Get OFF! With Sound Opinions

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 7, 2012 3:20PM

OFF!

Sound Opinions has booked some pretty loud bands over the years, but we would have paid cash money to see (don't call 'em a punk rock supergroup) OFF! perform in the WBEZ studios. This group of longtime music veterans—Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks), Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides), Steven McDonald (Redd Kross) and Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket From The Crypt)—stopped by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot's little music talk show last time they were in town. Not only do the grizzled rockers offer terrific conversation, but the quartet also delivers a couple white hot nuggets of minute-plus long live punk rock songs. We've seen the group a number of times and they keep up the face-blasting intensity of their stage show despite the relatively polite confines of National Public Radio. One has to wonder if Peter Sagal and Carl Kasell were tearing it up moshing around WBEZ's offices during this taping.

The music isn't the only terrific thing about this week's episode. The conversation proves scintillating as well! They cover lots of terrain, and while it's great to learn of the group's somewhat accidental origins, the best part is listening to McDonald talk about the original punk rock scene and how open-minded it was before it turned into a strictly codified subgenre complete with regimented behavioral codes. And Morris shares his surprisingly unjudgmental thoughts on playing the Pitchfork Music Festival, despite DeRogatis' best efforts to get him to slam the beard rock that surrounded them that year.

As a bonus, you get to learn just what kind of energy drink Morris would allow the band to endorse for cash.

Tune into WBEZ 91.5 tonight at 8 p.m. or tomorrow at 11 a.m. and hear the whole thing. If you miss those airings the show will be available online later tonight.