“Thirteen’s my lucky number, To you it means stay inside, Black cat done crossed my path, No reason to run and hide” (“Bad Luck” — Social Distortion)
There was no hiding in Paso Robles on this Friday the 13th for the punk rockers were out at Vina Robles Amphitheatre for the legends Social Distortion. Two bands hailing from Los Angeles are set out on tour this summer to give punk rock fans a reason to happily mosh around in a pit. Before Mike Ness and the boys take the stage, we got to see a band that I was unfamiliar of named Plague Vendor. As the wind blew through the amphitheater, the crowd came along with it lightly filling up the venue to the openers.
From the first few notes and quick energy these guys displayed I could tell it was going to be an entertaining performance. Lead singer Brandon Blaine was all over the stage with his stellar dance moves and even at one point had climbed to the top of the side stage, really putting in the work to get the crowd amped up for the night. You could tell they were up there having a blast, and things seemed to sound like it was rolling without any speed bumps in the performance. Alright now on to the main act the one everyone has come to see: Social Distortion.
For over four decades now this band has been around at the top as one of the best American punk rock bands. Lights go down low to red the members walk out and get to their position then out follows Mike Ness with the crowd roaring. The amphitheater is full and ready to create some memories as the set is kicked off with “Born To Kill” and the high energy can be felt throughout everyone. The second song of the night was a favorite of mine, “Don’t Take Me for Granted.” As the lights changed from red to green, it was go time: full speed rock. As Mike steps away from the mic to interact with the fans from time to time, you can see the younger faces get excited. I join the fans outside the photo area to find one big mosh pit going in the middle of the venue. There was a good mix of older and newer hits played throughout the night.
Saving the most noticeable hits for the encore of course fans got to hear “Don’t Drag Me Down,” cover Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire” and then closing it out with “Story Of My Life.” The tour has plenty of dates left on this run so if you’ve missed out before or just want to see them again check out the nearest city stop and make it out for this tour. Personally for me, it was my fourth time seeing them and they have been fantastic each time and will see again when the opportunity happens.
GALLERY: Social Distortion with Plague Vendor at Vina Robles Ampitheatre in Paso Robles, California (June 13, 2025)
