Strung Out – Guttermouth – Left Alone – and Guilty by Association – at Fremont Country Club – Las Vegas, NV
May 24, 2013
Punk Rock Bowling is one of the events I look forward to every year, and this year was possibly the best so far! It started off at the Nugget at the comedy show (whoulda thunk that Dave from the Krum Bums would be hilarious?) but I was looking forward to the club shows, namely Strung Out / Guttermouth.
Fremont Country Club, a fairly new venue in DTLV, was a great spot to host one of the many club shows. It's not too big, not to small, had some good beer, and security was nice (not something that can be said often). The only drawback to the place is the creepy back-lit puppets they have placed in the walls.
Sin City's very own Guilty by Association kicked off the night, opening up with their song "Straight To Hell". Before that night, I hadn't listened to the band, so I had no idea what to expect.
By the end of their second song, "Walk Alone", I was a fan. The crowd was moshing along and having a great time. A lot of times, the opening bands leave much to be desired, but Guilty by Association could easily headline. Their set was absolute fun, their sound a mix of Chaos UK and the Dead Kennedys, and by the time they closed with "American Decay", the stage (and crowd floor) was already slick with spilled drinks and god knows what else.
Next up was Los Angeles' ska/punk outfit Left Alone. Before the first few bars of the first song were done, the lead singer (aptly named Elvis, seeing as how we were in Vegas) slipped and fell on the stage, thanks to the spilled drinks mentioned earlier. That didn't phase him, or the band, though. They just laughed and kept on going. "Hate the Day" had me skankin' along with the crowd, and "I Hate Emo" made me naze beer. If you haven't heard these talented musicians yet, I highly suggest you either get their EP or go out and see them play live. The two openers definitely set the bar high for not just the evening, but the weekend.
There was some confusion earlier as to who the headliner was for the evening, according to one of Guttermouth's members. Turns out, Guttermouth would be third up, and as always, they were a mix of musicality, mischievousness, and bizarre antics. Mark, in typical fashion, was riffing on Flag and Bad Religion (two of the festival's headliners) and heckling and tossing the mic at the crowd. Apparently there was even some vomiting happening, but I didn't see that (thankfully).
Love 'em or hate 'em (I lean towards love), Guttermouth always puts on an entertaining show. The crowd was pretty much non-stop throughout. "Lipstick" and "I'm Destroying the World" were highlights of the set for sure.
Hailing from Simi Vally, Strung Out closed the night. From the moment they stepped foot on the stage until the second they left, there was no respite. From "Too Close to See" to "Better Days" to "Ghetto Heater", the entire set was nothing but a mass of bodies, sweat, booze, and people screaming their hearts out.
There was very little banter between songs, so you were just hit, time after time, with some incredibly technically strong (and great!) tunes. I thought their time was up too soon, so the next time they play here in Southern California, I'll be there in the front row, for sure!
More photos of the show can be seen HERE
-Anni Thyme-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter
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Suedehead – Chris Murray – Dj Gonzo – The Bohunks – at The Beauty Bar – Las Vegas, NV
May 24, 2013
After much anticipation and waiting this years Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival was finally here and underway. Kicking off the long awaited Memorial Day weekend was a plethora of top caliber artists performing various club shows along Freemont Street in downtown Las Vegas.
One of the higher anticipated club shows took place at the wildly popular Beauty Bar, featuring a boss lineup of the best Ska, Soul and Rocksteady has to offer. With Dj Gonzo and Lowlife Sound System providing the best in classic tunes, the party had officially begun and boots were moving and dancing as if they never had before. With Gonzo churning out tune after tune of tantalizing vintage scorchers, the sweat and beer were flowing in abundance for the nights line up starting with The Bohunks.
The Bohunks have been at it in the Los Angeles scene for years now and have only impressed and amazed along the way and Friday night was no different. Drawing out locals and visitors to the dance floor, The Bohunks immediately captured the attention of everyone in attendance with their robust and heavy Ska rhythms. After a fevered and high energy set including a precise and overly fitting rendition of the Dead Kennedys “In Sight”.
Following The Bohunks was a true Rocksteady and Ska Legend in every sense of the word, Canadian Acoustic maestro Chris Murray. We here at Big Wheel have had many opportunities to enjoy Chris Murray over the years and Friday was more of the same. With a festival highlighting the best in punk from then and now Chris Murray holds his own amongst any spiked and studded Punk Rock act all the while turning new fans along the way. Always eloquent and sharp as a tack Chris Murray’s status as an international superstar is without question and his performances speak for itself.
With Rudies and Mods already drenched in sweat from dancing only more was to come. Orange County’s Suedehead has been nothing but amazing, featuring artists with track records including the mythological likes of The Debonaires, T.S.O.L., Hepcat and The Aggrolites. Suedehead’s meteoric rise has been a wonder to enjoy and must be appreciated live; true musicianship at every instrument makes for a pleasure overload for all the Ska senses to indulge.
More photos of the show can be seen HERE
-Gio Van Dam-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter
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