Review: Dead Kennedys @ Paradise Rock Club 3/28
Photo credits: Edward Colver
Review by Sydney Spottiswood
Dead Kennedys, the legendary California punk outfit, stormed into Paradise Rock Club on March 28 with support from openers Raging Nathans and guitarist H.R. from D.C. punk pioneers Bad Brains, proving that the Dead Kennedys can still deliver a show packed with energy, intensity, and a biting leftist edge despite decades after their 1978 inception. Even with the absence of original frontman Jello Biafra, the band — consisting of East Bay Ray on guitar, Klaus Flouride on bass, Steve Wilson as former drummer D.H. Peligro’s successor, and Ron “Skip” Greer on vocals — took the stage in a performance that resonated deeply with both long-time Dead Kennedy fans and newcomers alike.
Raging Nathans’ set kicked off the night with a blanket of sludgy basslines and kick drumming. A hardcore punk band based in Dayton, Ohio, lead singer Josh Goldman shepherded the crowd into an utter frenzy of cheers and cigarette-weathered hollering. The rhythmics and harmonics of the band were their standout, with Christian Roerig on bass and Pat Cost on drums playing as a singular unit of sound.
“We heard about [The Dead Kennedys tour] from our manager, who was approached by [their team] about us opening for their comeback tour,” said Cost in the COM building elevator that morning before their in-studio session with WTBU. “And, like, they’re the Dead Kennedys… We had to.”
H.R., accompanied by his reggae band, Human Rights, surprised the audience by giving a compelling performance that seamlessly blended punk’s raw energy with the rhythmic grooves of reggae, showcasing his enduring charisma and vocal prowess. A highlight of the set was the guitarist, whose electric melodies sliced through the smooth rhythmic beats of the music. As H.R. hobbled off the stage, he would frequently pause his pace to wave and give peace signs to the cheering crowd, who were delighted to have even seen him perform in the first place.
Dead Kennedys’s set began with “Forward to Death” off their premier album “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables,” which instantly ignited the crowd into a beer-laden frenzy. From there, the band launched into “Winnebago Warrior” and “Police Truck,” with East Bay Ray’s razor-sharp surf-punk riffs cutting through the chaos. The energy only escalated as “Buzzbomb” sent fans into a whirlwind of movement, while “Let’s Lynch the Landlord” had fists pumping in unison. You could see two men embrace in the eye of the mosh pit.
Greer commanded the stage with a mix of theatricality and grit, engaging the audience with sarcastic barbs between songs and delivering the band’s signature politically charged lyrics with conviction. “Jock-O-Rama” kept the energy alive before the set hit a peak with “Kill the Poor,” which had the entire room chanting along. The modern-age critique of “MP3 Get Off the Web” evolved into shrieks of “AI, get off the web” that felt continuously relevant, even decades after the band’s release of the original song. Special shoutout to a brief cover of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” too.
The band’s intensity reached their climax with a back-to-back sonic assault of “Too Drunk to Fuck,” “Moon Over Marin,” and “Nazi Punks Fuck Off,” which sent the mosh pit into an anarchic spiral. “California Über Alles” closed the night following a tribute to the late D.H. Peligro, who died in Oct. 2022. As the crowd began to funnel out of the venue, Greer shot paper airplanes made from folded setlists into the void — and into the grasp of a lingering security guard by the merch area.
Dead Kennedys’s performance Friday night proves that their music remains as relevant as ever. The socio-political critiques woven into their lyrics felt eerily timely, reinforcing why Dead Kennedys’s legacy endures. While the Dead Kennedys have absolutely evolved since their foundation in The Recycler newspaper ad era, their ability to ignite a crowd and deliver raw, unapologetic punk stays firmly intact.