Punk Rock Bowling 2011 – Event recap with photos, videos and commentary

Welcome to the home for coverage of Punk Rock Bowling 2011


Coverage of the 2011 event
Punk Rock Bowling 2011 was pretty much off the hook. There is so much coverage that our entire team gathered, video, photos and more. Stay tuned to Big Wheel all through out the week as we start to serve up the coverage... Big Wheel will have stuff you will not see anywhere else. 19 hours of video was shot and over 7000 photos were captured. We probably overwhelmed ourselves with the high goals we set for ourselves, yet the crew did capture some great content. All the bowling action, the main stage shows to the club shows, to many behind the scenes interviews and the Monday afternoon pool party which was a blast.

Editors note: Thank you to the many folks here at Punk Rock Bowling for the positive comments, encouragement and especially the folks that made food runs for our staffers... and YES... the drinks too.... very much appreciated.

Sunday 7pm - May 29, 2011 update
The bowling tournament is now over and after many matches and beers later, the winners are -
Punk Rock Bowling 2011 champions are: BC Smoke Shop
2nd Place: Rockaway Tavern - 3rd Place: Double Down Devils - 4th Place: Team Danza
5th Place: Septic Breath - 6th Place: Tina's Nightmare - 7th Place: Blame It On The  Lane
8th Place: Dirtballs - 9th Place: Cobra Skulls - 10th Place: Northeast Records.

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

Punk Rock Bowling 2011 Music Festival – Fremont Street – Las Vegas, NV – Day 3

You could tell from the tired, hungover faces that it had been a long weekend already, but Monday was the biggest day of all, and so steadfast fans laced up their boots, grabbed sunscreen and beers and once more headed forth. Those with the fortitude to face the sun, and finagle their way into the venue were rewarded with Reducers SF. Hailing from San Francisco, and boasting more than 15 years of hard rocking, Reducers managed to keep a crowd stacked in front of the stage Read more

Punk Rock Bowling 2011 Music Festival – Fremont Street – Las Vegas, NV – Day 2

Sunday is usually a day where people rest and relax from their busy week, whether it be  from work or school. However, in Vegas on Memorial Day Weekend, everyone was just getting started for the bowling tournament playoffs and Day 2 of the Punk Rock Bowling Music Festival. Headlining the night was one of the most anticipated acts of the entire festival, the Descendents, along with help from Punk Rock Bowling veterans Me First and the Gimme Gimmes and the Bouncing Souls. Read more

Undertones – The Crowd – Sharp Objects – at The Beauty Bar – Las Vegas, NV

Sunday night at Punk Rock Bowling was definitely one of those nights that you would not have wanted to miss! So for those of you who put down your knitting long enough to check out one of the many awesome shows that night, you definitely had an awesome time! That is, unless your girlfriend broke up with you at the show…. Read more

Punk Rock Bowling 2011 Music Festival – Fremont Street – Las Vegas, NV – Day 1

Starting off the first day of 3 days of the music festival portion of Punk Rock Bowling 2011 was Dropkick Murphys, Stiff Little Fingers, Aggrolites, Filthy Thieving Bastards, Krum Bums, Off With Their Heads, The Grim and Dirty Filthy Mugs. As in years past when the Punk Rock Bowling committee puts together these shows they are always trying to keep pace with previous years line ups… and many believe that over the next 3 days, the line ups far exceeded anyone expectations. Read more

Punk Rock Bowling 2011 – Bowling Team Photos

Here are your 2011 Punk Rock Bowling team photos. The staff made a best effort to get a photo of every team and out of the 168 registered teams we managed to capture most of them. Beyond the ones that we are missing, checkout below to find your team, your friend's team or just to look at the bowlers from this years tournament. Read more

Punk Rock Bowling 2011 – Saturday Morning update

Here we are at Saturday morning at 7am after a night of being out all night, it sure was hard to get up. Today would mark the start of the bowling tournament…. you know the other reason we all came to Vegas this weekend. The morning got started kinda rough since there was no in room coffee. Heading down to the lobby we found the first casualty of Friday night laying in the hallway. Read more

Cadillac Tramps – Swingin Utters – Cobra Skulls – at Club Azul Tequila

Last night’s concert over at Tequila Azul nightclub proved to be quite the fire starting grand kickoff of 2011’s punk rock bowling festivities. There to start off the nights madness was none other than SideOneDummy records own Joe Sib, a Punk rock storyteller/comedian of sorts. His brand of comedy stems from his life experiences in and around the Punk scene dating back to the 1980s. Read more

 

Fishbone – Guttermouth – Buck-O-Nine – Scandals – at Country Saloon

With gigs going on all over town … all all excellent bills, pretty much impossible to get to them all. Over at the Country Saloon was a lively crowd that was ready for MAX fun. On the historic Las Vegas Fremont strip The Country Saloon presented The Scandals, Buck o Nine, Guttermouth and Fishbone, kicking off the first of many belligerent nights of Punk Rock Bowling. Read more

Hotel room gig with Hands Like Bricks – Sam’s Town

Let's kick Punk Rock Bowling off right! … with a completely DIY show hosted by the Los Angeles band, Hands Like Bricks!  The hotel room was packed with fans of Hands Like Bricks and the Lysolgang. They decided it would be rad to put on a free show in a hotel room… so they did! Punk as fuck if I don't say so myself…. and a fuckin awesome way to start this weekend off!!! Read more

 

For coverage from Punk Rock Bowling 2010 …. Go HERE

 

 

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

Punk Rock Bowling 2011 Music Festival – Fremont Street – Las Vegas, NV – Day 3

You could tell from the tired, hungover faces that it had been a long weekend already, but Monday was the biggest day of all, and so steadfast fans laced up their boots, grabbed sunscreen and beers and once more headed forth. Those with the fortitude to face the sun, and finagle their way into the venue were rewarded with Reducers SF. Hailing from San Francisco, and boasting more than 15 years of hard rocking, Reducers managed to keep a crowd stacked in front of the stagedespite the afternoon sun. Eager youths moshed to some of their classic anthems, including "Knocked Out", and the band got everyone singing with their cover of Slaughter & the Dogs' "Situations", before grudgingly yielding the stage to Citizen Fish.

Stagger and Fall started off Punk Rock Bowling's last day with menacing music attributed to street punk. The band's sound was fast and certain songs had hints of oi in them, which further reiterated the presence of the band at Punk Rock Bowling. Being the openers, the band played to a small audience; still, the band performed with full fledged effort and it was not difficult to see that their performance was carried out diligently and with passion.

Citizen Fish ended their tour with Krum Bums during the Memorial Day weekend of Punk Rock Bowling, and their performance on Monday was the last of it. Citizen Fish performed their melodic ska songs to a slightly larger crowd, meanwhile, vocalist Dick Lucas hopped around and skanked, which was a rare sight to see considering Lucas never does so for Subhumans. Some audience members ran around doing a ska dance of a sort, and others stood by and listened to what Lucas had to say about the media and society. Citizen Fish significantly set the mood musically and melodically that Manic Hispanic was about to present.

Manic Hispanic began their set with their cover of "Wasted," to which a large circle began formation on the floor. The circle remained largely empty for several songs, but the amount of people on the floor kept growing and growing. Once Manic Hispanic covered D.I.'s "Johnny's Got A Problem," the giant circle that had been occupying space on the floor became full with bodies being thrown in and out of it.

Manic Hispanic performed cover after cover, and near the end of the band's set, vocalist Gabby Gaborno joked around with audience members and accused everyone of being Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga fans.

Next up was the youngest, best looking band in all of rock and roll... otherwise known as the Dwarves. Singer Blag Dahlia was suffering from some vocal problems, so the crowd was given ample opportunities to join in on singing duties (with mixed results), though as Blag mockingly pointed out, he was still planning on keeping all the money. The high point of the set came when a ten year old child jumped on stage to finish "Back Seat of My Car", word perfect, and sounding not to far off from Blag on a good day.
Despite the vocal troubles, and the conspicuous absence of HeWhoCanNotBeNamed on guitar, the Dwarves busted out the electric, high-energy set that has put them on the top of fans' wishlists for years, playing everything from "FEFU" to "Everybody's Girl" and "Free Cocaine". Nothing but smiles and cheers from the crowd as their set wound down.

When Leftover Crack approached the stage, it became evident how many people had migrated from their hometowns to Las Vegas just to see the renowned New York based "crack rock steady" band. Upon the band's first song, an intense and borderline dangerous pit erupted on the floor, and throughout the entire band's set, the mania never once ceased. Of all the bands that had played during the weekend, this reporter has to admit that Leftover Crack's pit was the most volatile, full, and energetic of the entire weekend. Song after song delivered variety in the way people behaved on the floor, but overall, the crowd's reaction on the floor was the most prominent aspect of the band's set. Having former members of Choking Victim in the band, Leftover Crack offered their loyal fans a treat by playing Choking Victim song "500 Channels," which fans received gratefully. Leftover Crack's presence at Punk Rock Bowling was one of the best decisions the Stern brothers have made for the sake of the music.

Industrial Punk legends Killing Joke had originally been slated to support Cock Sparrer, but were forced to cancel close to last minute. Disappointment was short-lived when their replacements were announced: NY Hardcore legends Agnostic Front. They took the stage, and launched into most of "Victim in Pain" without a pause. The album credited with bloodying up NYC Punk, and making it hardcore, wasted no time kickstarting the crowd, and the unfortunate consequence of a pit stumble on the concrete was dozens of bloody knees, but no one cared.

The pit remained strong, and the massive crowd surrounding it sang along, fists in the air as the band finished the album and turned to some of their newer tracks, including "Gotta Go", which had been a mainstay on the PA all weekend. Nothing compares to hearing it live from Roger Miret himself, though, and by the time they were finished the bar was set high for Cock Sparrer.

Men of the hour, they were more than ready to meet the challenge. Cock Sparrer is probably the biggest name in street Punk, and for good reason. People travel hundreds, if not thousands, of miles to see them every year, and this year marked their first time in Las Vegas. The boys themselves were humbled by the experience, thanking the crowd multiple times, as thousands of fans shouted their adoration.

Those who attended the previous night's club show may not have found any surprises in the set, which again lead off with "Riot Squad" and hitting most of the favorites, including "Take 'em All", "I Got Your Number", and "Teenage Heart", but no one cared, as fists and voices were raised to scream the lyrics at the sky.

All too brief, the set was over, finishing with "Where Are They Now" leaving the crowd sweaty, exhausted, but still screaming for more. Cock Sparrer were allowed to return for a brief encore, starting with "England Belongs to Me", and closing the night with "We're Coming Back" before finally saying goodnight, capping off an unforgettable weekend of music, bowling, and fun in Las Vegas.

Set Times - Monday May 30, 2011
8:50 - 10:00  Cocksparrer
7:50 - 8:35    Agnostic Front
6:50 - 7:35    Leftover Crack
5:55 - 6:35    The Dwarves
5:10 - 5:40    Manic Hispanic
4:25 - 4:55    Citizen Fish
3:40 - 4:10    Reducers SF
3:00 - 3:25    Stagger N Fall
Doors: 2:30pm


                   More photos of Monday's music festival show can be seen HERE
 

-Jo P.-
Big Wheel staff reporter

-Stephanie M.-
Big Wheel Senior staff reporter


            Go HERE for more Punk Rock Bowling coverage

 

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

Punk Rock Bowling 2011 Music Festival – Fremont Street – Las Vegas, NV – Day 2

Sunday is usually a day where people rest and relax from their busy week, whether it be  from work or school. However, in Vegas on Memorial Day Weekend, everyone was just getting started for the bowling tournament playoffs and Day 2 of the Punk Rock Bowling Music Festival. Headlining the night was one of the most anticipated acts of the entire festival, the Descendents, along with help from Punk Rock Bowling veterans Me First and the Gimme Gimmes and the Bouncing Souls.Bands that also performed for Day 2 were the Undertones, Black Pacific, American Steel, Larry and his Flask, and Johnny Madcap and the Distractions.

Johnny Madcap and the Distractions commenced the day and although not many people were inside the festival grounds yet, many people that were there enjoyed their catchy pop Punk tunes .Within their solid 25 minute set, they performed many songs that some of the audience members seemed to know, including a cover of Oingo Boingo’s “Little Girls”, that sounded extremely similar to the original version. Johnny Madcap and the Distractions woke up the tired and hungover crowd with their energy, and started Day 2 on a good note.

Oregon natives, Larry and his Flask were up next and needless to say, they were fantastic. Although their style of music is hard to place under one specific category, the Flask incorporates country, bluegrass, and Punk rock into their music. Their vibrant and fun set made them one of the most talked-about bands at Punk Rock Bowling. They had heavy interaction with the crowd, even asking them to “get low”, before they had to jump up, scream, and get crazy. Later on that evening, The Flask even set up a small stage by their merch booth and performed a short set for the people who showed up late for the festival. It’s safe to say that Larry and His Flask left their Punk Rock Bowling performances with many more fans than they began with and you’ll be hearing their name more frequently from here on out.

Around 5:25, Fat Wreck Chords band American Steel emerged onto the stage. Like the previous bands, they only played for a short amount of time, but they didn’t fail to captivate the crowd members. As their set went on, the crowd grew larger and everyone     in attendance seemed pleased with their Punk rock music.

The Black Pacific promptly took the stage at 6:10PM. The Black Pacific is a relatively new group and they’re most known for having Jim Lindberg, the former vocalist of Pennywise. The band could actually pass for being Pennywise, due to their hard riffs and melodic Punk style. Lindberg explained that because they’re a new group, they didn’t have too much material so they would be doing a lot of cover songs; bands that they covered include Pegboys and Jawbreaker. During their time, Black Pacific had a ton of energy, and Lindberg appeared to be genuinely happy to be apart of his newest project. They thanked the crowd for their praise and retreated from the stage.

Around 6:55PM, Irish Punk band the Undertones came onto the spotlight for their 45 minute set. At this point, the capacity of the venue was full of eager fans. People were swaying and singing along to classic songs like “Teenage Kick” and “Get Over You”. The Undertones expressed how lucky and thankful they are for being able to be at Punk Rock Bowling and to be celebrating their 35th anniversary as a group. After their performance was over, few people were chatting about how they were one of the best to play at the festival so far, and should have performed with Stiff Little Fingers the night before.

The Bouncing Souls came onto the stage with much gusto, going straight into a strong and vivacious set. Because most of the crowd consisted of Punks, the Souls strayed away from playing newer material and slower songs, which was a refreshing change from the more recent shows they’ve headlined and performed at. They opened up with “Sing Along Forever” and carried on with many hits, including “Private Radio”, “No Rules”, “Lean on Sheena”, “Hopeless Romantic”, “Manthem”, and “Quik Check Girl”, which was requested by PRB organizer and birthday boy Shawn Stern; in honor of the festival, the Souls also played “Punks in Vegas”.

The only slow song that was done was a cover of “Hybrid Moments” by the Misfits, a pleasant surprise to many people in the crowd. Going a little bit over their schedule time, they ended with both “Kate is Great” and “Here We Go” and promptly exited from the stage and their best performance in a while.

Sharply dressed in blue tuxedos, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes came out shortly after the Souls and began to play “Rocket Man”. For the few who don’t know, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes strictly perform and record cover songs of any type of genre; they’re also a “Punk supergroup” due to the fact that they have many prominent Punk figures in the band, including Fat Mike of NOFX and Spike Slawson of Swingin Utters.

The Gimme Gimmes proved to be more talkative than the other groups and joked around with the audience; they even poked fun of the Emergency Arts building across the street, claiming it was “an emergency for artsy people” and from an angle it looked like “Emergency Fart”. When they weren’t talking, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes gave the crowd a fun and energetic set that included “Country Road”, “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”, and the show tunes “Tomorrow” and “Over the Rainbow”. Although they stuck to their 45 minutes, their set seemed shorter than the others, but nonetheless still sweet. As the Gimme Gimmes departed, everyone knew what was finally next: the Descendents.

The fact that at any moment in time, Milo, Bill, Karl, and Stephen, would be joining forces on stage as the Descendents created a sense of anxiety that loomed over the entire crowd. Although the band probably needs no introduction, they’re widely known as “the godfathers of pop Punk”, and have influenced a handful of mainstream bands like Blink-182. Once they actually appeared, roars of applause and screams came from the audience, whether you were getting ready to capture the moment on your camera, to get in the pit, or simply watch the band. Milo came out and gave a disclaimer to the everyone, saying they had just eaten a burger and they have a trash can on the stage just in case they got sick.

They began to play their title song, “Descendents”, followed by “Hope” and “I’m the One”. The passion, intensity, and energy that the Descendents held throughout their set was channeled into the crowd; the pit was small, but was one of the most combative of the entire weekend. Milo was giving signs of his voice giving out, as it had during a recent show in London, yet the vocalist pushed through and gave a stellar performance. The Descendents played many classics such as, “Rotting Out”, “Myage”, “I Like Food”, “No, ALL!”, “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up”, “Everything Sux”, “Clean Sheets”, “Silly Girl”, “I’m Not a Loser”, and “I Wanna Be a Bear”; they also played songs that were missing from their Long Beach show’s set, namely “Van” and “All-o-Gistics” (Milo even presented a tablet with all the the “commandments” on it). “Shattered Milo” was also played, surprising many fans who recognized the song from the “I’m the One EP” (it was also released as “Your Face” on the “Still Hungry” live album).

Their hour-and-ten-minute set flew by and before long overwhelmed and stimulated fans were chanting for an encore. The Descendents gave the crowd what they wanted and came back with “Sour Grapes”, “Catalina”, “Kabuki Girl”, and concluded with the appropriate, “Thank You”.

Although one may think that a show as intense and mind-blowing as Day 2 would leave everyone exhausted and weary, the crowd’s enthusiasm only seemed to be amplified. Whether you left the venue to hit up a club show, gamble, drink, or simply go to your room and sleep, everyone felt the bittersweet emotion for the next day- happiness and excitement that bands like Leftover Crack, Agnostic Front, and Cock Sparrer would bring, and sadness that in a matter of 24 hours, Punk Rock Bowling 2011 would be a thing of the past. With the bowling tournament already done, Punks knew they had to focus their attention and embrace the final day of the music festival by going out with a huge bang.

Set Times - Sunday May 29, 2011
9:50 - 11:00  Descendents
8:50 - 9:35    Me First And The Gimme Gimmes
7:50 - 8:35    Bouncing Souls
6:55 - 7:35    Undertones
6:10 - 6:40    Black Pacific
5:25 - 5:55    American Steel
4:40 - 5:10    Larry And His Flask
4:00 - 4:25    Johnny Madcap & The Distractions
Doors 3:30pm


                   More photos of Sunday's music festival show can be seen HERE
 

-Sarah K.-
Big Wheel staff reporter

-Stephanie M.-
Big Wheel Senior staff reporter


            Go HERE for more Punk Rock Bowling coverage

 

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

Undertones – The Crowd – Sharp Objects – at The Beauty Bar – Las Vegas, NV

Sunday night at Punk Rock Bowling was definitely one of those nights that you would not have wanted to miss! So for those of you who put down your knitting long enough to check out one of the many awesome shows that night, you definitely had an awesome time! That is, unless your girlfriend broke up with you at the show....  If you weren't able to get into the festival show that happened earlier in the the day, and you wanted to see The Undertones, you were in luck! The Undertones had a really small bar show at a club called The Beauty Bar, a bar inside, and trailer park hell out back where the show was. I kid you not, there was an awesome 1950s trailer, converted into a bar, parked out back. Hell, there were even porta-johns out back that completed the whole trailer park vibe!

Unfortunately when we got to the show we had already missed Boats!, the first band, but we were able to catch the last few songs of Sharp Objects as we waited in line at the trailer to buy some beer..

 

The Crowd played next, and are always a cool band to see, but they had some MAJOR technical issues, which left them short one guitar player after about 15 minutes of waiting in the middle of the set, trying to fix the problem. With no luck, and the clock running out they decided to finish the set with the one guitar, and came back stronger than ever. It was apparent that the audience were impressed with how great they sounded, despite the trouble, and showed their enthusiasm.

The Final Band of the night to perform was The Undertones. I saw them once back in 2004 or 2005 and thoroughly enjoyed them. I was skeptical, thinking they might be out of practice or that maybe my memory had failed me, but when they began to play, they sounded amazing. So full of energy and fun!



                   More photos of the show can be seen HERE
 

            Go HERE for more Punk Rock Bowling coverage

 

Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

Punk Rock Bowling 2011 Music Festival – Fremont Street – Las Vegas, NV – Day 1

Starting off the first day of 3 days of the music festival portion of Punk Rock Bowling 2011 was Dropkick Murphys, Stiff Little Fingers, Aggrolites, Filthy Thieving Bastards, Krum Bums, Off With Their Heads, The Grim and Dirty Filthy Mugs. As in years past when the Punk Rock Bowling committee puts together these shows they are always trying to keep pace with previous years line ups... and many believe that over the next 3 days, the line ups far exceeded anyone expectations.The staff the broke off in shifts to cover the music portion while others stayed behind at Sam's Town to cover the bowling tournament that was still going on as the festival started.


The first day of the 13th annual Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival was introduced by DC Jam Records band, Dirty Filthy Mugs at 4 p.m. The band's sound was versatile, and their melodic music at times derived styles from country, rockabilly, and especially rock n' roll. The bulk of the band's set was credited to Punk rock, yet their set offered substances that allowed for their performance to be enjoyed by the wide variety of music fans in the audience.

After Dirty Filthy Mugs' set, The Grim took the stage and played a 30 minute set for a growing audience. The Grim's sound differed from Dirty Filthy Mugs sound as The Grim performed with both more of an old school sound and attitude. The band delivered an energetic hardcore/skate Punk sound, which the band's vocalist further upheld by going onto the floor of the pit to perform the band's songs. The Grim was refreshing and pretty Punk rock - A true staple of the Punk scene.

Off With Their Heads might be the hardest working band in Punk rock. They've been on the road nearly constantly for the last few year,s building up a core of loyal followers. A strong breeze kicked up as the boys made their way on stage, as if even the wind couldn't wait to circle pit for the band. Never ones for over-blown, self-important theatrics, singer Ryan took the stage with a brief "welcome to the shit show", and the band launched into a frenetic 30-minute set. Hitting several of the tracks off last summer's newest album, "In Desolation", the set list included the furious anthem "Their Own Medicine", which drew all fists to the air, as well as "Eyes of Death" and "All I can Do". The band also tore through old favorites, including "Die Today" and " ", before closing out the set with "Clear the Air". Despite the relatively early hour, swirling sand, and nagging desert heat, the pit was busy for the full set, and there were cheers for more, as the boys cleared the stage to make way for Krum Bums.

The Krum bums brought their street punk ferocity to the outdoor stage Saturday afternoon in front of a fully charged crowd of more than 1000 fans. The gusty winds may have been blowing over Mohawks all over the venues grounds, but not once did it discourage the very excited crowd from dancing away to the mohican melodies the Krum bums had to offer. They are one of the newer bands on the scene, but they already attract a crowd that usually only bands of legendary stature boast. Their vocalist Dave spent every other verse head banging or jumping into the crowd, yes that’s right! Dave was the first person of punk rock bowling 2011 to stage dive.

Once he made it into the crowd he found the time to do a few laps in the circle pit with his fans arm in arm. They too were also the first band to invite their front row crowd onto the stage to help sing along and do a little dancing as well, security may have hated it but. The Krum bums did unveil a new song into the set, though the highlight of their set may have been their excellent cover of the circle jerks classic “wild in the streets”.

For the Punks in the crowd who were not so familiar with the Krum bums original tunes, they were able to sing along with the masses to wild in the streets, and that turned out to be their finest moment, for even Keith Morris would have been proud. As they say, don’t do a cover unless you’re going to do it well, in this case the Krum bums have owned. Enjoy the footage as evidence of their phenomenal set!

Filthy Thieving Bastards were another treat for Punk rock fans who enjoy country mixes with their fast paced beats. Filthy Thieving Bastards augmented the day's mood by performing songs inspired by melodic riffs and upbeat rhythms. The band sounded like a mix between Flogging Molly and Old Man Markley, which was fitting considering Dropkick Murphys were set to headline that day.

Promptly at 7:50pm, the only reggae band on the Punk Rock Bowling outdoor festival bill began their set- Aggrolites. At first, many of the crowd members just swayed and awkwardly danced to their reggae/ska/rocksteady beats, but everyone soon warmed up and you couldn't look anywhere without seeing someone skanking. They performed the songs "Mister Misery", "Complicated Girl","Funky Fire", "Time to Get Tough", "Faster Bullet", and of course, "Dirty Reggae".

The band stopped many times to talk to the crowd- thanking them for coming, telling them how lucky they feel to be a part of this festival, and asking if anyone was excited for the following bands. Lead singer Jesse Wagner also informed the audience on the history of reggae, and how it ties into the Punk rock culture. The Aggrolites set came as a nice, mellow break from the fast Punk rock music that was provided earlier on, and gave people a chance to relax and re-energize for Stiff Little Fingers and Dropkick Murphys.

The excitement in the air was electric as Stiff Little Fingers took the stage. Coming up on the 35 year mark, SLF have long ago established themselves as legends in the punk rock world, and even while the stage was being set, the entire front of stage area was tightly packed with bodies. Kids passed the time singing along with The Crack and T.S.O.L. songs coming over the PA system, already playfully shoving. When the band finally hit, a huge cheer was unleashed, and then no one had a chance to breathe, as SLF ripped through their greatest hits, starting with "Roots, Radicals, Rockers, and Reggae" and working through "Barbed Wire Love", "Nobody's Hero" and "Suspect Device".

Jake Burns took a quick pause in the middle of the set to acknowledge the absence of their usual guitarist, sick in hospital (and our thoughts with him for a speedy recovery), and introduce their stand-in from Chicago's infamous Naked Raygun. Bodies flew through the air, and there was barely room to move even in the pit as the set reached a final climax with "Alternative Ulster". The crowd shouted for more, but there was no time for an encore, only time for the Dropkick Murphy's to come and wind up the outdoor show with a bang.

Starting a bit past their scheduled time, Dropkick Murphys emerged onto the stage right after the song "Boys are Back in Town" was being played for the anxious and already-drunk audience. The infamous Irish Punk group was warmly welcomed by cups of beer (some full and some empty) being thrown left and right, and a pit full of the rowdiest and most excited crowd members. I've heard from many that the Dropkick Murphys are known for putting on great, high-energy shows and this was no exception.

It was obvious that every band member poured their heart and soul into their instruments, vocals, and overall performance, which the crowd noticed and acknowledged; most of the fans gave the passion back to the Murphys by raising their fists in the air and chanting the choruses to the songs they played. The Dropkick Murphys performed a handful of songs off their latest album "Going Out in Style" including "Cruel", "Going Out in Style", and "Take 'Em Down", which lead vocalist Al Barr dedicated to his father. The group also threw fan favorites into their set, such as "Captain Kelly's Kitchen","Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya","I'm Shipping Up to Boston", and "Time to Go".

Barr then declared this song was "for the ladies" and invited them on stage to sing with them. The song was the drinking anthem, "Kiss Me, I'm Shitfaced", causing the crowd to sway with strangers with beers in hand; on stage, the women danced, sang, and one even decided to flash the audience. Dropkick concluded their set with a cover of AC/DC's "TNT", and to everyone's dismay did not appear for an encore.

People began to leave the outdoor venue, and whether they went to relax, gamble, or see a club show, there's no doubt that they left satisfied by Day 1. It's safe to say that the performances set Punk Rock Bowling on the right foot, and got attendees pumped up for what tomorrow has in store.

Set Times - Saturday May 28, 2011
9:50 - 11:00  Dropkick Murphys
8:50 - 9:35   Stiff Little Fingers
7:50 - 8:35   Aggrolites
6:55 - 7:35   Filthy Thieving Bastards
6:10 - 6:40   Krum Bums
5:25 - 5:55   Off With Their Heads
4:40 - 5:10   The Grim
4:00 - 4:25   Dirty Filthy Mugs
Doors 3:30pm


                   More photos of Saturday's music festival show can be seen HERE
 

-Stephanie M.-
Big Wheel Senior staff reporter

-Jo Problems-
Big Wheel staff reporter

-Louie Bones-
Big Wheel staff reporter

-Sarah K.-
Big Wheel staff reporter

            Go HERE for more Punk Rock Bowling coverage

 

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

Punk Rock Bowling 2011 – Bowling Team Photos

Here are your 2011 Punk Rock Bowling team photos. The staff made a best effort to get a photo of every team and out of the 168 registered teams we managed to capture most of them. Beyond the ones that we are missing, checkout below to find your team, your friend's team or just to look at the bowlers from this years tournament.

If you are interested in getting an 8x10 of any of the photos, contact us HERE for details.
Your purchase of photos goes directly BACK into covering the expenses of this site.

If you are interested in getting an 8x10 of any of the photos, contact us HERE for details.
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Big Wheel Staff


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