You force the music section to give D.O.A. last rites, and we reward you with a Payback Time T-shirt and two tickets to a Live Nation club show of your choice taking place in Vancouver within the next four weeks. Here’s this week’s winning whine.

Dear Payback Time: Why? Why, why, why? Why do you keep encouraging them? Was there no other show that could have been reviewed? Half a page devoted to D.O.A.’s “last show ever”?!? D.O.A. has had a “last show ever” about every two years for the last 20 years! I know they were a big deal in the world of punk rock 30 years ago, but just like that uncle who used to be a lot of fun at Thanksgiving dinner after a couple of drinks but one year started taking his pants off and punching your dad in the face, some people just don’t know when to quit. At this point, giving them a half-page review is just enabling them.

> Ariana D’Angelo

Allan MacInnis responds: Dearest Ariana—That’s some hyperbolic hyperbole you’re workin’! Present tour aside, the only two previous D.O.A. farewells were December 1 and 13, 1990, at the Commodore. But yeah, it’s been a looong time since D.O.A. peaked. It would probably have kept things fresher for all concerned if, like most “normal” punk bands, D.O.A. had imploded in the mid 1980s, then waited a couple of decades before reuniting.

All the same, Joe Keithley merits respect for his decades of hard work to make a successful career out of playing what X once labelled the “Unheard Music”. Add to that the facts that D.O.A. put out three genre-defining albums (Something Better Change, Hardcore ’81, and War on 45 ), which is more than a host of other sainted punk acts. And Joe hasn’t significantly compromised his vision or lost his edge as a musician for 35 fuckin’ years, and you have a remarkable example of human tenacity, integrity, and dedication.

As for enablers, thanks to you, D.O.A. has now been in the Straight three weeks running; I’m sure Joe is grateful. You should now be doing everything you can to see he makes it to the legislature. It should buy us a few years off.