FLAG (Original Members of Black Flag) to Play Exit/In July 5

Two years ago, a band performing under the moniker of “Black Flag” played Nashville as part of a reunion run. While legally and technically Black Flag, that group, who also released an LP in 2013, the first “Black Flag” album since ’85, features only one original member, guitarist Greg Ginn. Better than nothing, mind you, but hardly Black Flag, and not exactly well-received by fans. The story of Black Flag is long and convoluted, but the short version is this: after their initial split in 1986, the the hardcore punk legends’ many, many members of varying degrees of importance went on to form and join countless other musical projects, with most prominent and final frontman Henry Rollins garnering the greatest post-breakup success. In 2013, two versions of the band sprung back to life. The first, the aforementioned Greg Ginn-led Black Flag initially featured  vocalist Ron Reyes, though the lineup has already managed to shuffle, and now Mike Vallely commands the mic.

The other Black Flag, who, legally, are forced to go by FLAG are actually pretty legit, made up of Keith Morris (Black Flag’s original vocalist and founding member, who departed shortly before Rollins came into the fold, and later formed Circle Jerks), bassist Chuck Dukowski, drummer Bill Stevenson, and guitarist/vocalist Dez Cadena, all of whom appeared on the band’s most influential, early work, plus Descendents guitarist Stephen Egerton, who first started kicking around with this crew in 2011, before they decided to make it a full-on reunion. Needless to say, FLAG are way more Black Flag than “Black Flag,” and live they’re performing nothing but the classics. After a well-received run of shows in 2013 (and working around the schedule of Morris-led hardcore supergroup OFF!), FLAG are gearing up to hit the road again this summer, and will play Nashville for the first time ever (as FLAG; the original Black Flag allegedly played Music City in ’84) July 5 at Exit/In with War on Women and The Diry Nil. Tickets for this unique reunion run are on sale now, and we have a feeling that once the word gets out, they won’t last. Grab yours here.

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5/28: Las Vegas, NV – Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival
6/04: Denver, CO – Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival
6/05: Wichita, KS – Wichita River Festival
6/06: St. Louis, MO – Fubar
6/08: Chicago, IL – Double Door
6/09: Hamtramck, MI – Smalls
6/10: Pittsburgh, PA – Altar Bar
6/12: Asbury Park, NJ – Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival
6/22: Cleveland Heights, OH – Grog Shop
6/23: Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
6/28: New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
6/29: Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
7/01: Washington, DC – Black Cat
7/02: Virginia Beach, VA – Shakas Live
7/03: Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
7/05: Nashville, TN – Exit / In
7/07: Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
7/08: St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Ampitheatre
7/09: Fort Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room
7/10: St. Petersburg, FL – The State Theater