Distorted TV screens cast light across the brass of a steaming trombone as the club’s floor bends and swells under the fury of 1,000 hammering feet. Soulful rhythms wrap around traditional three-chord punk melodies, spinning the crowd faster, back and forth. Ska might be dead in the mainstream, but under the pale reds and blues of Nation nightclub Less Than Jake showed that some kids still like to dance.

On Saturday, Nation hosted punk veterans Bad Religion, up-and-comers Hot Water Music and the ever-invigorating Less Than Jake. Although Bad Religion headlined the show – a warranted nod to their years of service to the punk community – Less Than Jake stole the evening, causing a nearly riotous pit from wall to wall.

Hot Water Music opened the night with an apt performance, playing genuinely with a deeply emotional, though not very excited, stage prescience.

Amid the magnified screeches of a disconnected television, LTJ took the stage in the dark. With a flash of light they were off. Shooting through songs with reckless abandon, LTJ played old favorites like “Liquor Store” and “Jen” while drawing from all major releases.

Even after many years of non-stop touring, LTJ still manages to put on a good show. The band has calmed down a bit, but Saturday night showed that Less Than Jake can still rock out. Gone are the days of masked skull warriors blowing fire above the heads of the audience. Their antics have been replaced by the more personable – and often painfully cheesy – banter of the band.

Left in the wake of LTJ’s grand finale confetti explosion, the audience was hot with anticipation for Bad Religion. Uneasy, the crowd could not stand the wait, clapping loudly and yelling for the band. Bad Religion first hit the punk scene more than a decade ago and has maintained unquestioned punk credibility throughout.

With a roar from the crowd, Bad Religion opened the set playing their name-brand style of speedy guitar-driven punk rock. The band worked in new songs carefully, straying only occasionally from the classics that have earned a long and distinguished career.

The band was exciting and the crowd was definitely into it, but the Bad Religion just couldn’t maintain the level of energy exuded by the preceding act. It was a great time, all the same, and the crowd was elated at the chance to see genuine punk-rock legends in the flesh, rather than on old tapes handed around by friends.