Two nights at the House of Blues Anaheim turned into a full-scale Southern California punk rock celebration on May 16 and 17 as Pennywise, Circle Jerks, H2O, and (DFL) Dead Fucking Last produced a weekend that felt equal parts reunion, catharsis, and controlled chaos, concluding their seven-date West Coast tour.
On Sunday, May 17, a crowd took over Garden Walk just down the road from Disneyland with a mix of old-school hardcore veterans in faded tour shirts mingling with teenagers discovering these bands possibly for the first time. After a rowdy show on Saturday night, the bands and the fans were primed and ready to do it all over again—this was an epic gathering of some of punk rock’s OG’s, and with Pennywise, Circle Jerks, and DFL all SoCal natives, a massive hometown celebration was pending.
DFL began the night with exactly the kind of raw energy needed to ignite House of Blues and set the tone for the remainder of the night. Their set was fast, loose, and unpolished in the best possible way, with the pit churning almost immediately. Led by original member Tom Davis on vocals and Monty Messex on guitar, the band crammed 17 songs into 30 minutes on stage, ending with “Proud to be DFL.”
H2O followed with a super high-energy set led by the charismatic Toby Morse, balancing positivity with nonstop movement and intensity. The band was tight and ripping while the floor became a high-speed community gathering for the entire set.
The Circle Jerks continue to sound classic and dangerous at the same time, as Keith Morris effortlessly commands attention, mixing dry humor, unpredictable banter, and razor-sharp vocals that remain unmistakably his. Greg Hetson on guitars and bass player Zander Schloss have been in the band since the early days, making this an absolutely classic live band, and with the high energy of drummer Joey Castillo, the band hits hard and never lets up.
The setlist was everything you hope for from Circle Jerks: “I Just Want Some Skank,” “Live Fast, Die Young,” and, of course, with Morris’s link to Black Flag, you had a few covers thrown in, including “Fix Me,” and the night ended with “Question Authority.”
When the Hermosa Beach veterans Pennywise hit the stage, the venue was beyond packed to capacity, and the sing-alongs started instantly as the band opened with “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” then into “My Own Country.” Vocalist Jim Lindberg, guitarist Fletcher Dragge, Randy Bradbury on bass, and Byron McMackin on drums remain a high-energy punk rock machine and show no signs of slowing down.
Almost as massive as the band is their fanbase—a true extended family. The guest list for this night must have been in the hundreds, as dozens and dozens of family and friends watched the show side stage and onstage, making it feel that much more intimate. The night was nonstop fun, as fans were brought up on stage to play with the band, and Michael Gatto, vocalist for teenage hardcore punk rockers XCOMM, joined the band onstage for “Minor Threat,” just an all-out celebration of authenticity.
The band blasted through 20 songs, and the night ended with “Stand By Me.” Then, with the stage totally consumed by friends, family, fans, and bands, the ultimate sing-along, feel-good song “Bro Hymn”—this song makes you want to lock arms with your neighbors and sing along as loud as you can with a drink raised in the air. Pennywise is real, loud, sweaty, imperfect, emotional, and deeply communal—the epitome of what punk rock is supposed to be. What a fantastic night to be a punk rock fan.
CIRCLE JERKS
H2O
DFL
