Girl at the Rock Shows

Well, everyone, I’m back home in a place that doesn’t feel like death due to the heat. I’m honestly super happy to be home. So far, I have taken a three-hour nap, and two hour shower, and now I plan to eat an entire field of vegetables (okay, I’m a vegetarian so I felt this was a bit more appropriate than saying I was going to “eat a horse”) before turning around and going right back to bed. That being said, I am so bummed that my time in Las Vegas at Punk Rock Bowling has come to an end.

Monday’s festivities brought the highest temperature topping out at right around 100 degrees, which was a bummer, but it also brought a heck of a line-up. Like I’ve done the past two days, here are just the highlights of what I saw. These are in no particular order and does not represent all of the bands that I saw solely because, if I were to write about literally everything I saw, I wouldn’t have time to go back to sleep before going back to my real life on Wednesday.

Die Spitz – I had never heard of this Austin, Texas bred band prior to catching their set on the Street Party Stage on Monday but I instantly fell in love. Their sound is gritty and intense. It instantly reminded me of The Distillers with the attitude that came with every track which was just the cherry on top to an already amazingly flawless and energertic set.

The English Beat – Although I definitely leaned a bit more into the punk vein of things throughout the festival, there was no denying the enjoyment I felt as I slowed things down to catch The English Beat. Formed in England back in 1978, The English Beat have some iconic songs such as “Mirror in the Bathroom” and “Too Nice To Talk To”. You may not recognize those song names, but I’d be willing to bet that you recognize this band, and their ska-leaning sound was great music to just vibe out to as the sun was reaching its peak.

Gogol Bordello – Okay, I know I’ve written about this band over a dozen times, so it should really be no surprise that they were a stand-out act of the day for me. I’ve seen this Gypsy punk band in various settings, but I have to say that seeing them at Punk Rock Bowling was the best yet. There was just something so freeing about their set and the way it was perceived by all of the people around me. Nobody was too cool to dance along to the unique sound of this band or play air accordion to the tracks. Gogol Bordello’s set ended with vocalist Eugene Hütz spraying a bottle of red wine over those in the front of the audience. Although this isn’t a new move for him, there was just something so perfect about it.

Vial – One of my favorite things about traveling the country and going to various festivals is seeing familiar faces from the local scene. For Punk Rock Bowling 2024, those local faces were the amazing humans behind Vial. Vial’s punk sound saturated the grounds early in the day. Unfortunately, they played right around the peak sun time, so the majority of the audience hung back in the tent, providing some much-needed shade, but that didn’t hold this band back. The trio gave Las Vegas everything they had and gave it to the audience perfectly. Vial absolutely made the Twin Cities proud and, I know it sounds cheesy, but I am truly so proud of this band and can not wait to see them at more giant festivals like this one.

Madness – Madness is one of those bands that was never even on my list of “bands I need to see live” purely because, well, I never thought I would have the chance. That changed when this English ska band headlined on Monday night. Much like The English Beat, their music calmed things down a wee bit while still giving the packed audience an undeniable sense of energy. It was the perfect way to end the night and the festival by easing everyone back into the real world in a way.

That’s a wrap on Punk Rock Bowling 2024. Like I mentioned, I am said to have to say goodbye but am already looking forward to Punk Rock Bowling 2025. Beyond the music, there’s truly something just so special about this festival. It’s a gathering of the freaks, the geeks, the misfits, and everything in-between but, when together, there are none of those things. It’s a group of people where, if it weren’t for the music that they listen to and worship, they may not be here today. It’s a group of people where it doesn’t matter if your hair is done up, if you have make-up on, or what you’re wearing. It was a sea of people who have a passion for music– just that– music.

I think other festivals should really take a look at what Punk Rock Bowling is doing. It’s a music festival for music people, which, at the end of the day, is the way it should be, right? The “no-overlapping” of bands is something that is so genius but also so simple. It’s also something that most festivals ignore. Many of the festivals I cover are a mad dash to see how many bands you can fit into one day to really capitalize on profits but that’s not Punk Rock Bowling’s style and, again, it’s something that makes this fest really stand out to me more than others.

Another thing that makes this festival stand out to me is the way that it’s “for the people, by the people”. Sure, there’s security and staff keeping an eye on things but, overall, this is the type of festival where people watch out for other people and that’s more than enough. There wasn’t a single moment during the weekend where I felt uncomfortable wandering around on my own. On top of that, I felt like every interaction I had ended up being a conversation. Whether it was a comment on someone’s hair or a nod to the band shirt they were wearing, I absolutely loved seeing strangers becoming fast friends right in front of my eyes. This isn’t something that happens at every festival.

It’s time to go back to my normal life and, although it will be nice to get back into the swing of things, part of me will remain in Las Vegas until I return for this same amazing festival next year. You should probably plan on coming with me for Punk Rock Bowling 2025!

Full Line-Up of Day 3

Doll Riot

Kate Clover

Die Spitz

Vial

Bratmobile

The English Beat

Scowl

Stiff Little Fingers

Quicksand

Gogol Bordello

Madness