The Dead Kennedys at the Gramercy Theatre

In the late 1970s, punk rock music scenes materialized in every major city. The San Francisco scene produced the Dead Kennedys, Millions of Dead Cops (MDC) and the Nuns, among others. Upon forming in 1978, the Dead Kennedys stood out for the harsh, snide socio-political satire of its lyrics and its loud and fast hardcore punk music, which featured elements of surf music, spaghetti western, psychedelic, garage rock and rockabilly. Dead Kennedys recorded five studio albums before disbanding in 1986. Original members East Bay Ray (guitar) and Klaus Flouride (bass), longtime member D.H. Peligro reformed in 2001 without original vocalist Jello Biafra, and are recording and touring with Ron "Skip" Greer as their current vocalist.

At the Gramercy Theater tonight, the Dead Kennedys relived its glory days, without offering anything entirely new. The times have changed, the music is old and no longer cutting edge, but the band still performs the old catalog well. Greer is much like Biafra is his movements and in that he talks entirely too much during the concert. The concert was fun and nostalgic, taking the audience back to the rebel elements of the Reagen-era 1980s, but without the friction.