What was definitely not $24 per ticket, No Values report -- (edited)
Posted by
JD (aka Jason Dean)
Jun 11 '24, 16:37
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I guess the basic logistics of an event could've been better if the most common headline associated with your festival is about the traffic but that wasn't my experience.
Yes, it took me about 20 minutes to go like the last half mile to the fairgrounds and yes, I saw groups of people get out of their rideshares and out walk the traffic but we probably parked at about 1230.
And for the dumb, only mattered to me part of parking, from where we entered the fairgrounds, the preferred parking was closer, the bypass route to take us to the far parking area was on the Pomona Dragstrip. Like the home of NHRA Winter Nationals. I grew up watching Drag Racing so that's kind of big deal location to the little kid in me. So there I was driving my 2018 Prius on the dragstrip that I'd seen (on TV) Shirley Muldowney and Don "The Snake" Prudhomme win on. Granted I was driving the wrong direction and at like 20 MPH but still!
But after a bit of a walk, made it to the gates, security was ummm...efficient. I think we spent more time getting our tickets scanned and they were using those relatively new scanners and I think they'd tweaked the sensitivity so that it didn't go off with every jacket that went through.
That let us get on with the day so after a quick stop by the locker and a slightly longer one at the Vans Vert Ramp to say hi to the brother of one's FH's friends we were off.
The Adicts
So much fun and didn't realize they were that old. Was more that a bit caught off guard at the end of the their set when they started this kind of quiet, almost start to a song. Didn't immediately recognize it and was kind of humming along...Walk on....with hope in your hearts. WAIT and then the inevitable happened. And You'll Never Walk Alone. Really? Well, I guess their kind of rock version is better than hearing the reds sing it
Scowl
One of youngest acts there and a bit more screamy than some of the old school punk. We'd seen their set at Coachella and this was must see. More than a bit further back this time as that's where the shade was but every bit as a riveting set as Coachella. Perhaps more? Kat Moss kind of makes me want to cheat (musically, touring wise) on Brody. Like Scowl could be the next band that I chase around given a chance.
Back out to the field for Vandals.
Side note: one of main stages was set up on the grass portion of the horse racetrack infield and the other was set up on the far end of the track or something and was on turf?!?
More first gen (I think The Vandals qualify?) punk and just a fun time. Oi to the world in blazing sun in June doesn't really hit the same way as when we saw them in like Sept at night but still great.
At this point, we're kind of had enough direct sun so we kind of wandered the overall festival and ended up in the grandstands and caught the Black Flag set from there. Wasn't great acoustically but got the general idea and blissfully spent time off the feet and in the shade.
While we were figuring out what to do, FH's friend and her BF showed up having got late free tickets from the brother working the Vans' Vert Ramp. We met up there just in time for one of the demo sessions and I got to see Tony Hawk perform while I was backstage? of the ramp.
We kind of hung out and then waited in a really slow line for some food.
Sublime:
FH's pick as we kind of bypassed them at Coachella knowing they were playing No Values. Their hits aren't completely my thing but given the setting and the time they had, they played a number of punk songs which I got a kick out of.
Bad Religion
The other main stage. We set up just far enough into the crowd to escape the really bad sound area that was in front of the grandstands where some 'genius' had decided to turn on the speakers in the back wall of the grandstand. They hadn't been on early when were being sun adverse for Black Flag. If you could hear those speakers, it was the worst artificial echo effect ever. I kept walking forward until we were well clear of that and then proceeded to have the time of my life singing and bouncing along. So at the small show, we were not quite shoulder to shoulder and I was like 15 feet from the stage but everybody singing. Big field, more room to bounce (we weren't any where near the front) but now only me attempting to sing.
L7
One we got to the stage as I was leading the way, FH's friend takes a look at the stage and states: Of course, we're here. I heard about you and the chick bands. I've always liked that L7 is more of a rock band than their single would lead one to think. It's only the second female led act that I've seen for the entire festival which might set a record for me at festivals. Can't prove it but I wonder if L7 has more females on stage for their set than there was for the entire rest of the festival combined. We (I) stay till to the end which makes us late to
Iggy Pop
I still can't get over the shape that guy is in. It's like he realized that he had to change his ways or die and then froze the aging process at that point, got really lean and muscular and headed back out on the road. I'm also reminded just how much he has contributed to this type of music while listening to the set. The boyfriend has one set that he wants to see and that's the upcoming Social Distortion set so we leave Iggy early. Turns out that's right after he performs Lust for Live so I'm not disappointed to be leaving early.
Social Distortion - Old people's headliner at 835
We get a relatively good spot and can even sit for a bit. The set is well, Social Distortion. I always forget until I seem them live how distinctive Mike Ness' voice is and how much it adds to the set. Well at least for me. The boyfriend has taken over my role as far a singing along with all four of us joyously singing Ring of Fire.
During the set there's been groups of Misfits fans just streaming by us. The diehards left about half an hour into the set. Well, no, I guess the true diehards skipped Social D and they're over at the other stage. Then there was another group who left about 15 minutes after the first group.
Hey at least they made it. We left after Social D. Long walk back to car but no wait to get out of the lot. As a sign that I didn't live through this music when it first was a thing, my take on what I could hear of The Misfits as we were making our way out of the festival is that they're fine? They're a punk band making punk music? I was comforted to see or more accurately not see hardly any Misfit shirt wearing folks leaving with us so it wasn't just the cool logo for those people.
I left wearing a Scowl T-shirt ;-)
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