Black Flag is one of the few original wave of American punk acts who have everything needed to cement a worldwide icon status: a highly influential discography that covers everything from early hardcore to proto-sludge, grunge and alternative metal; an instantly recognizable sound throughout despite five decades of line-up changes, with guitarist Greg Ginn remaining the only
constant; and a four-bar, stylized logo that is instantly recognizable everywhere. Like a lot of iconic bands from many different genres, the band has various eras — I happen to be mostly into the sludgy, creepy-crawl and jazz punk sounds of records like My War and The Process of Weeding Out — and as such has a deep well to draw from for setlist. The current line-up, fronted by pro-skateboarder Mike Vallely, is currently on tour playing The First Four Years compilation album released in 1983, featuring tracks the band recorded before Henry Rollins
joined as vocalist to inaugurate the band’s most famous era. You can catch them tonight at the Arcata Theatre Lounge at 7:30 p.m. ($43).
This article appears in The Battle Over Bear River.