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Epitaph Records -- Millencolin

Punk shows at Minneapolis’ the Myth are always quite a spectacle. Among the crusty teens scuffing up the polished floorboards and weathered vets of the punk scene relaxing on the plush seating to humorous exchanges with the suit-and-tie restroom attendants, “authentic,” anti-corporate punk from acts like NOFX and Rancid is delivered to a Twin Cities audience blessed with all the conveniences and comfortabilities of cologne in the restrooms and a heated outdoor smoking area, and cursed with distractions like the barely dressed club waitresses. Last night was NOFX, No Use for a Name, the Flatliners and Off with Their Heads, and as it turns out, my timing was a bit off.

Off with Their Heads: boo. And by that I mean, “Boo me” for showing up two hours late and missing one of Minneapolis’ finest.

The Flatliners: I’ve enjoyed some Flatliners stuff, but after their disappointing FAT debut, I’m not so upset about missing them. No further comment.

No Use for a Name: Not only did they put on a great show, but the audience reception blew me away. Maybe I’ve come to believe the fickle PunkNews posters hitting “comment” for every negative thought that pops in their heads, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how many people were still into NUFAN. Maybe this was due to their selection of songs, which were admittedly the most popular cuts from their catalog, but they also played one new song that sounded sick, starting off with a ballsy, pulsating bassline and erupting into something more aggressive than either of their last two albums. I’m not cool or clever enough to write down set lists while thrashing about with the punx in the pit, so here’s what I remember:

  • Not Your Savior
  • Soulmate
  • Chasing Rainbows
  • [New Song]
  • International You Day
  • I Turned Into a Martian (Misfits cover)
  • Redemption Song (Bob Marley and the Wailers cover)
  • Coming Too Close
  • Justified Black Eye
NOFX: The first bad sign was when Fat Mike walked on stage with a brace after allegedly punching Erik Sandin, but luckily he immediately removed it even before playing a song as, after all, it was nearly the end of the tour. The band had played in Chicago the night before, where they had stayed out drinking til 8:00 AM with Joe from Rise Against, so they were understandably a bit sluggish. NOFX spent the usual three quarters of the time talking, and the rest of the time playing. Though I wouldn’t expect much less from Fat Mike, there were a few times when his banter got mildly annoying, such as a minute or two rant against Christianity in which he proclaimed that Christians shouldn’t be at his concerts. This led me to believe he’s either gotten more close-minded since he signed MxPx to his record label, or he was just interested in selling records. Despite the sloppiness, they did play "The Decline" and it was great, and I have a hard time faulting the chosen set list except for the lack of Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing songs I’ve wanted to hear live. These are in somewhat of an order, but by no means exact.

  • Straight Edge (Minor Threat cover)
  • Dinosaurs Will Die
  • Franco Unamerican
  • Perfect Government
  • Louise
  • The Decline (full)
  • Radio (Rancid cover)
  • Stickin’ in My Eye
  • What Now My Love?
  • Leaving Jesusland
  • Reeko
  • Linoleum
  • Eat the Meek
  • Lori Meyers
  • Bob
  • Fuck the Kids
  • Murder the Government
  • The Brews
  • Encore:
  • Whoops I OD’d
  • Seeing Double at the Triple Rock
  • Kill All the White Man
  • I Wanna Be an Alcoholic




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    Posted by joetheinvincible on 2008-03-21 12:28:28

    and lol at drinking with JOE FROM RISE AGAINST

    Posted by joetheinvincible on 2008-03-21 12:27:47

    If it makes you guys feel any better, I hated the little bit of ska that was in it. Hell, I hated the whole damn record actually, punk stuff included. Mediocre as hell.

    Posted by GlassPipeMurder on 2008-03-17 23:00:13

    i was disappointed by the lack of ska-punk in The Great Awake. and as mentioned I didn't seem them so I'm not sure why everyone's breeches are in a bundle.

    Posted by TRiGGS on 2008-03-17 17:17:26

    I went to this show in KCMO, and I must say that The Flatliners were awesome! These guys are young, and they put out a fabulous record. I don't think I've seen kids like this put out such a solid record in a long time, not to mention a record on Fat. I got a change to hang-out with the Flatliners after the show, and they are all real cool dudes. Fuck the haters.

    Posted by paulrulzdood on 2008-03-17 12:49:47

    The Flatliners-The Great Awake is one of the best punk albums of 2007 you ball bags, I thought those dudes were mid 20s for sure to make such a rich album but apparantly they're like 19 or 20. Incredible potential, and if you don't see that you're a straight up jealous hater. To me they fit the new millenium fat wreck sound perfectly, like old bigwig mixed with none more black, suicide machines, lawrence arms and against all authority.

    I was at the new orleans stop of this tour and it was incredible. NUFAN played 13 songs though, I think this dude may be missing some or your show got a shorter set.

    Paul

    Posted by trevor905 on 2008-03-17 11:36:31

    new flats album is so dope give it another listen man, and there live performance is fucking good so id have to say you missed out

    Posted by AnotherBoringStory on 2008-03-17 10:23:46

    If they play The Decline at the SLC show, I will just shit all over the place.

    With happiness, I should add.

    Posted by damo on 2008-03-16 16:44:21

    exactly - was better as there was no ska

    Posted by Citizen_Crack on 2008-03-16 14:40:39

    I hardly found "The Great Awake" disappointing. I'm tired of people bashing on it because it was light on ska.

    Posted by Bipedcasserole on 2008-03-16 14:12:06

    nofx: the poor bastard's propagandhi. fat mike is a daft git.

    Posted by keithybobeefy on 2008-03-16 04:06:23

    I've never been able to get into NOFX mostly because of me being utterly annoyed anytime Fat Mike opens his mouth.

    No Use For a Name I never had a problem with though.

    Posted by punk_rawk_show on 2008-03-16 03:50:05

    This was such a sweet line-up

    Eat The Meek is the greatest, i had never heard it before i saw them live, cause So Long was the only album i didnt have. but straight after i heard eat the meek i went out and bought the album. Best song to get stoned to, along with mad caddies - state of mind

    Posted by punkinohio on 2008-03-15 16:35:00

    NUFAN rules, it's a shame at the Covington/Cincinnati show they had to spend the first 10 minutes of the set getting ready to fight some drunk nofx idiot fans for throwing shit at them. I hate NOFX, and fat mike, and now to add to that list NOFX fans are a rare breed of close-minded ultra-"punk" alcoholic rednecks who never got anywhere after highschool (if they went).

    Posted by client-9 on 2008-03-15 13:24:27

    Hey-SKA is right on "Eat the Meek" blows hard

    Posted by CBSrocksteady on 2008-03-15 11:56:46

    Freds Got Slacks is my favorite Flatliners song mos def. Hey_Ska have you heard the Mad Caddies cover Eat the Meek? Its fucking ridiculously good. Gave me a new appreciation for that song.

    Posted by BarleyPat on 2008-03-15 10:06:24

    Guy below me: I'm with you on the Flatliners. Liked the first one, like the new one. I Am Abandoned is still their best song though.

    Posted by damo on 2008-03-15 06:27:30

    sorry fella but the Fat Flatliners record is fucking mint. it took time to grow on me but i absolutely love it now

    Posted by Hey_ska on 2008-03-15 02:07:12

    God why oh why do they always play Eat The Meek? That song is just so boring. The only time I've liked that song is when they played it at Warped in '06...and thats because i was smoking a blunt.

    Posted by alahanno on 2008-03-15 01:03:33

    i had a great time at the show drinking beer vodka and whiskey for the openers. o.w.t.h. fuckin ripped it as usual. flatliners were great too. suprisingly to me nufan was pretty good too,(i havent been a fan since lech con carne but they were good. nofx was nofx ripping on anyone and evryone it was awesome when fat ripped on the vip section and he brought up some emo kid and told him how much he sucked and didnt approve of his kind at his shows so he gave him his $20 back. i ended up getting in for free(thanx to whoever you were and i didnt get to buy you a drink but thank you again) so that made my day,considering i have a four hour drive to see all the shows ive been to other than ones in duluth(d-4, vdgs, Briefs). no chuch and skate was a bummer but it was worth it to here the full decline. my sense of time wasnt the greatest but i think they played 1.5-2 hours maybe. but if not it seemed like it up-font in the pit. today is the first day im not sore anymore.

    Posted by alahanno on 2008-03-15 01:02:49

    wtf comment section timed out i typed for twenty minutes fuck you punknews

    Posted by BarleyPat on 2008-03-14 23:11:39

    Really wish I could catch this tour, but don't think I'm going to make it. That NOFX set list is definately better than the new live album. Leaving Jesusland and Triple Rock are good songs. The Brews is always good, as is Kill all the White Man. Through in the usual songs: Bob, Decline, Linoleum..... not bad overall.

    Posted by jacknife737 on 2008-03-14 20:37:51

    "If he bashed jews, muslims, and christians equally, that would be cool"

    Uh, are you new to Nofx or something?

    Posted by AphasiacIIc on 2008-03-14 20:18:07

    you gotta remember that the general opinion on this site means jack shit in reality. NUFAN rules

    Posted by LORDSHREDDER on 2008-03-14 20:12:58

    PS: the Flatliners suck. FAT needs to sign some good skate punk bands again. Strike Anywhere was a step, but then that album wasn't rocking and had poor production from the past ones. And Rise Against should have just broken up after The Unraveling.

    Posted by LORDSHREDDER on 2008-03-14 20:06:56

    That's a pretty weak No Use set, kind of like Live In A Dive. They never play the goodies anymore, like Best Regards, Fields of Agony, Until Its Gone, etc.

    That's a mediocre NOFX set. They love playing a few good ones, then their so-so songs. Like Franco Un-American instead of Separation of Church and Skate? Weak. I am fine with Anti-Christian banter when it comes from a true atheist. But since Fat Mike is jewish (and proud), he's a total fucking hypocrite. If he bashed jews, muslims, and christians equally, that would be cool. But he's just dissing one religion, as if the rest aren't just as shitty,

    Posted by feloniousjive on 2008-03-14 20:00:31

    Yeah dude......ranting about the horrors of Christianity definitely brings in $$$$$$$.

    Posted by grantino on 2008-03-14 19:30:24

    the flatliners had a dissapointing debute? hardly...but whatever.

    im stoaked for this show to come to montana...american steel is going to make the night amazing.

    Posted by trolley on 2008-03-14 19:27:08

    He signed MxPx? When did this happen? From what I can tell Fat just released an EP from them like 7 years ago.

    Posted by screeching_bottlerocket on 2008-03-14 18:53:32

    "perfect government" is the best nofx song ever, next to "the decline".

    also, i think the flatliners' debut was one of the best albums of 2007, but maybe that's just me.

    Posted by Hey_Asshole on 2008-03-14 18:49:56

    we had a pretty similar set in chicago...except no decline.

    but we got the copyrights AND less than jake playing a song. the first song of NOFX's encore was LTJ playing "Al's War."

    it was pretty kick ass

    Posted by MN_punkmaster-skaman on 2008-03-14 18:49:42

    Your forgot for the NUFAN setlist "Dumb Reminders" (second song) and "Straight From The Jacket" with El Hefe helping out. That was one of the best shows I've been to in over a year. All bands were great that night.

    Posted by CBSrocksteady on 2008-03-14 18:16:26

    Thats a huge NOFX set. How long did that end up being?