ALLENTOWN, Pa. — One of the most influential bands in the history of hardcore punk is headed to the Lehigh Valley this spring.
Circle Jerks, the California group whose 1980 debut “Group Sex” helped define the hardcore sound, will play Archer Music Hall on March 31 at 7 p.m., the venue announced.
Two other staples of the 1980s hardcore scene — Gorilla Biscuits and Negative Approach — will open the show.
Tickets are available online and at the box office at 939 Hamilton St. in Allentown. Prices are $48 for general admission standing and $91 to $138 for reserved balcony seating.
Circle Jerks formed in 1979 after vocalist Keith Morris split from Black Flag, the band he co-founded. “Group Sex,” released the following year, quickly became a hit for the style that dominated the early hardcore movement and later landed the band a spot in the documentary “The Decline of Western Civilization,” which chronicled the Los Angeles punk scene.
Over the next decade, Circle Jerks released five more studio albums and two live records, influencing generations of punk and hardcore bands. The group disbanded in 1990 but has reunited several times, most recently in 2019.
The current touring lineup features Morris and founding guitarist Greg Hetson, who also spent nearly 30 years with Bad Religion. They are joined by longtime bassist Zander Schloss, who entered the fold in 1984, and drummer Joey Castillo, who came aboard more recently.