Cheers rise out of the crowd when Mike Watt appears from behind the curtain at the Bell House. It’s not the entrance of a performer.

There’s a lot of cachet and much romance tied to the notion that a certain type of rock ’n’ roll savantism can be evoked from picking up an instrument without training.

It would be easy to say that the uneven set could have been an off-night for the punk veterans. But to say time or touring had been hard on the original members of the band would be inaccurate. It was more the lack of actual Vibrators on the scene that made the show such a leaky boat.

From Marlon Brando’s role as an outlaw biker in The Wild One to the Ramones’ brick-wall shot for the cover of their first album, the black-leather motorcycle jacket has been a reliable symbol of rebellion.

Warning: this could happen to you. You are in a quiet bar or coffee shop talking with friends. During a bit of thoughtful discussion, you are caught unaware. Bearded white men have unexpectedly blocked your egress. They pick up guitars and begin awkwardly strumming a blues song.