Fat Tour 2013 feat. Less Than Jake and Anti Flag – REVIEW

We recently had the chance to attend the Chicago date of the Fate Tour 2013 featuring punk legends, Less Than Jake and Anti Flag. You can check out our review of the night’s events, after the break.

Aptly named after the Fat Wreck Chords record label, the 2013 Fat Tour came to Chicago on November 16th, featuring Less Than Jake and Anti Flag.  Unfortunately I cannot speak to the quality of the performance from the supporting acts, Masked Intruder and Get Dead, due to the disgusting amount of traffic I found myself fighting on that rainy Saturday night.

I entered the music hall just as Masked Intruder was finishing up, and after waiting another 15 minutes or so, the ever power Anti Flag graced the stage.  With incredible energy right from the start, Justin, Chris, Chris, and Pat slayed the audience with their fast paced rhythms and left-wing political views.  “Fuck Police Brutality” is one of those hard-hitting songs that the entire crowd knew, and it was a beautiful scene with that packed audience screaming those words.  “This Is The End (For You My Friend),” “Turncoat,” “Power to the Peaceful,” and “Die For Your Government,” were all songs that resonated well with the diverse crowd.  The best song of the set goes to Anti-Flag’s cover of The Clash’s hit, “Should I Stay Or Should I Go,” which brilliantly combined an older English punk song with a new innovative style.

Less Than Jake is a 20 year old punk/ska band that comes from Gainesville, Florida.  This five piece group came out with just as much energy as the acts before them, which they then took to a whole new level.  Basing their set list on both old and new material, Less Than Jake kept people skanking and moshing all night long.  “Last One Out Of Liberty City,” “Look What Happened,” and “History of a Boring Town” were some of the top tracks in the set list.  Despite everyone being drenched in sweat, and there being hardly any room to dance in that gross venue, the band pushed on with their energy and talent.  Other usual suspects like “The Science of Selling Yourself Short,” “Great American Sharpshooter,” and “Does the Lion City Still Roar?” were also prominent tunes within the set.  Between the music, the sweating, and talking to the audience, the band found time to bring people on stage for random reasons; two kids because they had weird haircuts, one kid to be reunited with his lost shoe, and one cute little kid just because.  The great music continued with “Johnny Quest Thinks We’re Sellouts,” and “Plastic Cup Politics,” which are two of my personal favorites.  The show would have gone on longer into the night, but singer Chris DeMakes informed the crowd that the venue was turning into a rave later that night, so the ska music had to come to an end.

At the end of the night, I only had good things to say about the talent at this show.  Conversely, I had tons of horrible things to say about the Concord Music Hall venue.  My suggestion is this, check out all four of the bands that are on the bill for this tour, but if you ever find yourself in Chicago, do yourself a favor and stay away from this venue.

Information about this review…
Tour: Fat Tour 2013
Bands:  Less Than Jake, Anti Flag, Masked Intruder, Get Dead
Reviewer:  Michael Nutting
Date:  November 16, 2013
Venue:  Concord Music Hall in Chicago, IL