POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Enthusiasm Drives Rancid’s Performance at Palladium

The main difference, it seems, between punk-rock circa 1977 and punk-rock today is the element of surprise. Punk’s originators startled people with the revolutionary fervor behind their music. Over the years the shock value has worn off, and punk has become an ever-present indicator of social/economic frustrations. Rancid is one of the latest inheritors of this 20-year legacy, and in its case it’s a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, it was impossible to ignore the vivid Clash flashbacks that the East Bay foursome triggered at the Hollywood Palladium on Saturday--from the heartfelt vocal rants to the blazing, pop-infused and occasionally ska-tinged rock that they gleefully bashed out.

On the other hand, whether you consider them shamefully derivative or reverently inspired, it was also hard to ignore their earnest enthusiasm. If their recordings are exuberant, then their show was positively zealous.

Primed by energetic opening sets from Jughead’s Revenge and the Lunachicks, the capacity crowd erupted in churning currents of nonstop movement the moment Rancid hit the stage, mirroring en masse the frenetic musicians.

The group slalomed through some 23 songs in just under an hour, a speedy succession of anthemic outbursts calling for social justice and personal empowerment. Murky sound blurred the crisp edges of many of the songs, but couldn’t dampen the spirit behind them, which remains as relevant as ever.