Punk Rock Bowling 2013 Music Festival – Las Vegas, NV – May 27, 2013

By Monday, we were worn out from the festivities of the weekend, but our second wind was coming. Opening up the festival on the final day was Ventura band, Catholic Spit, and they gave us that extra "oomph!" we needed. 

 

As a recovering Catholic, I was interested just because of their name. Opening up with "Sick, Sick, Sex", the death-Punk band definitely held my interest with their 45 Grave feel, combined with their awesome tongue-in-cheek song titles. The opening bands this year, all of them, were just fantastic.

However, this next band was the one that I really want to keep my eye on. Hailing from Houston, TX, Molotov Compromise brought a ska-hardcore feel (more emphasis on the hardcore). Their song, "It Doesn't Matter", has an Authority Zero vibe, with darker edges. They are currently working on a new album, but until that comes to fruition, you can hear their LP "Chestpains" here:

Southern California's Retox was next up. From the very start, it was nothing but aggressive vocals, and frenetic energy. Typically, I'm not a huge fan of the more "screamo" hardcore music, but Retox put on a great show, and the crowd seemed to really like them, as evidenced by the dust cloud covering the pit area.

Funeral Dress has been a big deal in the underground Punk scene for some time. Leading up to their performance at Monday's festival there was much talk overheard in elevators and casino bars about them and the anticipation for their set. Being my first time seeing them live, they actually surprised me.

They lived up to the hype and were really fucking great! The anthemic, bouncy choruses reminded me a bit of The Adicts (without the props), and I found myself nodding along to each and every song they played. This European Oi! band is one I'm keeping on my radar for upcoming shows, for sure.

Crowd surfing was the happening for the Lower Class Brats set. They brought their Austin sound, and then some. With songs like "Safety Pinned and Sick", "New Seditionaries", and "Who Controls the Media?, how could you not scream your throat raw?

If by chance you still had some semblance of a voice you sure as hell were going to need it for The Casualties. The antithesis of screaming your throat raw Jorge and Company launched into their famous brand of New York Street Punk to the delight of myself and all the drunk Punx in attendance.

Whatever your opinion of The Casualties you could not deny the bands fuck shit up energy and aggression. Giant colored Mohawks and studded leather vests popped up from everywhere as they performed “For the Punx” “Punk Rock Love” and one of my personal favorites “Riot”.

Jorge organized fans to climb on one another’s shoulders for a Chicken Fight to end the set bringing the energy for the day to a new level.

Up next was a band people were talking about all weekend long myself included the Subhumans. I can’t rave enough about the Subhumans and their crater size dent on the landscape of Punk history. The UK legends Punk catalog is that of myth with one of the best Anarcho Punk albums ever created period. I saved my voice for the Subhumans knowing I would need it to get all that waiting out of my system.

How could you not sing and slam away to “Religious Wars” “Drugs of Youth” “Subvert City” Reason For Existence” “Mickey Mouse Is Dead” “Big City” and “Minority”. Even as the band played the rare track “Susan” the singing drowned out the beautiful piano score. With my mind someplace else and my fists balled I grabbed and swung my arms around a near by Punk as we joined Dick Lucas in what could only be described as Punk rock gospel “No” their message of oppression and big brother government rings more true today then ever and whose message and lyrics still serve as the silver lining through uniform clad, gun and badged storm troopers, “No I Don’t Believe In The Police Force, Police Brutality Isn’t A Dream, No I Don’t Believe In The System Cos’ Nothing it Does Makes Sense To Me”. 

After a few beers and bottles of water I felt re invigorated for the Hardcore Thrash sounds of D.R.I. fusing the worlds of metal and Punk perfectly together like whiskey and cola it’s a combination proven true decades later.

Texas natives D.R.I. didn’t let up one bit for the Vegas Crowed maintaining the tone set by the bands before them and then turning it up a notch themselves, “I Don’t Need Society” and “Beneath The Wheel” definetly turned the dust flare ups into mini tornados of slam dancers resembling the bands infamous logo.

We come to the conclusion of our booze fueled Punk rock damage of a weekend with the events Headliner, Flag. With the collection of original Black Flag members Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski, Bill Stevenson and Dez Cadena the name was not important in the slightest but the performance was more than important it was necessary.

Only Flag could perfectly sum up this year’s Punk Rock Bowling, legends in their own right from the bands auspicious logo to timeless classics “Police Story” “Depression” “I’ve Had It” and “No Values” the pit was intense and unrelenting from beginning to encore. The boys sounded tight and showed no signs of age as they ripped the Punk Rock Bowling Stage a new A-hole.

Fans couldn’t believe what they were being treated to and in typical PRB fashion showed unlimited support and appreciation throughout and whose deafening roars and cheers shook all of downtown Vegas to the core. The thought of our wonderful weekend coming to an end was a sobering notion but easily remedied with more booze. For some it was an early check out time for others the last chance for more damage, either way it was a weekend to remember.

             More photos of the show can be seen HERE

-Gio Van Dam-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

 

 

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