There is something deeply reassuring about walking into The Anthem in 2026 and seeing a crowd that looks suspiciously like the audience I remember seeing at punk shows 25 years ago…except now of course many of us have children, lower back problems, and a much more complicated relationship with our metabolisms.
Such was the scene on Sept. 4, when two of Southern California’s foundational punk institutions, Descendents and Social Distortion, descended upon Southwest DC for an evening of loud guitars, youthful (ha!) rebellion, and the collective realization that apparently none of us have actually grown up.
Stream a playlist of the tracks performed by Social Distortion at The Anthem on September 4 via Spotify:
First up were Descendents, the original nerdy-boy punk heroes whose influence on generations of emo, pop punk, and alternative music is difficult to overstate. They kicked off the night with “Everything Sux,” an appropriately blunt declaration of purpose, and proceeded to tear through a set spanning their remarkably prolific catalog.
For me, the emotional high point came when they launched into “Hope,” from their 1982 debut Milo Goes to College. I went absolutely berserk.
It was also fun watching my friend Katie, who had spent…checks notes….approximately all of the evening dancing, have the realization that this band she didn’t really know were basically the forefathers of many of the bands she listened to in high school.
And then there was Milo Aukerman. Following a scary heart episode a few years ago, seeing Milo emerge on stage and spend the evening doing what Milo has always done — screaming, sneering, bouncing around and generally refusing to behave like a responsible adult — was genuinely inspiring. There was something beautiful about watching a guy in his 60s channel the same snotty, irreverent energy that helped make Descendents a household name during California’s second-wave punk explosion.
At one point, Milo made a reference to some ancient television show and followed it with something along the lines of, “Some of you 60-year-olds know what I’m talking about.” This was met with a generally silent and uncomfortable realization that we are now the old people at punk shows.
Stream “Hope” by Descendents on YouTube:
Performance-wise, I have to admit that Descendents were not flawless. Some of the faster and more complex passages came off a little ragged, with a few breaks landing somewhere in the general vicinity of where they were supposed to. But honestly…..who gives a shit? The band’s punk ethos, DIY sensibility, and refusal to sand off the rough edges were on full display, and the resulting performance felt considerably more alive than some technically perfect but sterile arena-rock production.
The mosh pit was aa humble as the crowd was old. Half the participants appeared to be somewhere between 40 and 60 years old (oh hi there!), while the other half looked suspiciously like their children.
The smoking balcony, meanwhile, was packed to a degree I have yet to see at The Anthem. Indeed, it almost felt like there was more secondhand smoke per cubic inch than at the notoriously foul-smelling original 9:30 Club during the 1980s.
After Decensdents’ blistering set, it was time for Social Distortion.
In truth, I had arrived tonight more excited to see Descendents. Personally, I just like their songwriting and musical style more. But by the time I left The Anthem, I was convinced that Social D had stolen the fucking show.
The contrast between the two bands was pretty palpable. Descendents remain deeply rooted in the DIY ethos that helped define their music, while Social Distortion have evolved into something considerably more polished and fine-tuned. Four guys stood on stage and executed an absolutely immaculate performance. “Professionalism” is the word that comes most quickly to mind.
Unlike Descendents, who boast the same lineup they had in the ’80s, Mike Ness is the only founding member remaining, having formed the band in 1978 and shepherding it through nearly five decades of lineup changes, addiction, tragedy, illness, and the general bullshit that accompanies surviving long enough to become synonymous with the punk movement.
His gravelly, unmistakable growl remains the glue holding the whole thing together, complemented by those jangly, country-inflected guitars that have always made Social Distortion sound like punk rock wandered into a honky-tonk and decided to stay.
After a brief David Bowie “Rebel Rebel” intro, the band opened with the title track from their brand-new album, Born to Kill. The record arrived this year after an absurd 15-year gap and is unmistakably Social Distortion: melodic punk, rock ’n’ roll swagger, Americana, and the weathered voice of a guy who has seen some shit.
Watch the official music video for “Born to Kill” by Social Distortion on YouTube:
The band sprinkled new material throughout the set while, thankfully, making ample room for the classics. And when they launched into “Mommy’s Little Monster,” the title track from their 1983 debut, I once again went completely fucking bananas.
By this point, the mosh pit had grown exponentially, although it remained the most polite violent gathering of 40- and 50-somethings imaginable. I spent much of the night either circling or airborne, while The Anthem’s bouncers once again dutifully cradled me to safety whenever I got too close to the security barrier.
There are few things that make me feel more alive than being awash in a sea of humanity at a punk show. Just a bunch of sweaty meat bags. People screaming together. Strangers keeping one another upright. There is something profoundly humanist about it.
And on this night, the old guys absolutely fucking delivered.
Social Distortion were, and remain, rock stars in the punk rock scene (and beyond!)…tight, polished, impossibly cool and completely in command of the room.
Super Bowl LXI, anyone?
