No Age Get Guitar Help From Fan, Cover Black Flag in Chicago

Posted on Nov 22nd 2010 12:00PM by Anna Deem
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Astrid Stawiarz, Getty Images

With the artwork for their newest album, 'Everything in Between,' projected on a screen behind them and fans cheering with anticipation, No Age took the stage at Lincoln Hall in Chicago on Sunday night for their first headlining show in support of their new album.

Launching into 'Life Prowler,' the LP's first track, fans nodded pensively and then formed a writhing mass as No Age transitioned into 'Teen Creeps,' a crowd favorite from their 2008 album, 'Nouns.' The audience kept pushing closer to the stage as No Age tore through more fast-paced songs, including 'You're a Target,' 'Fever Dreaming' and 'Depletion.' William Kai Strangeland Menchaca, No Age's new touring member, added an innovative dimension to their live sound, filling in the necessary atmospheric effects and giving singer/drummer Dean Spunt and guitarist Randy Randall more time to focus on their respective instruments.

Halfway through No Age's set, Randall set his guitar down after a song instead of launching into the next one. "What's up, Randy?" Spunt asked. "Dean, I broke a string," Randall announced. "Does anyone know how to change a string? Do we have any guitarists in the front here?" Randall asked. An audience member's hand in the front row shot up, and Randall invited him onstage and handed over his guitar. "So, he'll change the string, and by the time this is over, I can use it again," Randall declared. "Don't worry. He's wearing earplugs -- I hope," Randall joked at his new guitar tech's expense and No Age carried on with 'Cappo,' another 'Nouns' song.

As the song ended, Randall knelt down beside the string-changing fan, and thanked him. He tuned his guitar again and the show continued with more songs from 'Everything in Between,' including 'Glitter,' 'Valley Hump Crash' and 'Chem Trails.' "Wait, I have no feeling in my hand. Hold on a second," Randall announced during a break between songs. "F--- feeling!" Spunt yelled. "Sorry, we've been on tour for two straight years," he joked. No Age ended the first part of their set with an older song and fans responded to Randall whipping his curly locks back and forth by pushing to the front of the stage and banging their heads along with him.

Appearing back on stage for their encore, Randall spotted a fan wearing a cone-shaped birthday hat in the crowd and after finding out it was her 21st birthday, he proceeded to lead the crowd in a 'Happy Birthday' sing-along. "This is why Dean sings on the records now," he joked as Spunt walked back onstage. The duo -- Menchaca sat out the encore -- gave fans multiple reasons to start up a mosh pit again, with frenzied versions of 'Here Should Be My Home' and 'Boy Void' inspiring the crowd to jump in place and sing along. However, it was the final song of No Age's set, a cover of Black Flag's classic, 'Six Pack,' that really got the crowd into a swirling pit of pumping fists and banging heads. It seemed like No Age didn't want their set to end either, as Randall ran along the edge of stage high-fiving fans long after the final note of their set had rang out.

Download No Age's 'You're a Target'