Hardcore legends Circle Jerks gave everyone a sweaty, high-energy release at Cat’s Cradle, pulling off a furious climax alongside Municipal Waste and Negative Approach.
Cat’s Cradle was packed, sweltering, and smelled distinctly like a locker room after overtime. Fans of all ages came for an old-school punk rock show headlining Circle Jerks, one of the most legendary punk acts to come out of the Southern California punk scene. Circle Jerks last visited Carrboro nearly five years ago, and the excitement ran high for their return, especially with tonight being the official kickoff for a two-week run of dates in late September.
Openers Negative Approach took the stage without fanfare, but the crowd reacted immediately. Yelling and applause spread quickly as the band began to appear on stage, peaking upon vocalist John Brannon’s arrival. The venue was already near capacity at the start of their set, and the audience exploded into a massive mosh pit the moment the music started. Brannon’s vocals were as strong, sharp, and jarring as in his younger days, and his intensity fueled the rapidly escalating mosh pit with over 100 swirling dancers smashing into the pit walls like a runaway chain reaction. Richardson struck his signature pose of feet planted firmly, rigid stance, and his back to the audience for the entire show. Destructive from the start and tireless throughout, Negative Approach did far more than “light the fuse” for the headliner. An anticipated band in their own right who had a lot of fans in the audience, the band delivered a wild performance that raised the energy and temperature in the venue nearly to the breaking point…