On March 7, 2026, I headed out of work to head to Sacramento, California. The event of the evening was the Violent Femmes at Channel 24, and it was spectacular. It was a sold-out show, so it was indeed special.
At the start, Gordon came out and announced that Brian Ritchie was in a bicycle accident that required surgery, so he would not be there that evening. We do wish him a speedy recovery. The first song was “Olinguito”, which, according to Gordon, means little Olingo. Whether it’s true or not, it was a fun song. The following song was “I’m Nothing”. It was a solid tune with a killer chorus. The next song was supposed to be in the Austin Powers movie, but it got cut at the last minute. They went with Madonna instead, regrettably. But he is connected to Madonna, so it kind of makes up for it. Anyway, that song was “In the Dark”, and it was amazing with its Austin Powers riffs. The next song was “Waiting for the Bus”. The saxophone in that song was amazing. From there, they brought out Mike Kelly on bass. With a little ribbing, they started “Country Death Song”. That song was wonderful as they jammed through it. With lines as I gave her a push, but I never her hit, and Take your lovely daughter and push her in the well, the song was dark but fabulous. When they started “Kiss Off”, it was a hit. Seriously, it was one of their biggest songs, and the crowd was into it, singing along and having a great time. The applause was overwhelming as it ended. From there, they played “Please Do Not Go”, another awesome song. They played the song and the crowd jammed along. If that song wasn’t enough, they played “Add It Up”. The crowd was swimming to the music, and they weren’t done yet. As a matter of fact, they were just getting started. That song was so powerful. From there, they played the song “Confessions”, and that song had less power and more dismay as they worked through it. The crowd cheered as the saxophone blasted out a session for the end of the song. The next song was more upbeat. That one was “Prove My Love”, and it was a crowd favorite, as you could tell from the applause. For the next two, we got “Promise” and “To the Kill”. Two fabulous songs. Those two were followed up by John, who introduced the next song. That song was one of Brian’s favorite songs. “Dance Motherfucker Dance” was a powerful song originally done by Voot Warnings. It was a hit for sure! “Good Feelings” was up next, and that was a bit of a turned-down song, but amazing in its lyrics. It also brought out the violin that Gordon played expertly. For the next one, they got a little religious and played “Jesus Walking On the Water”. That song had everyone joining in the revival. The next song was back to “Old Mother Reagan”; that song had a mellow start, but they restarted it really hyped up, and it slayed. The next two were “Gimmie the Car” and “Black Girls”. Those two were awesome as they played through them, bringing us to the final song. “I Held Her In My Arms” was to be the last one of the set, and it would have been awesome, but they had more. After a short break, they came back and dazzled us with “Blister In the Sun”. That song rocked, and they even had two little girls on the stage dancing. One of the girls was in her first show! It was awesome. “Gone Daddy Gone” was up next, and it was a special song, especially for Blaise, who had a xylophone moment on stage that was breathtaking. The final song of the set was “American Music”; it had everyone singing along with them, and long after they were done. It was a fabulous show, and if you missed it, I’m sure they will be back around pretty soon. They play often and really well. Go see them!
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Gordon Gano – vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, violin
John Sparrow – drums
Brian Ritchie – bass (out injured)
Blaise Garza – saxophones
Mike Kelly – bass
Mike Castrazet – cohon
Setlist
1). Olinguito
2). I’m Nothing
3). In the Dark
4). Waiting for the Bus
5). Country Death Song
6). Kiss Off
7). Please Do Not Go
8). Add It Up
9). Confessions
10). Prove My Love
11). Promise
12). To the Kill
13). Dance Motherfucker Dance (Voot Warnings cover)
14). Good Feelings
15). Jesus Walking On the Water
16). Old Mother Reagan (restarted)
17). Gimmie the Car
18). Black Girls
19). I Held Her In My Arms
Encore
20). Blister In the Sun
21). Gone Daddy Gone
22). American Music
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