Images: Millencolin, Success September 1, 2015 at Vinyl Las Vegas

The best word I can think of to describe Millencolin’s September 1 gig at Vinyl inside the Hard Rock is “comforting.”

Of course, “rowdy,” “animated” and “Swedish” are acceptable alternatives.

But really, there’s just something about that feeling I get from singing along to my favorite Punk-O-Rama tracks with the band and a whole bunch of like-minded fans that just can’t be beat. And from the looks of the venue floor, packed shoulder-to-shoulder with verging-on-middle-aged fans decked out in their best Hurley, Quicksilver and Billabong gear, I knew I was not alone in this feeling.

And many in that crowd were ready to make up for lost time, what with Millencolin taking 12 years between Vegas gigs. So the pit started moments after the first song did, with the Swedish skatepunkers kicking things off with “Egocentric Man,” the opener to this year’s True Brew. The song might be new, but its sound is vintage Millencolin, meaning fast and perfect for a skate session (or creating a circle pit that would make Warped Tour ‘98 blush).

From there, the rambunctious 4 piece used their 20+ song allotment to span their discography, clearly making up for that time lost between shows. Songs like “Fox,” a love song between a boy and his dirt bike from Pennybridge Pioneers, “Chameleon,” a poppy, choice cut from Brews, humorous “Dance Craze” from debut Same Old Tunes and “Ray,” a vastly underrated gem from Kingwood, were all welcomed with more arm-in-arm singalongs and, yes, a pit that never stopped.

The band reciprocated this energy, with guitarist Mathias Färm being a particular joy to watch. The man is a true rockstar, sliding across the stage at every chance given, taking over lead vocals on “Mr. Clean” and pushing his guitar over the barrier for solos in “Pepper” and “Bring Me Home.” With the energy Färm displayed, I think you’d be forgiven for thinking he hasn’t aged a day since the Huntridge gig.

But as is to be expected from a Millencolin show, the comp tracks elicited the biggest reactions. “No Cigar,” the song that turned many young skaters on to the band due to its inclusion on the Tony Hawk soundtrack was the most popular, but “Bullion” and “Lozin Must” from Punk-O-Rama 2 and 3 were the highlights for me. It’s the closest one can get to time travel without owning a tricked out DeLorean, each riff bringing me right back to the best parts of high school.

Longtime friends of the site and veterans of The Dive, Success, were tasked with opening the show and honestly, I didn’t exactly envy them. 90s crowds can be particularly harsh judges of bands born post Punk-O-Rama. But by the time they closed with “Revolution Schmevolution,” a combination of the band’s Less Than Jake-meets-Latterman posi-punk and frontman Aaron Peter’s inviting demeanor had won over fans pressed against the barrier, with fists in the air yelling along.

-Emily Matview

Photos by Aaron Mattern | https://www.flickr.com/photos/akmofoto/