Bad Religion & Social Distortion Co-Headlined Houston for the First Time Ever!

Bad Religion & Social Distortion co-headlined at Bayou Music Center in Houston, TX on April 22nd, 2024 with support from Lovecrimes on their Spring co-headlining tour!

Southern California punk legends join forces to bring their signature sounds and beloved catalogs to stages across the continent, showcasing their enduring legacy and influence on the punk rock movement.

This is the first time the two acts have toured together, which comes as a shock considering they share the same geographic location and aesthetic. Both bands are also signed to Epitaph Records.

Bad Religion is an American punk rock band originating from Los Angeles, California and was formed in 1980. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist Greg Graffin, guitarist/backing vocalist Brett Gurewitz, guitarist/backing vocalist Brian Baker, guitarist Mike Dimkich, bassist/backing vocalist Jay Bentley, and drummer/backing vocalist Jamie Miller.

Despite the name of the band, or the band’s logo, the members do not consider themselves antitheist. Singer Greg Graffin states that, more often than not, the band prefers to use religion as a metaphor for anything that does not allow for an individual’s freedom to think or express themselves as they choose. In this way, their songs are more about anti-conformity than anti-religion. Contrary to popular belief, Graffin identifies himself as a naturalist rather than an atheist.

Lead singer Greg Graffin walked out onto the stage with an exuberant energy, rallying all of the crowd’s attention. Being the only constant member of the band over four decades has earned him fame, and his undeniable talent still touches fans to this day.

The punk rock legends started their set off with “The Defense” from their 2002 release “The Process of Belief“. Following was “Against the Grain“, the title track from all the way back in 1990.

Graffin leading into “My Sanity”:

Way out west we got 40 percent. That’s how much the Sun was covered by the Moon. We had 40 percent totality. We consider that pretty good. They say it takes only 30 percent to drive you insane, but I have good news. I’m still in tact with “My Sanity“.

Their 21 song setlist covered tracks throughout their discography. Their main set was concluded with “Infected“, which had everyone singing “You and me have a disease“!

Graffin exclaimed as they came back on stage for the encore:

“Thank you so much for sticking around! It’s hard to get these guys back out here, but you did it. While I know some of you have seen us many times, thanks again for all you first timers. We will not forget tonight. All this is proving is we got to come back to Houston! You know we couldn’t leave tonight without singing about my father. Father!”

A three-song encore followed with “Sorrow“, “Digital Boy“, and “American Jesus“. The last song being arguably their most popular song.

As Graffin left the stage, Baker and Dimtich ripped into the riff from Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back In Town”. Bentley was the last man standing on stage, thanking the fans for all their support and dedication over the years!

Graffin said:

Bad Religion and Social Distortion first played together in 1980. Though we evolved in different directions, we both carried the torch of Southern California punk all along the way. Now we’re excited to be on the same stage again.”

Graffin stated:

“Faith in your partner, your fellow men, your friends, is very important, because without it there’s no mutual component to your relationship, and relationships are important. So, faith plays an important role, but faith in people you don’t know, faith in religious or political leaders or even people on stages, people who are popular in the public eye, you shouldn’t have faith in those people. You should listen to what they have to say and use it.”

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Setlist:

The Defense
Against the Grain
New Dark Ages
Fuck You
Wrong Way Kids
Drunk Sincerity
Man With A Mission
Candidate
Conquer the World
Recipe For Hate
Only Rain
Anasthesia
My Sanity
Struck A Nerve
Generator
Fuck Armageddon
You
Infected

Encore:

Sorrow
Digital Boy
American Jesus
The Boys Are Back In Town (Thin Lizzy cover)(Instrumental Outro)

Social Distortion is an American punk rock band originating from Fullerton, California and was formed in 1978. Their current lineup consists of lead guitarist/lead vocalist Mike Ness, rhythm guitarist/backing vocalist Jonny “2 Bags” Wickerslam, bassist/backing vocalist Brent Harding, and drummer David Hidalgo Jr.

Formed as rebellious teenage punks in the working-class suburb of Fullerton, California, Social Distortion survived their tumultuous youth to pioneer an undeniably honest and fiery brand of rock ‘n’ roll that would incorporate outlaw country, classic seventies punk and primal blues. Seven studio albums and countless electrifying live shows have earned the band a dedicated worldwide fanbase and catalog of timeless anthems including “Story Of My Life”, ”Ball And Chain”, “Prison Bound” and more.

One of the largest names in punk rock, if not the largest, started their set with “Bad Luck“. The band seemed as rebellious as they were when they entered the punk scene in that late ’70s with their anti-systematic lyricism and signature sound. Mike ness was rocking his iconic look, wearing a beret and dawning his Orange County Gibson Les Paul with a rose and a Woody Woodpecker sticker.

They played other hits such as “Reach For the Sky” and “Ball and Chain“. According to Ness, this piece is “a hard luck story, a forceful cry, a lament, a plea, a folk prayer. It’s all of that, in guttingly direct prose, the sharp-edged story of someone who’s hit rock bottom, or worse, fears it’s still somewhere beneath.”

Julian Ness, frontman for the opening band Lovecrimes and also son of Mike Ness, joined the band on stage for the performance of “Warn Me“.

Their set was concluded with a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire“. The omission of “Story of My life“, arguably the group’s biggest hit, from their set was definitely noticed.

Both bands have earned their reputation as bonafide punk legends. Their music contribution changed the face of the genre and the culture. The opportunity to witness these highly influential bands was an unforgettable experience.