Social Distortion Resurrect the Fox With Johnny Cash

Posted on Feb 10th 2009 5:00PM by Benjy Eisen
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Although they aren't currently on tour, Social Distortion made it out of Orange County for a quick trip up north to Oakland this past weekend to play a unique one-off gig: They were tapped to headline opening night at the resurrected Fox Theatre, following decades of decay and abandonment. We're talking about the theater, not the band. "This place has not had a paying customer in 43 years," singer Mike Ness informed the audience of 2,900 paying customers. "It's an honor to open this venue."

Performing classics from the band's catalog and throwing a couple new teasers into the mix as well (after admitting on stage that Social Distortion is, in fact, working on a new album), they closed the first night of the new Fox with their cover of Johnny Cash's 'Ring of Fire.' Cash himself was never able to play the Fox; it was originally a movie theater. Four decades and $75 million dollars later, and the Fox now must be considered one of the premiere music venues in the country. Opening season includes Modest Mouse, the Decemberists, Animal Collective, B.B. King and the Black Keys.