REVIEW: Propagandhi Shreds at the Concord
By aaroncynic in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 23, 2014 8:15PM
Plenty of punk bands—really, bands of any genre—that’ve been playing for a couple decades are used to a crowd demanding the old classics, especially as a fan base ages. Winnipeg’s punk/thrash institution Propagandhi proves with every show and tour that a band can continually create new classics as they evolve and grow. The foursome finished their tour here in Chicago at the Concord Music Hall, and we were absolutely delighted to be present for the finale.
One of the downsides of being an aging punk who only gets a chance to check out a scant few shows a year is realizing you miss out on so much new music over the years. Rounding out the show were well-established-but-new-to-us acts RIVIR, War on Women and La Armada. All three put on brilliant and all too quick sets, serving as a reminder to, no matter what the show, always get there early because you’ll walk home a huge fan of bands you might not have been familiar with before.
By the time Propagandhi took the stage our ears were ringing and we were covered in sweat. Bassist Todd the Rodd’s constant movement and gleeful grins throughout the night showed us that, with the right soundtrack, anyone in their 40’s can move like they’re 20. The night’s setlist was curated well, with plenty of new standards from Failed States peppered with mid-career classics like "Fuck The Border" and "Back to the Motor League," and early jams like "Anti-Manifesto." The cherry on top came at the end of the evening, where Rise Against’s Joe Principe picked up the bass for a closing cover of “Hard Times” by the Cro-Mags.