If you were to ask a Long Islander what a typical Friday night at Mulcahy’s is like, $4 fireball shots and a tribute band would probably be the most common answer. I guarantee you punk rock would never cross their mind. However, on the rare occasion, this self-described “Pub and Concert Hall” pulls in a mind blowing act.
I’ve only been to Mulcahy’s twice before and it was for Bad Religion/Anti-Flag/Gogol Bordello in 2005 and last year for RX Bandits. But the moment I saw The Bouncing Souls and T.S.O.L. (True Sounds of Liberty) were playing, I knew I would once again make the trip to Wantagh, NY.
The Bouncing Souls have been around for nearly 3 decades and their fan base definitely spans all 30 years. Opening acts that night were T.S.O.L, who off and on have been making music even longer, since 1978, and the “babies” of the night, Stay Wild. Impressively, The Bouncing Souls have maintained 3 of their 4 members throughout their career which is nearly unheard of in the music industry these days.
Stay Wild and T.S.O.L. put on killer sets and definitely warmed up the crowd, but it was soon time for The Bouncing Souls to take the stage and connect with the audience in a way only they can. Greg Attonito (vocals), Pete Steinkopf (guitar), Bryan Kienlen (bass) and George Rebelo (drums) came out to cheers and yells from the audience. They immediately kicked into high gear with the title track off of their 1999 album, “Hopeless Romantic”.
There was an energy that hadn’t been there all night that sent the security scurrying into the pit to guide vested crowd surfers to the sides. One could barely hear the band through the singing of the crowd. Greg climbed down into the pit to sing along with his friends in the front row to “Lean on Sheena”, an Avoid One Thing cover.
The nearly 90-minute set spanned 8 albums and 25 songs. And when all was said and done, Greg climbed down once again to high five, hug and take pictures with anyone that hung around in the front. If you’ve never been to a punk show, you are missing out.
From the outside it could look intimidating. Piercings. Tattoos. Spikes. But there is something you get out of a punk show that you will never find anywhere else. Punk is about being yourself. Punk is about embracing differences. And The Bouncing Souls encompass everything good about punk.
Set List:
1. Hopeless Romantic
2. The Gold Song
3. The Ballad of Johnny X
4. Private Radio
5. That Song
6. Lamar Vannoy
7. Bees
8. Midnight Mile
9. Kate Is Great
10. Lean On Sheena (Avoid One Thing cover)
11. Simple Song (Avail cover)
12. East Coast! Fuck You!
13. Say Anything
14. Manthem
15. Sing Along Forever
16. These Are the Quotes From Our Favorite 80’s Movies
17. The Freaks, Nerds & Romantics
18. Born Free
19. Late Bloomer
20. The Something Special
21. Gone
Encore: Kids and Heroes
Anchors Aweigh
True Believers
Night on Earth