Social Distortion at the Pageant, 5/4/11: Photos + Setlist

Social Distortion. Photo by Jason Stoff

Taking the stage to 2Pac's "California Love," Social Distortion brought its California hustle and flow to The Pageant Wednesday night and treated the packed house of rowdy punks, jocks, skaters and auto mechanics to almost two hours of unadulterated punk rock n'roll.

Check out a full slideshow of Social Distortion at the Pageant

Decked out in a Capone-esque suit, a top hat and his signature 1971 Goldtop Les Paul, ringleader Mike Ness led the band through classics, new material and deep cuts alike, proving to fans that at age 49--and three decades into its career--Ness and Social D have hardly slowed down.

Ness and guitarist Jonny 2 Bags wove in and out of Chuck Berry-influenced guitar solos, while Brent Harding (bass) and David Hidalgo Jr. (drums) locked down the rhythm. The band also brought a keyboard player along, who added clanking keys and organ-drenched substance to Social D classics (see "Prison Bound" and "Bad Luck").

Birmingham, England's Sharks opened the show with its sharp blend of Clash-inspired punk. Backed by an upright bass and a fiddle, Chuck Ragan followed and delivered a raucous set of punk-infused country. Ragan violently strummed, stomped and roared through his blend of Motorhead-meets-Pogues hellfire folk, which fit surprisingly well paired with Social Distortion's greaser punk pastiche.

Chuck Ragan. Photo by Jason Stoff

Social Distortion Setlist

Road Zombie
So Far Away
King of Fools
Bad Luck
Mommy's Little Monster
Sick Boy
Machine Gun Blues
Ball and Chain
Down on the World Again
Bakersfield
Gimme the Sweet and Lowdown
Down Here With the Rest of Us (?)
Reach for the Sky
Making Believe
Encore
Prison Bound
Story of My Life
Ring of Fire

Opener Sharks needs shower money. Photo by Jason Stoff