Live at the Key Club [Live]

Pennywise | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 24, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 24, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Epitaph / Ada
• ASIN: B00004Z43B
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,729 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than a Minor Threat, July 18, 2003

By 

Patrick Stott (Rolleston, Canterbury, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at the Key Club (Audio CD)

"Hello, we're Pennywise from Hermosa Beach, California!"

Hey, where the hell are you going? Come back here, or I'm gonna catch ya, tie ya up and force ya to listen to this! This is one case where you can't judge a review by its cover.

So Pennywise are from California, and they are popular with skate and surf kiddies, but if you're expecting watered down Offspring/Green Day type pop-punk, then you're out of luck. This is faster, more intelligent, and dare I say it, heavier ... If you want Good Charlotte or Blink 182, then go and listen to er... Good Charlotte or Blink 182. And Pennywise deliver live, something the pretend punks only wish they could.

Unlike the modern day pretenders, Pennywise have one foot firmly in the early 80s, and are damned proud of the fact. Check the cover of "Minor Threat", where Jim lists the bands he grew up listening to. Some of their songs here, particularly older tracks like "Final Chapters" and "Unknown Road" sound like Bad Religion or The Descendents with a rocket ... The song "Pennywise" could almost have come from Suicidal Tendencies. There is an old school Hardcore edge to much of the band's material. Something else the casual observer might also miss is a hint of Thrash, particularly in the guitar playing. Don't believe me? Check out "Fight Til You Die" and "Perfect People" for yourself. It beats most of what Megadeth or Helloween produced in the 1980s.

Even several years after his suicide, original bass player Jason is still an important figure for the band. If he wrote a song, they let everyone know. The set closer "Bro Hymn" is dedicated to his memory, and what a belter of a song to be remembered by. The distinctive bass riff and classic "whoa, whoa" shoutalong refrains get everyone going, for a raucous all-in finale.

This is by no means a perfect live album. The odd track sounds a little flat, like there was not much atmosphere at the gig. The overly commercial "Alien" in particular sounds out of place. The crowd do not seem terribly enthusiastic at times, as if they are unfamiliar with the band's back catalogue. The playing is near on note perfect though, and is still definitely live, rather than doctored in the studio. For a summer time beer drinking party hard live album, you could do a lot worse than this.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The 'Wise live, December 13, 2000

By 

"halo1000" (A Warm Place) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at the Key Club (Audio CD)

I saw Pennywise live before I bought this Cd, and it is definately awesome. Pennywise puts on a great show, and the live album definately shows what they can do onstage. They're definately very energetic. Sure, they don't have hilarious on-stage antics (like The Bloodhound Gang or The Offspring), or one-liners (a la Blink 182) but all that matters is that they play awesome music. They play some great songs (my favs are Perfect People and Alien), as well as a collection of PW past and present. I also like the way the Wise interacts with the audience, and the way they introduce each song before they play it. The sound quality on this live CD is awesome. Anyone that likes live acts, especially punk, should definately pick this one up.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hell yeah, January 27, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Live at the Key Club (Audio CD)

Pennywise have always been one of my favorite 90s Punk Bands. And this live cd f*ckin kills. Most of their best tracks on 1 cd

1. Intro
2. Wouldn't It Be Nice 10/10
3. Living For Today 9/10
4. Final Chapters 10/10
5. Can't Believe It 8/10
6. Unknown Road 10/10
7. Homesick 9/10
8. No Reason Why 20/10
9. Fight Till You Die 9/10
10. Peaceful Day 10/10
11. Society 10/10
12. Straight Ahead 10/10
13. Pennywise 9/10
14. Perfect People 10/10
15. Minor Threat 10/10 Great Cover
16. Same Old Story 10/10
17. Alien 10/10
18. Bro Hymn 15/10

Get this for an intro to Pennywise or if u want the best live cd/recording ever