The Briefs bring 25 years of Seattle punk back to The Ritz

The Seattle punk band returns to San Jose on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2027, with The Drowns, its first South Bay show since November 2022 in the same room.

The last time The Briefs played San Jose, it was November 6, 2022, at The Ritz. When they come back in January, they're coming back to the exact same room. The Briefs play The Ritz on Thursday, January 14, 2027, at 7 p.m., with The Drowns. The show was announced October 29, and tickets start at $25.73 through TicketWeb.

The Ritz holds about 500, and that's the right size for The Briefs. This is a band built on short, sharp, catchy punk songs, and those work best in a sweaty room where the front of the stage and the back of the bar are only a few steps apart.

A lot has happened since that 2022 visit. The Seattle band has been marking 25 years together, and they have been celebrating it the right way, with new music rather than just a greatest-hits lap. Rebel Noise reported on the band celebrating the milestone with new music, reissues and a UK tour, and Racketeer Radio covered them marking the anniversary with "High Society" and a West Coast tour.

They have also been putting out new singles on TKO Records, including the "Hospital Elevator" 7-inch, which Lollipop Magazine reported as out now. The last full-length was Platinum Rats in 2018, according to Damaged Goods, so the seven-inches are where the new material has been living.

That makes a January show in San Jose a good one to catch. Bands that have been around this long can easily coast on the old songs, but The Briefs are still writing and still releasing records, which means the set should have a fresh edge alongside the favorites. If you've only got the early records on your shelf, pick up the newer singles before the show.

The Drowns open, and they're worth showing up early for. A 7 p.m. start on a Thursday means the night moves quickly, and with two bands on the bill, you won't want to miss the first set grabbing a drink.

There's also something nice about a band coming back to the room where they last played. The Ritz has been a steady home for punk and garage rock in downtown San Jose, and keeping these touring bands coming through the South Bay rather than stopping only in San Francisco is a big part of what keeps the local scene alive.

Twenty-five years in, The Briefs are still writing new songs, and still playing 500-cap rooms where they hit hardest.

Thursday, January 14. Get there early for The Drowns, wear shoes you don't mind getting stepped on and plan to lose your voice.

Sources: The Briefs Celebrate 25 Years with New Music, Reissues, and a UK Tour — Rebel Noise (rebelnoise.com); The Briefs mark 25 years with High Society and West Coast tour — Racketeer Radio (racketeerradio.com); The Briefs "Hospital Elevator" 7-inch Out Now on TKO Records — Lollipop Magazine (lollipopmagazine.com); Platinum Rats — Damaged Goods (shop.damagedgoods.co.uk); The Briefs at The Ritz — JamBase (jambase.com)