Jim Lindberg of Pennywise, Irving Plaza, NYC, May 12, 2002 Photo by Paul E. Dogg, © 2002 NY Rock

Uh, sorry ma. We like, love you, and stuff....

Kick ass. That sums up Pennywise's sold-out show at Irving Plaza. Fans ranged from the old school to the new-new school, from the very large to the very puny, but every age and size did their time in the pit, and kept it alive for the entire concert. No exaggeration. There wasn't a single song that wasn't danced to, and that includes those served up by opening band Ignite.

Ignite's lead singer Zoli Teglas proclaimed himself the "luckiest fucking person" and thanked New York City for always being so good to the eight-year-old band. Teglas has a bit of Bruce Dickinson in his voice. He doesn't shout and growl his lyrics; he sings them. The band played "For Brothers and Sisters" – and we didn't even tell him we were going to be here!

Ignite have always taken an overt political stance in their music. Whereas some hardcore bands sing about unity on a broad scale, Teglas is steadfast in giving your ass a history lesson and acting as a pissed-off Peter Jennings while delivering the lowdown on current events. From the looks of this goon-filled crowd, I doubt they read newspapers very often. But I'd love to be proven wrong. Teglas went off on the suicide bombings in Palestine and Israel, and barked, "George Bush get some balls.... People want peace... Peace in the Mid-east, peace in Ramallah!" Ignite offered up a sing-along of U2's classic anti-war ballad, "Sunday Bloody Sunday." You know, you gotta scratch your head when you see a singer passionately speak about peace, and the audience, in return, kicks the bejesus out of each other in the pit. Peace, dudes. Like, hold hands or something. But I suppose landing a spin-kick on someone's back is akin to a hardcore hug.

Randy Bradbury of Pennywise, Irving Plaza, NYC, May 12, 2002 Photo by Paul E. Dogg, © 2002 NY Rock

Teglas dedicated "By My Side" to his mother, "Burned Up" to Madball, and then ripped on "stupid-ass American bands" that sing about communism but don't know the first thing about it. "Go back to your capitalist mansions," he said before the band broke into "Know Your Fucking History" and the ground shook like chattering teeth.

Though Pennywise is the ultimate SoCal hardcore-punk tour de force, they give plenty of props to the New York hardcore scene, and the city itself. The band – Fletcher Dragge, Jim Lindberg, Byron McMackin, and Randy Bradbury – dedicated "Fight Til I Die" to the victims of September 11, and Fletcher dedicated "Date With Destiny" to surfers and skaters: "You never know when your time's coming." My vision was shaky because the stomping and madness made the ground bubble under my feet. Then the band tossed out backstage passes. Oh, the love!

Band of the people, truly. Pennywise let kids onstage to share the mic during "Stand By Me." It was like an anarchist high-school recital. There was a mix of utter anxiety and excitement on their teenage faces. It was touching and wonderful to be part of a moment that these kids will take to the grave.

The song "Pennywise" was for the old-school fans, and big Fletcher told the crowd to dance NYC-style in honor of their friends in Sick of It All. His advice for first-timers who might be a little intimidated? "Fuck that shit and get in the pit." Yes, sir, right away, sir. A huge circle pit ensued, and bodies tumbled around in this human Cuisinart. Midway through the show, Pennywise more or less gave up on their set list and took requests from the audience, which included "No Reason Why" and "Perfect People." Of course, Pennywise had some dedications of their own. "Fuck Authority" went out to rampart division of the LAPD. "They can suck a big, fat cock," said Fletcher. He also dedicated "My God" to "the church of fucking Satan." Jimmy Gestapo from Murphy's Law made a cameo during the last song, the classic "Bro Hymn," and with whatever breath the crowd had left, they sang along.

Ultimately, Pennywise gave back all the love and respect they received from their fans, and that's something even a mother would find admirable.