(From The Michigan Daily - 5.11.98)
Bad Religion to stuff The Blind Pig with new 'No Substance'
It's been almost two years since Bad Religion played a show in Michigan. The last time around, the seminal punk rockers brought their influential sound to the State Theatre in Downtown Detroit for a big show. But things are different this time around. On Tuesday, Bad Religion takes over the Blind Pig right here in Ann Arbor
Why is such a big band playing in such a small club? According to Brian Baker, the band's lead guitar player, there are several reasons.
We want "to go and play a few select really small shows where we know we're coming back with a bigger thing in a few months," Baker said. Bad Religion is headlining this summer's Warped Tour hitting Michigan sometime in July, which has traditionally been held at Pine Knob. Baker went on to say that even if you weren't lucky enough to get tickets for the Blind Pig show, BR is "coming back in a close enough time frame that everyone else can go see us, too."
The band is making this tour to support its newest record, "No Substance," which was released on May 5. The new album, like past BR offerings, is full of the same socially aware, call-for-action anthems.
But Baker said that "definitely the lyrical slant on this record is a little less vague about social problems." The band has put together 16 tracks that include messages about the government, hippies, and relationships. "Mediocre Minds," "The State of the end of the Millenium Address," "Victims of the Revolution" and other tracks give listeners a distinct picture of the band's feelings toward the government.
The sound of the new record, while not different than other BR albums, was created differently than in past releases.
"We recorded about half of it in (lead singer) Greg Graffin's house without any supervision," Baker said.
PREVIEW
Bad Religion Blind Pig Tomorrow at 11 p.m.
Instead of the typical studio setting, the band had to be sure that the kids were asleep and the air conditioner was turned off so the sounds didn't get picked up on the final cut of the album.
Graffin also gave BR an interest aside from blackening the name of the United States government. For the first time this year, the band has put together the "Bad Religion Scholarship."
Conceived by Graffin, the scholarship was created, "to reward people who are interested in field work versus laboratory work as far as some sort of physical science," Baker said.
Graffin, a Ph.D. candidate in the field of zoology, has lectured in the past at Cornell and holds an undergraduate degree in cultural anthropology and a masters degree in geology. While Graffin conceived the idea, it is the entire band as a "collective" that decides who will receive the award.
According to Baker, however, the band's main focus is still performing. He wants to be a part of the band "as long as it's an important and visceral experience, as long as it's still fun to play."
The band has been around for some 18 years (the members are now in their early 30's) and have put out 13 albums, including "No Substance." And BR shows no sign of slowing down. For the members of BR, there's no foreseeable end to their current reign over all that is punk.
"It's still such a great time, and I still get the feeling that people want to hear what we have to say," Baker said.
And that seems to be the case. "Each album the band releases does better than the last." Baker said. He wouldn't like to characterize the band as "mainstream," but like it or not, its popularity continues to grow. Beg borrow and steal to get yourself to the Blind Pig on Tuesday night. And if you don't make it there, check out Bad Religion on this summer's Warped tour.
--Gabe Fajuri
Daily Arts Writer