All aboard the Lagwagon

Jesse Aizenstat / Staff Writer / The USD Vista

As the curtains cracked, a sweaty mob of devoted fans came crashing round the mosh-pit at the House of Blues for the band Lagwagon. This sight was nothing new for these native Santa Barbara punkers. I mean, I remember seeing these dudes when I was 16! So looking for a night of deja vu, I could not resist making an appearance to watch Lagwagon blow the roof off another sold-out venue last Wednesday.

Unlike the punk shows you may have gone to in high school, Lagwagon played to an all-ages show, that was dominated by their newly turned “9-5” fan base. With their legendary dueling guitars and politically charged lyrics I think it’s safe to say that Lagwagon has survived an era in which punk bands have to crush their enemies to survive.

Rockers from all over came to watch these refined punk legends bombard the airwaves with their seemingly endless catalog of hits.

If Lagwagon doesn’t exactly sound like your type of show, it’s always a good time at San Diego’s very own House of Blues. With its psychedelic murals of old-school rock n’ roll and a large dance floor to enjoy it on, it’s hard to see how you could go wrong.

You sure wouldn’t know that our economy’s in peril, or that we are fighting two wars overseas while at this show. This was a night of radically fast-paced chords and a stage presence to remember.

We checked our worries at the door and let the brash sound of punk medicate our ills. As a senior at USD, my education would not be complete without climbing aboard the Lagwagon for this all-out, semi-neurotic adventure.