Bad Religion - Live in Brooklyn, NY June 9th and 10th, 2015
Let's get this out of the way right now, I'm a HUGE Bad Religion fan. That being said, I'm very critical when it comes to music and I have no problem being completely honest and transparent. Now that that's out of the way, the following is a glowing review of Bad Religion's back to back "Battle of the Centuries" shows at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY (my hometown):
"Shed a tear for the criminal, give him something to believe. Light a fire for the miserable, give the darkness some meaning" was the opening salvo from Bad Religion frontman Greg Graffin as they tore into "Spirit Shine" off of 1996's The Gray Race to open night one of what proved to be two glorious nights of punk rock brilliance.
These shows are giving fans a unique look into the Bad Religion catalog as they play songs from 1981-1998 the first night and songs from 2000-present day on night two. It's a concept that works really well, particularly if you attend both shows. I do know fans however who like "old" BR more than the later stuff so they'd be more inclined to go to the first night and vice versa for fans of the bands later material.
I've been a fan since the late 80's and I continue to be a fan today so seeing both shows for me was an absolute must. If you've never seen them before (um, what the hell are you waiting for?), it will be nearly impossible to do them justice here, but I'll try. Seeing a Bad Religion show is more than just a rock concert. It's a musical, political, educational and dare I say spiritual experience all wrapped up in an impossibly tight, loud punk rock gift basket. Drummer Brooks Wackerman delivers a ferocious, sonic assault most drummers simply cannot attain. His speed and precision are mindblowing and they lay down the foundation for every note of music played. Guitarists Brain Baker and Mike Dimkich trade off riffs, short solos and the claasic Bad Religion shredding we've all become accustomed to. Founding member, band "spokesman" and bassist Jay Bentley pogos around the stage while providing wicked bass lines and backing harmony and vocals. Lead singer, songwriter, (Brett Gurewitz is also a main song writer and band co-founder but rarely tours anymore), philosopher and resident Phd (he actually does have a Phd from Cornell University, taught Life Science at UCLA and currently teaches a course in Evolution at Cornell), Greg Graffin commands the stage like a caged lion, pacing back and forth while spitting out the most intellectual lyrics in the history of rock music.
I've attached the setlists for both shows at the end of this piece but some personal highlights from the first night were: "Stranger Than Fiction", "Suffer", "No Direction", "I Want to Conquer the World", "The Handshake", "Infected", "Generator", "American Jesus" and the set closer, "Fuck Armageddon...This is Hell".
Night two highlights include: "Kyoto Now!", "Los Angeles is Burning", "True North", "Broken", "Fuck You", "New Dark Ages", "Sinister Rouge", "Let Them Eat War", "Robin Hood in Reverse", "Dearly Beloved" and "Sorrow".
In the intimate setting that is The Music Hall of Williamsburg, seeing Bad Religion play 63 songs over two sold out shows to fans who were singing, moshing, stage diving and simply having an amazing time will be an experince that will be extremely hard to beat....until they come back and do it all again!
Night One - June 9th, 2015
Spirit Shine
Recipe for Hate
We're Only Gonna Die
Stranger Than Fiction
Against the Grain
Sowing the Seeds of Utopia
You Are (The Government)
1000 More Fools
How Much Is Enough?
Suffer
Delirium of Disorder
Do What You Want
The Gray Race
Part III
The Hopeless Housewife
Modern Man
Skyscraper
No Direction
Change of Ideas
Big Bang
I Want to Conquer the World
Sanity
Henchman
Billy
You
Struck a Nerve
Slaves
The Handshake
Infected
Generator
American Jesus
Encore:
Along the Way
New America
Fuck Armageddon... This Is Hell
Night Two - June 10th, 2015
Kyoto Now!
Supersonic
Prove It
Can't Stop It
Los Angeles Is Burning
Only Rain
True North
52 Seconds
Heroes & Martyrs
Broken
Fuck You
Dharma and the Bomb
Social Suicide
New Dark Ages
Overture
Sinister Rouge
Wrong Way Kids
Let Them Eat War
Before You Die
Robin Hood in Reverse
Beyond Electric Dreams
Submission Complete
Dept. of False Hope
Vanity
The Defense
Dearly Beloved
Sorrow
Encore:
Past Is Dead
Fields of Mars
