Compressing the Punk Timeline: The Descendents Are Still Pushing Forward and Bringing Three Generations of Punk With Them
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston - @me_onlylouder - The Descendents live in Calgary, AB
MacEwan Hall opened its doors to an all ages, standing room only crowd in Calgary on Thursday. It felt nostalgic to see so many different eras of ‘Milo’, the iconic Descendents logo proudly worn on fans both old and new. In late spring, The Descendents announced that not only will they be coming to Canada, but they are travelling coast to coast intentionally stopping in cities they rarely, if ever, play. Why is this show so significant? As the Descendents continue to share their legacy of pop-punk, they are joined by the Buzzcocks, our DIY godfathers, and rising Tucson-based artist, MattstaGraham. Together, this lineup represents a celebration of a multi-generational punk ethos.
He’s tried caffeine, he’s tried weed and now MattstaGraham’s self professed order of the night was “to make sure you are all ready for what is about to come! Are you ready?”
MattstaGraham gained a steady following during the COVID shut down by creating vlogs about songwriting, touring and everyday life while creatively imbedding his music in every video. Speaking directly to a new generation of punk fans through TikTok and YouTube, MattstaGraham delivers an honest and funny approach to storytelling. Their debut album I Get It, featuring songs Freedom???, Oh, Right, and Irish Exit clearly reflect a direct line of inspiration from the legacy acts that came before them.
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston - @me_onlylouder - Mattstagram live in Calgary, AB
The majority of night’s concertgoers may not have heard of them before the show, but there’s no doubt their page views spiked afterward. They have brilliant stage presence and catchy anthems that won over the local scene. Yes we are ready! Goals: achieved.
The band that I was extremely excited to finally see was the Buzzcocks. True punk royalty. These trailblazers of early DIY punk self-released their music in 1977, pioneering the indie and underground sound that punk has been built on for generations.
Some say that perhaps the Buzzcocks are too emotionally driven within their lyrics, singing about love and identity at a time when “traditional” punks were leaning into politics and change. The late Pete Shelley wrote Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve) which became one of the most well known songs of all time. Could vulnerability actually be the secret sauce in writing iconic tunes? “What could be more political than human relationships?” -Pete Shelley
The Buzzcocks’ set was everything I wanted. They delivered the best of their nostalgic catalog with enthusiasm. Orgasm Addict, Why Can’t I touch it?, What Do I Get? to name a few.
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston - @me_onlylouder - The Buzzcocks live in Calgary, AB
Legacy acts like this defy time. I watched younger fans sing along to every word, as if paying tribute to the roots of the music they love today. My only regret is not seeing them sooner. Sure, some of the rough edges have smoothed out over time, but honestly, that’s not a complaint, just a testament that they’ve built something solid and lasting.
The Descendents don’t need an intro—we were all there for one reason: to get straight to business. They kicked things off with Everything Sux, right after declaring, “It’s been great being in Canada, just so we don’t have to be down in fucking America!” While punk often carries political undertones, the Descendents have always leaned more into relatable, personal lyrics than political commentary. Songs like I’m The One and I Don’t Want To Grow Up speak more to heartache and growing pains than protest.
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston - @me_onlylouder - The Descendents live in Calgary, AB
It didn’t take long for the pit to open up and chaos to start. The band was clearly feeding off the crowd’s energy as it felt like they started playing even faster just to get us moving harder. In just over 70 minutes, they tore through more than 30 songs. Guitarist Stephen Egerton was a blast to photograph. There wasn’t a moment he wasn’t in motion. Headbanging and shredding through songs, all while wearing a grin that never left his face. During Hope, off Milo Goes to College, the crowd sang so loud you could barely hear the band at all. Leadman Milo Aukerman kept jumping down from the stage to join fans at the rail. “Thank you for singing with me. It’s pretty cool when you guys sing with us.”
Bridging generations of fans is no small task. These bands didn’t just play a show, they reminded us that punk isn’t stuck in the past. It’s still evolving, still relevant, and still connecting people of all ages. By the end of the night, it didn't matter if you’d been into punk for one year or four decades, everyone walked out of Mac Hall a little sweatier, a little prouder, and completely sure that punk is alive, thriving and still kicking ass.
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston - @me_onlylouder - Crowd at The Descendents in Calgary, AB