Stitches – The Bodies – Smogtown – and Amoebas – at The Beauty Bar – Las Vegas, NV

Friday night The Beauty Bar hosted Amoebas, Smogtown, The Bodies, and The Stitches. The show at The Beauty Bar was one of several shows taking place in Downtown Las Vegas as a prelude to the festivities of the 14th annual Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival.

By the time we rolled in there, we may have missed the opener if they even played at all, but drinks were flowing as Smogtown provided a surf skate Punk rock element to this line up that was reminiscent of the Southern California Punk scene.

Afterward The Bodies performed a 45 minute set full of high energy and were followed by headliners The Stitches. Orange County Punk Rock Veterans, The Stitches, provided an over-the-top performance primarily enabled by the band's vocalist Michael Lohrman. No fancy stage lights or barricades at The Beauty Bar, just raw, in-your-face Rock N Roll played just the way it was intended!

Beauty Bar's PRB kickoff party provided Downtown Las Vegas with a dose of Southern California Punk Rock quality(Although Amoebas hail from Michigan) and opened up Memorial Day weekend with full Punk Rock force and attitude.

 

-Big Wheel Magazine-

                     More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 

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The Punk Rock Bowling Kick Off Party Featuring: Cockney Rejects – Youth Brigade – The Generators – and The Civilians – at Azul Tequila – Las Vegas, NV

The first night of Punk Rock Bowling consisted of a few different club shows, making it hard to choose which o ne to go to. But of all, I would say due to the special guest headliner, the most anticipated one was the one held at Azul Tequila.


Opening the show were Las Vegas natives, The Civilians. They had a very short time to play, but they made sure to keep the attention drawn with their fast oi influenced music. During the last song the singer asked if everyone wanted them to leave, but instead the crowd cheered them on to keep playing.

Within 15 minutes, The Generators were on stage ready to cause chaos. Not only is their music entertaining, but they are as well. The singer was standing on speakers, jumping off of whatever he could, and making sure to get everyone involved by letting people sing into the microphone.  After explaining to us how they have been covering a certain song for about 15 years now, they began playing CockSparrer’s “Runnin’ Riot”, causing an even bigger pit to erupt.

Youth Brigade was up and the crowd was packed and ready to hear their songs. They played their usual badass set including all of their old songs. They played 2 others that hadn't been played in years.  Right before they played “You Don't Understand”, Shawn Stern told us that when they wrote this song, their dad asked if it was about him. The other song was “One in Five”.  During “Men in Blue”, a few guys started break dancing in the middle of the pit during the rap part. Youth Brigade was awesome, but it was time for the special guest.

       Video overview of the show

Shortly after 4 guys got on stage and it was Cockney Rejects!  People were stoked and rushed to the front. They played a couple of sing-along’s including “We Are the Firm” and “Power and the Glory. He kept dancing around the stage pretending he was boxing someone.

During one song, an excited fan got on stage to stage dive, and once he jumped off no one caught him. A circle of people rushed to him while he laid there and couldn't move for just a bit and some people took him to the sidelines (The next day another staff member ran into the guy, he had a bump on his head and a bandage he got from the hospital visit, and other than that he was fine). Cockney Rejects still  played a few more like “Flares and Slippers”, “War on the Terraces”, and ended with the famous”Oi, Oil, Oil!”.  The night left everyone excited for Sundays Cockney Reject performance.
 

-Corinna P.-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

                More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 

 

Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews

 

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Municipal Waste – Dwarves – Stop Breathing – and World Salad – at The Country Saloon – Las Vegas, NV

This years Punk Rock Bowling is going to be one of the most epic and over the top extravaganzas seen in the 14 years since the festival started , if the club shows on Friday night are any indication.


Last night found me outside of the Country Saloon, where the line was already getting long, with at least 45 minutes before the doors were to open. The band playing at the restaurant next door decided to play to the crowd waiting outside, instead of playing to an empty restaurant.  Seeing punks bouncing to bad cover songs is pretty fabulous, so my night started with a smile, and that smile didn't leave my face until the end of the night. The openers for the evening were Albuquerque based hardcore band Word Salad. They gathered a fairly decent sized crowd from the get-go with the pit starting almost immediately. Wood floors + spilled beer = punk rock pit slip 'n slide. The fans gathered for their set were dedicated and full of energy.

You can find Word Salad HERE
 

After a short break, Ventura's Stop Breathing took the stage and the crowd went ape-shit. Well, one dude did--after doing a header behind the barricade, it took 3 of the huge security guards to get him back into the crowd. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of thrash, but I found myself bouncing along to each and every song Stop Breathing played. They put on a great, high-energy show and if they play near me, I would definitely go see them. You should too.

Go to their page and like Stop Breathing HERE

The energy and tension in the audience was rapidly rising and as soon as The Dwarves took the stage, the gloves came off and it was nothing but 45 minutes of pure adrenaline and madness. They opened the night with "Act Like You Know", and threw in "FEFU" for good measure. Standing next to me were some cougar's on the prowl looking to hook up with band guys. Some words were exchanged with the girls next to them, then it was nothing but claws and hissing for the cat fight. Security quickly kicked both litters out and we were able to get back to the show. About halfway through the set they brought out special guest Joe Raposo, former bassist from Rich Kids on LSD, to sing along with Blag (the best-looking man in show business). They broke out songs like "Pimp", "You Gotta Burn", "There Better Be Women", and "Let's Fuck" and bodies were flying in the pit and onstage. One guy in particular was a stage diving fiend--at the end of the night his shirt was speckled with blood, some his and some of it belonging to others.

Go give The Dwarves some love HERE especially you, ladies

Intermittently through the set, Blag would crowd-surf, and during one of these times HeWhoCanNotBeNamed flew onstage from the wings and it was pandemonium. As always, The Dwarves live show was fucking amazing and they are one of the few bands I will see anytime they come through town.

       Video overview of the show

I think most of the crowd came for The Dwarves,  because after their set the club rapidly emptied, which was unfortunate for headliners Municipal Waste. Based in Richmond, VA, they brought some east coast thrash energy to the typically laid back west.

The dedicated fans who stayed started chanting for them to take the stage almost as soon as the stage emptied. As soon as they finished their first song, the lead singer asked, "Who the fuck's idea was it to bring out a thrash band to a punk rock bowling festival"? Well, whoever thought of it? Good job, unknown person, good job.

To follow  Municipal Waste click  HERE 
 

-Anni Thyme-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

                     More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 

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Adolescents – Dr Know – Union 13 – and Vermin – at The Bunk House – Las Vegas, NV

The 14th annual Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival kicked off with a series of 21+ shows Friday night in downtown Las Vegas, with shows taking place at the Country Saloon, Beauty Bar, Bunkhouse, and Azul Tequila. Friday night’s show at the Bunkhouse provided performances from The Vermin, Union 13, Dr. Know, and The Adolescents.

Opening band The Vermin were an excellent treat to the show and provided a special appearance by Tony Reflex of The Adolescents. Tony performed two Adolescents songs with The Vermin: “I Got a Right” and “No Friends.”

The night consisted of all the makings of a Punk rock show: beer, crowd surfers, stage divers, circle pits, fists in the air, and loud chaotic scenes. Each band of the night provided these elements of bliss, and with the venue’s stage being outdoors, the setting and environment carried one of a backyard party in Los Angeles. This sentiment was widespread and was made vocal during Union 13’s set when vocalist Edward Escoto inquired who was from LA and gave shout outs to the immensely overwhelming amount of people who came in from LA.

     "We came to have fun!!!"



Being the last two bands of the night, Dr. Know and Adolescents both dove in and enabled their distinct hardcore sounds. Dr. Know resulted in fans constantly shouting “OXNARD! OXNARD!” and likewise Adolescents resulted in fans screaming “ORANGE COUNTY! HELL YEAH BIG BAD OC!” Dr. Know’s 45 minute set provided thrashy hardcore songs while Adolescents performed their early 80’s punk sound made renowned by the blue album.

 At the end of the night, Adolescents ended their show with the usual “Kids of the Black Hole” farewell, and provided an encore consisting of “Do the Freddy,” a cover of Dead Boys’ “Sonic Reducer,” and “I Hate Children.”

Adolescents Set List:
No Way - Inspiration - Who is Who - Self-Destruct - Operation FTW - Lockdown America - LA Girl
Creatures - Things Start Moving - OC Confidential - One Nation Under Siege - Amoeba - Wrecking Crew
Rip it Up - Peace Don’t Cost a Thing - Kids of The Black Hole

-Stephanie M.-
Big Wheel Senior Staff Reporter

                     More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 

Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews

 

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Punk Rock Bowling 2012 – Drive out – Joe Sib Comedy Show – May 25, 2012

Here it is another year and it is Memorial Day weekend and time for the Big Wheel crew to head off to Las Vegas to cover the 2012 Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival. We will have a large staff on the ground covering everything that goes down from the show to the bowling to the pool partys. Enjoy the video below as we drive out from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. One we arrive at The Golden Nugget Hotel it is time to get out of the car and into the lounge for some drinks after the long drive. We arrived just in time to catch Joe Sib's comedy set and the video below will give you a snipet of the show. Seriously folks, if you want to see good comedy with a Punk rock twist make sure you check out his show in your area.

Without any further delay, WELCOME to your coverage of the 2012 Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival !

   Video of the drive out and Joe Sib's comedy set

More photos of Punk Rock Bowling 2012 can be seen HERE

Big Wheel Magazine

 

 

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Complete event time schedule and map for Punk Rock Bowling 2012 Music Festival and Club shows

The 2012 edition of Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival is just about upon us. The event will be non-stop action from the bowling to the music to the pool parties and the club shows and we want to help you stay on top of it all.

Covering this event is a monumental task for the Big Wheel staff every year. The only way that they can stay on top of it all and properly coordinate where the staff needs to be at any given time is 2 of the tools below that we create internally as we plan out our coverage. We figured that if these tools help us, they can equally help you stay on track and plan out each of the days and how to get there. Available in a downloadable PDF format is a 4 page moment to moment schedule of each days events with the time and place they go down at, as well as a map of where the venues are located at.

Just download and print these out before you go and you are all set. Better yet, do this while you are at work and plot out next weekend on company time. We thank all of you for your support as we document your event.

Event time schedule Download HERE	Map of the Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival venues Download HERE

If for some reason you do not have tickets
             to the Music Festival and the club shows
                        go to: www.punkrockbowling.com  DO IT NOW


                                         www.punkrockbowling.com

       Video Preview

Coverage of the 2011 event HERE


(Photo: Winners of the 2011 Punk Rock Bowling Tournament – BC Smokeshop)

For coverage from Punk Rock Bowling 2010 …. Go HERE

 

 

 

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