The Crowd

House of Blues, Anaheim

So like somebody kept telling me these guys were the greatest punk band to ever live. In Orange County at least. Either because they were never all that popular when I was a wee-little punker back in high school, or because I preferred the English punk scene over the locals, I had never really heard of them. So anyway, they end up opening for the Adolescents and Agent Orange (who I had heard of and had come to see) and I finally get to see this highly-rated best-in-the-world kick-ass band. I had the privilege of getting to check out their latest CD prior to donning my boots and chains and was reasonably impressed, so I was looking forward to how these old punkers had stood the test of time. Their fare: Standard surf-punk; nothing too overly special, but a lot better than most of the pop-punk crap being produced by kiddies today. 

To my huge surprise they ended up being a hit with the mostly under-age crowd frequenting the pit that night, most of whom were there to see bands that were in their heyday long before they were even a glimmer in their daddy's eye. Usually, the openers at these shows don't get much of a reaction, but The Crowd did. Not being an overly glamorous band, with the most visually appealing part of the show being the antics and clothes of Jim Decker the singer, they didn't have much to show for up on stage, but their music more than made up for it. There is something to be said for experience I guess after all. Sounding a lot tighter that most acts that early in the evening and playing with an energy that finally caught on in the pit, they put together a damn good 30-some-odd minute set of hard driving punk. No real anger, no real screaming, and no real politics, just a fuckin good time. Evidently the kiddies agreed and did a reasonable job of tearing each other up on the floor. 

The Crowd plays mostly local bars and smaller venues, so I can't say I'll be seeking them out, but I won't be disappointed to find them on any bill for a show I just happen to be going to. Hell maybe someone will give these guys a shot at a real headliner ... god knows I've seen a lot worse.

You can find the The Crowd here.