Circle Jerks – First Avenue – Minneapolis MN – March 24th 2022

By Kyle Hansen 3 years ago

First Avenue present the Circle Jerks with special guests 7 Seconds and Negative Approach

When this show came up I put it on my calendar right away. After a delay for obvious reasons, we are now celebrating all things hardcore punk tonight. It has been 15 years since the Circle Jerks toured. Wow time flies.

I was running a tad last so I only saw about half of Negative Approach’s set. There was also a massive line to get in. That’s what happens when you don’t tour for 15 years, and you get a pandemic. What I saw was intense. Ripping through song after song and ending with The Stooges tune I Got A Right. Best thing about punk shows is you can cramp a lot of songs in a 45-60 minute slot. The crowd was way into these guys. I was introduced to these guys in the early 80;s when we were all getting into trash and more heavy stuff. Everything then was going in the glam rock way and getting to soft so the faster, harder the better. I drew to punk right away. The slam dancing and mosh pit had started!! I retired in 2000 at a Slayer show so I will be watching from afar.

Setlist – Hypocrite – Whatever I Do – Why Be Something Your Not – Pressure – Fair Warning – Can’t Tell No One – Sick of Talk – Evacuate – Said and Done – Dead Stop – Live Your Life – Ready to Fight – Your Mistake Genocide – Nothing – Borstal Breakout – Negative Approach – Tied Down – Friend or Foe – I’ll Survive – Lead Song – I Got a Right. 

 

It has been 7 years since 7Seconds have been in town, and before that in was 1996. So it is not that often they come around. They came out and got the crowd going. An instant pit broke out. Kevin has grown his hair super long, Steve Youth on bass still just as active as ever, Bobby Adams on guitar and Sammy Siegler sitting in for Troy Mowat who had to sit the tour out for health reasons. Hopefully nothing too serious. The band said they broke up on facebook in 2018 but got back together to help support the Circle Jerks on their tour. This time around the pit was getting bigger. As I went to the top to check out pit it was old school. It wasn’t just a bunch of idiots hitting each other. We had slam dancing, movement, little bit of shoving, but just a great big circle going around. It was a total mix of old school punks, next generation punks, some shirtless dudes, some girls, just a great big happy mix of people to be glad they are out of the house and at a concert. There was a person who passed out behind the pit, and Kevin did stall to make sure everyone was ok. So good to see a band aware of their crowd.  I tried to get. a good time lapse photo of the pit check them out in the gallery. I was at 2 Elton John shows the nights before this so it was a great change in my week of concerts. I love all kinds of music. Most songs from their set came off their 1984 album The Crew and 85 Walk Together album. Which is great cause we all wanted some familiar music tonight.

Setlist – Here’s Your Warning – Definite Choice – Not Just Boys Fun – This is the Angry – Y.P.H. – New Wind – We’re Gonna Fight – Tied Up in Rhythm – Sooner or Later – You Loose – Somebody Help Me Scream – Regrets No Way – Satyagraha – Here We Go Again Kids – Leave a lIght On – The Crew – Remains to Be Seen – I Can Sympathize – In Your Face – Walk Together, Rock Together – Young Til I Die – Colourblind – Still Believe – 99 Red Balloons

 

The Circle Jerks came out and talked to the crowd a little bit about the van and the pandemic couldn’t how long it been since they toured and it is now the 42nd anniversary of Group Sex in the 40th anniversary of Wild in the Streets. Keith was telling us when planning this tour they were not sure on how they were gonna do a setlist. Since he is now 66 he told us they had made blocks of 5 songs then a break. As I looked at the setlist on the floor I saw 33 songs. So tonight was the celebration of all all things Circle Jerks.
The crowd went into an absolute frenzy at the first notes from the band. Working the pit was a little hard because they had kids and old punks flying over left and right and it was getting difficult to take some photos. But you watch out for each other and everybody’s usually safe, tonight everybody was working together for a safe environment. It was fun watching the crowd because we had not scene something like that in a long time. When I showed up to the gig line was all the way around the building which if you know First Avenue, that’s a long line.
The band pretty much whipped right through five songs, took a break, whipped through five songs then took a break. You get the idea. Keith pretty much stayed center stage, Greg Hetson stayed stage left and did his classic jumps throughout the night, Zander just pounded the bass all night and Joey C on drums for the tour. The band still sounds amazing.
The merchandise booth was awesome it had about four different long sleeve shirts that had a bunch of short sleeve shirts at a bunch of different colored shirts. So if you’re going to think about getting merch at the show make sure that you get there early because the lines were quite long. Also check with the venue as some have gone cashless and accept credit cards only. Just be prepared.
There are only a few dates left on this leg. So make sure not to miss this tour. You never know what it is someones last.

Setlist – Deny Everything – Letterbomb – In Your Eyes – Stars and Stripes – Back Against the Wall – Behind the Door – I Just Want Some Skank – Beverly Hills – When the Shit Hits the Fan – Under the Gun – Trapped – Coup detat – Wild in the Streets – Moral Majority – Don’t Care – Live Fast Die Young – Paid Vacation – Junk Mail – Parade of the Horribles – Casualty Vampire – I, I & I – Leave Me Alone – I Don’t – The Crowd – Beat Me Senseless – World Up My Ass – Operation – Wasted – High Price on Our Heads – Red Tape – I Wanna Destroy You – Question Authority – What’s Your Problem