Punks in Vegas | Images: Punk Rock Bowling day two feat. Descendents, Face to Face and more May 25, 2014 at Fremont East

Every year I look forward to Punk Rock Bowling just a little bit more. Where else can you find people still decked out in their finest leather bondage pants when temperatures are reaching over 100 degrees? Due to groomsman duties in a friend’s wedding, I missed out on the first day of the festival, so I came in bright and early on the second day ready to socialize, drink $3 water and listen to some rad music. Big thanks to the Sterns, not just for bringing the Descendents to Vegas again, but for giving me a weekend where I get to hang out with great friends from all over the country, and I’m not the only one geeking out about getting a picture with Officer Bradford.

The Objex by Steven Matview

Vegas’ own The Objex started out the day, giving the Dwarves a run for their money when it comes to being the most provocative band on the bill. Frontwoman Felony Melanie’s flexibility and short dress left little to the imagination, and the crowd loved it. The first spot of the day is difficult, as many are recovering from the night before and haven’t made it through the doors, but those who were there were right up against the barrier with smiling faces. You can check out our full stream of the new Objex record here.

New Jersey punks Lost in Society had the unenviable task of following up The Objex’s spectacle and were basically as far removed from them as possible. The low-key, flannel-clad dudes recalled memories of rock-based punks Gaslight Anthem and Loved Ones. For Vegas locals, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who was reminded of Mercy Music predecessor Deadhand, with a bit of an early Lookout! vibe on a few tracks and a voice that sounded like it was on loan from Brendan Scholz.

Fans of VooDoo Glow Skulls surely took notice of San Francisco ska/punks La Plebe, who have played PRB club shows in the past but made their mainstage debut this year. The band mixes the speedy pace and horn section of the former with a slight folk background and Spanish lyrics that recalls one-time labelmates Cobra Skulls. People might not have known exactly what they were saying, but they knew that it meant they were supposed to circle pit.

05 Masked INtruder (70)

Pop punk crooks Masked Intruder made their maiden appearance at Punk Rock Bowling this year, filling an early slot oftentimes awarded to humorous, gimmick-laden bands (see Tartar Control last year). Having seen the band first in a bar and then the Hard Rock Live, I was curious to see what they’d bring to the larger setting. Between Green’s epic jumps and hypeman Officer Bradford’s stage dives, the band quickly won over the crowd. They played a bunch of new tracks from their then-not-released sophomore album M.I. and ended their set by inviting all the female fans up on stage for a dance party. New song “Crime Spree” became an instant jam and seeing so many people snapping, clapping and singing along to “I Wish You Were Mine” was a great thing to be a part of. Masked Intruder was one of only two bands this weekend where I had to pack up my camera gear and make my way past the pit to the barrier to sing along, and I’m glad I did.

Canadian hardcore punk band SNFU definitely wins the award for friendliest members, as the guys were spotted throughout the day chatting up fans in the festival grounds. As I was talking to fans pushed up against the photo barrier for their set, consensus seemed to be that SNFU bandleader Chi Pig was pushing 80, and I actually had to pull out my phone and prove that he’s just over 50 years old. There was no question once the band started though, as those dudes graced the stage with the energy of much younger men, much to the excitement of their legion of fans.

The Adicts by Steven Matview

The Adicts marked their return to PRB by once again dousing the crowd in confetti and glitter, this time knocking out the camera drone that had been up-to-that-point capturing the craziness on film (who knew the natural enemy of drones was glitter?). The Adicts always bring with them a metric ton of stage presence, and this night was no different. The sun was just setting during their performance and a slight breeze brought with it a second wind for many of the day’s attendees

Victorville, California skatepunks and self-proclaimed disciples of Descendents Face to Face were in direct support, surprisingly marking their first appearance at Punk Rock Bowling. Face to Face is one of those rare types of bands that I feel sounds better in a large atmosphere than in a tiny club, so Punk Rock Bowling seems like a match made in heaven. The band’s songs have such an anthemic quality to them and sound so perfect with a chorus of 1,000 fans backing up frontman Trever Keith – especially on songs like “Don’t Turn Away” and “Disconnected.” Face to Face also got the silver medal for second most people crowd surfing during their set, behind only Leftover Crack on the third day. This unfortunately also led to the most fights with security, mostly involving those crowd surfers. I particularly liked that Keith was visibly stoked to be playing the festival, giving shout outs to Descendents, a band that obviously influenced his band’s sound (a cover of Descendents’ “Bikeage” is a staple of Face to Face live shows), by saying he’d be the “old, sweaty guy standing on the side of the stage singing every word” and also giving a shout out to Masked Intruder, who he said is his favorite new band.

01 Descendent (9)-2

This year is now the second time pop punk pioneers Descendents have headlined a day and honestly, I’d be fine with them headlining every year. In fact, I would be totally okay with Milo and crew setting up shop here permanently ala Celine Dion. But since that won’t ever happen, I have to be content getting another chance to rock out to “Suburban Home” and “Nothing With You” with the guys. Frontman Milo Aukerman was sounding a little hoarse during the band’s set, likely a byproduct of our infamous dry heat, but in the thick of the crowd you could barely tell over the sound of thousands of uninhibited voices singing along. I was impressed that the fans still had the energy to keep the circle pit going after 7+ hours and am also always impressed, and a bit in awe, at how good these guys are at playing their instruments. Being just a few feet away from a guy like Karl Alvarez and seeing him tear through songs like “Coffee Mug and Hope” on the bass is probably the closest thing to a religious experience I can imagine. One of my favorite parts of the set was when it came time to read the rules of All-O-Gistics. Aukerman got it going before handing the MIC over to a couple of elementary-aged punks on the stage who were adorable as they tried sounding out “flatulence” in front of 1,000 rowdy punks young and old.

Tomorrow: More bands! Hotter weather! Extra exclamation points!

Random thoughts:

It was nice that last year’s loosely-paved piles of dirt were replaced with actual blacktop. Although that ended up being a blessing and a curse, due to the heat radiating off of it. Next year, perhaps the pool mobile will be available?
I’d like to give a big hug to whoever suggested shifting the position of the stage this year. It led to the photo pit being completed shaded.
Reading many other reviews as well as talking to a smattering of attendees, it’s pretty clear that many still think of Vegas as a tourist trap and don’t realize the vibrant (if sometimes troubled) scene we have out here. Over 2 million (mostly awesome) people live in this city. We’re not all drinking yard margaritas and dealing blackjack. I’m a librarian. Yes, there are libraries in Vegas.
I know the Sterns have already complained about people complaining about this – but water is a serious issue at festivals like this. A bottle of water from Costco came with a $3 price tag. Shade is at a premium, and it was over 100 degrees outside. It’s just a recipe for disaster. I’d encourage a free tap water station where people can refill bottles – or lowering the price of the bottled water to something more reasonable.

-Emily Matview and Asleigh Thompson

Photos by Emily Matview | https://www.flickr.com/photos/holdfastnow/