It’s our third anniversary here at Punks in Vegas and we’re celebrating by looking back at the shows that made the previous year so great. Check out the lists below as members of the PIV team as well as a few local bands talk about their favorite live shows of 2013. What was your favorite? Leave a reply in the comments!
Emily Matview of Punks in Vegas
1. Lawrence Arms, Nothington, No Se May 24 at Las Vegas Country Saloon
Punk Rock Bowling shows always have really fantastic energy. People who don’t normally go to a lot of shows come out of the woodwork, people travel specifically to see some of their favorite bands, and it’s great to see some old friends we don’t get to see all the time. Not much in life can compare to being in a packed little room singing along to Lawrence Arms’ “The Devil’s Taking Names” and Nothington’s “St Andrew’s Hall” with enough people to overpower every mic and amp in the place. The Lawrence Arms have long been one of my favorite bands and that 7 year wait to see them again after their last Vegas show was excruciating, but all was forgiven on this night. Nothington is another of my favorite bands, and though I’d never listened to No Se before, I became a fast fan.
2. Direct Hit!, Lipstick Homicide, Deadhand, Burning Agrestic July 13 at Bar 702
When I started Punks in Vegas, one of my main goals was to get bands that I loved more exposure in this city and hopefully convince them that our little neck of the woods was worth visiting. There were a handful of bands on my mind at the time, and towards the top of the list were pop punkers Direct Hit! I’m a big fan of the band’s various EPs and full length and was beyond stoked when I got the email that the band was going to make Vegas happen. They were fantastic, ripping through some of my favorite Domesplitter tracks like “Snickers or Reese’s” and “Satan Says,” and I was particularly stoked to hear “Werewolf Shame” from their split with Mixtapes. They also played some then-unreleased tracks that would end up on Brainless God. I’d put this show on my list for Direct Hit!’s raucous set alone but the night also introduced me to excellent, Ramones–influenced pop punkers Lipstick Homicide and was the final show of one of my all-time favorite local bands Deadhand (though the trio did reunite a few times since then). Turnout was sadly low but the energy was high.
3. The Queers, Teenage Bottlerocket, The Copyrights October 1 at Beauty Bar
I’m a big fan of The Ramones and also Ramones-influenced pop punk, so this show felt like it was tailor made for me. The Copyrights have long been high on my list of bands to see live and they did not disappoint, playing all my favorites including “Crutches,” “Worn Out Passport” and “Kids of the Blackhole” with the backdrop of construction in Beauty Bar’s adjacent alley and fans shouting their lungs out in the front. The Copyrights’ one-time Red Scare Industries labelmates Teenage Bottlerocket were even better, coming out with their skull-faced mascot to rock the faces off everyone in attendance. That band has such a huge stage presence and slayed through “Skate or Die,” “In the Basement” and “Bigger Than Kiss.” The Queers didn’t have quite as much energy as their tourmates but kept the circle pit going long into the night.
Cameron Beck of Characters
1. The Story So Far, The American Scene, Heart to Heart March 3 at Eagle Aerie Hall
Hard to believe that the very first show at Eagle Aerie Hall will be one of the absolute hardest to top. The opening acts were superb, Heart to Heart’s heavy punk rock and the American Scene’s intricate indie was refreshing. The Story So Far’s set was full of some of the loudest sing alongs I’ve ever heard. Parker Cannon really brought it that night and it made for one of the most memorable sets I’ve ever watched. It was awesome to hear “Brevity” and “680 South” played live. Made the traffic jam getting out of the parking lot SO worth it.
2. Blink-182 September 19 at the Cosmo Pool
Blink’s show are always crazy fun, and this was no exception. I was happy to hear some of the songs off of Dogs Eating Dogs and some of my favorites off Neighborhoods, and of course playing staples such as “What’s My Age Again?” and “First Date.” “Carousel” was one of the encore songs and I was beyond overjoyed to finally hear them play it love.
3. Polar Bear Club, Citizen, Diamond Youth, Sainthood Reps November 30 ar Eagle Aerie Hall
Such a fantastic line up. First time seeing Sainthood and Diamond, and they both had stellar sets. I was really excited to see Citizen in a smaller venue. Citizen’s set was very well constructed and each song was greeted by a barrage of voices singing along. Polar Bear Club’s set was full of energy, playing a fantastic mix of older songs to songs from their latest release. Jimmy Stadt is a excellent performer.
Justin Fornof and A.J. Perez of Presagers
1. Code Orange Kids December 2 at Eagle Aerie Hall
One of the heaviest and most chaotic bands in hardcore always puts on a great show. If you’re a hardcore fan, you have to see them at least once.
2. Agitator & Wrong Answer January 14 at Eastside Joe’s
A densely packed, small room in a less than picturesque part of town, the perfect setting for a great show. Both Agitator and Wrong Answer were crushingly relentless at their first ever Vegas show.
3. Nasty, No Zodiac, Beg For Life, No Altars September 28 at Ultraviolet Studios
It’s always a blast when your friends come out to play a show, this one was no exception with Presagers’ good friends Beg for Life coming up from Yuma. The headliner Nasty flew all the way from Belgium and didn’t disappoint with one of the heaviest sets I’ve ever seen.
Chris Duggan of Unfair Fight/TheCore./Punks in Vegas
A Wilhelm Scream, The Flatliners, Such Gold, The Sheds June 22 Rock City Studios (Camarillo, CA)
My friend Kyle and I took a day trip to Camarillo for this show. This… This was the best show of the year… actually the best show in a long time.
Ian Caramanzana of Value/Dreamcatchers/Punks in Vegas
1. FYF Fest (2013), at Los Angeles State Historic Park (Los Angeles, California)
It seems like FYF just keeps getting better. This year was undoubtedly one of the best thanks to a stellar performance from the headliner, My Bloody Valentine amongst other smaller bands who provided solid performances such as Mac DeMarco, The Breeders, and Title Fight.
2. New Order with Johnny Marr at The Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan
Bands often come through Las Vegas before or after the Coachella festival and we shouldn’t take that for granted. In 2013 we were fortunate enough to host New Order (minus Peter Hook, unfortunately) and Johnny Marr. Both acts exuberated the musicianship and charisma of legends.
3. HOAX, God’s America, Nests, Headwinds, Value at Kramer’s
There’s was just something special about seeing one of today’s most violent hardcore/punk bands play in a crowded bedroom.
Lawrence Arms, The Story So Far and God’s America photos by Emily Matview. The Flatliners photo by Aaron Mattern. Code Orange Kids photo by Hunter Wallace. “Favorite Shows” banner by Adam Blasco of broken arrow collective.
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