Beardo Heaven: Good Riddance, Off With Their Heads and Iron Chic at Corona (Photos & Review)

Good Riddance 
Théâtre Corona
October 1, 2015

Good Riddance shows used to be a near-annual tradition here in Montreal, but with the Santa Cruz melodic hardcore band touring less frequently these days, Thursday’s show at Corona had all the makings of a punk rock homecoming.

This Good Riddance tour features incredible support from Off With Their Heads and Iron Chic, two of the best current punk bands these days, which made the show a killer triple-bill (not to mention locals Barrasso, who we sadly missed). For the hundreds of bearded punks in attendance, this was the next best thing to Gainesville’s annual Fest, minus the expensive flight and endless Five Star Pizza slices.

Long Island’s Iron Chic were sporting a pair of new members, and unfortunately had to contend with some pretty terrible sound during their set, which didn’t seem to deter a large group in the crowd from singing along to the band’s anthemic sound. Set closer “Time Keeps On Slipping Into The (Cosmic) Future,” drew the biggest reaction, complete with stage-dives and a massive sing-along. The band later made their way down the road for a surprise midnight set at the intimate Turbo Haus.

Off With Their Heads delivered a truly tight set focusing on their two most recent releases for Epitaph Records, though they eventually reached back for a few fan favourites from 2006’s Hospitals EP. For a band that never seemed too enamoured with being on-stage, Off With Their Heads played like they had something to prove, tearing into their angst-ridden catalogue with an energy (and enthusiasm!) that was refreshing to see.

Good Riddance eventually took the stage and unleashed an hour-long barrage of tracks from throughout their twenty-year career. Never one for excessive stage banter, frontman Russ Rankin repeatedly mentioned how excited they were to be back playing in Montreal, one of the first cities outside California to truly embrace the back back in the mid-90’s. Their set leaned heavily on tracks from 1998’s Ballads from the Revolution, which prompted a number of stage-dives, including a few drunken crowd surfers who seemed to relish their time on stage a bit too much (respect the 5-second rule kids).

I’ve seen Good Riddance countless times over the years, and this was definitely one of the best sets they’ve ever played in Montreal. A near-perfect set list, coupled with the band’s remarkable energy and goodwill towards a crowd that has followed the band for two decades, made for a truly memorable show.

Below you can check out photos from all three sets courtesy of Yoann Robin. For all upcoming tour dates, visit grpunk.com.

Good Riddance

Off With Their Heads

Iron Chic