It’s Great to Be Young and Crazy! And Young at Heart.
Last night, I finally checked off one of the many bands I missed seeing in the '90s from my list. With some bands, I can't indulge myself, either because they've disbanded, someone passed away, or they’ll never tour here. But that’s not the case with Suicidal Tendencies, a crossover band (a blend of punk and thrash) formed in the western part of California in the early '80s.
Spawned from the creative mind of Cyco Mike Muir, a charismatic frontman who, despite the passing of time, maintains an unchanged style. He is the only original member remaining, leading the band through numerous lineup changes and breaks for various reasons. Today, they are more relevant than ever, with music that was ahead of its time and has now become a timeless classic. They don’t stop for a second on stage and generate an unparalleled energy that connects with the audience.
One of the guitars is fiercely handled by Dan Pleasants, who started in Infectious Grooves and has been by Cyco Mike's side since the '90s.
The other guitar is played by Ben Weinman, former guitarist of The Dillinger Escape Plan, a guy who may look harmless but is crazier than a goat. He isn’t afraid to hang from the ceiling (which he did), climb onto an amp (which he did), or be held up by roadies and the audience to shred a riff above the crowd (and yes... he did that too).
The setlist was packed with classics, starting with an extra-long version of *You Can’t Bring Me Down*, *War Inside My Head*, the iconic *How Will I Laugh Tomorrow*, among others. The most recent song were *Cyco Vision* and *Freedumb* from 1999, but they didn’t play anything from *Art of Rebellion*, and the brilliant *Institutionalized* was also left out. Maybe next time.
On bass, a 20-year-old named Ty Trujillo, bearing the illustrious surname of the current Metallica bassist and former ST member. It's clear he was born with the genetics and a bass in hand, as he owned the four-stringed instrument, especially during *Send Me Your Money* and *Possessed to Skate*. Before that song, Mike asked who among the crowd skated, who did BMX, who surfed, and who performed brain surgery, getting the same "ehhh" response from the crowd.
I can’t forget the drums, destroyed by the beast Jay Weinberg (former Slipknot). It seems like he's been there for years, perfectly fitting in despite only joining ST a year ago.
The audience lived up to the occasion, filling the theater (which filled up quickly), and giving it their all. I decided to watch from the balcony because I wasn’t up for getting crushed in the mosh pit, where I witnessed epic battles, mosh pits, spirals, and crowd surfing. Fans from all generations, metal girls, and older bald, gray-haired guys who dared to mingle with the younger ones.
At one point, Pleasants asked for a wall of death; they misunderstood and gave back a vortex that was just as wild.
Mike was super chatty as usual (in English, of course). He shared how his house had burned down, that his family was okay, but he chose to come to the South American tour to be with his “other family.” He seemed deeply moved and emotional, apologizing for taking so long to return to Buenos Aires and promising to come back soon with more material. Hopefully, this will lead to a visit from Infectious Grooves, as four ST members are part of IG. That would be another band to tick off my "never thought they'd come" list.
The night ended with a bunch of fans storming the stage, first chosen by hand, then it turned into a free-for-all. Almost 50 people were up there, mere inches from their idols, shouting along to *Pledge Your Allegiance* and chanting ST, ST.
“Sing to say something.” That’s the message I’m taking away, echoed by the opening band, Hueso. I wasn’t a big fan of their set, but respect for their message. The crowd seemed to enjoy it too, as it sparked the wildfire that Suicidal Tendencies unleashed soon after.
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