Punk Rock Bowling 2025 spotlight, the bottom of the roster.
I like to start at the bottom of the Punk Rock Bowling roster. That’s usually where I find bands that I've never heard of and that are likely to become my new favorites. The Stern brothers have a history of picking great bands, and I look forward every year to going through the roster and finding the hidden gems. I listen to primarily hardcore and street punk, so the bottom of the roster is where I'm expecting to find them. Of course I'll stick around for some of the more well-known bands that play later, but the new bands are what I'm the most excited about.
The roster starts with a few local bands. Death Tape is a Las Vegas alt-metal band, and The Riflemen are a Las Vegas folk punk band. Folk punk is growing on me after seeing Harley Poe and Doom Scroll in the past and enjoying both of them. Next up is Go Bold, on the same label as The Riflemen (gcrecords.com), and they are also from Las Vegas. Go Bold are also a bit more mellow than what I generally like, with acoustic guitar and sing-along melodies, but the songs are good, and both "All Grown Ups Are Pirates" and "Happy Songs Suck" are worth a spin.
And then we get to Terror Attack. Terror Attack are a Las Vegas street punk band that I would have placed much higher in the roster. Their 2024 EP "Purgatory" was one of my highest-rated reviews of the year, and they made my list of the best releases of 2024. Punk Rock Bowling always includes at least a few street punk bands, for street punk fans like me, and these guys are a solid pick for this year. Top songs are "Fuck You Mean," "In the Ghetto," "Socially Incompetent,” "Terror Attack," and "Jealousy.". Catch them Saturday on the main stage at 1:50 PM. I'll be on the rail as they are one of the main festival draws for me. I'm hoping to also catch them at a club show; it may be my only chance to catch them live, and seeing them twice would be even better.
The punk rock continues with Revolt Chix. They have two releases from 2016 and 2021 and belt out some seriously fast hardcore. They play Saturday at 1:30 on the Monster Street Party Stage, which means I'll be getting to the festival early, maybe even a sprint over from the morning pool party. I have never liked all-girl bands more than I do now, and this band does it right.
From their 2016 self-titled release, their production video was for "Riot In The Streets," but I actually preferred "Nerves" (a short hardcore blast at only 1:31). "Take Control," "Envious Departure," "Not For Me," and "Imbecile" were also standouts, solid undeniable punk rock.
Their 2021 release, "Pandemania," is more of the same and maybe a little cleaner with better production. The opening song, "Never Give Up," is a good place to start. They slow it down a bit in places, but there are plenty of rippers too.
And it keeps getting better, with Billy Batts and the Made Men. They are playing Sunday at 1:50 PM on the main stage, and they may be the band I'm looking the most forward to on the entire roster (yes, including the headliners). According to discogs.com, they have two full lengths and a LIVE album, as well as singles and promos. There is one earlier release, "Aimed at My Head EP," on Bandcamp. There is nothing from earlier than 2019 on either site, so I'm guessing they have only been around about 5 or 6 years.
I was not familiar with them until I started looking into the bands that will be at PRB, and I started with their 2021 EP "Life Is Short, Life Is Shit, And Soon It Will Be Over.". I'm guessing that was a good place to start, as the opening song "Take My Rights" absolutely smokes, and I was an instant fan. The rest of the EP is great too (especially "Paul Bellini"), and it finishes up with an X-Ray Spex cover of "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!".
Continuing through the line-up, Head Cut, Babe Haven, Violencia, and Shitfire were listed next. Head Cut is a goth/death rock band, and Babe Haven is a high-energy all-girl band promoting activism. Head Cut is not quite high energy enough for me, but Babe Haven really brings it. The song "Die (And Rot)" was an early favorite from their 2024 album "Nuisance" and also had a great video to go with it. Babe Haven plays on Monday, on the Monster Street Party Stage, at 2:10pm. Not to be missed.
One of the things I love the most about Punk Rock Bowling, is the varied subgenres that all play the weekend together. Violencia, a powerviolence band from Tijuana, Mexico, absolutely smokes. Short, fast, screaming hardcore with lyrics and song titles in Spanish. I started with their 2018 "El Odio Me Hizo Hacerlo" release, with 12 songs where only 2 were over a minute long. Violencia plays on Saturday, on the Main Stage, at 2:35 p.m. Also not to be missed.
To be continued, but if the bottom of the roster sets the stage for even better bands higher up, this is going to be the best year ever for Punk Rock Bowling.
