Maybe its that I expected so much more from MXPX. Or maybe its the combination of a Orange County venue with that venue being the ironically named House of Blues. But, as a person that collects these covers, this is the worst version of Rancid’s Olympia, WA ever.
Category: Olympia WA by Rancid
This is one of several acoustic versions (mostly guys in front of cameras, not concert footage) of Olympia, WA. There’s something about them, something closer to what I think is the real meaning of the song, in these versions. Probably closer to get to that sad-to-be-in-this-shitty-life-I-had-a-good-time-in-Oly feeling without electricity.
The way this guy plays it, it makes me think that Olympia WA could almost be an old-timey blues song.
Well, I’m just guessing that the three fellas of Fitchburg Punx have never been to Olympia. But their straight-through but not so bad rendition of Olympia, WA lacks that sort of loneliness and homesickness that really makes this song worth it.
Like I said, not bad, but with the flourish at the end especially, they miss the emotional point of the song.
Now this band is funny for me too, because the one punk rocker that I actually know personally spent a few years in Olympia is just from down the road of these guys. Joe Riot of Chanticlear is from Haverill, Mass. and I met him about 10 years back in Olympia.
Now Joe would be able to play a totally ironic version of Olympia, WA. Not that I didn’t enjoy having him around, but I think he’d rather be somewhere not Olympia.
MxPx, an old time punk band from Bremerton, and some of the Rancid guys do Olympia, WA about four years ago. Includes some of the interesting back story.
Smile… there’s even a sing-along.
dcpetrich a 26 year old guitar hobbyist takes us through what I think a lot of guitar hobbyists consider a great rock song.
Here’s the first of what I hope is a somewhat regular feature, all the various versions of Rancid’s Olympia WA I can find on the internet.
Beyond the obvious, this song holds a special place for me because I first got to like it when I was away from Olympia. I picked it up … And Out Come the Wolves at a record store in Dover, DE during the two years between graduating high school out there and deciding to move back out here.
So, here’s a Spanish (?) punk band with their acoustic cover:
