At Palladium, a Fresh Perspective on Rancid

As committed as Rancid may be to keeping the spirit of the Clash alive, the group is settling more and more firmly into the void left by the Ramones. Reverently emulating the Clash’s punk-pop-ska aesthetic, the Bay Area quartet has matured in its musicianship over the course of four albums, yet its music remains as unswervingly single-minded as the Ramones’--it’s less about punk style than stylization.

Rancid’s kinship with the Ramones became even clearer when it took the stage at the Hollywood Palladium on Wednesday. The proceedings unfolded with all the adrenaline-charged predictability and zippy ritual that drew the faithful to Ramones shows for more than 20 years.

The house lights went down, a cheer from the packed crowd went up. Ominous music from “Star Wars” heralded Rancid, which took the stage in a blaze of punk-rock glory. The group played crisply and passionately while the mosh pit (i.e., most of the main floor) simmered, boiled and chanted along, building momentum song after song, until the evening came to a close with the irresistibly anthemic “Ruby Soho.”