DESCENDENTS LIVE ANOTHER DAY AT PUNK ROCK BOWLING.
Milo Aukerman of Descendents-All Photos by ©dickslaughter.com
As I made my way to the main stage to take photos of the first day's headliners, Manhattan Beach legends Descendents, I ran into some familiar faces lined up at the barricade. It was Live Another Day, Austin's punk/ska/pop-punk darlings. I asked if they were still on tour, considering they had just played with Grumpster at 924 Gilman in Berkeley. Logan replied for the crew, "We were, but we had to see Descendents, they're our favorite band." The others chimed in in agreement. When I asked if they were playing club shows, they said they were just there for PRB. “We hoped to play in Las Vegas, but it didn’t happen. We just wanted to see Descendents.” It was clear that they were really into Descendents, and I thought they should review the show instead of me. So I suggested the idea and offered to get In Spite Magazine to publish it, featuring their band in the same article as Descendents. Let’s just say the gentlemen fancied the idea, and this is the result. I hope you enjoy it. - dickslaughter
Live Another Day on the Rail at PRB for Descendents-All Photos by ©dickslaughter.com
Dick Slaughter asked us why we would take a break from our tour to watch Descendents play at Punk Rock Bowling. The answer is simple: How could we drive through Las Vegas without watching one of our biggest influences perform our favorite songs?
Stephen Egerton and Milo Aukerman of Descendents-All Photos by ©dickslaughter.com
I asked my fellow band members to write about the Descendents show, and this is what we all said. I will start first. My name is Logan Greenberg I play bass and sing. I should have been coming to Punk Rock Bowling since 2020, but the lineup was pushed back to 2021 due to the pandemic. When 2021 came around, Jack joined me since Descendents was playing that year, and Descendents is one of our favorite bands. When this year's lineup was announced, I routed our west coast tour around PRB and the Descendents show in the hopes of maybe playing a club show or any unofficial show during the festival. But be sure to see Descendents play no matter what.
I’ve seen Descendents six times, Jack has seen them three times, but it was both Tim and Chris’ first time seeing them. The four of us found a spot at the barricade. Tim shaved and bleached his head before the tour, and he also brought a marker with him so we could draw a unique design on his head each day on the tour. Naturally, Jack couldn't resist drawing the iconic Milo Descendents logo on Tim’s head for Saturday’s show. We always cover a Descendents song in our live shows, mainly “Silly Girl” and "Clean Sheets" but we’ve also covered “We,” “Bikeage,” "Hope,” "Everything Sux" and "This Place.”They are always a fan favorite at our shows. It was great seeing most of those songs live, just a few feet in front of us.
Tim of Live Another Day, Descendents hair dew -All Photos by ©dickslaughter.com
We definitely bonded over singing along to the brilliantly catchy lyrics and watching the perfect musicianship of Stephen Egerton and Karl Alvarez. Bill Stevenson is a drummer god. His fills are so tight, and they flawlessly match the recordings on the studio albums. His drum setup is perfectly aligned to his other drums so that he can smoothly move around the kit, and he has a huge ear-to-ear smile across his face while he plays that always makes my day. Karl’s bass licks are exceptional, and Stephen’s guitar riffs and solos seamlessly flow into the next part of the song. I love watching their hands move all around the guitar necks. It is always amusing to watch Milo Aukerman run around the stage with his water bottle strapped around his body and his microphone hovering over his mouth.
(No Mic) Milo Aukerman of Descendents-All Photos by ©dickslaughter.com
Drummer Timeo Hennion. “They [Descendents] are a big influence on our sound, they are also a band that some of us had never seen before and had been waiting years to see live. In my case, the recordings always sound perfect, and they make It sound so easy, so I really wanted to see a live performance, and they lived up to my expectations. They are also amazing musicians with fun crowd work, especially when Milo got off the stage to sing with the crowd.”
Guitarist, Jack Henry. “The Descendents are one of my favorite bands of all time and make some of the best punk rock songs to date. They are also some of the most skilled musicians I have ever witnessed in a live setting. When I saw them at Punk Rock Bowling, I was blown away by how tight and explosive their playing was. Each song was a truly unforgettable demonstration of their amazing songwriting and execution. Stephen's powerful, striking riffs on top of Karl’s melodic, blisteringly fast bass lines made for one of the most amazing demonstrations of melody in live music in general. On top of this, Bill's face melting effortless style of drumming brought out the best in each of their songs. To top it off, Milo's iconic hooks and voice, along with his unmatched energy and stage presence, made this one of the best demonstrations of punk rock anyone could ever witness. I have seen the Descendents perform multiple times before, but each time tops the last in terms of musicianship. They seem to be completely together at all times and can communicate without even looking at one another. As a musician myself, they have the skill and energy that I strive to obtain with my band. Their sheer skill and power while playing live is very inspiring to a younger musician like myself, especially given how long they have been a band. I believe that anyone witnessing this show who hasn’t heard the Descendents or listened to punk music at all would consider them the best live band ever, if not their new favorite band. The Descendents songwriting, along with their veteran skill when playing live, makes them a band you never want to stop listening to.”
Descendents-All Photos by ©dickslaughter.com
Guitarist Chris Kalamarides. “There are two types of shows you go to in your life: bands you want to see and bands you need to see. Descendents is one of those bands I always hear about touring, but usually, I just think, 'Yeah, I'll catch them next time they come through town.' However, there was no better time to see them than at Punk Rock Bowling, and I quickly learned that Descendents is one of those bands I needed to witness in my lifetime.
As a band, we’re four guys in our early 20s, so obviously, a band like Descendents is from decades before we were even born. With that, there’s definitely an entertainment factor and inspiration in watching a band featuring four guys just like us who are well into their early 60s still kicking it and performing with the same badass energy they had at the dawn of their career.
At the end of the day, I couldn’t be happier to witness these living legends with some of my oldest friends in a band that I’m so proud to be a part of. Seeing Descendents at Punk Rock Bowling was a reminder of why we do what we do, proving that punk rock is far from dead but more alive than ever.”
For tour dates and official merchandise, please visit the Descendents page on the Epitaph Records website.
DESCENDENTS official
Live Another Day at PRB-All Photos ©dickslaughter.com
For more information or to book the authors, please visit LIVEANOTHERDAY.com. If you want to check out their latest single, "Disappoint Me" it is available on your favorite streaming platform, or visit them on Instagram or Facebook.
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