Pennywise/Circle Jerks: House of Blues - Anaheim, CA - 5/16/26
Punk rock legends Pennywise and Circle Jerks announced a West Coast tour that would make punk rockers happy. A lot of the dates were sold-out, so you know they hype was there. The final stop of the tour was at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. Orange County is big on punk rock, so it’s no surprise that the show sold out and they ended up adding a second show. Even before doors opened, punk rockers were lined up just waiting to see some old school punk rock music.
Circle Jerks have been around since 1979and have only released six albums with the last album being in 1995. Circle Jerks came out and started their show with "Deny Everything." In true punk rock fashion, the music was fast and hit hard. Their songs are also short and that opening song alone is 26 seconds long. After a few more songs, singer Keith Morris took a quick break to talk about current world events. More classic punk rock songs were played including "I Just Want Some Skank," "Beverly Hills," and "World Up My Ass." Even though their songs were short and sweet, the fans still moshed and were stage diving as much as they could. As the show was near its end, Morris went back to his roots of being the original singer for punk legends Black Flag. They played some covers like "Revenge" and "Nervous Breakdown." To end their set, Circle Jerks chose "Question Authority." The fans never slowed down and kept the energy going. Circle Jerks ended their set and left the stage. One legendary band down and the next band was up next.
Pennywise are among one of the greatest punk bands of all time. Since forming in 1988, they have released twelve albums. They take their name from the main character of the Stephen King horror novel, It. The sold-out venue erupted with excitement as Pennywise made their way to the stage. The first song performed was "Homeless." Continuing the punk rock tradition, fans quickly started moshing again and crowd surfers followed soon after. Without using any theatrics, Pennywise let their music do the talking. The next few songs included "Straight Ahead," "My Own Country," and "Fuck Authority." Frontman Jim Lindberg took a break to speak to the audience about being on tour and being in the band as a whole for all these years. He also noted some of his longtime friends in other bands. One of those bands was NOFX who officially retired from playing in 2024. As a tribute, Pennywise played a cover of "Bob." One of the best songs performed was when they played their self-titled song, "Pennywise" off their 1991 self-titled debut album. To end their set, Pennywise always play "Bro Hymn." Being their most popular song and easy to sing along to, it only made sense. This is also the part of the show where fans are welcome to go on stage with the band and sing along. When the song ended, Pennywise said thanks to the audience for all the support they've given them all these years. This was an amazing punk rock show and these legends should be seen live while they're still around.
