punk powerhouses

Social Distortion and Bad Religion bring SoCal punk to Houston on '24 tour

Social Distortion will co-headline a 2024 tour with Bad Religion, coming to The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory on April 18.

Photo courtesy of Social Distortion

Southern California punk legends Social Distortion and Bad Religion will co-headline a 2024 tour across the U.S., which includes a stop here at Bayou Music Center on April 22.

Texas fans will have the most opportunities to see the tour, as it will also go to Lubbock on April 16, Irving on April 18, San Antonio on April 19, and Austin on April 20.

The 27-city tour, which starts on April 9 in Bakersfield, California and finishes in Chicago on May 18, will feature the two bands showcasing their signature sounds, beloved catalogs, and influence on the punk rock movement.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of its 1983 debut album, Mommy's Little Monster, Social Distortion will be playing that album in its entirety. The band has released seven albums in their career, most recently Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes in 2011.

Bad Religion has been much more prolific, releasing 17 albums over the course of their 41-year recording career, most recently Age of Unreason in 2019.

"Bad Religion and Social Distortion played together in 1980," said Bad Religion singer Greg Graffin in a statement. "Though we evolved in different directions, we both carried the torch of Southern California punk all along the way. Now we're so excited to be on the same stage again."

Artist pre-sale tickets for the tour are now on sale, which can be accessed with codes BALLANDCHAIN or SUFFER. The general on-sale will begin on December 15 at 10 am.

Social Distortion and Bad Religion tour dates

Tue, APR 9, 2024: Mechanics Bank Arena, Theater and Convention Center - Bakersfield, CA
Wed, APR 10, 2024: Santa Barbara Bowl - Santa Barbara, CA
Fri, APR 12, 2024: North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre - Chula Vista, CA
Sat, APR 13, 2024: The Theater at Virgin Hotels - Las Vegas, NV
Sun, APR 14, 2024: Mesa Amphitheatre - Mesa, AZ
Tue, APR 16, 2024: The Pavilion - Lubbock, TX
Thu, APR 18, 2024: The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory - Irving, TX
Fri, APR 19, 2024: Boeing Center at Tech Port - San Antonio, TX
Sat, APR 20, 2024: Moody Amphitheater - Austin, TX
Mon, APR 22, 2024: Bayou Music Center, Houston
Tue, APR 23, 2024: Fillmore New Orleans - New Orleans, LA
Fri, APR 26, 2024: St. Augustine Amphitheatre - St. Augustine, FL
Sat, APR 27, 2024: Revolution Live - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Sun, APR 28, 2024: The Sound - Clearwater, FL
Tue, APR 30, 2024: Coca-Cola Roxy - Atlanta, GA
Wed, MAY 1, 2024: Firefly Distillery - North Charleston, SC
Fri, MAY 3, 2024: The Theater at MGM National Harbor - Oxon Hill, MD
Sat, MAY 4, 2024: The Rooftop at Pier 17 - New York, NY
Sun, MAY 5, 2024: The Fillmore Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA
Tue, MAY 7, 2024: MGM Music Hall at Fenway - Boston, MA
Fri, MAY 10, 2024: Stage AE - Pittsburgh, PA
Sat, MAY 11, 2024: Masonic Temple Theatre - Detroit, MI
Sun, MAY 12, 2024: The Andrew J Brady Music Center - Cincinnati, OH
Tue, MAY 14, 2024: The Rave / Eagles Club - Milwaukee, WI
Wed, MAY 15, 2024: Val Air BallroomWest - Des Moines, IA
Fri, MAY 17, 2024: Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park - Indianapolis, IN
Sat, MAY 18, 2024: The Salt Shed - Chicago, IL

In Memoriam

Legendary Texas singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78

Joe Ely/Facebook

Joe Ely was a major figure in Texas' progressive country scene.

Joe Ely, the legendary songwriter, singer and storyteller whose career spanned more than five decades, has died from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia. He was 78.

In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Ely died at his home in Taos, New Mexico, with his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Marie, at his side.

Born February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised in Lubbock and became a central figure among a generation of influential West Texas musicians. He later settled in Austin, helping shape the city’s reputation as a hub for live music.

As with many local legends, it's hard to tease out what specifically made Ely's time in Austin so great; Austin treasures its live music staples, so being around and staying authentic from the early days is often the most important thing an artist can do.

Ely got his local start at One Knight Tavern, which later became Stubb's BBQ — the artist and the famous venue share a hometown of Lubbock. He alternated nights with emerging guitar great Stevie Ray Vaughn. He built his own recording studio in Dripping Springs, and kept close relationships with other Texas musicians. Later in his career, Ely brought fans into the live music experience, publishing excerpts from his journal and musings on the road in Bonfire of Roadmaps (2010), and was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022. Austin blues icon Marcia Ball was among Ely's friends who played the induction show.

"Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

In the 1970s, Ely signed with MCA Records, launching a career that included decades of recording and touring around the world. His work and performances left a lasting impact on the music scene and influenced a wide range of artists, including the Clash and Bruce Springsteen, according to Rolling Stone.

"His distinctive musical style could only have emerged from Texas, with its southwestern blend of honky-tonk, rock & roll, roadhouse blues, western swing, and conjunto. He began his career in the Flatlanders, with fellow Lubbock natives Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and he would mix their songs with his through 50 years of critically acclaimed recordings. [...]"

Read the full story at KVUE.com. CultureMap has added two paragraphs of context about the Austin portion of Ely's career.

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punk powerhouses

Social Distortion and Bad Religion bring SoCal punk to Houston on '24 tour

In Memoriam

Legendary Texas singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78

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