Cecelia FranciscoUnder the bright lights of the Dixon Center came the punk rock fury that is the Bouncing Souls. Taking the stage at 10 p.m., the band rang out and the house came down.
Once inside, a large crowd of 100 to 200 people were gathered at the front of the stage in the smoky darkness that was the Dixon Center. As chants of “Ole!” and clapping filled the air, the Bouncing Souls took center stage to a large roar of the crowd.
Playing for just under an hour, the Souls played songs that spanned their entire catalog, as well as a few crowd favorites such as “The Ballad of Johnny ‘X'” and “True Believers.” Throughout their entire set, the positive energy that the band created could be felt throughout the gym.
Many were in attendance for the show including an eclectic bunch of hardcore kids, metalheads, gutter punks, and those just generally interested in what was going on. There were also quite a few mohawks and stud-clad rockers to be seen on that cool Saturday night as well.
As the Bouncing Souls’ brand of catchy punk rock poured out of the amps, the mosh pit became a spinning torrent of limbs and mohawks, while towards the back, many kids could be found two-stepping the night away.
Hailing from New Jersey, the Bouncing Souls thanked the crowd in between songs and were even comedic at times as they poked fun at one of the patrons about their mom just before playing the song, “I like your mom,” which generated a good laugh amongst the crowd.
All in all, it was a good show full of catchy guitar riffs, solid drums, driving bass lines and vocals that sent one positive message after another out to the crowd. In fact, there were many times during the Souls performance where the crowd even joined in singing along with the group.
Nonetheless, for those in attendance that night, it was an excellent way to bring Spring Fling 2005 to a finish.
