Dead Milkmen to entertain living fans at Laurel Hill Cemetery concert

When asked whether his punk-rock band ever played a concert in a cemetery, Rodney Anonymous offered a two-word reply: “Legally, no.”

He then explained that The Dead Milkmen likely performed songs at a burial ground at some time in the past. That is exactly what it will do Friday night at Laurel Hill Cemetery, the storied site located on the fringes of East Falls.

In advance of the October release of the band’s latest album “Pretty Music for Pretty People,” the Milkmen will take the stage after opening act S.T.A.R.W.O.O.D.‘s 7 p.m. performance.

“Bring your own blankets or beach chairs, picnics, and/or beverages,” reads the cemetery website’s announcement of an event with $15 general-admission tickets.

Anonymous (real name Rodney Linderman) said he visits Laurel Hill often — “We take people there all the time when they come to town” — and recently learned that bands perform there.

“I forget where we saw it, but when we did, I really, really, really, really wanted to do this,” he told NewsWorks this week, noting that seeing “Night Of The Living Dead” at the cemetery’s movie night was quite memorable. “It’s either the best or worst decision we’ve ever made.”

The basics

Best known for the 1988 hit “Punk Rock Girl,” the band formed in 1983, broke up in 1995, reunited in 2008 and will tour this fall to support its latest album.

Instead of a stage, The Dead Milkmen will perform near the cemetery’s “receiving vault,” an area flanked by the high-metal doors and nearby mausoleums.

Anonymous urged attendees to take the SEPTA’s Manayunk/Norristown regional-rail line to the East Falls station. Non-express buses on the SEPTA Route 61 route, which starts at 9th and Market streets, stop nearby as well.

He expected the show to end by around 10 p.m.

Free parking is available in the lot directly across Ridge Avenue from the cemetery’s gatehouse (3822 Ridge Ave.)

The raindate is Saturday.

For more information, visit Laurel Hill Cemetery’s website.