Seriously, who smokes weed after/during a NOFX show these days?
I am walking out of the House Of Blues on a Thursday night in October thinking just that. I know NOFX have graced us with some of the best punk/reggae the Nineties had to offer (“Kill All The White Man,” anyone?), but that's no reason to make the masses departing from a show smell like a frat party who just tapped the Bud Light keg (the difference really is drinkability, bro!) riding the latest fad of Dub Step.
This aside, NOFX managed to put on a good show once again. It was sort of incredible, actually; it makes one wonder how a band who's been around so long, who self-admittedly peaked more than ten years ago and is known for their immaturity still make it look like they are so serious about their craft:
1. In their years of playing together, NOFX has clearly learned how to be a band together. Their TV series, Backstage Passport, was good evidence of that. They can play their songs and play them well, and this is due to them having one of the consistently tightest drummers around. NOFX gets the reputation of being sloppy, but it's hard to see why from their shows.
2. The band clearly knows how to have fun, which is more than I can say for some bands touring nowadays. Fat Mike once said that they keep the band going because they are still having fun. They simply seem to come alive on-stage; from their stage banter (how can Dick Barrett not get brought up in Boston?), crowd pandering (like wearing an obscure Massachusetts punk band's shirt) , and straight-up hijinks (was an extended cabaret show set to Avenue-Q music really necessary?), it's hard to argue that NOFX belongs on the road.
3. What can one say about a band that keeps their set lists from old shows in order to make a better one next time they come to town? It speaks volumes, really. In other words, they know how to please the crowd with favorites (“Murder the Government”), throw in a few surprises (“Insulted By Germans”) and, though "intoxicated," (they have cup holders on their mic stands these days, you know?), one can tell from watching them live that the band is doing what they love, and doing it well.
NOFX is getting old, and let's be honest, so are the rest of us going to their shows. When they play, it always has been, and always will be a treat. Otherwise, why would they still be doing it? So, do yourself a favor and go check them out next time they come to town. With the band seeming to slow down compared to years previous (this was their first show in Boston in almost ten years, I think), it might be your last.
Further Reading:
Ground Control's NOFX Discography review
“Almost Thirty Years of Fuckin' Up!” – Ground Control's retrospective interview with Fat Mike.
Artist:
www.nofxofficialwebsite.com/
www.myspace.com/nofx
www.facebook.com/pages/NOFX-Official-Page/
www.twitter.com/fatmike_of_nofx
Tour:
NOFX already has a couple of shows scheduled for early 2012. Click here for an updated listing.
