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Biography
After forming and finding themselves amidst a slew of acclaimed rock bands fron the San Diego area in the early nineties - Rocket from the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu and Blink-182 can all be counted amongst their initial contemporaries - Unwritten Law didn’t actually release a debut record until 1994. When ‘Blue Room’ dropped, though, it encapsulated the aggressive, pacy style of punk rock that the band had become known for on the local scene with countless rapturously received gigs. By the late nineties, they were gradually edging toward stardom, with two more studio albums ‘Oz Factor’ and ‘Unwritten Law’ placing them on the map internationally, thanks to a slot on the Vans Warped Tour that, at the time, covered Europe and Australia as well as North America.
They could potentially have been accused of failing to strike whilst the iron was hit, leaving it until 2002 to return with a fourth album - ‘Elva’ - but the time they spent realigning their punk rock sound, making it more accessible and hard rock-oriented, paid dividends as they made TV appearances and saw their single ‘Seein’ Red’ top the US modern rock charts. They’ve retained a strong cult fanbase the world over since then, despite a slew of lineup changes affecting the band - frontman Scott Russo was, for a while, the only remaining founder member, although drummer Wade Youman rejoined the fold in 2013.
Live reviews
My second time seeing Unwritten Law was the second time I had way more fun than I was expecting...and I was expecting to have a blast!
Unwritten Law is one of those bands (Pennywise & Concrete Blonde come immediately to mind) that are actually better live than recorded. Despite a smallish crowd at the Black Sheep,they brought all the energy and excitement I recalled from seeing them last year. This is especially noteworthy given they're at the tail end of a lengthy tour. It would've been easy for them to just mail this one in. Fortunately, they have too much pride and professionalism, coupled with a commitment to their fan base,for that that happen. They even hung around afterwards to shake hands, take pictures, and share drinks. It's always nice to discover a band you like are actually good people.
The show overall was a bit uneven. The openers, Tunnel Vision, were spectacular, despite a very short set. Definitely check out those guys if you get a chance. The second band was solid, if forgettable...Salts of Sanguine...I think. Suburbia's Finest was up next and they just KILLED it...despite it being their first show in, literally, a decade. Fenix TX just didn't do much for me. They certainly were not bad, I just didn't connect with the music. Unwritten Law, as detailed above, was simply great.
Quick side note concerning general concert etiquette...you're going to get bumped in to. It will happen, and it's fine. There were a handful of guys very playfully moshing about. They bumped into a guy who responded by violently shoving them to the floor. NOT COOL! To add insult to injury, the normally fantastic Black Sheep security tossed the wrong guy out! Point of the story...go to a show to have FUN! If you want to be a dick, stay home. Getting moshed is not an act of aggression. Rather it's an invitation to join the party. Ok, climbing down from soapbox...
In conclusion, I highly recommend seeing Unwritten Law if they come to your area. While she did not join me for this show, my wife did attend last year. She had a great time, despite having different (worse, much worse) tastes in music than I. The energy alone of UL makes for a good time.
SleepingHooker
From the first "What's up, San Diego?" amidst the screeching of guitars, I knew I was in love. The drums picked up, as did the guitars, and Unwritten Law's concert had begun. The stage was simple, which was nice for me, because I don't like to see artists get drowned out or eclipsed by fancy visuals or technical elements. I'd much rather be able to focus on the musicians' energies and how they're contributing to a live performance. They contributed fantastically.
Each of the four members poured their heart out onto the stage and into their instruments, and the crowd went nuts. With each surge and each scream from the audience, the band members got even more into rocking it out, and truly magnified their performance into something almost transcendental. Seeing this passion on stage and the love for performing and their music is half the reason to see Unwritten Law life, I think. Their performance of "Save Me," especially, is one where there's truly all of the passion pouring out of these artists. Frontman Scott really gives it his all on stage and pours his heart into "Save Me," an event that sent tingles up my spine. If given the chance, do not miss out on seeing Unwritten Law live.
These guys were amazing live. They played at a small venue, and actually had conversations with the crowd. They played everyone's favorite songs, and even took requests during their encore, which they extended for us because of how much everyone was enjoying the show. The lead singer and the other members all seemed to be having as much fun as the crowd, and they really got into the music they were performing. They also hung out after the show to talk to fans.
I've always been a fan of Unwritten Law, but this experience made me even more fond of them. I will make sure to go to every show where I see them playing now.
nick-schultz-2
Hadn’t seen the boys live since I was about 15 years old so I didn’t know what to expect....but what a show, they killed each and every track off the self titled album and I was hoping they would play a second set with mostly songs off here’s to the mourning and that’s exactly what they did, couldn’t have asked for more!
richard-coney-2
I had been waiting a very long time to see Unwritten Law in concert and I was not disappointed at all! This was one of the best shows I had been to in a while. Scott Russo and the band were awesome! They kept everyone pumped and it was just so cool to finally see Unwritten Law!
tmama904
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