KROQ Epicenter Twenty-Ten: Bad Religion

Photo by Alex Rauch

As Greg Graffin of Bad Religion looked to the sweltering sun of Epicenter Twenty-Ten, his impassioned singing of the lyrics “When the hills of los angeles are burning/Palm trees are candles in the murder wind” seemed even more poignant.

At one moment, Graffin looked up to the heavens as if in a plaintive cry to the God of the sun for being such an evil master.  It was like Bad Religion was playing their own private show in hell for all those smart enough to have sinned.

Did you ever think you’d hear the phrase, “Holy hell. This Bad Religion show is freakin’ awesome and there was a huge mosh pit…with moshing bananas.” Yes, it’s true. If you haven’t gotten the memo that Epicenter Twenty-Ten is about getting naked, than maybe you got the memo that dressing like a giant banana gets you everywhere. And is the perfect outfit to witness the Pharaohs of Punk rock, Bad Religion.

At one point, Graffin thanked the audience for helping them enjoy 30 years of punk rock stating that one of the few things that has changed is that more girls slamdance. While Bad Religion is a good twenty years older than most of today’s audience members, this is one age divide that doesn’t matter. Righteous, vicious punk rock is ageless. True, they may have been your father’s favorite band, but Bad Religion transcends age, musical trends, and audience demographic.

Aspiring bands take note: while Bad Religion may have aged and were dressed like hot dads, they are here to school you on how to be hardcore musical beasts.  While they played “Devil in Stilettos,” “American Jesus,” “Los Angeles Is Burning,”  and “Sorrow,” fans sang along in joyful revery.

During “Sorrow,” Greg Graffin prefaced the song with “I wish a lot of things in this world weren’t the way they were. Like the burning sun on us today” and then he lead the audience in an inspiring and powerful chant of “there will be sorrow no more.”

Bad Religion reminds us that no matter what the circumstance, year, or motivation, as long as there are powerful performers like Bad Religion “there will be sorrow no more.”

Even if you do have a very special place reserved for you in firey Fontana hell.

[Photo Gallery] KROQ Epicenter…