Punk Rock Bowling 2025: Day Three

Punk Rock Bowling‘s 25th Anniversary proved that the festival isn’t just surviving in a world of corporate music festivals; it’s offering something those others can’t. The combination of accessibility, genuine punk rock community, and respect for the music’s history creates an experience that feels real in a way that’s increasingly rare.

And I mean, come on, it’s in Vegas!

First, let me comment that the festival has always been about more than just the music. The punk rock community spirit was on full display when some idiot showed up wearing a Nazi SS t-shirt and thought he’d be welcome. The crowd quickly turned on him and escorted him out forcefully, making it crystal clear that the punk rock scene doesn’t put up with Nazi bullshit. Punk rock will always stand up to fascists and bullies.

That said, whether you’re 16 or 60, whether you discovered punk last year or were there when it started, Punk Rock Bowling makes you feel like you belong -– as long as you’re not a Nazi piece of garbage.

Monday’s final day featured some of the weekend’s most memorable performances, with bands bringing extra energy. The crowd was tired, incredibly drunk or incredibly hungover, sunburned to a crisp, but determined to make the most of the final day, with that bittersweet duality of not wanting a great weekend to end but sure as hell wanting to get out of the heat and blazing sun.

Bar Stool Preachers delivered a high-energy ska punk set that had everyone moving despite the weekend fatigue.

The Brighton band’s mix of punk attitude with ska rhythms was exactly what the crowd needed to wake up for the final day. Their political lyrics and infectious energy created a perfect storm of dancing and moshing that got people’s blood flowing again. In essence, Bar Stool Preachers put on a really great show, as they tend to do.

Leftöver Crack brought their chaotic blend of punk and ska next. The band’s anti-establishment message and unpredictable antics kept things interesting throughout their set. Their music tackles heavy topics –- addiction, politics, social issues –- but deliver them with a sense of humor to keep things from getting too heavy. Despite the chaos, the band’s performance was tight and focused, proving that sometimes the wildest bands are the most professional when it counts.

Texas punk rockers Riverboat Gamblers really showcased everything great about American punk rock next. Frontman Mike Wiebe’s stage presence was perfect for the band’s garage sound (and attitude). With songs about heartbreak, drinking, and surviving, it was a soundtrack for everyone who’s ever felt like an outsider in their hometown — the perfect vibe that so many in the scene could identify with. 

The Damned showed up as incredible as always, proving that some bands just get better with age.

Captain Sensible and the gang have been doing this for nearly 50 years, and they still make it look easy. The Damned‘s set mixed classics like “New Rose” and “Smash It Up” with newer material, proving they’re not just living off past glory but continuing to create music. Dave Vanian’s theatrical presence is zero-to-none.

Flag then delivered one of the weekend’s best performances as the sun set and certainly one of the most historically significant. Seeing several original Black Flag members together again was something special; their set was a throwback to 1980s LA hardcore that felt both authentic and powerful. Keith Morris, Dez Cadena, Chuck Dukowski, and Bill Stevenson brought that classic Black Flag energy to songs that helped define American hardcore punk. For many in the crowd, this was as close as they’d ever get to seeing Black Flag in their prime, and Flag delivered that experience with the intensity and precision that made those songs legendary in the first place. It was one of the best sets of the entire festival, plain and simple.

Amigo the Devil took the stage with just his guitar and banjo, creating another one of the weekend’s most memorable and unexpected moments. His dark folk songs had the entire crowd singing along, with lyrics about death, love, and everything in between. Danny Kiranos’s twisted sense of humor kept everyone laughing between the more serious moments, creating an intimate atmosphere that felt like sitting around a campfire with a very disturbed friend… who also happens to be incredibly talented.

After three action-packed days, Social Distortion closed out the fest with their first-ever Punk Rock Bowling appearance.

It felt like a homecoming 25 years in the making. After a quarter century, having Social D finally play PRB felt like completing a circle that started when the festival began. Mike Ness and the band delivered exactly what everyone hoped for: classic punk rock, played by masters of the craft who’ve been perfecting their sound for over four decades. Their mix of punk, rockabilly, and country created the perfect soundtrack for saying goodbye to another year of PRB. When they played “Story of My Life”, it felt like the entire weekend’s story being told in three-and-a-half minutes.

As the weekend ended and people started making their way back to airports and highways, it was clear that Punk Rock Bowling isn’t slowing down. After 25 years, it’s still the place where punk rock feels most like home. Here’s to 25 more years of controlled chaos in the desert!

Photography by Shane Pase

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