Descendents at the Capitol Theatre -- March 14.
Saturday, March 14, 7 p.m.
Capitol Theatre, 330 West Third Street, Davenport IA
With voicalist Milo Aukerman, guitarist Stephen Egerton, drummer Bill Stevenson, and bass player Karl Alvarez having stayed with the outfit for a full 40 years in a row, the punk rockers of Descendents bring their national tour to Davenport's Capitol Theatre on March 14, the band itself having been it existence since 1977, and the group's biggest hits including 1996's Everything Sucks, 2004' Cool to Be You, and 2016's chart-topping Hypercaffium Spazzinate.
Descendents' initial lineup of Frank Navetta (guitar), Tony Lombardo (bass guitar), and Bill Stevenson (drums) released the band's first single, "Ride the Wild" / "It's a Hectic World," in 1980. Adding singer Milo Aukerman, they next released the Fat EP in 1981 and their debut album Milo Goes to College in 1982 through New Alliance.The band took a hiatus during Aukerman's collegiate studies, reconvening in 1985 for I Don't Want to Grow Up with guitarist Ray Cooper replacing Navetta. That same year, New Alliance issued the compilation Bonus Fat, combining the Fat EP with the band's first single. Doug Carrion had replaced Lombardo by 1986's Enjoy!, but both he and Cooper soon left the band and were replaced by Karl Alvarez and Stephen Egerton, respectively.
In 1987, New Alliance was absorbed by SST Records, who reissued the Descendents' previous material and released their fourth album, All. Aukerman then departed the Descendents to pursue a career in biochemistry. Stevenson, Egerton, and Alvarez changed the name of the band to All, releasing eight albums between 1988 and 1995 with singers Dave Smalley, Scott Reynolds, and Chad Price. Following the Descendents' breakup, SST released the live albums Liveage! (1987) and Hallraker: Live! (1989) and the compilation albums Two Things at Once (1988) and Somery (1991).
Aukerman continued to contribute occasional songwriting and backing vocals to All following his departure from the Descendents, and in 1995 decided to return to music. The band members decided to operate simultaneously as two bands, performing with Aukerman as Descendents and with Price as All. Both bands signed to Epitaph Records, with Descendents releasing Everything Sucks in 1996. It became their first album to chart, reaching #132 on the Billboard 200, and was supported by singles and music videos for "I'm the One" and "When I Get Old." Descendents took another hiatus while Aukerman returned to his biochemistry career, and All released two more studio albums in 1998 and 1999. In 2001, Epitaph released Live Plus One, a double live album with one disc by All and the other by Descendents, which reached #45 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart. Descendents reconvened for 2004's Cool to Be You, released by Fat Wreck Chords, which reached #143 on the Billboard 200 and #6 amongst independent albums. In 2002 the original lineup of Stevenson, Naveta, and Lombardo rejoined to record 9th and Walnut, the album contained songs that they had previously written but had never been recorded, it wasn’t until 2020 that Aukerman recorded vocals for the album, and the following year, the album was released.
Descendents brings their national tour to Davenport on March 14 alongside special guests and fellow punk outfits Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls (touring in support of 2024's Undefeated) and NOBRO (touring in support of their JUNO Award winner Set Your Pussy Free and their newest track “Doomtown”). Admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $55-95, and more information and tickets are available by visiting FirstFleetConcerts.com/first-fleet-venues-capitol-theatre.
