After an amazing performance by Swingin’ Utters and This Legend, Lagwagon took the stage at Ritual Nightclub on Nov. 29. These Fat Wreck label natives have been on the punk scene for more than two decades, but brought to the stage what would put most 20-year-old performers to shame.
You could not rotate your torso without smacking into someone. Chants for the band to continue playing even after their encore could be heard outside the club.
Their set began with an instrumental buildup to “Obsolete Absolute,” off their new record Hang, which clocks in at more than six minutes. After the buildup, lead singer Joey Cape graced the stage and dialed in the crowd for a turbulent show. Surrounded by droves of punks, ranging from roughly 19-50, the crowd was ready to go.
Lagwagon has been on a massive tour to support their new record Hang that was released Oct. 28. Their setlist was dominated by new material, but they still played gems from across their discography. The crowd was thrilled to hear tracks like “Violins,” “Alien 8,” and “Coffee and Cigarettes,” and engaged with the band by roaring every line.
Cape thrusted the microphone towards the audience as they bellowed lyrics to both classics as well as their newer songs.
The band had a great stage presence, swapping guitars and joking around with each other in between tracks as well as providing a drink or two for each other during solos. They pushed their guitars and mics out towards them and commended crowd surfing efforts.
There was a genuine aura of pleasure from the quintet as they were met with a sold-out venue of loyal followers. They performed their ironic track about being an old school band physically deteriorating, “Falling Apart” but the reality is furthest from the song’s meaning.
Lagwagon is a staple in the world of punk and by the looks of their shows and reaction to their newest album Hang, the band is as solid as ever. Their performance closed with the classic “May 16th,” proving they still have a commanding presence within the punk and music community.
