They might have disappeared for a while, but the punk children of ten, twenty, thirty years ago are still alive and living in Milwaukee, coming out in force for the Public Image Ltd. (PIL) show this past Friday at the Pabst Theatre, 144 E. Wells.

“It’s been a while, but it is fucking worth it,” cried lead singer John Lydon—nee Rotten—to a rampant crowd of mainly 30 and 40 somethings. More than a while, it’s been nearly 18 years since Lydon and the other members of PIL hit a stage together before reuniting in late 2009.

The former Sex Pistols frontman managed to orchestrate danceable beats driven by strong personal lyrics and twist it into a nearly two hour party. People who expected the social outcry and ferocity of the Pistols didn’t get it, but they did witness a brilliant performance by a band still on top of their game.

More like a jam session than a typical album track, PIL showed just what distinguishes them from artists who write exclusively for easy radio play with “Albatross,” a powerful ten minute infusion that drove the crowd into a dancing fury.

Watching the night unfold, no one would ever guess that PIL had been on hiatus for 18 years. Sharp and emotional, the band led the audience through tight, fun versions of “Sun,” “Public Image” and “Tie Me to the Length of That.”

Lydon played the semi-psychotic clown, making fun of the few crowd members who refused to stand and throwing in the smart ass asides he’s known for. He still has one of the most amusing hairstyles around, a partly shaved, partly spiked monstrosity that would look forcibly ridiculous on anyone else.  Luckily, these folks love him and his music to leave it alone.

“Rise” provided one of the only full crowd sing-alongs of the night. One of the most radio friendly of PIL’s catalog, the haunting track still manages to sound pure nearly 25 years later with Lydon exuding  every bit as much intensity as the original.

Getting beyond the music though, the best part of the night was watching these men and women who had obviously grown up with PIL set aside their age and get lost in the energy. Nothing else mattered in the moment but the pounding rhythm and bass and it was beautiful to watch.

Ask anyone who was at the show and they would side with Lydon. The wait to see one of punk rock’s oldest legends prove that he can still drive crowds to the edge and happily push them over was definitely worth it.