2004 California Tour

December 3 - 5, 2004
By: Lackass

© TheAdolescents.net

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We arrived at Soma in San Diego at about 7:00 and the line to get in is so long that it wrapped around the parking lot. From that moment we know it was going to be a sold out show. As people started filing in, the excitement was visible in the faces and mannerisms of the crowd. We decided to scope out the place to see what was going on, meanwhile running into some friends who we don’t see very often. After the venue was filled to capacity and everyone was inside, the music got underway.  Newcomers “Wrecking Crew” hit the stage and really got the crowd roaring. This band definitely has what it takes to become one of this generation’s legendary punk bands. Following Wrecking Crew, DEK hit the stage and tore into a fast and energetic set as well. Joe, Wrecking Crew’s lead guitarist even joined DEK on stage for their last song which was a cover of TSOL’s “Sounds of Laughter”.

It came time for the Adolescents to take the stage and the crowd was restless with anticipation.  By the time the first notes of “No Way” were heard the crowd started going nuts. The set was energy packed up until the very end when during “Kids of the Black Hole” security broke down and there were kids surfing on stage, and diving off into a sea of hands.

Frank Agnew even got kicked in the face and knocked down by one surfer, but continued to play uninterrupted. After the show ended we all headed back up to Orange County to catch some sleep and get ready for the trip ahead of us.

We arrived at The Loft in Ventura at about 4:00. The place was deserted and looked much like one of the many industrial parks that you find in Orange County. We headed inside to find Steve Soto ad Derek O’Brien doing the sound check. Meanwhile we decided to take a look around and check out the skate park that was just below where the Adolescents would be playing later on. The room where the Adolescents were playing was filled with people and was packed so tight that there was hardly room to move around. The guys opened with “Amoeba” and the crowd went insane.

Throughout the whole set there was no definite barrier holing the crowd back from the stage, aside from the three security guards who tried unsuccessfully to hold the crowd back. Throughout the whole set people could be seen climbing the ceiling high speakers and diving off of them into the crowd.

Frank Jr. was even lost in the moment when he jumped into the crowd while playing “Creatures”. The set ended and left the audience like a bloodthirsty pack of wolves’ hungry and wanting for more.

We headed up to San Luis Obispo the following morning. We finally arrived in San Luis not knowing where we would be staying or exactly where the venue was. Luckily we found the SLO Brew; where the Adolescents were scheduled to play that night, and decided to hang out there. Finally some familiar faces started to file in and things got going.

The venue made arrangements for hotel rooms, so we decided to trek over to check in and get a few minutes of rest before the show. Well, there must have been some sort of a mix up, because when Steve Soto opened the door to his room there was already someone inside. Needless to say that Steve went down to correct the situation and thankfully Steve didn’t have to share his bed with another man that night.

It came time for the Adolescents to finally hit the stage, and it turned out to be an awesome show especially since the ADS had never played in San Luis Obispo before.