Girl at the Rock Shows

I typically go to Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas over Memorial Day weekend. I love that festival so much, but I always hate that going to that festival means I miss the Caterwaul festival in Minneapolis. Although Caterwaul may not have the huge names that PRB boosts, they always have a killer line-up and a flawless mix of local and national acts that run the gamut from rock to punk to noise to everything in between. I’m not sure why or how I got so lucky, but Caterwaul moved weekends this year, and I was finally able to experience it in all of its glory. Friday night was the first day of this three-day festival, and I arrived at Zhora Darling with bells and whistles on, ready to take in all eight bands that performed on Friday night. There’s a lot to get through here, so let’s just jump in.

The night started with Mad Mojo Jett. Mad Mojo Jett is a local supergroup. Made up from members of The Texenes, Low Rats, and Jett Kick, Mad Mojo Jett’s classic but trashy punk rock sound was the perfect way to kick off the marathon of a night of music. It was an inviting sound, but also one that warned you that there was surely some insanity to follow. This was my first time seeing Mad Mojo Jett perform, and within the first song, I regretted every show of theirs that I had missed. I was mentally preparing for what was to be a super-long night, but they didn’t let me ease into the night. They hit me in the face with their power and lifted my heart with their sound.

BirdHands is the duo of drummer Ian Prince (Houston, Porcupine, Story of the Sea, Soul Asylum) and bassist Allen Epley (Shiner, The Life and Times). Their sound was a bit more abrasive than that of Mad Mojo Jett, but it still felt just as infectious. Watching these two men create the sounds they were making with just drums and bass had me in absolute shock. From moments that had a definite groove to moments that felt a bit more intense and angsty, BirdHands had a little bit of everything in their quick, thirty-minute set.

Up next was Resurrectionists from Milwaukee. A brand new name to me without any familiar faces, I instantly felt trapped in their world. Sonically, there was something almost rootsy about their sound, but there was also something intense that leaned into the flow of the night so perfectly. Although they had that intensity in their sound, they also had something a bit more restrained, which gave their music this almost cinematic kind of sound that really made them stand out from the rest of the bands of the day (well, that and the banjo that the band quickly apologized for busting out, but that also added that special spice to their set).

New Brutalism instantly had my jaw on the ground. They warned the audience that they are not shapes, so for me to call their sound angular or anything like that just feels a bit wrong, but it also isn’t. Their sound was minimalistic in a way, but also intense. There was clearly so much thought and care put into each song that this band played down to the instruments they were performing on. The homemade, aluminum instruments definitely caught my eye, but it didn’t take me long to realize that the mystery of this band isn’t in those instruments, it’s in their sound. It’s hard, it’s rocky, it’s emotional and powerful, and all of the things making it the kind of set that is so easy to feel attached to and like you’ve been listening to this band for your entire life. Add in the human touch of a volunteer from the crowd coming up to sit in front of the kick drum so it would stop moving and you were left with what was absolutely one of my favorite sets of the day.

I had the honor of catching Season to Risk last spring, so I knew what this next band to grace the stage was all about, but that didn’t stop me from being completely wowed by their short time on stage. This band is truly flawless but also brings a sense of fun to the stage. You can tell that they have played time and time again, but haven’t lost the magic of it all. Vocalist Steve Tulipana lets his fun-loving personality shine behind the microphone, while you can also catch many of the other members making funny faces here and there or just getting completely lost in the music, like the people watching the set clearly do.

Before I even stepped foot into Zhora Darling on Friday night, I bumped into a friend. After the obligatory greetings, he just stopped and said something to the extent of, “Mike Watt is inside. He’s just sitting there and having dinner. I guess he is just a normal person.” Although that’s half true, it’s also not. Mike Watt is far from a normal persona. He is a bonafide legend, and it was an absolute thrill to see him and his band, The Missingmen, on Friday night. From his work with Firehose to the Stooges, Mike Watt is truly an insane and reputable bassist. What he can do with that instrument is truly insane, but it’s the personal flair that he brings to the stage that makes him such a fun person to watch. Joined on stage by Tom Watson on guitar and Raul Morales on drums, the sound of Mike Watt + The Missingmen was a cohesive and unique one, but that wasn’t my favorite part of their set. My favorite part of this set was the nonverbal communication that you saw take place between members. Mike’s face was emotive to say the least, but it also had this sort of childlike fun behind it. Either Tom or Raul would do something, and you could see Mike respond in real-time. Maybe it was a new riff, maybe it was one that they had played over and over again; either way, just watching Mike Watt enjoy the music he and his band were making was more than enough for me to call this one of the best sets on Friday.

I’m not even going to try to come off as cool. I had never heard of Didjits prior to seeing them at Riot Fest last year, but after that set, I was in love and so excited that I was getting a chance to see them on my home turf and at such an intimate venue. Like Mike Watt, Didjits are legendary. This Illinois-based band has been around since 1981, and, even though the members have all changed other than vocalist Rick Sims, their set was perfectly put together and presented. Their classic punk sound definitely got the audience going, and although it was far past my bedtime by the time they took the stage (they started at 12:15 AM), I was into it and here for every fist pump and accidental bump from those around me.

Closing out the first night of Caterwaul 2026 was The Crosses. Hailing from Milwaukee, The Crosses are fronted by Daniel Kubinski of Die Kreuzen. I wish I could say that means something to me, but, honestly, it doesn’t. I’ve never heard of Die Kreuzen before, but after seeing The Crosses and falling in love with this band, even though I was absolutely exhausted by the time they hit the stage, I plan on spending the little downtime I have between waking up and heading out to day two of this festival digging into all things The Crosses and Die Kreuzen. There was something so intense about their sound, but something so inviting about the performance. You could tell that this was not Daniel’s first rodeo and that he knows just how to get a crowd moving, regardless of how late and how tired people are. Sonically, this band was a little metal, a little punk, and all heart, making this the perfect way to end the night on a high note and leave everyone who had made it to the end ready to come back for day two on Saturday.

Okay, per usual, when writing about a giant festival, I didn’t go super deep on any of these reviews, and I feel so bad about that, but, honestly, I just don’t have the energy. I have to mentally and physically prep for the nearly twelve-hour day ahead for day two of Caterwaul. If you wish I had said more about some of these bands or wish you could get a better taste of what they are all about, I urge you to come out to Saturday or Sunday’s installment. I promise you that both days will be full of amazing music, great people, and just an overall flawless vibe.

Line Up:

Mad Mojo Jett

BirdHands

Resurrectionists

New Brutalism

Season to Risk

Mike Watt + The Missingmen

Didjits

The Crosses

Venue: Zhora Darling

Smell-O-Meter: Sweat

Average Age of the Crowd: 43

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 3 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $8.21

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Mad Mojo Jett – 0

BirdHands – 0

Resurrectionists – 0

New Brutalism – 0

Season to Risk – 1

Mike Watt + The Missingmen – 1

Didjits -1

The Crosses – 0

Show on Deck – Caterwaul Day 2!

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

Check out my playlist HERE!