In Photos: Rancid Rock Out for a Good Cause in San Francisco (11/29)

"Addiction doesn't care if you're black, white, male, female, transgender -- just like punk rock"

Raymond Ahner

November 30, 2018 | 2:33pm ET

Bay Area punk legends Rancid played a special benefit show for the Ohlhoff Recovery Program at San Francisco’s Regency Ballroom last night (November 29th), performing a blistering set to the beyond sold-out venue, and all for a good cause.

Based in San Francisco, Ohlhoff Recovery Programs has been providing assistance to adults and adolescents in recovery from substance abuse and chemical dependency for over 50 years, and this show was a way for Rancid to give something back.

Opening their set with “Radio”, Rancid were on top of their game right out of the gate, as co-vocalists Lars Frederiksen and a heavily bearded Tim Armstrong wasted no time in trading places and coming to the front of the stage. Only playing for an hour, the band tore through their setlist which included “Roots Radical”, “Ghost of a Chance”, “Telegraph Avenue”, and “Old Friend”, which was dedicated to another legendary Bay Area band, The Faction, who played directly before Rancid.

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At one point, Lars paused to speak from his heart about the cause they were supporting. “Addiction doesn’t care if you’re black, white, male, female, transgender — just like punk rock. Ohlhoff doesn’t care either. All they ask is you be human. Just be a fucking human being.”

And while we wish the set was a little longer, the band treated fans to favorites “Timebomb” and “Ruby Soho” to close out the evening.

It was a great show for an even better cause, and hats off to Rancid for giving something back to a community that has supported them for almost 30 years.