I first discovered the Descendents way back in 1997. I was in college, and their video for "I'm the One" was on 120 Minutes. I saw them in Northampton, MA at that year's Warped Tour, completely oblivious to the fact that I was seeing legends, and that I'd go twenty one years without seeing them again. Since Milo returned to the band full time in 2016, I couldn't get in when they played their show at the Sinclair for Converse, the show at Royale sold out too fast, and their Providence show just didn't work out. When I saw they were playing Worcester, the city in MA closest to my home that has shows, I knew I had to go.
Saturday night at the Palladium in Worcester brought out a diverse crowd. I don't believe there were original fans from the 80's, but lots of people that discovered them in the 90's were there. Plus, there were a lot of kids that probably consider Blink 182 to be old school punk. Being over forty, I situated myself at the back of the floor. I wanted to be close enough to be close to the action and feel part of the show, but I'm over forty. Obviously no moshing for me.
But then they played "Hope" for their third song. By the time the song ended, I was in the second row. Oops. But you forget how deep the Descendents's catalog actually goes. Songs like "I Like Food," "Van," "I Don't Want to Grow Up," and "Coffee Mug" are absolute classics. They even busted out "Weinerschnitzel," which I discovered in the Christian Slater classic Pump Up the Volume. What's shocking is how great the new material holds up with the thirty year old classics. "'Merican" seems more timely now then when it was released in 2004. (Also, notice I'm calling a fourteen year old song one of the new ones... I'm old.) They played seven songs off 2016's Hypercaffium Spazzinate, and I don't think anyone minded in the slightest. And yes, they played "I'm the One," making twenty year old Ken very happy.
Also, side note to Milo... No one hated your National Zoo shirt. Everyone loves the National Zoo. They have pandas.
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