The Dead Kennedy’s Resurrect Their Prominence at Musink
Musink Tattoo Festival, OC Fairgrounds – March 10th, 2019
Even though Ron Greer took the title of DK front man in 2008, Jello Biafra loyalists have often greeted Greer and other DK singers with rotten tomatoes, unable to fully grasp the concept of these legendary punk pioneers without their signature vocals. I have to admit that when Greer took the stage on Sunday night at Musink I was concerned. He was visibly drunk and fell down on his own accord. But, as with any professional punk musician, when the music started to play and the crowd started to react to it, he managed to snap himself into the role of front man. Greer and the rest of the Dead Kennedy’s were pure gold. After several hard hitting songs including the popular “Too Drunk to Fuck”, Greer spoke about his doctor asking him to cancel the tour, “My doctors said, ‘don’t do the show, you’re too old for punk rock’. But, the fans in Orange County mean more to me than my own life.” Greer refuted, looking into the crowd, “The worst part is, you’re ALL too old for punk rock!” Then he transitioned to DK drummer D.H. Peligro’s reprimand of South Orange County for the previous weekend’s news story about Newport Harbor High School students who played beer pong with red cups in the shape of a swastika, saying, “Shame on you OC! That shit tears us apart, punk rock brings us together,” followed by a very enthusiastic “Nazi Punks Fuck Off.”
– Sarah Tonin
13 Stitches Magazine
– John Mairs
13 Stitches Magazine