Dead Kennedys 40th Anniversary
The Dead Kennedys played the UC Theatre in Berkeley on their 40th anniversary tour with Ron “Skip” Greer on vocals. Opening the show were the Screaming Bloody Marys, MDC, Dwarves, and TSOL.
I got to the venue during MDC’s set. I headed to the bathroom and then to check out merch before sliding into the back corner of the pit toward the end of their set.
Everyone in the entire pit cleared out between bands, so despite not being able to move when I first arrived, I got a spot on the barricade super easily. Front row center, fuck yeah.
Older woman with tattoos on the rail: saying something about young people and points at me
Me: “I’m older than I look.”
Her: “How old are you?”
Me: “26.”
Her: “You’re my daughter’s age! Did your parents instill this band in you?”
Me: “No, just me.”
Her: “I’ve been bringing my kids to punk shows since they were little. I’m a cool mom!”
My friend Brian (who lives a few hours north of the Bay Area) messaged me that he was there and brought me a soda to where I was on the rail. He said he’d protect me there, and he did during the Dwarves, but he kinda disappeared after their set.
Dwarves
The Dwarves’ backdrop had dicks on it. I was amused.
Brian warned me that their guitarist He Who Cannot Be Named comes onstage fully nude. Fortunately I don’t think the UC Theatre allowed that, so instead he came out in just a face mask and a tiny little thong I guess? that only covered his dick.
Their music was fun. I enjoyed them. Their lyrics were kinda gross/misogynistic at times, but aside from that. They also kept talking about how they’re the greatest band ever. Fairly certain it was a joke, but either way, I laughed.
He Who Cannot Be Named climbed on top of the speakers to play at one point.
The older tattooed woman next to me was going nuts their whole set. I appreciated her.
TSOL
TSOL was a bit more aggressive. Both the music and the crowd. At one point I had two dudes’ arms pushing into me instead of away from me, so that was fun. I had to jam my elbows into their hands on the rail to get them off of me. I mean luckily it worked and I know how to take care of myself, but come on, dudes. Why would you push into a tiny girl from both sides when you know that’s not necessary. I could feel myself bruising from my back to my ribs. Ugh.
It felt like I showered in beer. It got dumped directly on my head not once, but twice. Ew.
So with all of that going on in the crowd, I was too busy trying to stay upright to take videos or even really pay that much attention. Whoops.
Dead Kennedys
A girl who couldn’t have been much older than me pushed her way to the front between me and the older woman right as the Dead Kennedys came on. Sometimes that annoys me, but considering how rough the dudes behind me were during TSOL, I really fuckin’ appreciated her linking arms with me and immediately trying to prevent any other people from squeezing in. We didn’t stay linked for long, but I liked her for that one tiny act of self-preserving kindness.
There were two little kids who crowdsurfed a LOT during the Dead Kennedys set. Like veryyyy young kids.
Girl next to me: “I tried protecting that kid in the pit earlier and he punched me. I fucking love him!”
Oh my god lmao that’s beautiful. I love punk shows.
If the beer shower wasn’t enough, Skip at least tried to clean me up a bit by dumping a bottle of water directly on my head. What a night.
He climbed onto the barricade a few times, and shoved the mic in all of our faces during “Holiday in Cambodia.” By the time it got to me, all I did was unintentionally shriek in the mic, cuz like there’s a mic cord in my face, and Skip’s stomach, and it all happened so fast I totally missed it. Whoops.
Drummer DH Peligro gave a little speech before “Nazi Punks Fuck Off.”
Apparently Skip lives in Brooklyn these days (oh hey, I’m moving to Brooklyn like… incredibly soon), so he gave a little speech about how Brooklyn is so much better than Berkeley and all the hippies. Then he said the worst part about Berkeley is the homeless.
Me: “Kill the Poor!”
They changed/updated the lyrics for “MTV Get Off the Air” to “MP3 Get Off the Web,” which I guess they’ve been doing for years and I’m just way behind on the times. I was singing the old version, just kinda confused why that wasn’t what it sounded like Skip was singing. Oh well.
He also gave us a speech about how we’re too old for punk rock, and everyone should be listening to EDM instead. He got booed and flicked off, so he faked a tantrum walking offstage and the rest of the band had to “talk him into” staying. He said as long as he could play some “new wave.”
Skip: “Twenty years ago instead of forty.”
The best part was when they played two encores.
Everyone thought they were done after the first. The house lights came on, I’m pretty sure a bunch of people in the crowd actually left, the band came out for a “picture,” which was super fun because two of them ended up falling over together, then someone said something about the scene after the end credits of Deadpool, and then all of a sudden they’re holding their instruments and playing again.
Forward to Death
Winnebago Warrior
Police Truck
Buzzbomb
Let’s Lynch the Landlord
Jock-o-Rama
Kill the Poor
MP3 Get Off the Web
Too Drunk to Fuck
Moon Over Marin
Nazi Punks Fuck Off
California Uber Alles
Encore 1:
Bleed For Me
Viva Las Vegas
Holiday in Cambodia
Encore 2:
Chemical Warfare
Skip sang a little bit of “Sweet Caroline” I think it was, during the second encore. And Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” ???
After they were done for real this time, he tossed some setlists into the crowd. One of the dudes I had to slam my elbow into to get off me ended up back on the rail again at this point and tried to get me a setlist which was super sweet. Unfortunately, Skip had other ideas. He stood like right in front of me and ripped one up into little pieces.
Me being me, I picked up a few of the pieces from the ground. I’m keeping something, dammit.
He stayed out in the crowd for a while after everything was really all over. He talked to all the little kids who wanted to meet him. That was so freaking nice, oh my god. So I got a picture with him and had him sign one of my tiny pieces of ripped up setlist.
Brian told me Skip was also in the Wynona Riders, the band with the fog machine we saw at the Lookouting a while back. I remembered the fog machine at least.
Eyyyy Find the Lindsay in that last one at least.
