Words: Miljan Milekić
Mondays suck. Except when they don’t, and this was one of them. Near the end of the Codefendants set in the Black Cat Tavern, singer Sam King had let everyone know that he would be back in a few days, this time with Get Dead, adding with a straight face – “Come see Circle Jerks at the University!” As funny as that sentence may have sounded, it was the best invitation for this gig, if one was ever needed.
The night started off with the local band The No Goes. Led by a vocalist Britt and her energetic voice, the four-piece showed why they are one of the most loved punk rock bands in Saskatoon. Their short set seemed to be over in a blink of an eye, but they made sure they delivered with every song they played. The crowd was still sparse and filling up the room while they were on the stage, but those who got there in time had a chance to see a very good band and get ready for what was to come.
It was Get Dead who hit the stage next, kicking off with ‘Hard Candy’ and ‘Only Human.’ It didn’t take long for the crowd to join the party, and move forward to meet the band. In between songs, the band was joking around about the fact that they were playing at the University campus, throwing stabs at the local sports teams, or complaining how despite a great show in Edmonton the day before, they “still had to play for some Oilers fans” (some members of the band may or may not have been spotted sporting Sharks merch in the past).
In general, I love Get Dead as a band, but their latest record, 2020’s ‘Dancing With A Curse’ may be one of my favorite albums ever, so I was more than happy with the band firing off five tracks from it in succession. They kicked it off with ‘Disruption’ and ‘Fire Sale,’ both getting the crowd fired up, before sliding into ‘Stick Up’ and a quiet one – ‘Glitch,’ which probably had the biggest sing-along of the set. After they closed this part of the set with another banger – ‘Hard Times,’ they delivered a few more older numbers, including an aways fun ‘Fuck You,’ before leaving the stage to the night’s headliners.
Circle Jerks kicked in next providing a lecture in punk and hardcore. Literally and metaphorically. Not only did they fire off a massive, 29-song setlist, but the singer Keith Morris took the time between the songs to share some of the band’s crazy stories, the background of some of the songs, or to introduce band members, and the long list of other band and projects they are, or were involved with. He added in some jokes and delivered a few stabs towards the crowd, which may have hurt if they weren’t true.
The band started their set with the trio of ‘Deny Everything,’ ‘Letterbomb,’ and ‘In Your Eyes,’ which was more than enough to get the crowd going. Despite all four members being well into their 50s and 60s, and not releasing any new music since 1995 (although this might change soon), the band is still a force to reckon with when it comes to playing shows. With all the experience under their belt and the energy of people 40 years younger than they actually are, they easily balance between old and older, delivering punch after punch from the stage.
Later this week, I will have the privilege to hear the band again at the Toronto edition of Punk in Drublic Festival, but I am glad I got the chance to see them in a club setting first. In their natural habitat, Circle Jerks delivered punk and hardcore in their purest form, checking all the boxes along the way. But how could they not, since they were among those creating the checklist? And with timeless classics like ‘Wild In The Streets’ or ‘Wasted’ (which may or may not have influenced the name of this website, albeit in the Black Flag version) they had all the tools to do it.
