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


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