It's a common theory that musicians mellow as they age. Judging by Desaparecidos' fiery set Saturday night at the House of Blues, Conor Oberst does not subscribe to that theory.
The 33-year-old's early-'00s punk band—which was making its first appearance in Cleveland since reforming in 2010—tore through a 75-minute set electrified by frustration about things such as politics, the record business and the homogenization of America.
Strident newer punk howls such as "Backsell," "MariKKKopa" and highlight "Te Amo Camila Vallejo" fit seamlessly next to older tunes "Man And Wife, The Former (Financial Planning)" and the Taking Back Sunday-esque "$$$$."
The rowdy crowd had a visceral physical reaction to the charged nature of the set; in particular, the general admission floor exploded with fist-pumping and lyric-screaming during "Man and Wife, The Latter (Damaged Goods)" and "Manana."
The set-closing appearance of "Greater Omaha"—an aggressive emo touchstone with discordant guitar chords and throat-searing harmonies—and a powerful, frenetic version of "Anonymous" also inspired raucous responses.
While Oberst (who also fronts Bright Eyes) drew much of the adoration, the rest of Desaparecidos also impressed.
Denver Dalley headbanged his way through the set, his long hair obscuring his face while he clawed out noisy chords on his guitar, while the rhythm section of bassist Landon Hedges and drummer Matt Baum kept the music forceful but controlled.
On the far right of the stage, keyboardist Ian McElroy also headbanged as he added layers of texture and the occasional odd sound sample or effect to the mix.
Oberst was in a talkative mood, and he had harsh (and profanity-laced) things to say about President Barack Obama, the Beatles and the treatment of jailed journalist Barrett Brown.
However, he was frequently complimentary about opening act the So So Glos, who joined the rest of Desaparecidos onstage for a spirited cover of the Clash's "Spanish Bombs" during the encore.
The praise was well-deserved, as the So So Glos' opening set complemented Desparecidos very well.
Led by exuberant, energetic frontman/bassist Alex Levine, the Brooklyn band bashed through 45-plus minutes of wiry punk rock with a socially conscious bent.
Levine called "Speakeasy" an "anti-Internet" ballad—and reinforced its ferocity by jumping into the photo pit during the song—while he donned a police hat and whistle for "Black & Blue."
The So So Glos faced some crowd indifference early in its set, but seemed to win over some stoic audience members by the end.
This was partly due to stunts such as the affable Levine asking people to "get down" (as in, kneeling down) with them—and partly due to the insightful, catchy nature of tunes such as "We Got The Days" and "Son Of An American."
Of course, it also helped that Oberst—wearing a grey hoodie pulled low around his fact—also jumped onstage to sing "Island Ridin'" with the band.