Punk Rock Bowling @ Downtown Events Center

One more night in Vegas, and my 150th concert here, it's been a great weekend but feels a little weird to be back in Vegas. Driving around earlier in the day, I was finding it hard to wrap my head around the fact that I lived here for 10 years. I went to visit Aria earlier in the day to see some old friends at the Concierge desk and I had an amazing first-ever Thai massage at Dave's new business (well new since we left) Luxury Thai Spa. Holy hell! I felt fantastic and beaten up at the same time. Things are going well for Dave and I hope they continue as this place is beautiful and the massage excellent.

After a late lunch at Capriotti's, Erik and I are at the venue and in with ease today. So much so we watch Ravagers play on the smaller stage. Not quite fitting in with the punk theme of the festival, Ravagers play more of a straight ahead rock. But still get the crowd enthused early.

Back into the main stage for the Undertones.  I knew nothing about this band and wasn't particularly taken by them..

Left the Undertones early and walked back to the second stage to go and see the Toasters.  This band always comes through Charlotte and plays at the Milestone, but I never get around to seeing them.  So tonight I was a good opportunity to see what I'd been missing.  This New York ska band pulled a good sized crowd a the small stage and repaid the loyal following by putting on an energetic set.  I will make an effort next time the Toasters are around because I enjoyed the set.

I did leave during the last song to get back into the main stage to see The Stranglers.  I knew I wanted to see this band but on the night couldn't remember songs as to why.  Not until Peaches.  Of course!  From there the band played song after song I knew.  Always The Sun, Golden Brown, Hanging Around and the set closer No More Heroes, were great.  The Stranglers were tight, sounded as good as they did on 40 year old recordings and seemed to be having a great night.  My dad will be jealous that I've seen The Stranglers.

The reason I picked this festival to make return to Vegas was the next band. The Hives.  Possibly the best live band I've seen.  It is for that reason I didn't leave the main stage for food (especially after the Vandals fiasco last night) or to see the band on the other stage.  Instead I defied my old man tendencies to stand back, and pushed near the front of the stage.  I secretly hoped, being Punk Rock Bowling, The Hives would come out and play a ton of Barely Legal (the blistering 14 song/27 minute debut album).  Alas they played nothing off that album (as per the other 2 times I saw them).  They did however put on the set of the weekend.  As always, Pelle Almqvist owned the stage and demanded the love he deserves from the audience.  Erik & I were well placed between Pelle and his brother, Niklaus.  While I'm surprised they only played 9 songs, Pelle's crowd banter was extensive.  Walk Idiot Walk, Main Offender and Hate To Say I Told You So were the best.  Tick Tick Boom was the set finisher.  And I wished it had of kept going.  Not since I last saw The Hives in September 2012, just down the road at the Cosmo Pool, has a performance had such great energy, though Cage The Elephant goes close.

The Specials were the anti-thesis of The Hives. Where The Hives tore Punk Rock Bowling apart, The Specials mellowed everyone out before finishing the weekend. While Pelle of The Hives owned the Stage, I felt Terry Hall looked like he'd rather be elsewhere. The highlight came mid-set with A Message To You, Rudy. I also knew and loved Too Much Too Young to end the night. Again I might have swapped The Hives & The Specials, but Punk Rock Bowling sees fit. Now I just have to wait for the next line up that will get me to travel.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 453rd concert.
This is my 4th concert at the Downtown Events Center.

This is my 150th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 150th concert in Nevada.

This is my 256th concert in the USA.
Ravagers are the 524th band I've seen
The Undertones are the 525th band I've seen.
The Toasters are the 526th band I've seen.
The Stranglers are the 527th band I've seen.
This is my 3rd Hives concert.
The Specials are the 528th band I've seen.

Punk Rock Bowling @ Downtown Events Center

While we arrived at the same time as yesterday, a shorted line and a chance entry through the VIP line get us in in enough time to check out Drug Church on the 2nd stage.  They played here on Friday before Sick Of It All, but we were too late to see them.  Seemed like a good set, from a band I know nothing about, though the singer seemed a bit upset that the crowd wasn't into it as much as he'd like.

Met up with Dave again and went back to the main stage to see Fucked Up.  Straight forward heavy rock with a growly-voiced lead singer.  I preferred when other band member sang, as their songs  then seemed more melodic.

We decided on dinner after Fucked Up.  Turned out to be a big timing mistake.  I thought 20 minutes would be enough time to get dinner and get back for The Vandals.  So wrong.  Our order took so long we only got to see Vandals do their last song, I Have A Date.  Not cool.

In order to have a good spot for the Refused, we stayed at the main stage and watched Sloppy Seconds on the video screen next to the stage.  It looked like they, and the crowd, were having a raucous time.  Some great song titles (You Got A Great Body, But Your Record Collection Sucks & You Can't Kill Joey Ramone).  I wish we wandered over.

I knew nothing of Refused either.  But they had been touring with the Hives, and any heroes of theirs has got to be good.  And from the moment Refused got on stage you can tell Dennis Lyxzen is a huge influence on The Hives' Pelle Almqvist.  All  the moves and swagger I've seen before obviously originated from their fellow Swedes,  Refused were great!  Until after the show I found out about their history, and how long they'd been around, I was surprised I'd not heard of them before.  I hope they keep going as this is a a great live band.

After another great day it was going to be fun to finish the night with the Descendents show.  An old school band that every So-Cal resident that comes up to Vegas for the weekend loves (like Social D).  You'd never know we were in Vegas - it's Memorial Day weekend and only 49 degrees, windy, and some rain during the Descendents set. Erik & I were uncomfortable enough to seek shelter under the tent at the back of the venue and see the set from there.  I've seen the Descendents 3 times now, and am still am not familiar with their stuff.  I Like Food is a favorite, and once I heard that and Wienerschnitzel, Erik & I called it a night, listening to the rest of the set on the way back to the car.  One more day tomorrow - let's hope it's warmer!  

The Crap Facts:
This is my 452nd concert.
This is my 3rd concert at the Downtown Events Center.

This is my 149th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 149th concert in Nevada.

This is my 255th concert in the USA.
Drug Church are the 520th band I've seen
Fucked Up are the 521st band I've seen.
Sloppy Seconds are the 522nd band I've seen.
Refused are the 523rd band I've seen.
This is my 3rd Descendents concert.

Punk Rock Bowling @ Downtown Events Center

After a lazy day driving round to the old haunts, Erik and I land at Punk Rock Bowling at about 5pm and meet up with Dave in a spot not far from the front of the stage to the right.  The festival has come a long way since I was here in 2012, when it was a one stage show in a parking lot off 6th Street.  It has now taken over the Downtown Events Center (which wasn't even here when I left), has 2 stages and is shaded by the Golden Nugget across the street.

After a quick look around at merchandise and food trucks we find our spot for Fear.  I'm not sure how well this set translated on a big stage in the sunny climes of Vegas.  While Lee Ving was in full joke mode, and the band played their heart out, you get the feeling this would've been better at midnight at the Double Down, instead of mid-afternoon in a vast venue.  Regardless, the beer-themed songs were great, Beef Bologna killed it, and an Aquabat playing on New York's Alright If You Like Saxaphones, was a great way to kick off the festival.

The Damned were a drawcard for me.  Having never seen them before, and although I know only a handful of songs, the opportunity to see these punk legends.  So today we get the whole Machine Gun Etiquette album from start to finish.  Dave Vanian stalked and ruled the stage, with Captain Sensible providing the energy, and Monty Oxymoron the fun.  The set got better and better as it went along and the last 5 songs would have been enough to call Punk Rock Bowling a success.  The MC5 Looking At You cover was blistering.  It was an honor to hear Smash It Up live after being introduced to it many years ago the golden years of JJJ's Hottest 100's.  New Rose was as good as I thought it would be and Neat, Neat, Neat to finish was just fantastic.  Now I have to hope that one day they'll play close to Charlotte so I can see them again.

Yeah, I've seen FLAG before, but this has to be a punk's ultimate band for this festival.  4 ex-members of Black Flag and a Descendent playing nothing but Black Flag songs with a ferocity that would have matched back in the day.  From the moment Keith Morris screamed "It's not my imagination...I've got a gun in in my back" FLAG were on fire.  FLAGs' passion and intensity for these 30 plus year old songs translates to a crowd, who are left in a frenzy.  Great song consistently followed great song and for those of us who weren't old enough to see Black Flag the first time this is definitely a show for the ages.  23 songs in a 45 minute set is what you want and all your favorites will be played.  Gimme Gimme Gimme, Rise Above, Dez singing Thirsty & Miserable & Six Pack, and Keith's return to stage for Nervous Breakdown was phenomenal.  I just read recently that Greg Ginn is doing a Black Flag tour this Fall, but given when I saw them in Charlotte in 2013 - they will have their work cut out for them to match FLAG.  And what about a real Black Flag reunion? Given Keith Morris' "Fuck you Gregg Ginn" chant at the end of a song, I find that highly unlikely.

When you think that Fear, The Damned and FLAG were great, you realize there is no such thing as a bad Rancid show.  The crowd is bouncing from the first notes of Roots Radicals and don't stop for the rest of the evening.  Rancid are in fine form, as Pirates of the Caribbean outcast Tim Armstrong makes his moves across the stage, while Lars engages the crowd between songs.  Tons of a great songs including Old Friend, Olympia WA, and Fall Back Down to finish the set.  Of course the encore ended with Time Bomb and Ruby Soho, which left the crowd buzzing.  I know I'm old and left for home after the show, but I bet downtown Vegas was a buzz once that crowd spread out for the night.  A great first night for the festival.  Looking forward to coming back tomorrow. 

The Crap Facts:

This is my 451st concert.
This is my 2nd concert at the Downtown Events Center.

This is my 148th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 148th concert in Nevada.

This is my 254th concert in the USA.
Fear are the 518th band I've seen
The Damned are the 519th band I've seen.
This is my 2nd Flag concert.
This is my 6th Rancid concert.

Pennywise & Sick Of It All @ Downtown Events Center

I'm back in Vegas.  6 years after moving away (after 10 years of living there) I'm back for the first time.  Drawn in by Punk Rock Bowling.  It's good to be back!

I landed mid afternoon and went to the Mirage and Caesars Palace to catch up with some friends before heading out to Erik's to settle in for the afternoon.  With so many good restaurants to chose from, we decided to meet Dave at India Palace for dinner.  This is the original favorite Las Vegas restaurant as Dave took Amy & I there on our first night in Vegas back in 2003.  Food was as good as I remembered.  It's definitely worth risking your life to go into this neighborhood to eat here.

With the festival came a bunch of side shows.  Pennywise and Sick Of It All being one of them.  Originally scheduled for the Bunkhouse, the response was so overwhelming they moved the show to PRB's 2nd stage and replaced the Bunkhouse show with Flipper & Killing Joke - where Dave went.  Good for us as we were able to now get tickets.

We arrived just before 11pm (2am my time) as Sick Of It All hit the stage.  Hard, fast and loud is how I remembered SOIA at The Cockpit, a small club in Leeds 18 years ago, and while the atmosphere is never the same from a bigger stage, the intensity was the same.  The crowd were in a frenzy from start to finish but for me it was all about Step Down, the last song.  It's a personal favorite and a great finisher.  It also set a high standard for Pennywise to follow.

Pennywise made it clear that being in Las Vegas....for Punk Rock Bowling...that they were ready to party.  Actually it seemed as though they had already started.  Ironically the last time I saw Pennywise was when they headlined Punk Rock Bowling in 2012.  Back when Jim was on hiatus, so it was good to have him back up front.  It wasn't long before they played Same Old Story.  This song is in my top 30 and is a killer live song, and a good way to get the crowd fired up for the rest of the set.  The band seemed loose (or lubed maybe) and we heard plenty of bits of their favorite songs - TNT, Same In The End, Wild In The Streets.  But still it was the great So-Cal surf/skate punk sound that makes them crowd favorites.  Society was great, as was Perfect People and Fuck Authority and even at 1.30am when it was all winding down (and I couldn't stop yawning - it sucks to be old), Bro Hymn had the crowd in a raucous sing along, invading the stage, as though they were just getting their night started.  Bro Hymn is easily the best final song to any set of any band, and it was an honor to see it for the 8th time.

Really looking forward to the rest of the weekend.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 450th concert.
Downtown Events Center is the 124th venue I've seen a concert.

This is my 147th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 147th concert in Nevada.

This is my 253rd concert in the USA.
This is my 2nd Sick Of It All concert.
Sick Of It All are the 50th band I've seen in 2 different countries.
This is my 8th Pennywise concert

Greta Van Fleet @ CMCU Amphitheater

So Erik has come in to town so we could see this show and we were supposed to go to Tool at Epicenter Festival in Rockingham on the weekend.  But the weather put the kibosh on that.  He's a fan of Greta Van Fleet, but by the time I realized there were only General Admission tickets left.  So we were lumped up the back - not where I like to be for this venue.

We walked in as Ida May were finishing their set.  What I heard from the 2 piece sounded good.  Should've got there earlier!  Especially after what was to follow.  When we bought the tickets, we got a copy of Greta Van Fleet's CD, Anthem of the Peaceful Army, which I couldn't get into at all.  But here I was surrounded by a LOT of die hard fans.  As expected the crowd went nuts when they came on but because I'm old and the eye's aren't what they used to be, the band started and it looked and sounded like I was seeing a Led Zeppelin cover band - except they were only playing the Zep's rarities and I knew none of the songs.  For 10 songs that lasted over an hour and a half (when the CD barely scrapes 45 minutes) it was a long night for me.

I won't be racing back to see them, but again with shows I don't like, there were a lot of people there that had a great night and getting into the band.  Just not for me.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 449th concert.

This is my 11th concert at the CMCU Amphitheater.

This is my 79th concert in Charlotte.

This is my 89th concert in North Carolina.

This is my 252nd concert in the USA.
Greta Van Fleet are the 517th band I've seen