Screeching Weasel Back in Detroit after 15 years.
Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel - All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein
Prior to the show, I was going through my CD collection to make a playlist for the ride down. I was surprised to find that I have 16 different Screeching Weasel CDs from their 1987 debut through 2022's "The Awful Disclosures of Screeching Weasel" (a 35-year span). And all of them are good; my playlist was filled with songs that I know every word to and can scream along to.
The Raging Nathans played first, which was unexpected given how good they are. They did a split single recently with The Dwarves that included their best song, "Drug Dealin' (For Money)," and that in itself gives them immense cred. I'd also seen them live a few times before, most notably on tour with Sloppy Seconds and The Queers. We couldn't resist having pizza at Nikki's (next door to St. Andrew's Hall) before the show, so we ended up coming in right after The Raging Nathans had taken the stage. It was a good crowd, but nowhere near full, so we were able to get right up to the stage. I reviewed their 2025 album "Room For One More" earlier this year, so I was expecting quite a few songs from that (which they did), but was also glad that they played some of their classics like "Still Spitting Blood" and "Freedom."
Hayley and the Crushers, it turned out, were closer to Ramonescore than hardcore, so they were perfect to bridge the gap between The Raging Nathans and Screeching Weasel. They even did a cover of The Ramones' "Teenage Lobotomy." They gave us a little background as part of the set, and it turns out that while they formed in California, they moved to Detroit in 2022 and are technically a local band. I looked them up after the show, and they have some more gigs around town in the upcoming weeks (including one at the very small venue, The Outer Limits Lounge), so there is a good chance I'll get to see them again.
Screeching Weasel had recently played Punk in the Park and a Riot Fest show, but this was the first time in 15 years that they had come to Detroit. I'd seen them one time before (6 years ago in 2019), when I took a train to Chicago to catch them at the House Of Blues (with The Queers and BigWig). Speaking of The Queers, I saw them back in 2024 (with Sloppy Seconds and The Raging Nathans) and noted their outstanding lead guitarist, Ginger Fanculo. Tonight, he was playing with Screeching Weasel.
Most readers should know about the controversy around Screeching Weasel, centered around the 2011 SXSW Festival when Ben got into an altercation with several women that reportedly threw ice and spat on him. He also has a history of feuds with other bands, labels, and even his bandmates (at least that part sounds like legitimate punk rock attitude to me). It seemed to have all been forgiven with the crowd moshing and screaming along through the entire 29-song set. Although they didn't play some of my favorites ("We Are The Generation X," "Little Big Man," "Dry Is The Desert"), they made up for it by playing most of their classics, including "Ashtray," "My Right," "Science Of Myth," "Hey Suburbia," "Cool Kids," and so many more. It was a night to remember, and I hope that this isn't their last tour.
