following the Grateful Dead on tour, with much less driving. For me, finally getting to experience Social Distortion live, I can honestly say it was worth the wait.

As the show ended, Dano Forte brought his Juke Joint Freak Show into the upper patio area of the House of Blues Anaheim for an after party, affording a much better vantage point to see him play. The dude is cool and represents the oldest of the old school in the way he presents his act. With all the folk art decorating the House of Blues, I would pay to see a residency there featuring just him as he bashes out his Delta Blues-infused set.

Dano Forte's Juke Joint Freak Show in full effect

Also attending the post-show festivities were members of Old Man Markely. Thank you kindly to each of them for signing the vinyl I picked up from them! Also a shout out of thanks to the person behind the Anaheim House of Blues Twitter account for retweeting me during the show!

After last night, I believe in this, its been tested by research, there is absolutely no better way to ring in the New Year by seeing a live concert on January 1st (another first time for me). The debauchery of the night before is over and there is a palpable energy in the air. I walked away from the Anaheim House of Blues with the telltale adrenaline rush of excitement that comes from a night of rocking out, exactly how any great concert should leave one feeling.

If you are in the Southern California/Arizona area, Social Distortion keeps extending this residency with additional concerts, which do sell out very quickly, but if you can get a ticket to one of their shows, I highly recommend you check them out.

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