During a summer/fall 2026 when we are going to be seeing some of the biggest punk bands of the last 40 years or so touring in North America (Sex Pistols, Interpol, Bikini Kill, Morrissey, Buzzcocks, etc.), one of the biggest bands that has graced the global stage is Social Distortion.
On September 4, 2026, they arrived at The Anthem in DC and put on a monumental show in support of their new album, Born to Kill.
Social Distortion is a classic 70s punk band from Fullerton, CA led by Mike Ness (vocals/guitar), the band includes Jonny Wickersham on guitar, Brent Harding on bass, and David Hidalgo Jr. on drums. Through lineup changes over the years, breaks in between albums, and some medical issues for Ness, the band is still together and putting on one of the best classic rock/punk shows in today’s music scene.
Opening the night was The Chats from Australia. The Chats started out in 2016 in the Queensland part of Australia and put on a dynamic opening set.
The Descedents, another 70s punk band from California played the second set of the evening and were fantastic. The band that includes original members Bill Stevenson on drums and singer Milo Aukerman kicked out the jams with an exceptional run of fan favorites.
After a prelude with Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel” blaring throughout The Anthem music hall, Social Distortion took the stage.
Social Distortion opened the show with their new high energized rocker “Born to Kill” with the band fully controlling the stage from the onset. Ness sounded fantastic, and the band were on form throughout the show and played one of the best shows I have seen this year.
The band followed with a great cover of “Ring of Fire,” a song written by Wes Kilgore but made famous by Johnny Cash. The song highlights Ness’s vocal capabilities with this classic country song turned up a notch. And that wasn’t the only highlight as “No Way Out,” one of their finest punk rock songs was featured a little later in the set.
At one point Mike Ness told the crowd about growing up in the 60’s and 70’s and learning about counterculture. He told the crowd he thought they had all missed out not growing up during that time period. It would probably be safe to say a lot of people would have liked to experience the music of the 70s, but thankfully, bands like Social Distortion are still touring allowing all to hear a little bit of the music created way back then.
Over halfway through the show, Social Distortion brought out “Ball and Chain,” released in the 1980’s that had the whole place electrified and singing along. This band did not miss a beat the entire night. And the hits kept coming with “Story of My Life” which was a great way to end the set before the encore. During the encore, Ness at times called for a change in political direction in America as well as praising immigrants for enduring so much.
That encore, by the way, was flawless! They even played a great version of “Don’t Drag Me Down,” a great rocker from their 90’s album White Light, White Heat, White Trash.
Check out the title track of the new album, “Born To Kill” by Social Distortion below:
If you’re a punk rock fan, a fan of the 70’s, or just a music enthusiast in general, this is a tour to experience! Born to Kill is a fantastic new album, and some of the songs from the album highlight the current setlist.
The setlist for Social Distortion included:
Born to Kill
Ring of Fire (Merle Kilgore / Johnny Cash cover)
Untitled
Tonight
No Way Out
The Creeps
Mommy’s Little Monster
The Way Things Were
Machine Gun Blues
Don’t Keep Me Hanging On
Partners in Crime
Ball and Chain
Through These Eyes
Story of My Life
Encore:
Reach for the Sky
Dear Lover
Don’t Drag Me Down
Take a look at more photos of Social Distortion at The Anthem on September 4, 2026. All photos here are copyright and courtesy of James Todd Miller:
And here are more photos of The Descendents performing at The Anthem:
And kicking things off at The Anthem were The Chats:
Nice work. Stage lighting is difficult to deal with and these are really nice and sharp.