skitzjones

So, seeing OFF! last night was an interesting experience. Having listened to their songs, and read their lyrics, and read interviews and knowing the collective band history, I pretty much knew what I was going to be seeing- but apparently a lot of folks were just there to hear music played loud and fast regardless of the lyrics or meaning behind the song. They wanted to circle around and jump an
d thrash- and that's cool... I'm not taking anything away from that. But the few inbetween song pauses where Keith Morris intro'd the songs talking about their meaning, and his beliefs didn't go over well in Scottsdale AZ. A lot of blank stares at best, and some mocking calls out at worst, which I'm sure in his time as a front man for some of the more notorious punk bands out there he's heard plenty of... but it's not even anything all that outlandish that he was saying. He mentioned it's a conservative state (it is) he mentioned that a lot of laws are designed to hold people down or disillusion them from going after their American Dream (also true) he talked about how the people in positions of power often don't want the people to vote, especially younger people, because we might change the status-quo, and that runs contrary to what the people in running the country often want because they ARE the status-quo (true once again) and... yeah, it was just a weird crowd dynamic, and produced some awkward almost tense moments. But I for one was all about it, and had a great time, so thanks to OFF! for playing a great show. Tonight- another former Black Flag front man- Henry Rollins. Can't wait!