The first Screeching Weasel CD I bought was Anthem for a New Tomorrow—it was $1 at a garage sale, and I had just gotten a CD player installed in my car. That summer, before my junior year in high school, I drove everywhere with the windows down and Ben Weasel's voice blasting from the speakers.

It was like I had a musical epiphany.

Unlike Nirvana (a band I did like, yes, but really didn't really identify with, especially after Kurt Cobain killed himself), Screeching Weasel were all about channeling their juvenile anger into fast, catchy songs about wanting to strangle other people, instead of hating on themselves.

They were just as pissed-off and tortured as any "grunge" band that was then all the rage, but they had a bratty sense of humor about it. Nirvana sang, "Rape me" and "I think I'm dumb"; Screeching Weasel sang, "I know that you're really just a creep." They released their frustrations by making fun of everyone around them.

I have had a torrid love affair with pop punk ever since. Sicko, Descendents, Blink 182, Green Day, Zoinks!—the more brainless, the better.

As much as I love Screeching Weasel, I've never seen the band live. This year, I made it my New Year's resolution to see Screeching Weasel, and for the last six months I have been tracking the band's irregular tour dates and pricing out plane tickets—I was prepared to fly across the country to finally see them with my own eyes, lack of original lineup be damned.

Now I don't have to fly anywhere—I just have to walk down to the Showbox at the Market this Friday night. I hope they play "I Wrote Holden Caulfield" and "Leather Jacket" and "Cool Kids." I hope they stay away from anything off Emo. Either way, I'm gonna act like a 16-year-old again, and I can hardly wait.

Recommended All-Ages Shows

Fri Sept 17: Screeching Weasel, the Cute Lepers, Thee Sgt. Major III at Showbox at the Market, 8 pm, $20 adv/$22 DOS.

Tues Sept 21: Hot Hot Heat, 22-20s, Hey Rosetta! at Chop Suey, 8 pm, $13 adv/$15 DOS.

Wed–Thurs Sept 22–23: Vampire Weekend, the Head and the Heart at the Paramount, 7:30 pm, $36.50.