Punk Rock Bowling 2025: Day Two

Sunday brought a diverse lineup with several standout performances that showcased punk rock’s evolution over the decades. The crowd was looser now, more hungover and sunburned, with Saturday’s energy carrying over into Sunday, Day Two. People were making friends, sharing stories, and that sense of community that makes PRB special was in full effect.

Fidlar brought their party punk energy to the stage; these LA guys know how to get a crowd moving. The band’s reputation for wild live shows preceded them and they didn’t disappoint. Though I will say they were a bit more subdued than I had seen them at other shows, likely due to the heat, their garage punk sound mixed with surf rock created the perfect soundtrack for a Vegas afternoon. Songs about partying, skating, and general West Coast debauchery had the crowd bouncing along, with a large swath of fans chugging down beers in solidarity with the band’s lifestyle anthems.

Gang of Four then proved that post-punk innovation never goes out of style.

The Leeds legends brought their angular rhythms and political edge to a crowd that may not have expected a history lesson during the fest. Their influence on everyone from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Franz Ferdinand was evident as they worked through classics like “Damaged Goods” and “Love Like Anthrax”. Gang of Four‘s set felt as relevant as ever, showing younger bands in the crowd how to make punk music that actually says something beyond just noise and fury.

Up next was The Interrupters, who has become one of the biggest names in modern punk and ska. Their set showed exactly why they’ve captured both old-school fans and newcomers. Aimee Interrupter’s powerful voice with the band’s classic punk energy paired to modern production creates a performance that explodes onstage. Their songs about unity, perseverance, and staying true to yourself is proof that punk’s not dead. And, when they played “She’s Kerosene”, the entire crowd sang along. More than anything else, their choreographed show is always high-energy, super positive, and filled with fun moments — lots of laughter and giant smiles from the band all-around.

Peter Hook and the Light performing Joy Division songs was always going to be emotional territory. The Manchester bass legend and his backing band took on the challenging task of bringing Joy Division’s catalog to life without Ian Curtis. While Hook’s voice isn’t Ian Curtis (nobody’s is), his bass lines still are the foundation those songs were built on and hearing them played by their creator is something special. The crowd understood they were witnessing something rare and treated it with the respect it deserved. Hearing “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and “Transmission” in the Vegas desert was surreal, a reminder that some music transcends time and place, creating connections across decades and continents.

Photography by Shane Pase

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