Anchored by the McDonald brothers Steven and Jeff for 45 years, Redd Kross brings its mix of punk energy and pop hooks to the Chapel Sunday night, showcasing songs from their acclaimed new self-titled album. Inspired by the Beatles, bubblegum pop and glam rock at a young age, the McDonald brothers dove into the Los Angeles punk scene with their first band, the Tourists. The group played its first show opening for Black Flag in 1978 when Jeff (guitar/vocals) was 15 and Steven (bass) was only 11.
Along with second guitarist Greg Hetson -- who would later play with the Circle Jerks and Bad Religion -- and future Black Flag drummer Ron Reyes, the crew would change its name to Red Cross right before recording it's debut self-titled EP in 1979. The six-song effort clocked in at just under six and a half minutes and showcased the brothers' knack for catchy, trashy punk tunes. While Hetson and Reyes would move on, the brothers enlisted several collaborators for their first proper full-length album in 1982, Born Innocent .
With its brief, buzzsaw songs focusing on subject matter like young actresses Linda Blair (star of The Exorcist) and Tatum O'Neal, cult leader Charles Manson and Runaways guitarist Lita Ford, the recording placed the band firmly in the more pop-minded end of the punk rock spectrum, following in the footsteps of the Ramones and the Buzzcocks. The band's next effort, the 1984 covers EP Teen Babes from Monsanto , paid tribute to some of their cornerstone influences wit.