The legendary OC punkers Social Distortion have two more shows in San Diego this month -- after selling out two others earlier in January -- and tickets are still available for the FM 94/9 show on Jan. 16.
The band has come a long way since 1983 when frontman Mike Ness punched out a bouncer before a Social D club gig in San Diego. The triumph was short-lived though. After the show, a group of bouncers grabbed Ness, beat him up and called the police to bring assault charges. Ness landed in jail for several days.
The hard life for Ness are the days of yesterday; now it's all about keeping the Social D legacy alive. With the shows leading up to this one, I would say the band hasn't missed a step. The band arose from the punk scene but became much more than that over the years incorporating country into some of the songs. As the only constant member of the band, Ness has spawned a culture in Southern California that involves hot rods and rock & roll, not just punk. Seven albums in, look for the band to release something new in 2013; it's possible they'll be playing some of these new songs at the show.
The band formed in the late '70's in Fullerton, Calif, then broke up in 1983, reforming in 1988). We can all be thankful Mike Ness got back on the right track and is in many ways our generation's Johnny Cash -- congrats to 35 years of Social Distortion!!!
Tim Pyles, a longtime local who grew up in La Jolla, is the unofficial mayor of local music who hosts The Local 94/9 via FM94/9 every Sunday from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. He also books local acts at the Casbah, hosts the weekly Anti-Monday League, books/hosts the monthly Maryjane's Underground at the House of Blues and is an entertainment writer for Pacific San Diego Magazine. Check out his website thelocalpyle.com and and follow him on Twitter @thelocalpyle. You can reach him directly at pyleste@yahoo.com
