Fiends unite

The Misfits have been known to play shows worthy of historical notation, and Saturday, Nov. 19, at Jaxx Nightclub, was no exception. One could taste the intensity and anticipation of the crowd. Every note was dead on, and their entire performance was both memorable and inspiring.

Unfortunately, this sentiment could not be said of the prior five bands: Republic Rats, Spank, Corrupted Youth, Group 36 and Bella Morte. The Republic Rats and Corrupted Youth had decent sets with a medium level of energy and enthusiasm, but nothing spectacular for a punk show. The music itself was fairly generic, and did not deviate from standard punk riffs and beats. These bands would have been better suited playing a local show, rather than a tour with the Misfits.

Despite Spank's strong female vocalist, they were barely able to pull off a set of mediocre covers and original songs. The biggest disappointment of the evening, though, was Bella Morte. They had a strong start but fell apart after fifteen minutes.

For that quarter of an hour, the lead singer made amusing facial expressions, did numerous stage dives and quickly became tiresome. Bella Morte would not get off the stage, and after an hour and fifteen minutes of their shenanigans, the club managers finally had to kick them off.

At 11:45 PM, the sound of the drum check for the Misfits rang and the crowd erupted in a series of shouts. At exactly midnight, a sea of machine-generated fog set the stage and the curtain was dropped. On stage were four stack amps covered in chains, the traditional Fiend Skull backdrop, a drum set atop a pyramid of skulls and two Jack-o-Lanterns.

Suddenly, Bass player Jerry Only and former Black Flag guitarist Dez rushed onto the stage slamming the chords of "Halloween," as the crowd went absolutely berserk. The madness that ensued was utter bliss for any punk show veteran, as the band ripped through such songs as "Helena," "Dig Up Her Bones" and "Skulls." Audience members threw each other about in festive manners and sang their hearts out in the pit.
A true sense of unity was ubiquitous within the crowd. Boys, girls, men and women alike sported "Devil Locks" --the patented Misfit hairstyle, where one gels their hair over their face in a triangular spike-- and screamed themselves hoarse.

As the last chords of the set faded away, the band exited the stage. The audience, however, would not hear of it. Cheers of "Mis-Fits," repeated over and over, and a few sporadic "Encores!" were enough to bring the Misfits back onto the stage for three final songs: "Green Hell," Black Flag's "Rise Above" and the infamous "Die, Die, Die My Darling." These songs were played at almost album quality and pushed the show over into a euphoric state.

Only concluded the show by ripping the shirt from his body and throwing it into the crowd. The band also did something very rare by many performing acts of the day: they took the time to autograph various memorabilia and talk with the fans— a very admirable act.

When the show concluded, fans lit up their final cigarettes and walked into the cold November air, satisfied at witnessing the show of a lifetime.