Punk Rock Bowling 2024 - Saturday night club show crawl.
This was a day to remember, for so many reasons. Saturday, in the middle of Punk Rock Bowling 2024, in downtown Las Vegas. Making it through Punk Rock Bowling without missing any key bands, takes preparation and planning. One of the things that I start with, months in advance, is listing all of the bands that are playing and ranking them in order of importance. This year, RKL (Rich Kids on LSD) was at the very top of that list.
I would have enjoyed the entire line-up that preceded RKL, however, this is Punk Rock Bowling and in order to give us choices, a lot of shows overlap. On this particular night, I had tickets to three different club shows with plans to see FYP at The Downtown Container Park at 11:05, The Suicide Machines on the roof of The Downtown Grand Hotel at midnight, and finally RKL at The Sand Dollar at 12:55 am. It worked out perfectly.
Todd Congelliere of F.Y.P. at The Downtown Container Park, Punk Rock Bowling 2024 - All photos courtesty of Paul Holstein
F.Y.P. (Five Year Plan) is another band that has legend status in my mind, with their 1997 album “My Man Grumpy” being nearly perfect. Their singer, Todd Congelliere, also runs Recess Records, which was a big influence on my musical taste.
F.Y.P. has a young, fast, snotty sound that I wasn’t sure would translate after all of these years, but to my surprise, it did. This was one of the best sets that I saw at PRB this year, and I literally walked out shaking my head in amazement. They played most of the classics that I was hoping for, including "Pappy," “Fuck You and a Half,” and “Come Home Smelly.”. If you aren’t familiar with them, check out this video of “Pappy” that was recorded at this show.
The Dwarves were up next, but luckily I had caught them earlier at the Punk Rock Museum. As soon as F.Y.P. wrapped up, I was off to the pool deck at The Downtown Grand. I’m from Detroit, where Jason Navarro is in about half of the bands that are part of the current scene (The Boreouts, Break Anchor, Jason Navarro and the Traitors, The Suicide Machines, Hellmouth, etc.). I’d already seen The Suicide Machines a couple of times this year at a local bar (with Negative Approach), but I couldn’t miss the chance to catch up with the Detroit crew that would undoubtedly be over at this show and to support a band from my local scene. They never disappoint, and I was lucky to get a good spot on the rail despite showing up just before they played. As great as this show was, anticipation was building for RKL and as soon as they finished, I broke into a run to get over to The Sand Dollar (about a mile away). I made it in plenty of time.
For anyone who has been into punk rock as long as I have, RKL are legends. Many bands (including NOFX, Lagwagon, and The Dwarves) cite them as a major influence. RKL started back in 1982 as part of the Oxnard, California, scene, and are sometimes referred to as a “Nardcore” band. Their 1986 LP “Rock n Roll Nightmare” was an instant classic, but due to breakups and the deaths of several original band members, I was never able to catch them live.
Chris Rest of RKL - All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein
Tony Foresta of RKL - All photos courtesy of Paul Holstein
Surprisingly, but with no complaints from me, RKL was booked at The Sand Dollar, which is the smallest venue of any of the club show venues. Unsurprisingly, they were the first club show to sell out. RKL is somewhat of a supergroup, with two guitar players who also play in Lagwagon (Joe Raposo and Chris Rest). Their new signer is, of course, Tony Foresta, who also fronts Municipal Waste and Iron Reagan.
The crowd was ready to go, and Tony Foresta brought the energy. It was a whirlwind from start to end, slam pit, stage dives, crowd surfing, and photographers pushing their way through the people on the rail for a quick photo. RKL’s mascot, “Beanie Boy,” came out and played guitar for a few songs. RKL was fast and tight and never missed a beat. I picked up guitar picks from Chris Rest and Barry Ward, which was a perfect end to a perfect day. If you are wondering just how chaotic this show really was, check out this video of “Scab on My Brain” on my YouTube channel.