What a show--plenty of energy and fun, but with no help from the two opening acts. Nig Heist opened, but they weren't fit to be janitors (maybe their wigs could have been mops). Some HM parody act consisting of BF roadies and Dez on drums, and new BF drummer Bill singing, or telling/us to suck cocks (as if they weren't doing that on stage) for 45 minutes; nothing but a joke. Next came The Sluts, but not any relief. The drummer was entertaining, but the slobbering, spewing singer got to me after a while. Strike 2.

On comes Black Flag, the anticipation is high, best documented by Smallee's intro. Before you could yell, "I got a gun at my back," they rip into "Revenge" and the Channel becomes a mad-house. (It's been a while.) The intensity of the opening was held constant with numbers like "No Values," "Depression," "Six Pack," and an excellent exploding, set-ending, bouncer-beating "Rise Above,"--and we did. Nothing but high flying thrashing and power. The set did find time to slow down with numbers like "Scream" but that's not to say I don't like versatility. The successes of this set were not an accident! The chemistry between the wired band and the hungry people worked fantastically. When Black Flag can play "Louie, Louie" and respect themselves in the morning (justifiably so,) you know this band is not just another passing fancy.