By Erin Lee
All Photos By Larry Marano
Punk band The Interrupters set out on a mission to rock Revolution Live Nov. 7, 2023 and succeeded. The Interrupters formed in the band’s hometown of Los Angeles in 2011 and they have been elevating audiences ever since with their signature sound.
"So, this might be surprising, but I'm really thinking about it. Ska is my favorite genre of music," my friend said to me as we stood on the floor at Revolution Live Tuesday night, awaiting The Interrupters to take the stage.
We went on to discuss how it's the perfect mashup of reggae, punk, and so much more: all things we love. It's upbeat, it's fun. We laughed about getting philosophical in the middle of a crowded music venue as the lights dimmed and the band took the stage. The Interrupters opened strong, kicking off the night with "Take Back The Power" from their 2014 self-titled album.
The crowd swayed steadily, shouting back lyrics and pumping fists as they would continue to do for the duration of the band's 20-song set.
Guitarist Kevin Bivona acted as an emcee of sorts throughout the evening, announcing to the audience several times throughout the show that this was the last stop of the tour and to make this one count. Seeing The Interrupters on a final tour stop has become something of a tradition for me, as I was also in attendance during their set at the last-ever Warped Tour in West Palm Beach in 2018.
Kevin did a fantastic job of corraling the crowd: directing them to jump, sing along, and scream throughout the night.
Toward the end of the set, he would be rewarded for his efforts in the form of a "Happy Birthday" serenade by the audience, as he turned 36 at midnight. He even cut loose and shredded some "Freebird" guitar licks at the behest of a request from someone in the crowd.
The band effortlessly plowed through song after song in their catalog with tunes such as "Gave You Everything," which found frontwoman Aimee Allen down in the pit being literally held up by the crowd to "Raised By Wolves" off their most recent album, leading the crowd in a chant of howls during the chorus.
At different points in the set, the crowd was treated to a portion of a cover of Violent Femmes' "Blister in the Sun", as well as a sexy horn-laden rendition of Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy."
Toward the end of the set, tour mates Radkey, Big D and the Kids Table, and The Slackers joined the band on stage to perform Family. This was followed by the show wrapping up with The Interrupters' 2018 radio hit "She's Kerosene."
Overall, we had a wonderful time watching the band work the crowd and
rotate positions on stage. Their joy for
their craft is truly infectious and was felt through the performance. They genuinely made everyone present feel welcomed, even stopping mid-song at one point to check on someone in the pit and inviting them to watch the rest of the show side stage. We were encouraged to look after one another, and that's exactly what a live music experience should be.
Photo gallery By Larry Marano
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