 "Photo: photo: Alicia Schuster / UCD Advocate")
The old adage “Age is just a number” is a statement usually told to the old to comfort them. But on Nov. 3, The Bouncing Souls youthfully bounced its way into a packed Gothic Theater and proved that age is really is just a number. At least for musicians who still know how to rock.
The members of The Bouncing Souls are celebrating their 20th anniversary by touring, and the fans are celebrated as well. Hippies, hardcore punks in studded leather jackets sporting massive mohawks, as well as lawyers and businessmen packed the theater.
A little before 10, the house lights went black and the sound system went quiet as chants of “Ole Ole Ole” came from the audience, a reference to the Souls’ reworking of an old sports chant.
Cutting the oleying off, Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” played through the speakers as the band members slowly took the stage. The lead singer, Greg Attonito, started screaming, “Here we go, here we go, here we go” over and over again, and then started the song “Fight To Live.” Instantly the pit exploded, pulling everyone on the floor in.
From that point on it was one massive chunk of fast, loud, energetic, and crazed punk rock music. The band went from one song right into the next, only stopping to change guitars.
Bass player Bryan Kienlen jumped around like a pogo stick and danced as he played the set. At one point members of one of the opening bands, Bayside, came on stage to take part in the “Bayside takeover,” as Attonito called it. The collaboration between the two groups was intense.
A massive chaotic slew of people crowd surfed, jumping, leaping off, and dancing on the stage. Normally you are kicked out for crowd surfing or jumping onstage, but not for The Bouncing Souls. B.J., a security guard working the concert, commented, “The band said to let them [the crowd] do what they want. If I wasn’t working, I’d be joining right in.”
The entire band was smiling, laughing and, well, bouncing along for the whole set. That happiness was projected to the fans and the music.
Playing old favorites, taking requests, and having the crowd vote on what songs were to be played next, the members of the band outdid themselves and had the crowd begging for more. After 20 years of rocking, The Bouncing Souls still can kick ass.
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